The economic benefits of supplemental fuel injections depend, in part, on the coke replacement ratio. An assessment of the accuracy with which blast furnace coke rate may be measured and a determination of the key drivers of coke rate uncertainty are offered, to provide guidance for experiments in high-rate gas injection. Using statistical analysis tools, an expression for the measurement error associated with the various terms of blast furnace carbon balance is developed. Coke rate calculations based on the material balance are most sensitive to coke carbon content and to proper tracking of hot metal tapping schedule.
This paper explains how mine operators are taking a closer look at the power of explosives and how primary breakage affects other open-pit mining costs. Slurries have overcome most of the disadvantages attributed to them in their early years and may replace Anfo. Effective blasting is the key to an efficient, low-cost mining operation. Reviews are presented on research in crater studies, computer-aided design, the expanding gas theory, and high-speed motion picture cameras that show the importance of shock energy in fracturing the rock interfaces throughout the burden. The paper concludes with MSHA-approved courses in blasting offered throughout the US.
In a series of comprehensive tests lasting 18 months the relationship between the CO-content of the waste gas from a hot-blast cupola furnace and the amount of secondary blast was determined. The additional CO-combustion by means of the secondary blast an...
The use and costs of auxiliary fuels in US ferrous blast furnaces in 1978 and 1980, years noted for high and low imports of blast furnace coke respectively, are analyzed and the results are presented in tables. A short-term forecast of use is made.
Metal machining facilities pose interesting design problems. This article provides an overview of key environmental control considerations and ways to deal with them. Machine shops offer a variety of environmental control challenges to mechanical engineers. Among the design problems that must be considered include: whether to provide space heating only or year-round air conditioning; temperature and relative humidity requirements; air cleanliness; exhaust air requirements; the type of HVAC system to be used; industrial waste and plumbing considerations; compressed air needs; and noise control. In addition, the designer must comply with worker health and safety and environmental protection regulations set forth by the National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH), OSHA, and EPA, as well as with any applicable state and local requirements.
This report is in accordance with Phase I of the United States Department of Energy and Bureau of Mines Contract No. USDOE DE-AC01-77QQ90147. A thorough literature search was conducted and the current mining practice at nine coal stripping operations reviewed in detail. A review of the state of the art of blast design using current theory and practice is presented. Based upon this information, a series of recommendations are presented and a detailed test program is outlined for three operations. The recommendations to increase dragline productivity by improved blast design are directed at filling the bucket more quickly, with greater consistency and with a better fill factor: (a) overburden fragmentation, (b) muckpile displacements, and (c) blasting reliability. Recommended blast design concepts and operating procedures to provide the desired blast performance include: (1) Increase ...
17 papers are presented. Topics covered include: the POG system - a new concept in the use of ANFO; demolition of a motorway bridge; presplit and smooth blasting; VIBReX - a predictive code for assessing the effect of blast design on ground vibration; ground vibrations from blasting; digital seismographs; human response to blasting and the effects on planning conditions; landform construction by restoration blasting; use of small diameter explosives; efficient priming; safety management in the explosives industry; and the law on packaging of explosives. Two papers have been abstracted separately.
Devolution, as other types of decentralization (e.g. deconcentration, delegation, privatization), profoundly changes governance relations in the health system. Devolution is meant to affect performance of the health system by transferring responsibilities and authority to locally elected governments. The key question of this article is: what does devolution mean for human resources for health in Mali?This article assesses the key advantages and dilemmas associated with devolution such as responsiveness to local needs, downward accountability and health worker retention. Challenges of politics and capacities are also addressed in relation to human resources for health at the local level. Examples are derived from experiences in Mali with a capacity development programme and from case studies of other countries. It is not research findings that are presented, but highlights of key issues at stake aimed at ...
A multispecialty panel of physicians evaluated a case series of 53 composite-materials workers in a large aircraft manufacturing facility who filed workers' compensation claims for illness labeled by...Full Text Available
The rice blast resistance (R) gene Pi-ta mediates gene-for-gene resistance against strains of the fungus Magnaporthe grisea that express avirulent...Full Text Available
Destress blasting is commonly used as a stress control technique at the Galena Mine, Wallace, Idaho, where the U.S. Bureau of Mines maintains a cooperative research program with the mine operators (ASARCO). A digital seismic array and an array of borehole...
A device for reducing the muzzle blast and flash from large caliber guns is disclosed. A container having a plurality of internal chambers and baffle plates filled with an aqueous foam is mounted to the muzzle of the gun barrel. The foam and chambers co-o...
Coke consumption may be cut as much as fifty percent using a coal reactor to furnish carbon monoxide for ore reduction in a blast furnace while lowering the sulfur content of pig iron accompanied by a smaller slag volume.
Production agriculture is associated with a variety of occupational illnesses and injuries. Agricultural workers are at higher risk of death or disabling injury than most other workers. Traumatic injury...Full Text Available
This article describes the utilization of plastic wastes in a blast furnace. The plastic waste is a substitution for petroleum and coal as a raw material for synthesis gas production. The synthesis gas is the reducing agent in the blast furnace for the reduction of iron ores. You can find here an ecological and economical analysis of this process in comparison to the utilization of petroleum and coal. (SR)
A method is presented for calculating the thermal stability of blast furnace coke over a wide range of sizes, based on a study of the coke behaviour pattern in the blast furnace and the change in its thermo-elastic properties during reheating. Using as an example a Novolipetsk metallurgical plant, the possibility was demonstrated of using the thermal stability index calculated by the proposed method for an unambiguous assessment of the quality of blast furnace coke.
There have been no radically new commercial bulk explosives since Atlas Powder Company's introduction of emulsions onto the market in 1968. But the effectiveness, safety and management of these familiar explosives is continuously being improved by the development of blast design techniques, explosives delivery and initiation systems, and monitoring methods. The author looks at developments in blasting technology and discusses experiences with Handibulk emulsion delivery systems.
This document outlines the Maintenance Implementation Plan (MIP) for the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) located at the Hanford site at Richland, Washington. This MIP describes the PFP maintenance program relative to DOE order 4330.4B. The MIP defines the key actions needed to meet the guidelines of the Order to produce a cost-effective and efficient maintenance program. A previous report identified the presence of significant quantities of Pu-bearing materials within PFP that pose risks to workers. PFP`s current mission is to develop, install and operate processes which will mitigate these risks. The PFP Maintenance strategy is to equip the facility with systems and equipment able to sustain scheduled PFP operations. The current operating run is scheduled to last seven years. Activities following the stabilization operation will involve an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine future plant activities. This strategy includes ...
Features particular to the technology of using a blast furnace for the recycling of plastic waste are reported, and the behavior of plastic waste injected into a blast furnace is described. The plastic waste is injected into the furnace borne on a 1200degC hot blast through the tuyere. The plastic is converted into a reducing gas in the furnace, and the gas on its way up in the furnace is utilized as a reducing agent in the iron ore reducing reaction. The process is described below. All kinds of plastic waste may be utilized in this fashion, with the exception of polyvinyl chloride. As for polyvinyl chloride, efforts are under way to develop a technology to recycle this plastic. The method using the blast furnace tolerates a wide range of impurities, and the plastic waste is only to be crushed and granulated before use in the furnace. Plastic waste coarsely granulated but not pulverized may be ...
A sample of 30 manganese-exposed foundry workers from two Swedish plants were examined with a partly computerized psychological test battery, comprised of 10 performance tests. Performance of the manganese-exposed workers was compared to that of a matched control group of 60 workers. Matching criteria were age, geographical area, type of work, and the results on a test of verbal comprehension. Performance of the exposed workers was inferior to that of the control group on tests of simple reaction time, digit span, and finger tapping. No correlations were found between performance and the present manganese exposure levels or the number of years employed in manganese work. The results seem to indicate that the present exposure standards for manganese, in Sweden 2.5 mg/m3 and in most other countries 5 mg/m3, are not sufficient to protect workers from negative effects on performance ...
An experiment of a plasma torch on a production foundry cupola is reported. The test runs were conducted on a hot blast cupola, the blast temperature in the absence of plasma being 400 C. With the torch, the temperature of the blast was increased to 1000 C. The experiment was conducted for the manufacture of car engines with a 2.5 MW transportable plasma system. The cupola was boosted with a 4 MW torch and results included an increase in production of 45 percent, a decrease in coke rate and no more new iron in the loads. The plasma torch and hot air cupola furnace are described.
The introduction of large blast furnaces, oxygen-enriched blast and natural gas firing means that the coke rate is determined mainly by the ability of the coke charge to loosen up the burden and ensure a high level of permeability. Coke strength is now of great importance to the steelmaker, alongside ash and sulphur contents. The article suggests that moisture still offers a useful negotiating base for furnace operators and suppliers. It is important to know the moisture content and a sampling procedure is recommended for determining the moisture desorption time. Such tests also indicate any relationship between different quenching plants and the product.
Analytical models for predicting the deformation and failure of composite sandwich panels subjected to blast and projectile impact loading are presented in this paper. The analytical predictions of the transient deformations and damage initiation in the composite sandwich panels were compared with finite element solutions using ABAQUS Explicit. For the blast model, the predicted transient deformation of the sandwich panel was within 7%of FEA results, while the predicted damage initiation using Hashin's composite failure criteria was about 15%higher than FEA results in most cases. For the high velocity impact model, the predicted transient deformations were within 20%of FEA results.
Results are presented from an evaluation of the effect of the quality of the iron-ore-bearing raw materials and coke on the performance of blast furnaces at the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Combine. It is shown that the technical-economic indices of the smelting operation are improved by increasing the pellet content of the charge, the basicity of the sinter, and the sinter?s content of the ?5 mm fraction. An analysis of the performance of the blast furnaces on coke with a hot-strength index CSR = 40?60% confirmed the qualitative and quantitative effect of this index on furnace productivity and coke consumption. The analysis also showed that the magnitude of this effect depends on smelting rate and the basicity of the furnace slag.
This study examines the effects of blasting on waste dumps at open pit mining operations. Of specific concern were mining operations at the base of a five hundred foot high waste dump such as the operation at the South Pit of the Smoky-River Coal Ltd. property near Grande Cache, Alberta. An assessment of waste dump stability including factors such as quasi-static deformation behaviour, historical dump deformation behaviours and potential blasting effects was undertaken. It is concluded that safe blasting may be carried out in proximity to waste dumps, but monitoring of dump behaviour is recommended to ensure operational safety. 22 refs., 4 apps.
The term "homology" or "homologous" means an amino acid similarity measured by the program, BLAST (Altschul et al (1997), "Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST: a new generation of protein database search programs", Nucleic Acids Res. 25:33 89 3402), and expressed as --(% identity n/n). In measuring homology between a peptide and a protein of greater size, homology is measured only in the corresponding region; that is, the protein is regarded as only having the same general length as the peptide, allowing for gaps and insertions.
A study trip to a biomass gasification plant in Germany took place from 13-15 November 2000. The goal of the trip was to obtain information on German developments, experience, and possibilities in the field of biomass gasification. The participants were representatives of Dutch parties in the energy sector: waste sector, manufacturers, producers, policy makers and consultants. The most important feature was the visit to plants that were in operation. Due in particular to the new EEG (Emeuerbare-Energien-Gesetz/Renewable Energy) legislation, German policy makers have created an initial market for sustainable energy with a degree of success. The key feature is that EEG makes projects 'bankable' by guaranteeing a return delivery compensation. An EEG-type scheme designed to accelerate the development of sustainable energy could be an interesting instrument also for the Netherlands. The plan was to visit four plants and have a number of presentations in a period of ...
This paper discusses use of chemical explosives for blasting in underground coal mines endangered by methane, and reviews safety regulations on blasting in mines endangered by methane in Poland. Results of tests carried out by the Institute for Mine Safety of the Central Mining Institute in Katowice are reviewed. The following types of explosives were tested: the L permitted Barbaryt, the FGH2 permitted Barbaryt, the D6G permitted Metanit, the D5G permitted Metanit, the W2AG permitted Metanit, the CG sheathed permitted Metanit. Test results are given in a table and 2 diagrams. Comparative evaluations show that the CG sheathed permitted Metanit and the W2AG permitted metanit are superior to other explosives. Methods for evaluating safety of explosives for blasting in coal mines endangered by methane are reviewed. Indices characterizing safety of chemical explosives are evaluated. (3 refs.) (In Polish)
Form as the end result of massive star evolution; Type II supernova: collapse of iron core in highly evolved massive star; outer regions blasted away in ...
In this paper, the authors investigate the technical and economical aspects of the natural gas injection in non-integrated pig-iron plants using charcoal in the blast furnace. The effects of the natural gas injection concerning the blast furnace flame temperature, charcoal consumption, productively and permeability are analyzed. It was found that the injection is beneficial in many ways, such as in the improvement of the productivity and quality, if the flame temperature is kept within an appropriate range. In the financial-economic project`s evaluation, the cash flow for the natural gas injection was analysed considering two blast conditions: through the drying and oxygen enrichment of the air. A sensibility analysis is presented in which the internal rate of return of the investment varies according to the prices of charcoal and oxygen. 3 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs
Documents an early American industrial process of making blast furnace coke using techniques and equipment from the 19th century. Photographed at Bretz, WV.
A potentially new use for Illinois coal is as a fuel injected into a blast furnace to produce molten iron as the first step in steel production. Because of its increasing cost and decreasing availability, metallurgical coke is now being replaced by coal injected at the tuyere area of the furnace where the blast air enters. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the combustion of coal during the blast furnace injection process and to delineate the optimum properties of the feed coal. This investigation is significant to the use of Illinois coal in that the limited research to date suggests that coals of low fluidity and moderate to high sulfur and chlorine contents are suitable feedstocks for blast furnace injection. During the first phase of this project a number of the objectives were realized, specifically: (1) a blast furnace sampling system was developed and used successfully ...
Case studies were made of the following dislocated worker programs: Cummins Engine Company Dislocated Worker Project; GM-UAW Metropolitan Pontiac Retraining and Employment Program; Minnesota Iron Range Dislocated Worker Project; Missouri Dislocated Worker Program Job Search Assistance, Inc.; Hillsborough, North Carolina, Dislocated Worker Project; Cleveland, Ohio, United Labor Agency Dislocated Worker Project; Houston Community College-Texas Employment Commission Dislocated Worker Project; Tacoma, Washington, ASARCO Copper Smelter Dislocated Worker Project; and Dane County, Wisconsin, Dislocated Worker Project. All of these programs had placement rates higher than those of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)-funded demonstrations, and only two of the programs for which a wage ...
This is a retrospective study of the development of the social worker role within the multi-disciplinary team setting of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at Burnley General Hospital...Full Text Available
Two cases of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, including one death, occurred in workers at a facility producing indium-tin oxide (ITO), a compound used in recent years to make flat panel displays. Both...Full Text Available
An incidence study of malignant melanoma of the skin (MMS), conducted previously among the workers of four plants of a large telecommunications industry located in Montreal, Canada, showed a standardised...Full Text Available
The selection due to the "healthy worker effect" was estimated from a random sample of the total Finnish population. The sample of 20 000 people was followed for changes in occupations from 1960 to...Full Text Available
The authors studied noncancer mortality among phenoxyacid herbicide and chlorophenol production workers and sprayers included in an international study comprising 36 cohorts from 12 countries followed...Full Text Available
Workers from cotton mills were exposed to cotton dust during carding in an experimental cardroom. Cotton from different geographical locations with varying amounts of endotoxin were used. Exposure levels...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: To study cause specific mortality and cancer morbidity in workers exposed to the dust of grinding materials, grinding agents, and stainless steel, especially with regard to a possibly increased...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVES--This case cohort study examines whether there is an association between exposure to electric and magnetic fields and suicide in a population of 21,744 male electrical utility workers from...Full Text Available
The social work literature is replete with studies evaluating social workers' direct practice interventions, but strikingly few have assessed how well social workers are faring in the political arena. This study tests a major theoretical model, the civic voluntarism model, developed to explain why some citizens become involved in politics, whereas others do not. The study sample consisted of 396 randomly selected social workers licensed in 11 states, all of whom completed a 25-minute telephone survey. Social workers were surveyed to determine the role of the following variables in explaining social workers' political activity levels--resources needed to participate, psychological engagement, and attachment to recruitment networks. The results indicate that the civic voluntarism model was significant and accounted for 42 percent of the variance. The strongest predictors of social ...
BackgroundThe relationships between worker health and productivity are becoming clearer. However, few large scale studies have measured the direct and indirect cost...Full Text Available
The explosive known under the name Saletrol (mixture of ammonium nitrate and hydrocarbon fuel or a mixture of ammonium nitrate, hydrocarbon fuel and aluminum powder) is characterized by the absence of physical stability during storage (the oily fluid flows from the upper layers of the explosive downward) and as a consequence of this, decrease in the required effectiveness of blasting and increased release of toxic gaseous blasting products. In order to eliminate this shortcoming, lightening clay is added to Saletrol in a quantity of 3-12% by weight of the total explosive mass.
Coke strength increases in significance as blast furnace and metallurgical plant gain in size and output requirement. The article underlines the need to apply error computation standards to strength testing routines. The mean square deviation was found for cokes from different plants, related to a single strength determination for M25 and M10, and amounted to 0.61 and 0.35% respectively. The future standards should include a correlation factor for permitted tolerance as between parallel determinations.
The economic benefits of pulverized coal-injected (PCI) blast furnaces have meant that the number of such furnaces in Japan has steadily increased since their introduction in 1981. Aspects of PCI discussed in the article include: PCI system configuration; evaluation of coals for PCI (e.g. dryability; pulverisability and combustibility) and the possibility of a technical ceiling for pulverized coal rate. 4 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.
By opinion and order dated May 20, 2003, Judge Richard K. Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade remanded the Commission's (U.S. International Trade Commission) preliminary negative determinations in Blast Furnace Coke from China and Japan for fur...
In the United States, approximately 20% of all workers who died on the job in 2007 were foreign-born. The objective of this study was to describe trends in occupational fatalities among foreign-born workers. An analysis of fatal injuries among foreign-born workers in the US occurring from 1992 through 2007 was conducted using the Bureau of Labor Statistics? Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Individual characteristics, employment characteristics, injury events and industry employment were summarized and evaluated for trends. Both the number and proportion of foreign-born workers who died from a traumatic work-related injury increased substantially over the time period studied. The proportion who were men, aged 25?44?years, Hispanic, non self-employed, employed by business establishment...
An evaluation was made of possible hazardous working conditions at the ASARCO Globe facility, Denver, Colorado. The facility was involved in the recovery of cadmium from baghouse dust, a waste byproduct of nonferrous smelters. A medical study of kidney function was conducted in 45 current or former cadmium production workers; results were compared to those for 35 hospital workers. Kidney abnormalities were more common and more severe in the cadmium workers than in the hospital workers. Abnormalities of proximal tubular function included reduced reabsorption of beta-2-microglobulin, retinol binding protein, calcium and phosphate. Glomerular dysfunction was evidenced as elevated serum creatinine. As length of exposure to cadmium increased, changes became more apparent in workers. No reversal of the conditions was noted in workers who had ceased to be exposed to ...
The Office of Environmental Management's (EM) Roadmap, U.S. Department of Energy--Office of Environmental Management Engineering & Technology Roadmap (Roadmap), defines the Department's intent to reduce the technical risk and uncertainty in its cleanup programs. The unique nature of many of the remaining facilities will require a strong and responsive engineering and technology program to improve worker and public safety, and reduce costs and environmental impacts while completing the cleanup program. The technical risks and uncertainties associated with cleanup program were identified through: (1) project risk assessments, (2) programmatic external technical reviews and technology readiness assessments, and (3) direct site input. In order to address these needs, the technical risks and uncertainties were compiled and divided into the program areas of: Waste Processing, Groundwater and Soil Remediation, and Deactivation and Decommissioning ...
There are at present 116 floating production systems and 60 storage vessels dotting the oceans involved in hydrocarbon exploration and production activities. Although concentrated mostly in the North Sea, they can be found also off the coast of Australia, eastern Canada, Brazil, some African nations and the Gulf of Mexico. They range from converted tankers to purpose built rigs. The most adaptable of the various systems is the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, first developed as a cost-effective means of developing fields in Brazil's very deep offshore areas. Still being tested and modified for work in widely different environments, FPSOs appear to have met all requirements in producing expenditure efficiencies, maximizing profits, and protecting workers. One of the most efficient and most technically advanced is a 292-metre long FPSO built for the Terra Nova Alliance by Daewoo Shipyards in South Korea. It arrived at ...
A study trip to a biomass gasification plant in Germany took place from 13-15 November 2000. The goal of the trip was to obtain information on German developments, experience, and possibilities in the field of biomass gasification. The participants were representatives of Dutch parties in the energy sector: waste sector, manufacturers, producers, policy makers and consultants. The most important feature was the visit to plants that were in operation. Due in particular to the new EEG (Emeuerbare-Energien-Gesetz/Renewable Energy) legislation, German policy makers have created an initial market for sustainable energy with a degree of success. The key feature is that EEG makes projects 'bankable' by guaranteeing a return delivery compensation. An EEG-type scheme designed to accelerate the development of sustainable energy could be an interesting instrument also for the Netherlands. The plan was to visit four plants and have a number of presentations ...
There is extensive evidence that exposure to asbestos causes pulmonary parenchyma fibrosis, pleural disease, and malignant neoplasm in asbestos-exposed workers. However, few data concerning brake-lining workers are available in the literature. In this study, we aimed to assess the long-term effects of chrysotile asbestos exposure on lung function and the risk of asbestos-related diseases in brake-lining workers. Seventy-four asbestos-exposed workers who processed brake-lining products and 12 unexposed office workers were offered pulmonary function tests (spirometry and transfer actor) in 1992 and 1999. In 1999, the mean duration of asbestos exposure was 0.00#+-#4.07 and 11.02#+-#4.81 years (7-31 years) in non smoking and smoking asbestos workers, respectively. Transfer factor (T_L, CO) and transfer coefficient (K_C_O) decline were significant in the 7-year ...
Changes in the supply situation have necessitated the use of poorly-caking coals in blends for blast furnace coke. This has led to impairment of the coke rate (up to 9 kg/t iron) and furnace throughput (down 3.8%). Coke strength has suffered and leads to difficulties in the hearth area. Despite maintained pressure gradient between throat and tuyeres, blast figures were lower, suggesting decreased permeability of the charge and a general deterioration in heat utilization. Coke breeze became excessive and had to be removed on several occasions. Other factors which may be involved include the graphitization of the coke and its combustibility, neither of which were included in this study; coke quality, however, remains of prime importance to projected increases in furnace capacity.
Examinations of polished and dry cut sections of feed and tuyere coke revealed some possible mechanisms for the physical influence of mineral compounds on the reactivity and strength of coke. It was observed that rounded particles of mineral phases that are exposed to the pore walls and surface of coke at high temperature create an inorganic cover, thus reducing the surface available for gas-solid reactions. The particles of mineral matter that have a low melting point and viscosity can affect the coke at earlier stages in the blast furnace process, acting in the upper parts of the blast furnace (BF). The temperature-driven redistribution of mineral phases within the coke matrix probably leads to the creation of weak spots and in general to anisotropy in its properties, thus reducing its strength. 9 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Explosives have rarely been used in decommissioning of nuclear reactors. Nevertheless, controlled blasting can be used advantageously during careful destruction of nuclear power plants for removal of concrete, pipe systems, and other components. Experiments performed within a former nuclear power plant demonstrate the feasibility of this method, employing explosive masses up to 15 kg per blast. The loadings of the components and the total plant structure were measured and compared with code predictions. The experiments show a response of the containment predominantly in frequency ranges above 100 Hz, thus keeping the building and components below German regulation limits for shock excitation. The blast wave pressures are reduced drastically within short distances in the building. Dust and debris can be contained with simple methods such as curtains. Use of this method seems to be applicable to actual dismantling projects.
This document reports the results of the FY 2005 PNNL VPP Program Evaluation, which is a self-assessment of the operational and programmatic performance of the Laboratory related to worker safety and health. The report was compiled by a team of worker representatives and safety professionals who evaluated the Laboratory's worker safety and health programs on the basis of DOE-VPP criteria. The principle elements of DOE's VPP program are: Management Leadership, Employee Involvement, Worksite Analysis, Hazard Prevention and Control, and Safety and Health Training.
Describes laboratory and industrial tests on the use of lowasash sulphurous petroleum coke during reduction of barite. Shows the potential of substituting blast furnace coke with petroleum/coke fines in this process.
A method is disclosed of producing blast furnace coke by (1) compacting a finely divided coal wherein at least about 60% by weight of the coal has a diameter of less than about 1/8 inch to form a coal compact, which compact immediately after removal from the compacting means comprises at least about 20% by weight of particles having a particle size of less than 1/4 inch in diameter; (2) breaking the thus formed compact such that the bulk density is sufficiently increased to be capable of conversion into coke suitable for use in large blast furnaces upon carbonization thereof; and (3) carbonizing the broken compact to thereby produce blast furnace coke having a minimum hardness of about 68 and a minimum stability of about 55. The compacting is preferably performed at a pressure equivalent to that achieved by passing the finely divided coal between rolls at a pressure applied to the coal of between about 20 and about 60 ...
IntroductionTerror attacks in Southeast Asia were almost nonexistent until the 2002 Bali bomb blast, considered the deadliest attack in Indonesian history. Further attacks in 2003...Full Text Available
The method of producing blast furnace coke by (1) compacting a finely divided coal wherein at least about 60% by weight of the coal has a diameter of less than about 1/8 inch to form a coal compact, which compact immediately after removal from the compacting means comprises at least about 20% by weight of particles having a particle size of less than 1/4 inch in diameter; (2) breaking the thus formed compact such that the bulk density is sufficiently increased to be capable of conversion into coke suitable for use in large blast furnaces upon carbonization thereof; and (3) carbonizing the broken compact to thereby produce blast furnace coke having a minimum hardness of about 68 and a minimum stability of about 55. The compacting is preferably performed at a pressure equivalent to that achieved by passing the finely divided coal between rolls at a pressure applied to the coal of between about 20 and about 60 tons per ...
Trinitrotoluene (TNT) absorption was assessed in groups of workers at two explosives factories by measuring the urinary concentrations of dinitroaminotoluene (DNAT) metabolites. DNAT was detected in...Full Text Available
A survey was carried out in a steel foundry in Brisbane to evaluate the nature and frequency of respiratory symptoms and to assess ventilatory function. The foundry used many moulding processes including...Full Text Available
Development of Portable Normobaric Hypoxia and Pulsed Magnetic Field Firmware System for Enhancement of Radio- and Non-specific Resistance in Workers of Environmentally Hazardous Industries
... Problem: At a glass ceramic cooktop plant, workers manually lift uncut plates of glass onto a waist-high conveyor belt, where it is then stacked ...
... Stone, CR & Grover, CC Practice Readers ... Tolbert, M., Withers, S. & Watkins, HT, Good Workers All State Department of Education, Columbia, South ...
A method of making high strength coke briquettes suitable for use as blast furnace coke comprising, (A) providing coal, (B) heating the coal at a temperature at or above the softening point of the coal to form partially carbonized char, (C) cooling the partially carbonized char below the softening point of the coal, (D) mixing the cooled partially carbonized char and tar to form a mixture of tar and partially carbonized char, (E) briquetting the mixture of tar and partially carbonized char to form briquettes of tar and partially carbonized char, (F) calcinating the briquettes to form high strength briquettes.
The authors describe the production of two mouse hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies to antigenic determinants of the surface membranes of human neutrophils, activated T lymphocytes, and acute leukemic blast cells. The degree of lymphocyte stimulation was estimated from incorporation of /sup 3/H-thymidine with parallel microculture. Monoclonal antibodies of supernatants of hybridoma cultures shown here reacted in both immunofluorescence test and cytotoxicity test with surface membrane antigens on the majority of neutrophils and PHA-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy subjects, but did not give positive reactions with unactivated lymphocytes, adherent monocytes, erythrocytes, and alloantigen-stimulated lymphocytes.
After presenting the advantages of applying neutron moisture gages to the continuous measurement of blast-furnace coke moisture and explaining the factors influencing the measurement accuracy, the necessity of calibrating these devices under flow conditions and the encountered difficulties are discussed. Using statistical methods it has been observed that the main source of calibration errors is the sampling phase. Based on results of mathematical processing, a new calibration method with higher performance - compared with the earlier ones - is proposed. This method allows to achieve high accuracy in a relatively short time. (author).
Molecular biologists, geneticists, and other life scientists use the BLAST homology search package as their first step for discovery of information about unknown or poorly annotated genomic sequences. There are two main variants of BLAST: BLASTP for searching protein collections and BLASTN for nucleotide collections. Surprisingly, BLASTN has had very little attention; for example, the algorithms it uses do not follow those described in the 1997 BLAST paper and no exact description has been published. It is important that BLASTN is state-of-the-art: Nucleotide collections such as GenBank dwarf the protein collections in size, they double in size almost yearly, and they take many minutes to search on modern general purpose workstations. This paper proposes significant improvements to the BLASTN algorithms. Each of our schemes is based on compressed bytepacked formats that allow queries and collection sequences to be compared ...
BackgroundComplaints of arm, neck and/or shoulders (CANS) affects millions of computer office workers. However its prevalence and associated risk factors in developing countries...Full Text Available
In the context of radiation protection for both workers and the population in general, natural sources of radiation, and in particular radon gas and its short-life decay products assume great importance. In particular, workers in thermal spas can easily be exposed to a level of radon radiation and its decay products comparable to those in uranium mines, though often these workers are unaware of the danger. The main source of radon in thermal baths is the thermal water itself, coming as it often does from deep springs, and this can produce high radon concentrations which are left in those areas in which therapy is carried out. Another factor which cannot be overlooked is the radioactive content of thermal mud, often matured for long periods by contact with thermal water. Thermal cures, though varying slightly from site to site, consist principally of mud cures, hydro-therapy and inhalation in various forms. Both health ...
The 1993-1995 period represents a time of significant transition for workers engages in nuclear-related activities. Total nuclear-related employment fell markedly from about 300,000 workers in 1993 to 265, 000 in 1995, a 12% decline. This is the lowest level since the 1970s. In 1995, a third of all nuclear-related employment was in the reactor operation and maintenance segment. 6 figs, 1 table.
32P-Postlabeling analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have been used to detect DNA adducts in peripheral blood lymphocytes from primary aluminum production plant workers who were exposed...Full Text Available
Collective dose equivalent and population dose from occupational exposures in Japan, 1988 were estimated on the basis of a nationwide survey. The survey was conducted on annual collective dose equivalents by sex, age group and type of radiation work for about 0.21 million workers except for the workers in nuclear power stations. The data on the workers in nuclear power stations were obtained from the official report of the Japan Nuclear Safety Commission. The total number of workers including nuclear power stations was estimated to be about 0.26 million. Radiation works were subdivided as follows: medical works including dental; non-atomic energy industry; research and education; atomic energy industry and nuclear power station. For the determination of effective dose equivalent and population dose, organ or tissue doses were measured with a phantom experiment. The resultant doses were compared with the ...
Collective dose equivalent and population dose from occupational exposures in Japan, 1988 were estimated on the basis of a nationwide survey. The survey was conducted on annual collective dose equivalents by sex, age group and type of radiation work for about 0.21 million workers except for the workers in nuclear power stations. The data on the workers in nuclear power stations were obtained from the official report of the Japan Nuclear Safety Commission. The total number of workers including nuclear power stations was estimated to be about 0.26 million. Radiation works were subdivided as follows: medical works including dental; non-atomic energy industry; research and education; atomic energy industry and nuclear power station. For the determination of effective dose equivalent and population dose, organ or tissue doses were measured with a phantom experiment. The resultant doses were compared with the ...
Personal monitoring and dose assessment of all radiation workers is an essential regulatory requirement as per radiation safety procedures of AERB and operating stations. The occupational workers of TAPS 1 and 2 and TAPS 3 and 4 are monitored for internal contamination due to high energy gamma emitters by whole body counting
The research team recruited eight Chinese American (seven females, one male) lay health workers (LHWs). They received 12 h of training about colorectal cancer (CRC), its screening, and basic...Full Text Available
Supplemental fuels are injected at the tuyere level of blast furnaces to reduce coke consumption and increase productivity. Natural gas use in blast furnace injection has increased substantially in recent years as operators became aware of its operating and economic benefits. One of the major conclusions found in the GRI-sponsored tests at A-K Steel was that the prevailing concept of maintaining a high raceway adiabatic flame temperature (RAFT) for high rates of natural gas injection practice was shown to be in error--during tests, RAFT was lowered by about 700 F with no adverse effect on the blast furnace. Subsequent to the field trials, A-K Steel has reported very high productivity on its No. 3 Middletown furnace by injecting over 180 lb/THM of natural gas and by charging over 250 lb/THM of metallic iron as hot briquetted iron. The objectives of these two series of tests on two commercial blast ...
The proven principle of increase in strength during breakage of coke has served as a basis for proposals for mechanical treatment of coke before its use in blast furnaces. The losses of part of the resources of the large-lump product accomanying this treatment make the process of development of the properties outside of the oven not entirely favorable. Mechanical treatment is considered a separate element of the technology of preparation of coke apart from the preceding and subsequent breaking effects, which are also accompanied by losses of part of the blast furnace coke. The large scale of coke production, its high cost, the rising specific capital investment in the mining of coking coal and the limited resources of good coking coal all indicate the necessity for coke preparation which will provide the maximum national economic effect in its utilization. Thus in the process of coke preparation outside the oven, at all stages from the coke ...
Sewage waste disposal facilities in the Florida Keys include septic tanks and individual package plants in place of municipal collection facilities in most locations. In Key Largo, both facilities discharge...Full Text Available
Worker exposures to arsenic (7440382) (As), cadmium (7440439) (Cd), copper (7440508) (Cu), lead (7439921) (Pb) and sulfur-dioxide (7446095) (SO2) were surveyed at ASARCO, Incorporated (SIC-3331) in Hayden, Arizona on April 23 and 24, 1980. The evaluation was requested by an authorized representative of the United Steel Workers, Local 886, on behalf of an unspecified number of workers. Personal and area air samples were collected in the pug mill department, and workers were tested for blood Pb and urinary As concentrations. All four personal samples for As exceeded the OSHA standard of 10 micrograms per cubic meter, one sample exceeded the Cu dust standard of 1 milligram per cubic meter (mg/cu m), and one sample exceeded the Pb standard of 50 micrograms per cubic meter. Exposures to Cd fume, Cd dust, and SO2 were below the respective OSHA standard of 0.2mg/cu m, 1.0mg/cu m, and 5 parts per million. One ...
In key management schemes that realize secure multicast communications encrypted by group keys on a public network, tree structures are often used to update the group keys efficiently. Selcuk and Sidhu have proposed an efficient scheme which updates dynamically the tree structures based on the withdrawal probabilities of members. In this paper, it is shown that Selcuk-Sidhu scheme is asymptotically optimal for the cost of withdrawal. Furthermore, a new key management scheme, which takes account of key update costs of joining in addition to withdrawal, is proposed. It is proved that the proposed scheme is also asymptotically optimal, and it is shown by simulation that it can attain good performance for nonasymptotic cases.
Kawasaki Steel has modernized blast furnace control systems featuring an integrated instrumentation and electrical system for each sub-process, a human-machine interface through a single window, and a distributed process computer system. A furnace diagnosis system, which has been known as 'GO-STOP system', has been developed to a knowledge-based system that enables to provide appropriate action guidance. For the burden distribution control, controllability and flexibility have been improved by the use of a bell-less-top charging device. For hot stove control, the automatic setting of a combustion gas flow rate and improved efficiency have been achieved by a fuzzy control system. Furthermore, the remote operation of cast house equipment has been realized and contributed to improve the working environment and the efficient operation at Chiba Works No. 6 blast furnace. (author)
The financial evaluation of capital and operating cost estimates for a dry coke quenching facility installation indicates a marginal return on investment if the evaluation is based exclusively on steam credits. However, the potential improvements in environmental emissions and reported, but unverified, blast furnace operations may justify the expenditure. The Russian and Japanese claim of 2 to 4% reduction in blast furnace coke usage with up to 4% increase in iron production has not been demonstrated in the domestic steel industry and, therefore, is not included in the financial analysis. A 2% coke reduction represents a savings of approximately $0.81 per ton of hot metal produced or an additional annual credit of $1,800,000 for dry coke quenching, exclusive of productivity gains. Additional credit of this magnitude would increase the estimated discounted cash flow return from 10% to approximately 16% for the estimated capital expenditure of ...
The use of cement based systems for solidification and stabilization of hazardous wastes has been proposed. The stabilization of Cr contaminated paint removal wastes in ordinary Portland cement and in a Portland cement and blast furnace slag matrix was investigated. A loading by volume of 75% waste and 25% cement (or cement + slag) was used. The expression of pore solution was utilized to determine the chemical environment encountered by the waste species in the cement matrix. The highly alkaline conditions of ordinary Portland cement determined the stability of the metal species, with Cr being highly soluble. The replacement of 25% of the Portland cement by blast furnace slag was found to decrease the [OH-] of the pore solution resulting in a decrease of the Cr concentration. For cement wastes forms hydrated for 28 days, the Cr concentration decreased in the expressed pore solution. During the TCLP tests the cement waste form and extraction ...
Radiation doses to workers at the Manhattan Engineer District (MED) and US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) sites due to external irradiation during 1940--1960 are reviewed. Categorized radiation dose data were available from AEC annual reports for some years. Annual individual radiation dose data for ten MED/AEC sites for all years were available from the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR). These data are combined to produce an estimate of external collective dose equivalent to 172,000 person-rems (1720 person-Sv) for 1940--1960. During this period there were 41 overexposures, 19 criticality incidents, and 3 deaths due to acute radiation syndrome among several hundred thousand workers.
The assessment and control of fetal exposure to radiation in the workplace is an issue that is complicated by both biological and political/social ramifications. As a result of the dramatic increase in the number of women employed as radiation workers during the past 10 years, many facilities using radioactive materials have instituted fetal protection programs with special requirements for female radiation workers. It is necessary, however, to ensure that any fetal protection program be developed in such a way as to be nondiscriminatory. A study has been initiated whose purpose is to balance the political/social and the biological ramifications associated with occupational protection of the developing embryo/fetus. Several considerations are involved in properly balancing these factors. These considerations include appropriate methods of declaring the pregnancy, training workers, controlling the dose to the embryo/fetus, ...
The rice japonica variety Nipponbare and the indica variety 93-11, the genomic DNA sequences of which are known, were used to analyze the response of the panicles exserted from the caulis and from various effective tillers at four stages of panicle development to neck blast. Disease incidence in the necks (DIN), disease incidence in the rachis nodes (DIRN), lesion length in the necks (LLN), and number of conidia in the necks (NCN) were measured after inoculating the panicles in vitro of two rice varieties with Magnaporthe oryzae. Both Nipponbare and 93-11 were susceptible, DIN and DIRN of all panicles being 100% in both the varieties except DIRN in several panicles at stage 1 (the panicle fully exserted) in Nipponbare. Both LLN and NCN of panicles decreased as the panicles continued to dev...
Two plastic wastes (polyolefin-enriched and multicomponent), two lube oils (paraffinic and synthetic) and one coal-tar were assessed as individual and combined additives to coal blends for the production of blast furnace coke. The effects of adding 2wt.% of these additives or their mixtures (50:50 w/w) on the coking capacity of coal, coking pressure and coke quality parameters were investigated. It was found that the two plastic wastes reduce fluidity, whereas the addition of oils and tar helps to partially restore the fluidity of the coal-plastic blend. From the co-carbonization of the coking blend with the different wastes in a movable wall oven of over 15kg capacity, it was deduced that polyolefins have a detrimental effect on coking pressure. The addition of oils and tar to the coal-pl...
Blast furnace coke containing low grade coal in a high blending ratio is manufactured by a method which comprises blending not less than 60% of a blended coal having an adjusted total moisture content of not more than 4% with not more than 40% of briquettes and carbonizing the resultant mixture. The blended coal consists essentially of not less than 80% of coking coal and not more than 20% of low grade coal. When coking coal of a kind which has its coking property segregated according to its grain size distribution is pulverized and classified by sifting and the portion of fine particles is used as mixed with the coking coal, the blending ratio of the low grade coal in the blended coal can be increased to up to 35%. The briquettes consist essentially of not less than 10% of coking coal and not more than 90% of low grade coal.
Using the method of statistic planning of an experiment, the SrSO_4 desulfurization process has been studied in the case of reductive roasting of celestine with the use blast-furnace coke. The main factors that determine the rate of the SrSO_4 desulfurization are the roasting temperature and charge components dispersity. The desulfurization rate increases proportionally to the increase in the roasting temperature and dispersity of the reaction mixture components. To decrease the SrSO_4 desulfurization and the concentration of sulfur-containing components in gases released at rather a high celestine reduction rate, the roasting is recommended to proceed at the temperature of 1100 to 1150 deg, in this case it is necessary to limit the content of small (less than 3.2 mm) fractions of reagents.
The rational use of energy has become a priority for all industries in Brazil, mainly after the energy rationing in 2001. Methodologies to quantify and improve the performance of plants that consume and generate electricity and thermal energy are being used to reach this goal. Exergoeconomic analysis provides a complete diagnosis of a plant, both in exergetic and in monetary values. This study shows the methodology used to assess the power generation system of the Companhia Siderurgica Tubarao (CST). The current system is based on a regenerative Rankine cycle using two gases from steel production - blast furnace gas (BFG) and coke oven gas (COG) - to generate electric power and occasionally steam for the process. Use of the Theory of Exergetic Cost allowed determination of monetary and exe...
Degradation of blast furnace coke during handling and transport can produce up to 5% of -10 mm size and so reduce the +80 mm component to less than 2-4%. In shatter tests the action is one of crushing, creating smaller pieces out of a large piece and so, in effect, increasing uniformity and strength. Different size cokes differ in strength and physico-chemical properties, and are also affected by the quenching method (wet or dry) used. The most important parameter as far as blast furnace coke is concerned, in the interests of uniform size and sustained strength, is the M10 index, showing the yield of -10 mm fines, as it is these which detract from furnace performance. (9 refs.)
Georg Fischer GmbH operates a melting plant with several cupola furnaces in Mettmann. The plant supplies two casting plants for production of castings from nodular cast iron or malleable cast iron. It is now planned to convert one of the existing hot-blast cupola furnaces to the latest state of the art. Under special consideration are clear reduction of dust emission by use of a filtering separator below the permissible mass concentration according to the Clean Air Regulations; reduction of the current level of dumped waste by application of a new dust (residue) utilisation method; improvement of the total thermal efficiency of the cupola furnace melting plant by extensive, advanced utilisation of waste heat; and use of low-cost dust-like alternative fuels. (author).
The steps in assembling the computational tools needed to simulate the explosive fracture of oil shale have been described. The resulting code, with its input data, then was used to simulate 3 explosive field experiments. The results of the calculations are in good agreement with what actually occurred in the field. Further detailed comparisons are in progress for these experiments and the others that have been conducted. The development of computer codes as tools to predict rock breakage makes a variety of studies possible. The properties of the explosive can be changed to see how the extent of rubbling is affected. Studies of spacing and delays for decked charges also are possible. The codes can be applied in situations, such as confined-volume blasting, at the frontiers of blasting technology. These areas are vital to the effective utilization of oil shale resources, especially with in situ techniques. 13 references.
A method is proposed for making a filtering material (FM) through applying bitumen or tar to a porous substance and subsequent roasting. Blast furnace slag, pumice and other inorganic substances are used as the porous substance. The method makes it possible to acquire an inexpensive filtering material with a developed surface (Pv), which replaces activated charcoal. Example. Blast furnace slag is heated to 200 to 300 degrees and with mixing is impregnated by 5 to 15 percent bitumen or tar. The impregnated slag is roasted at 800 to 1,000 degrees until full carbonization of the bitumen or tar, acquiring in this way a filtering material, which is characterized by a specific surface of 700 to 1,000 square centimeters per gram and suitable as a replacement for activated charcoal for removing organic components and heavy metals from gaseous and liquid phases. The cost of the filtering material is one eighth to one tenth of that of activated charcoal.
BackgroundTo investigate the feasibility, the ease of implementation, and the extent to which community health workers with little experience of data collection could be trained...Full Text Available
Thus far there are relatively few data on the risk of leukemia among those who were exposed to external radiation during cleanup operations following the Chornobyl nuclear accident, and results...Full Text Available
This article reports on an exploratory study of hospice social workers’ assessment and collaborative practices related to pain management; especially caregiver concerns about patient...Full Text Available
This study assesses the contribution of smoking to all-cause mortality among a primarily minority cohort of urban transit operators. Survey and medical exam data, obtained from 1,785 workers (61% African...Full Text Available
Two men reported previously with vitiligo after occupational exposure to hydroquinone monomethyl ether (HMME) have been reviewed after eight years. Repigmentation of significant degree was found in...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE--The survey aimed at studying the associations between prevalent respiratory symptoms in an occupational population and sickness absence due to respiratory disorders. METHODS--A cross sectional...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeveral aromatic amines (AA) could cause bladder cancer and are an occupational hygiene problem in the workplace. However, little is known about the percutaneous absorption...Full Text Available
Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) has been measured hourly from waking to sleeping in 29 workers with respiratory symptoms exposed to the fumes of soft soldering fluxes containing colophony (pine resin)....Full Text Available
Benzidine (4,4'-diaminobiphenyl) is a known human carcinogen; exposure to this substance resulted in an epidemic of bladder cancer among workers in the dye industry in Europe and North America. The...Full Text Available
Rapid changes in China over the past two decades have led to significant problems associated with population migration and changing social attitudes, including a growing sex industry and concurrent...Full Text Available
The possible contribution to urinary mutagenicity of occupational exposures in the rubber industry was studied by assaying the urine concentrates of 72 workmen (44 smokers) employed in a tyre plant....Full Text Available
Radiation protection programs for workers are based, in the United States, on a hierarchy of limitations stemming from Federal guidance approved by the President. This guidance, which consists of principles, policies, and numerical primary guides, is used by Federal agencies as the basis for developing and implementing their own regulatory standards. The primary guides are usually expressed in terms of limiting doses to workers. The protection of workers against taking radioactive materials into the body, however, is accomplished largely through the use of regulations based on derived guides expressed in terms of quantities or concentrations of radionuclides. The values of these derived guides are chosen so as to assure that workers in work environments that conform to them are unlikely to receive radiation doses that exceed the primary guides. The purpose of the present report is to set forth derived ...
Results of the toxicological studies of working conditions, general and professional morbidity, and complex examinations carried out on workers engaged in the production of polyamides, polyacrylonitrile...Full Text Available
Aims: To investigate the exposure to dinitrotoluene (DNT) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) and the resulting effects in workers which occur during the disposal of military waste. Methods:...Full Text Available
An assessment has been made of biochemical alterations in renal and hepatic functions of 73 male operators employed for an average of 8.2 years (range 0.5-23 years) in a chemical plant producing chlorinated...Full Text Available
The effect of blood lead on erythrocyte membrane proteins was studied in 28 workers from a scrap lead refining factory and in 18 controls working in railway construction. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide...Full Text Available
... In recent years workers in this field have focused on nucleation by nano-porous materials . This was in part motivated by a theoretical study by Page and Sear (2006) who proposed a two step model for nucleation in pores which suggest that there is ...
In order to decrease tritium exposure to workers, the ratio of which is up to 40% of total exposure, tritium removal facility is getting to be one of the considerable parameters in Korea, due to the next CANDUs to be operated at Wolsung NPP. For investiga...
While tritium exposure to the site-workers in Wolsung NPP is up to about 40% of the total personnel exposure, Ministry of Science and Technology has asked tritium removal facility for requirement of post heavy-water reactor construction. For the purpose o...
ObjectivesTo study inhalation and dermal exposure to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and its oligomers as well as personal protection equipment (PPE) use during task performance...Full Text Available
An analysis of the mortality of workers employed at the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA) between 1946 and 1994 is presented. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) are computed with reference to the French national population for the period 1968-1994. 51 286 workers are included in the study. 3 784 deaths occurred between 1968 and 1994. A healthy worker effect is observed for men (SMR=0.53 Cl{sub 90%}=[0.52; 0.55]) and for women (SMR=0.70 Cl{sub 90%}=[0.64; 0.76]). An excess is observed for male pleural cancers (SMR=1.54, Cl{sub 90%}=[1.03; 2.21]). An excess of breast cancer is observed among women, statistically significant for the 1980-1994 period (SMR=1.30, Cl{sub 90%}=[1.04; 1.61]). An excess is observed for malignant melanoma for both sexes (SMR=1.38, Cl{sub 90%}=[0.95; 1.96]), stronger for the 1990-1994 period (SMR=2.11, Cl{sub 90%}=[1.25; 3.34]). It diminishes with age. (orig.)
to Protect Workers' Rights); 2/28/07 [PDF - 1,030 KB] Submission to the docket from Eninger (private person); 3/1/07 [PDF - 174 KB] Submission to the docket from Farber (private...
A survey was conducted at 15 textile plants with dyehouses in western Sweden. Employees with a history of work related rhinitis, asthma, or skin symptoms were offered a clinical and immunological investigation...Full Text Available
This article includes a section on the coke and by-products plant. A 60-oven battery of 6-metre Kaiser-Dialer ovens produces 1800 tons of blast furnace coke a day. A coal blend mixture of 88% high volatile and 12% low volatile is used.
The deregulated kinase activity of p210-BCR/ABL oncoproteins, hallmark of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), induces and sustains the leukaemic phenotype, and contributes to disease progression....Full Text Available
Analysis of the coke gas combustion porcess is presented. Standard kinetic relationships were utilized. Calculations were performed for coke gas with high and low content of H/sub 2/ and for blasting air 20 and 100/sup 0/C. Temperature relationships, composition of gas combustion products and release of nitrogen oxides were determined. Results are analyzed which will make it possible to control the composition of combustion products.
Coarse components in the charge, i.e. >6 mm material, display higher ash, a lower volatile matter and a smaller proportion of caking components. Bulk density and moisture levels were studied over a wide range of size reductions (60-85% blast furnace coke. Laboratory work should be checked in practical runs working with 74-76% <3 mm charge material.
The principle of operation of shaft furnaces is explained and demonstrated in four practical examples. The conditions and parameters determining coke conversion in the combustion zone and in the Boudouard reaction range are described. The combustion process is treated as a whole while the reduction process is discussed separately for the blast furnace, the cupola furnace, and the shaft furnace. The possibilities describing the Boudouard reaction as a function of the temperature level are discussed and consequences are derived for further experimental and theoretical studies.
This book presents the papers given at a symposium on occupational safety in coal mines. Topics considered at the symposium included human factors, causes and prevention of personal injuries, remote sensing for ground control, respirable dust generation by continuous miners, accident analysis, hazard analysis of mining equipment, coal mine blasting accidents, coal mine respirable dust sampling, and noise in the mining industry.
The invited paper and 11 research papers are included, which were presented at the 85th Special Coke Meeting, Coke Group, Nenryo kyokai opened in Oct., 1988. As the invited paper, ''Production and utilization of blast furnace coke in the future'' is print...
Coke production from bitumens, coal, petroleum and lignite is covered in this compilation from worldwide research. Studies on coke oven design, performance, corrosion, and deterioration are cited. Blast furnace coke, additives, quality control, and chemical analysis are discussed. Byproduct recovery from coking processes is included. (This updated bibliography contains 369 citations, 110 of which are new entries to the previous edition.)
Coke production from bitumens, coal, petroleum and lignite is covered in this compilation from worldwide research. Studies on coke oven design, performance, corrosion, and deterioration are cited. Blast furnace coke, additives, quality control, and chemical analysis are discussed. Byproduct recovery from coking processes is included. (This updated bibliography contains 259 abstracts, 49 of which are new entries to the previous edition.)
Coke production from bitumens, coal, petroleum and lignite is covered in this compilation from worldwide research. Studies on coke oven design, performance, corrosion, and deterioration are cited. Blast furnace coke, additives, quality control, and chemical analysis are discussed. Byproduct recovery from coking processes is included. (This updated bibliography contains 210 abstracts, 61 of which are new entries to the previous edition.)
Coke production from bitumens, coal, petroleum, and lignite is covered in this compilation from worldwide research. Studies on coke oven design, performance, corrosion, and deterioration are cited. Coal effective utilization, blast furnace coke, additives, quality control, and chemical analysis are included. Byproduct recovery from coking processes is included. (Contains 150 abstracts)
The new battery at Sparrows Point consists of eighty six-metre high ovens and is designed to produce 875,000 tons per year of plus 3/4 inch blast furnace coke when operated at a coking rate of one inch per hour. This paper describes the design, construction and training of the plant and plant personnel, and the first seven months of plant operation.
Strategic management of key accounts has become an important component of many companies' sales efforts. This research introduces a strategic framework of key account performance that integrates theory from relationship marketing, key account management, and customer equity. Using the three drivers of customer equity - value equity, brand equity, and relationship equity - the framework captures both the relational outcomes (relationship commitment and trust) and financial performance outcomes (profitability and share of spend) of strategic decisions made in key account programs. Implications and future research are then discussed.
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 aspects and durability of ...
For companies, relationships with external actors may constitute intangible assets. Many firms have put in place key account management programs in order to pay sufficient attention to strategically important customers and the marketing literature has studied such programs. However, a company's relationship portfolio also comprises relationships with other types of actors. The objective of this paper is to show that ? across the different types of external relationships a company may develop ? some relationships have more importance than others and, hence, are key. The authors argue that, as a consequence, the keyness of certain relationships has led to the emergence of approaches which can be referred to as key relationship management. For this purpose, the authors first present empirical...
The first Brazilian historical mortality cohort study on miners was conducted. The cohort consisted of 3224 workers in the underground coal mining industry in southern Brazil. This industry has been operating since 1942 without compliance with any regulatory standards, since there were no relevant national regulations. Over almost 60 years, about 5000 workers were exposed to high levels of radiation. However, later radiation exposure was significantly reduced, particularly that due to radon exposure. Recent radon concentration measurements indicated an average annual exposure to radon progeny of 2.1 WLM, ranging from 0.2 to 7.2 WLM. As radon exposure in the past was unknown, it can be suggested that mine workers have not been working safely as regards the health hazard related to radon and radon progeny exposure. The cohort inclusion criteria are as follows: (a) all male employees who had worked for at least one year at the ...
The population doses and risks of stochastic effects from occupational exposures in Japan in 1978 were estimated on the basis of a nation-wide survey. The survey was conducted on annual collective dose equivalents by sex, age group and type of radiation work for about 82,500 workers other than the workers in nuclear power stations. The data on the workers in nuclear power stations were obtained from the offitial publication of the Japan Nuclear Safety Commission. The total number of workers except for nuclear power stations was estimated to be about 170,000 persons. Radiation works were subdivided as follows: medical works including dental; nondestructive inspectional; non-atomic energy industrial; research and educational; atomic energy industrial and nuclear power industrial. The annual collective dose equivalents were estimated to be about 6,000 man rem for medical workers, 450 ...
Preventing recurrence of surface mining accidents in the coal industry remains a top priority requiring constant vigilance and a substantial commitment from all involved in open pit mining operations. Open pit wall failures, loose rocks rolling down slopes, ground water and stockpiling procedures are common sources of risks in open cut coal operations. This video aims to equip workers with the necessary skills and knowledge to assess and react to the geomechanics hazards in open pit coal operations. Workers need to have the competencies to manage geomechanics hazards to facilitate their own and their workmates' safety. No matter how good the operating systems are, the first line of defence against accidents is the experience, skill and knowledge-based judgment of each individual mine worker. The video covers: Open pit coal mine risk management and geomechanical issues; Terminology, mining cycle, and explanation of ...
The carbothermal reduction of clay minerals in a nitrogen atmosphere is a well established method for producing #beta#'-sialon. There has been some debate within the literature concerning the role that Fe plays in the formation of the #beta#'-sialon phase. However, most workers accept that Fe is able to either catalyze or promote the formation of #beta#'-sialon although some workers have indicated that the function of the Fe is controlled by gas flow rate and there is evidence that Fe also promotes formation of additional phases. The aim of the present study was to characterize the behaviour of Fe within the #beta#'-sialon synthesis. "5"7Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy was employed for the study because this technique is specific to Fe and does not suffer interference from other elements. Moreover, both the coordination and oxidation state and the relative abundances of the various Fe-containing phases are able to be monitored. A previous Moessbauer ...
Potential exposure of workers to phosphide was examined during an in-depth industrial hygiene survey at the Bunge Corporation, in Kansas City, Kansas, where the gas was used as a grain fumigant. During the study, 14 men were employed at the facility. Tablets of aluminum phosphide were added to the grain mass for fumigation. General dilution ventilation resulted from outside air entering the work areas through ventilation louvers; there was also a local-exhaust ventilation system. Air samples revealed that, when the fumigant dispensers were being filled, workers in the area had significant exposure. At the time of the survey the relative humidity in the facility was high, permitting the reaction to phosphide to occur more readily. The levels of phosphide and respirable dust were reasonably low in the elevators, suggesting that the ventilation system was adequate. The author recommends that workers filling the dispenser with ...
The Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB), Canada's nuclear regulatory authority, is preparing new regulations based on ICRP-60. The proposed regulations have some features which are different from ICRP-60, e.g., the limit for pregnant workers was set at a higher level than that proposed in ICRP-60. The AECB, through its consultative process, received many responses from female staff in nuclear medicine. The concern was that it would be very difficult to prove compliance with such low doses, particularly for internal doses. There was an additional concern that hospital administrators would respond to the reduction of the current pregnant worker limit from 10 mSv to the ICRP-60 recommended value of 2 mSv by discriminating against hiring women. A new proposal for the dose limit for pregnant workers has been made which will limit the dose to the mother by means of a combining formula that will take both external and internal ...
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in China has come to the forefront of public health attention, female sex workers (FSWs) and their clients (CFSWs) are becoming increasingly important to HIV/STI prevention efforts. This secondary analysis uses data abstracted from the Chinese Health and Family Life Survey 1999-2000 to report prevalence rates of two STIs as well as sexual risk behaviors for CFSWs - men who paid for sex with FSWs in the past 12 months - in comparison with men who had not patronized FSWs. Among 1879 Chinese CFSWs who completed anonymous interviews and urine testing, 152 (6.3%, weighted) said they had paid for sex in the past 12 months and 18.8% of CFSWs (weighted) tested positive for gonorrhea. CFSWs were 10 times more likely t...
AbstractIndividual informed consent is a key ethical obligation for clinical studies, but empirical studies show that key requirements are often not met. Common recommendations to strengthen...Full Text Available
AMP-activated-protein-kinase (AMPK) is a key sensor and regulator of cellular and whole-body energy metabolism and plays a key role in regulation of lipid metabolism. Since lipid metabolism...Full Text Available
Food-deprived pigeons were presented with a row of four response keys situated above a grain hopper aperture. At the start of a trial, three of four keys were randomly selected and illuminated white...Full Text Available
... Uninterrupted access to and use of critical infrastructure in the Arabian Gulf region are key to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terror ...
We present a protocol for quantum key distribution using discrete modulation of coherent states of light. Information is encoded in the variable phase of coherent states which can be chosen from a regular discrete set ranging from binary to continuous modulation similar to phase-shift keying in classical communication. Information is decoded by simultaneous homodyne measurement of both quadratures and requires no active choice of basis. The protocol utilizes either direct or reverse reconciliation both with and without postselection. We analyze the security of the protocol and show how to enhance it by the optimal choice of all variable parameters of the quantum signal.
The extensive reserves of mined coal types, their great variety and the complexity of the composition and properties, as well as their important role as an energy fuel and industrial feedstock, cause one to give special attention to their classification. Of course, one of the principal fields of technological processing of coal is coking. In addition to the production of blast furnace coke, in the future specialized plants will be developed for production of coke and other carbonized materials for non-blast-furnace processes (electrothermal processes, production of calcium carbide, ferroalloys, zinc, yellow phosphorus, copper, etc.). One important area is new nonfuel uses, including a number of processes for processing of coal feedstocks to obtain a wide range of carbonaceous materials (coal-graphite products, carbon black, adsorbents, etc.), liquid fuels, and chemical products. In choosing a given area of coal utilization a determining factor ...
The non-blast furnace coke produced in the shaft ovens of the Angarsk Semi-coking Plant is used principally in gas generator ovens and partially as a carbonaceous reducing agent in the ferroalloy process. The sulfur content of this coke is not limited by the standards documents, but it is significant, especially in the production of process gases. In a number of recent years the sulfur removal system of the gasification divisions have been experiencing difficulties, not achieving the assigned gas purification parameters, with a resulting H/sub 2/S concentration in the purified gas of 300-700 mg/m/sup 3/ as compared to the standard of 50. Realizing that in the gasification practically all the organic matter of the coke, including the sulfur, enters the gas, the impairment in the quality of the sulfur removal is related to the increase in the sulfur content of the coke. Thus, an analysis of the results was conducted for the determination of the sulfur content of the ...
Pollution abatement measures against impulsive low frequency noises including mine blasting noise require precise measurement of sound waveforms, but no instruments have been designed for that purpose, nor commercially available. This paper describes investigations on such instruments as noise level meters currently available commercially on their instrumental characteristics using indoor experiments and field measurements. The following matters were clarified: An instrument combining a microphone with an amplifier can not determine the response from the measuring system from the respective frequency characteristics alone, and requires a discussion on the overall response from the measuring system. A preferred noise level meter would be an instrument that has the lower limit for the frequency characteristics of the microphone extended to several hertz, and measures noises without passing through a filter to interrupt frequencies lower than 20 Hz. A mine ...
A mathematical model of a mineral melting cupola furnace for stone wool production has been developed for improving cupola operation. The 1-D, first-engineering-principles model includes mass and heat balances for the gas phase, five solid phases, and four liquid phases. The gas and solid/liquid phases flow countercurrently. Seven chemical reactions account for the conversions of coke, iron oxide, limestone, and gaseous species. The heterogeneous reactions of coke conversion are limited by both kinetics and mass transport. Heat transfer between phases is modeled including both convection and radiation. The model predicts gas concentrations; mass flow rates; and temperature profiles of the solid, melt, and gas in the cupola, as well as heat loss to the water-cooled walls. Inputs to the model include the coke, rock, and blast air properties, the blast air amount, and the coke percentage in the charge. The unknown model parameters are estimated on ...
The objective of this project was to develop a explosion suppression system capable to confine and extinguish gas explosions of the type produced in sub level caving faces when blasting to the coal pillar. Existing systems, such as triggered barriers, were considered not to be valid because of size, weight, cost, and other operational constraints. The research activities have been focused in the development of a mixed water/air spray system that should be manually activated some second before blasting. Two prototypes have been developed and tested, the first one using nozzle operating at the standard ranges of pressure that are normally available in underground coal mines, and a second one based in high-pressure nozzles. In this case, bottles containing a pressurized air/water mixtures are required. The works carried out included theoretical studies, hydraulic nozzles characterization, and modelling of the explosion phenomena using the ...
A method of producing blast furnace coke from bituminous coals, particularly coals having poor coking capacities in which the coal to be carbonized is ground, predried or preheated, mixed with binders, compressed or formed into briquets having small mechanical resistances and charged into oven chambers, is characterized by fine coals or fine coal mixtures having a swelling index in mixture according to DIN 51741, smaller than 7, and preferably, below 6, and comprising more than 50% of poorly or non-baking coal having a content of volatile matter in excess of 30% or less than 20% which coals or coal mixtures are ground up to attain a surface per unit mass, according to DIN 66145, of from 400 cm/sup 2/ to 1200 cm/sup 2/ per gram, with from 3% to 8% by weight of organic binders, compressing the mixture to form it into a briquet at a temperature range of from 70/sup 0/C to 300/sup 0/C and charging the compressed briquet into the oven chambers without substantial ...
This paper evaluates abrasive jet wear tests, carried out on the ZUK-3M abrasion apparatus according to the GOSF 23.201-78 industrial standard. As abrasive material, brown coal coke dust, brown coal dust, power plant fly ash and quartz sand (for the purpose of comparison) were employed. Seventeen types of materials were blasted with abrasive jets, including a selection of steels, glass, rubber, SYS-pur plastics, cast basalt, Kawenit and vitroceramics. The test apparatus produced abrasive jet velocities between 12 and 130 ms/SUP/-/SUP/1 at rotor revolutions of 1,000 to 10,000 min/SUP/-/SUP/1. Blasted material samples were arranged at angles between 15 and 90 degrees. Various tables and graphs present abrasivity results. These results were employed for technical modifications of dedusting equipment in briquetting and coking plants, which led to a threefold increase in service life of abrasion endangered equipment parts. (8 refs.) (In German)
Tarapur Atomic Power Station unit-4 is first 540 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor. Heavy water is used as the coolant and moderator. With reactor operation tritium is formed by absorption of neutron by Deuterium atoms. Experience in the 220 MWe indicates that tritium is main contributor to the internal dose of radiation workers. Study on Tritium build up in Primary Heat Transport (PHT) and Moderator (MOD) system was carried out at the initial stage of the operation of the unit-3 and 4. This paper brings out tritium activity buildup in the PHT and MOD systems and its comparison with 220 MWe reactors. This paper helps in estimation of the internal dose contribution to the radiation workers at TAPS 3 and 4. (author)
Tarapur Atomic Power Station unit-4 is first 540 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor. Heavy water is used as the coolant and moderator. With reactor operation tritium is formed by absorption of neutron by deuterium atoms. Experience in the 220 MWe indicates that tritium is main contributor to the internal dose of radiation workers. Study on tritium build up in Primary Heat Transport (PHT) and Moderator (MOD) system was carried out at the initial stage of the operation of the unit-4. This paper brings out tritium activity buildup in the PHT and MOD systems and its comparison with 220 MWe reactors. This paper helps in estimation of the internal dose contribution to the radiation workers at TAPS 3 and 4. (author)
Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide an explanation to why the degree of informal employment may vary substantially between different regions within a country. In Brazil, 45% of workers in the urban labor force are employed informally. The degree of informal employment, however, varies substantially across regions, with some cities having 20% and others having 80% or more of their labor force in the informal sector. The hypothesis assessed here is that the quality of local governance-or government effectiveness-affects the decisions of workers and businesses as to whether to participate in the formal or the informal sector. The empirical analysis, based on data from 5500 Brazilian municipalities, shows that informal employment is lower in regions with better governance, higher aver...
A study was made of employee exposure to oil sludge and vapors during oil-sludge removal and maintenance activities at the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company's Ballast Water Treatment Facility, Valdez, Alaska. Total hydrocarbons, except benzene, toluene, and xylene, showed concentrations from 371 to 1228mg/m3. Of eight maintenance workers, five reported headache, dizziness, or nausea when working without a respirator. The authors conclude that workers were potentially exposed to benzene vapors and total hydrocarbon vapors exceeding the evaluation criteria for these substances. The authors recommend the use of respiratory protection measures to reduce exposures during work operations.
Standard micro-economics concentrate on the description of markets but is seldom interested in production. Several economists discussed the concept of a firm, as opposed to an open labour market where entrepreneurs would recrute workers on the occasion of each business opportunity. Coase \\cite{Coase} is one of them, who explains the existence of firms as institution because they reduce the transaction costs with respect to an open labour market. Whatever the rationale proposed by economists to account for the existence of firms, their perspective is based on efficiency and cost analysis. Little attention is paid to the dynamics of emergence and evolution of firms. The aim of the present manuscript is to check the global dynamical properties of a very simple model based on bounded rationality and reinforcement learning. Workers and managers are localised on a lattice and they choose collaborators on the basis of the success of previous work ...
We have investigated tailoring damage effects of explosive devices by addition of unconventional materials, specifically combustible metals. Initial small-scale as well as full-scale testing has been performed. The explosives functioned to disperse and ignite these materials. Incendiary, enhanced-blast, and fragment-damage effect have been identified. These types of effects can be used to extend the damage done to hardened facilities. In other cases it is desirable to disable the target with minimal collateral damage. Use of unconventional materials allows the capability to tailor the damage and effects of explosive devices for these and other applications. Current work includes testing of an incendiary warhead for a penetrator.
In recent years the feedstock base of the coking plants in the South has been significantly degraded: the charges contain an increased quantity of gas coal and coal from coalfields in the East are being included. Certain plants in the Ukraine receive coal from the Kuznetsk, Pechora and Karaganda coalfields. Addition of these coal types in the charges of plants in the South is expected to continue in the future. Their efficient utilization requires careful investigation of the new charges in order to determine the optimal composition and to produce blast furnace coke meeting modern specifications.
The author points out that errors in certain measurements are preventing improvements in coke: thermocouples (errors caused by the thermocouple installation and variations in the temperature of the cold junctions); dilatometers (errors caused by size of heating block and differences in starting temperature led to differences between two instruments); errors in measuring the bulk density of the coking charge. The elimination of these sources of error in determinations of the technological and physical properties of coke oven charge should assist in the study of other problems which are delaying improvements in blast furnace coke production.
High-pressure waterjet equipment is now technically and economically viable and commercially available for the following mining and construction applications: (1) drilling soft to medium-hard rock; (2) slotting, discing, chambering, and reaming in all types of rock. However, additional field experience is needed to prepare detailed economic evaluations. Extensive development of new explosives techniques and blasting methods will be required to take full advantage of the unique waterjet hole slotting, discing, and chambering capabilities.
Discusses design of unconventional pneumatic forms for construction of monolithic liners in mine roadways driven by drilling and blasting. The forms were developed for construction of the municipal subway in Leningrad. They were successfully tested in the Pavlogradugol' mines for construction of chambers situated at shaft bottom at depths of 420 m. The chambers were situated in unstable rock strata. A set of pneumatic forms consisted of 4 to 7 units, each 0.4 m thick and 1.2-2.2 m long. Air pressure was 0.03 MPa, installation time was about 20 min. Service life of pneumatic forms ranged from 3 to 4 years.
A few industry-derived and conventional building materials have above acceptable radioactivity. An examination of some materials presently used, or with a potential for use, has shown that in phosphogypsum, fly ash, zircon kyanite tailings, red mud and brickmaking clay, the radium equivalent activities of the finer fractions (<53 #mu#) are higher than those of the larger fractions. Consequently, the radioactivity of these materials could be reduced by dry-sieving and discarding the fines. In blast furnace slag and dissociated zircon, no such reduction would occur since the radioactivity is evenly distributed in all sized fractions.
A method is disclosed for the production of form coke, such as coke for use in the smelting industry as blast furnace coke and also in electro-metallurgical facilities. The process consists of : coking a high volatile coal containing at least 35% volatile constituents so as to remove the volatile constituents to form a non-baking base coal; mixing a plurality of fine grain coal components together, of which at least one of the components comprises said non-baking base coal and at least one other component comprises a baking bituminous coal so as to form a mixture of such coals; subjecting the mixture to a degassing operation using highly volatile coals; coking the degassed mixture; and pressing the coke into briquettes.
The report discusses: Combustion characteristics of various commercial cokes for cupola furnace operation; quality level of modern cokes; foundry coke, blast furnace coke, MB coke; characteristic data, e.g. grain size distribution, drum resistance, concentrations of water, carbon, sulphur, ash, and volatiles, reactivity; changes in coke quality during transport. (HS)
On account of a raised appearing of plastic waste and shreddered light fraction (SLF) from old car utilization as well as legal handicaps experiments were carried out at the Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy (RWTH Aachen) on a laboratory rig to inject DSD (Duales System Deutschland)-plastic waste and SLF with the destination of a subsequent raw material utilization in the blast furnace and cupola furnace. The experiments on the laboratory rig with DSD plastics could verify that by injection of specific coal/plastic mixtures into the blast furnace the injection rate could be raised by an improvement in the conversion degree and therefore the amount of the inserted reducing agent can be lowered. The injection of SLF without reduction of the inert materials and of the contents on alloying elements and/or tramp elements by extensive preparation has no advantages according to the experiments for the blast furnace process. Pilot ...
Coke petrography could be useful for improving blast furnace coke properties and for solving cokemaking production problems. To do this, quantitative correlations between coke structure, coal properties and carbonization conditions, and coke properties are useful, if not essential. Some examples of correlations of this type were presented in this paper. Specifically, microstructural parameters of cokes produced in Inland Steel Company's pilot scale coke oven were correlated with the rank and blend proportions of the parent coal, with the reactivity of the coke, and with the ASTM stability of cokes prepared from single coals.
Scanning electron microscopy and an electron-microprobe analysis of a sample of blast furnace (BF) coke have revealed alkalization (5.64 wt % Na{sub 2}O + K{sub 2}O) and Al saturation (17.28 wt % Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) of SiO{sub 2} by BF gases. The K/Na{sub at} value of 1.15 in the new phase (alteration zone) reflects close atomic proportions of the elements and suggests that the abilities to incorporate K and Na during the process are almost equal. This Al saturation and alkalization of SiO{sub 2} indicates an active role for Al along with alkali metals in BF gases. The average width of the altered area in the SiO{sub 2} grain is about 10 m, which suggests that SiO{sub 2} particles of that size can be transformed fully to the new phase, provided that at least one of their faces is open to an external pore (surface of the coke) or internal pore with circulating BF gases. The grains that exceed 10 {mu}m can only be partly altered, which means that smaller SiO{sub 2} ...
There are a multitude of cost centers in the typical coal mine, and almost as many ways to calculate their individual and collective effect on the bottom line. The costs of explosives is, in some ways, very difficult to determine without consideration of drilling, loading, hauling and breaking costs. Saving a nickel in explosive costs, for example, could end up costing a dollar more in crushing expenses. Typically, mines request quotations for explosives products on a weight basis. Were the market one of pure commodities, this would give a valid comparison. However, the energy being purchased often is not considered. The cost of any explosive should be considered in light of the work it can do, not the air it displaces or the price per pound. Consider in essence, the purchase of explosive energy as you would the sale of coal, in terms of dollars per Btu. Recent new developments in explosives technology make the economic implications of blast design and explosive ...
The article deals with the effects of various hazardous materials in the working environment. Some of these may be detrimental to the safety and health of the worker. The absorption of hazardous substances by the human body is discussed, as well as the effects of toxic substances. The hazardous substances are classified into the following categories: irritants, asphyxiants, anaesthetics and narcotics, carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, systemic poisons, hazardous particulate matter and the biotransformation of toxic substances. Examples of hazardous substances include: industrial solvents, fumes and vapours, lead, mercury and uranium.
The philosophy of containing tritium and activated products very close to the source and of operating by remote techniques is justified by a comparison with other concepts on protection and availability points of view. Several design options are studied according to the optimization protection methodology of ICRP. Provided that an important technological development is accomplished, the utilization of robotics and the limitation of containment volumes should be generalized.
The use of robots in powerplants is an option that can no longer be ignored. Robots can reduce worker exposure to harmful environments and minimize downtime. As a result, electric utilities are using them more than ever. As robots become more widely accepted, more are being developed to handle an expanding variety of applications. This report begins with an overview of the use of robotics in the electric-utility industry; following that are sections detailing applications for nuclear plants, fossil-fired stations, and transmission and distribution facilities.
The effective half-life based on urine bioassay results of Wolsung NPP's worker was calculated. The effective half-life for tritiated water vapour obtained was 5 {approx} 9 days. In comparison to 10 days reported for ICRP-30, it is lower than the corresponding half-life for Reference Man. Also, the half-life was calculated based on intake amount of daily water. According to this result, the metabolism was reviewed.
Brachytherapy consists of sealed radioactive source implantation. The diversity in the nature of radioelements, in their energy and activity requires strict implantation and utilization rules. These rules include radioactive source physical parameters check, after-loading machine and treatment planning system quality assurance and safe and reproducible dosimetric systems. Patient and medical workers information guarantee radioprotection and prevention of accidental exposures. (authors)
Reports by U.S. workers on geodetic measurements of recent plate motions or crustal deformation published in 1987-1990 are reviewed. The review begins with global plate motions, proceeds through plate boundaries in California, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest, and finishes with volcanic phenomena, monument stability and longevity, and GPS relative position measurements. 184 refs.
This Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) sets forth the Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) standards/requirements for the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). This S/RID is applicable to the appropriate life cycle phases of design, construction, operation, and preparation for decommissioning. These standards/requirements are adequate to ensure the protection of the health and safety of workers, the public, and the environment.
BackgroundSouth Africa has a high tuberculosis (TB)-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection rate of 73%, yet only 46% of TB patients are tested for HIV. To date, relatively...Full Text Available
Possible causes of forest damage are discussed. Mapping of affected areas by various workers resulted in dissimilar pictures. Release of radioactive rare gases, aerosols, tritium and carbon-14 seems unlikely to have a significant influence on forest damage. Influence of radioactive fallout, ozone formation by high-voltage transmission lines and synergistic effects is also found to be negligible.
This work presents and describes the natural radioactive occurrence in oil facilities. The origins of the detected radioactivity and the reasons of its settlement are discussed. The measurements results carried out in oil facilities in the Neuquina basin (Argentine) are shown in this work. The aim is to describe the actual situation and to evaluate the magnitude of the problem. Finally, recommendations are proposed to protect the health of the workers, especially of those who carry out the cleaning of the equipment, and to guarantee an appropriate final disposal for the generated radioactive residuals. (author)
Heavy high viscosity oils, transformer oils, and very light low viscosity oils have been used in a Norwegian company in the impregnation, sheathing, and installation of paper insulated cables. The aim...Full Text Available
Suggests that knowledge work is a useful way of characterizing important changes in the nature of work across a range of different occupational and professional groups. Discusses the implications through a conflict-based analysis that highlights the inherent conflict between "knowing" as part of the work experience and "knowledge" as an economic commodity. (Author/CCM)
...Older Siblings by Adriaan R Soetevent & Peter Kooreman 392-415 Vocational Training and Gender: Wages and Occupational Mobility among Young Workers by Bernd Fitzenberger & Astrid Kunze 416-438 Gender Role Attitudes and the Labour-market Outcomes of Women across OECD Countries by Nicole M Fortin 439-461 Gender, Time Use, and Public Policy over ...
Summary20 years ago, in 1987, Edelson and co-workers published their first report on the effectiveness of a new procedure, called extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP), in patients...Full Text Available
The Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs) for the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility define acceptable conditions, safe boundaries, bases thereof, and management or administrative controls required to ensure safe operation. Controls required for public safety, significant defense-in-depth, significant worker safety, and for maintaining radiological and toxicological consequences below risk evaluation guidelines are included.
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) is decommissioning many of its excess facilities through removal of the facility structures leaving only the concrete-slab foundations in place. Site-specific, risk-based derived concentration guideline levels (DCGLs) for radionuclides have been determined for a future industrial worker potentially exposed to residual contamination on these concrete slabs as described in Jannik. These risk-based DCGLs were estimated for an exposure area of 100 m2. During deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) operations at SRS, the need for area factors for larger and smaller contaminated areas arose. This paper compares the area factors determined for an industrial worker exposed to a concrete slab end-state for several radionuclides of concern at SRS with 1) the illustrative area factors provided in MARSSIM, 2) the area correction factors provided in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ...
We prove that the 1984 protocol of Bennett and Brassard (BB84) for quantum key distribution is secure. We first give a key distribution protocol based on entanglement purification, which can be proven secure using methods from Lo and Chau's proof of security for a similar protocol. We then show that the security of this protocol implies the security of BB84. The entanglement purification based protocol uses Calderbank-Shor-Steane codes, and properties of these codes are used to remove the use of quantum computation from the Lo-Chau protocol. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Customer knowledge has become an important topic for both academicians and practitioners in recent years. However, there has been little academic research on the utilization of customer-specific knowledge. This study adds to our understanding in focusing on the relationships between various intra-organizational factors and customer knowledge utilization in the context of key account management. The results of the study show, that the use of teams, top management involvement, KAM formalization and CRM technology enhance the utilization of customer knowledge in the management of large industrial key account customers.
This paper discusses key methods for sustaining quality engineering data, the fundamental principles that these methods are based on, and the methods for supporting the performance of nuclear power plants by the provision of quality engineering data at all times. The concept of an 'engineering data foundation', and a Configuration Management data model are developed. The concepts and methods for managing the integrity of engineering data across many different databases and document systems are developed, including the key concepts of data-positions and data-values, Master Data and Copy Data, and the concept of a 'partnership between people and technology'. (author). 7 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.
A key comparison has been made between the air-kerma standards of the ARPANSA and the BIPM in the low-energy X-ray range. The results show the standards to be in agreement at the level of the combined standard uncertainty of 7.0 parts in 10"3 for the 10 kV radiation quality and 3.7 parts in 10"3 for all other beam qualities. The results are analysed and presented in terms of degrees of equivalence, suitable for entry in the BIPM key comparison database. (authors)
This work describes the development of a synchronous key based on micro controller to the switching of three-phase power transformers, which makes possible the achievement of tests to register the inrush current, and the previous establishment of the instantaneous values of the voltage firstly applied to different phases of the energy process. This key is a value tool to the development electric power system projects and to the teaching and researching activities at the laboratory related to transitory phenomena and electric system protection.
although additional research is needed to corroborate such findings. Key words: Avicennia germinans; disturbance; downed wood; Everglades National Park; Hurricane Andrew;...
Background and PurposeHemodynamic insults at arterial bifurcations are hypothesized to play a key role in intracranial aneurysm formation. This study investigates...Full Text Available
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...
... elevated blood sugar levels, but not full-blown diabetes. What are the keys to preventing the disease? ... been well studied, in a study called The Diabetes Prevention Program, in several thousand people with this ...
Summary brochure of GeoPowering the West (GPW) activities, and areas of technology transfer and market transformation. It also provides current contact information for key DOE and national laboratory staff representing the GPW program.
The purpose of this report is to provide management with performance data on key performance indicators selected from the FFTF Early Warning System performance indicators.
... Uninterrupted access to and use of critical infrastructure in the Arabian Gulf region are key to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terror ...
Citrate and lactose fermentation are subject to the same metabolic regulation. In both processes, pyruvate is the key intermediate. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis...Full Text Available
... very difficult to help get better and to rehabilitate and sometimes even need surgery. 00:04:21 ... step of treatment, from our standpoint, is to rehabilitate, to strengthen the shoulder. And the real key ...
The existence of thresholds for toxicants is a matter of debate in chemical risk assessment and regulation. Current risk assessment methods are based on the assumption that, in the absence of sufficient...Full Text Available
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
Russian field surgery with its long history and distinctive characteristics has accumulated great experience in the long-time practice of warfare. Chinese field surgery was established and developed on the basis of studying from the Russian model, which opened up new areas of traffic medicine, molecular traumatology and assessment of biological effects on weapon destruction and carried out in-depth research on wound ballistics, blast injury, burns and combined injury etc. through decades of construction with continuous development and innovation, and a series of major achievements have been made in these fields. By making comparative study on the historical evolution, structure system, characteristics of campaigns and development of society between Chinese and Russian field surgery, it can be found that there are great gaps between them and we should strengthen the research for more rapid development. PMID:20510098
Wastes and dusts from steel industry, non-ferrous metallurgy and other branches can be utilised e.g. in agglomeration processes (sintering, pelletising or briquetting) and by injection into shaft furnaces. This paper deals with the second way. Combustion and reduction behaviour of iron- and carbon-rich metallurgical dusts and sludges containing lead, zinc and alkali as well as other wastes with and without pulverised coal (PC) has been studied when injecting into shaft furnaces. Following shaft furnaces have been examined: blast furnace, cupola furnace, OxiCup furnace and imperial-smelting furnace. Investigations have been done at laboratory and industrial scale. Some dusts and wastes under certain conditions can be not only reused but can also improve combustion efficiency at the tuyeres as well as furnace performance and productivity.
To reduce the cost of the formed coke briquettes which can be used as a substitute fuel to the metallurgical coke for the blast furnace from the coke breeze alternative binders and their blends were used. The high temperature behavior was investigated. The binders tested were: the nitrogen blown, air blown coal tar pitch and the blend of air blown coal tar pitch with the phenolic resins blends. The phenolic resin blends were prepared by mixing equal amount of resole and novalac. From the results, nitrogen blowing resulted in the weakest briquettes. The air blowing procedure should be preferred in place of nitrogen blowing for this purpose. When the air blown coal tar pitch was used alone as a binder, the briquettes must be cured at 200^oC for 2h, then carbonized at a temperature above 670^...
The current status and prospects for Japan`s economy and steel industry, forecast for demand and supply of coking coal, directions in steel making technology, and Japan`s expectations for Canadian coal are discussed. The PCI system, the Coal Moisture Control System (CMC) to increase coke density before it is fed into coke ovens, a feeder that allows use of lower quality coke on the outskirts of blast furnaces, the Direct Iron Ore Smelting (DIOS) Process, and the `Next Generation Coke Oven`, where coke is heated rapidly and coked at 700-800{degree}C are considered. By 2000, semi-soft coking coals are expected to account for over half of total coal consumption by Japanese steel mills.
It is necessary to remove chlorine efficiently from municipal waste plastics (MWP) that contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other plastics containing chlorine. In this article we consider thermal degradation liquefaction technology. In Japan, the chlorine content of reclamation oil products must be kept below 100 ppm owing to the quality standard for pyrolysis oil. Liquefaction dechlorination technology for MWP is still an important issue to study. The twin-screw extruder that has been developed as dechlorination technology for blast furnaces and coke ovens has a shorter residence time for dechlorination than other dechlorination technologies. In this article, we used a single-screw extruder for the dechlorination process because it also has a short residence time. Experiments on the dech...
The most advanced frontier of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is represented by the use of an HLA-partially matched relative as donor. In this type of transplantation, donor-derived natural killer (NK) cells, which are alloreactive towardtoward recipient cells, significantly contribute to the eradication of leukemia blasts. Alloreactive NK cells may also kill host dendritic cells and T lymphocytes, thus preventing graft-versus-host disease and graft rejection, respectively. Sophisticated strategies of adoptive infusion of T-cell lines/clones specific for the most life-threatening pathogens (namely cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Aspergillus and Adenovirus) have been envisaged, and successfully tested in a few pilot trials, to protect the recipient in the...
A relocatable storage magazine apparatus for storing and retrieving explosives and ordnance and for partially containing and attenuating the blast, conflagration and flying debris from an accidental explosion is described comprising: (a) a container having an access hole; (b) a debris trap attached to the container, the debris trap communicating with said container via the access hole, said debris trap having vent holes for venting the pressure of an explosion from said debris trap to the atmosphere; (c) means for covering said access hole; (d) means for suspending explosives and ordnance from the covering means; (e) means for entering the storage magazine to store and retrieve explosives and ordnance; (f) means for retaining said covering means in a position above the access hole wherein said explosives and ordnance are accessible from the entering means.
A process is described for maintaining the proportions of each coal in a coal blend at a desired level. The process involves (1) making a spectral analysis, preferably by infrared spectrometry, of at least one sample of the coal blend, the sample having known desired proportions of each coal, (2) making a spectral analysis of the coal blend sample of unknown proportions of each coal, (3) comparing the spectral analyses of steps (1) and (2), and (4) upon noting a significant difference between the spectral analyses of steps (1) and (2), making adjustments to achieve a final coal blend having proportions of each coal closer to those of the blend of known desired proportions of each coal. The relationship of the aromatic to aliphatic groupings is preferably determined by spectral analysis of each coal sample. This process is particularly useful on-line in the production of blast furnace coke of high strength and high stability.
A brief discussion on the effects of moisture on the quality of metallurgical coke was presented. Factors affecting the moisture content of coke were discussed. The adsorption of moisture by coke at 20/sup 0/C and 120-130/sup 0/C and the desorption of moisture from coke at 200/sup 0/C were investigated with respect to dynamics. It was concluded that the moisture content of coke should not be used as a rejection index, but should be used for computations by the user. Also, it was determined that work should continue to achieve a coke moisture range of 4-6%. The desorption of moisture from coke is an order of magnitude greater at 200/sup 0/C than at 20/sup 0/C, and increases with temperature.
ObjectivesTo determine the reaction rate of slag during curing and factors affecting reactivity.~%~~%~To measure the rates of chloride ingress into concrete and the extent of chloride binding.~%~~%~To determine conditions for pitting corrosion and the nature of corrosion products.~%~~%~To characterise the reactions in slag-calcium alumina cement hydration and the nature of the products.~%~DescriptionBlast-furnace slag has latent hydraulic properties, giving considerable potential for commercial use in addition to its widespread use as a partial replacement for Portland cement, notably in alkali-activated slag (AAS) and slag-calcium alumina cement (CAC) concretes. Use of AAS concretes is already well-established in China and the former USSR, but their further application is hindered by lack of research into setting, hydration and durability, Slag/CAC blends are new materials whose chemistr [continued...
To quantify the opportunities for natural gas and identify technological advances needed to capture such opportunities, the mineral-wool industry was analyzed with respect to the principal companies, their capabilities, and markets. The mineral-wool industry is stable with a slightly declining market. Of its market segments, only commercial acoustic insulation (which is currently dominant) is likely to be affected by growth in the next ten years. The principal process is based on treatment of blast-furnace slags in a cupola furnace using coke as the fuel and reducing agent. Expanded use of gas, as a substitute for coke, would eliminate environmental problems and expand the latitude of suitable raw materials. The study provides insights into the mineral-wool industry and identifies factors that may constitute bases for future usage of natural gas.
Welded Ni-base alloys and Alloy 800 were exposed under metal dusting conditions at 600 C and 650 C for up to 6000 hours. Alloy 800 was attacked very strongly already in the first days and Alloy 600 also rather soon and widespread, on both materials attack started mainly in the heat affected zone. Several surface states of Alloy 600: brushed, ground, sand-blasted and pickled were tried only grinding caused a modest delay and decrease of metal dusting attack. Generally the attack was less widespread but deeper at 650 C than at 600 C, also for Alloy 601 and 602. The latter alloys show minor, mainly local attack, but especially the welds are affected. TIG welding led to better resistance than hand-welding. (Abstract Copyright [2003], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
Non-isothermal TG/DTG measurements are widely used to determine kinetic parameters of oxidation and gasification of carbons, e.g. by multi-heating rate methods. Thereby it is important to avoid spurious effects due to diffusion limitations. In this work, TG/DTG experiments with activated carbon were conducted under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. The agreement of the experimental results with results of simulations based on the intrinsic kinetics, pore diffusion and external diffusion in/to the sample (crucible) is very good. The simulations show that mass transfer has an unwanted influence on TG measurements, if the concentration of the gaseous reactant (O2 and CO2) is too low and/or the heating rate is too high. Based on literature data, the simulation was extended to blast fur...
Hydrogenation residue is the product left over when petroleum residue feedstocks (or coal) are treated by, e.g. the Veba Combi Cracking (VCC) process. Many tests in semitechnical and full-sized coke ovens were carried out with hydrogenation residue (HR) as an additive in coking coal blends for the production of blast furnace coke or foundry coke. The results of the investigations reported in this paper demonstrate that HR is a very promising alternative for enlarging the coking coal basis compared to other processes or the use of other additives. The application of HR on an industrial scale did not indicate any negative impact on the handling of the hydrogenation residue or on the operation of the coke oven battery.
The content of the courseware for this CD-ROM on Foundry Operations is designed to teach college engineering students and practicing engineers the conepts of foundry operations involving: mold-making, charging of blast furnace and cupola furnace, metal melting, pouring of molten metal into mold to make castings, and computation of mold-metal interface forces. There is an interactivity between students and this instructional program through animation and robot application. Students are able to input data into the software and get a response. For an example, if wrong data are put into calculating the mold-metal interface forces, the molten metal will run over the mold, showing a negative response. Messages will flag and will indicate what to do to correct the situation.
Discusses longwall mining in the Halemba mine with mining depth to 1,000 m and coal seams prone to rock bursts. Since 1985 the Halemba mine has been characterized by the highest rock burst hazards in Poland. Rock burst hazards are associated with large mining depth, complicated geology, rock strata structure, natural rock burst hazards, high coal output of longwall faces and high advance rate. Methods for rock burst forecasting (test borehole drilling, measuring volume of cuttings from each test borehole, acoustic monitoring, etc.) and methods for rock burst control (stress relaxation by shock blasting) are analyzed. Effects of face advance rate on degree of rock burst hazard and stress concentration in a coal ribside are investigated. The increase achieved in longwall advance and coal production is pointed out.
The latest inclined mine winder started operation in April, 1995 at the Kushiro Mining Station of Taiheiyo Coal Mining Co. A permanent magnet synchronous motor, a cycloconverter, and H{sub {infinity}} control are employed to complete the latest inclined mine winder. The winder is the world`s longest and fastest inclined mine winder, and the torque of the permanent magnet synchronous motor is the largest in the world. A report is made on the driving system placing emphasis on the points considered in the design. The gallery has the length of world`s longest 6,626m and the average gentle inclination of 6 degree. The worker transport car runs at the world`s fastest speed of 420m/min from the mouth to the bottom of the pit, making a round trip in 40 minutes. Speed is adjusted smoothly by the cycloconverter, and the car arrives at the destination safely in a short time due H{sub {infinity}} controlling. By the application of H{sub {infinity}} control, the tension of the ...
In this study, the results of atmospheric radon measurements that were performed for the Amasra underground coal mine in Zonguldak bituminous coal basin (Turkey) are presented. The radon measurements were performed for 40 days between November 2004 and December 2004 using passive nuclear etched track detectors. The radon concentrations vary from a minimum value 49 Bq m{sup -3} in a site located at +40 m to a maximum value 223 Bq m{sup -3} in a site located at -100 m. Mean concentration is 117 (Bq m{sup -3}). This value is well below the action level of 500-1500 Bq m{sup -3} recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) (1993). The mean effective dose value for workers of this mine of 3.4 {mu} Sv per day was obtained. This result shows that protection against radiological hazards would not be necessary for workers of this mine.
The purpose and need for DOE to undertake the actions described in this document are to improve the efficiency of the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) complex. Benefits would include optimization of the AGS scientific program, increased high-energy and nuclear physics experimentation, improved health and safety conditions for workers and users, reduced impact on the environment and the general public, energy conservation, decreased generation of hazardous and radioactive wastes, and completion of actions required to permit the AGS to be the injector to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)., Improved efficiency is defined as increasing the AGS`s capabilities to capture and accelerate the proton intensity transferred to the AGS from the AGS booster. Improved capture of beam intensity would reduce the beam losses which equate to lost scientific opportunity for study and increased potential for radiation doses to workers and the general ...
Although hearing loss has been the focus of national surveys in the civilian population, these surveys typically do not include occupational exposure information. Furthermore, very few studies have addressed this problem in the military, particularly in industrial settings. Audiometric data, including hearing loss information, recorded and stored in the prototype application of the Navy's Occupational Health Information Management System (NOHIMS) has not been systematically evaluated to identify military and civilian populations that are at high risk for hearing loss. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of hearing loss in a cohort of Navy civilian workers employed at an industrialized facility. It is both appropriate and timely to look at hearing loss among civilian workers, as well as among the military, especially in relation to the recent Presidential initiative that established a government-wide five year ...
Determining the type of matter that is inside a neutron star (NS) has been a long-standing goal of astrophysics. Despite this, most of the NS equations of state (EOS) that predict maximum masses in the range 1.4-2.8 solar masses are still viable. Most of the precise NS mass measurements that have been made to date show values close to 1.4 solar masses, but a reliable measurement of an over-massive NS would constrain the EOS possibilities. Here, we investigate how optical astrometry at the microarcsecond level can be used to map out the orbits of High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), leading to tight constraints on NS masses. While previous studies by Unwin and co-workers and Tomsick and co-workers discuss the fact that the future Space Interferometry Mission should be capable of making such measurements, the current work describes detailed simulations for 6 HMXB systems, including predicted constraints on all orbital parameters. We find that the ...
The Hazardous Material Management and Emergency Response Training and Education Center -- known simply as HAMMER -- is being developed to assist the US Department of Energy (DOE) and others dedicated to improving worker health, safety and productivity. HAMMER is a training and education program for hazardous material, waste management, and emergency response workers. HAMMER is managed by the DOE Richland Operations Office under Work Breakdown Structure (8.2). The 1996 Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP) includes the Execution Year data and provides the information for Programmatic Fiscal Year Site Management System Execution Baseline, as well as the detailed work plan for performance evaluation of the authorized work. The MYPP incorporates various planning methodologies to define the program and provides essential program integration, and a fully developed technical, cost, and schedule baseline. The MYPP will be utilized by WHC Program and ...
A survey to assess the techniques used to control occupational exposure to formaldehyde (50000) and methanol (67561) was conducted at the E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company (SIC-2869) formaldehyde production unit, Linden, New Jersey, in October 1982. Exposure concentrations were reduced primarily by the use of a process that was completely enclosed except for process sampling, methanol unloading, and formaldehyde discharge points. Local and area exhaust ventilation, and work practices were also used to control exposures. Formaldehyde concentrations in the absorber area were controlled by burning the exit gases in an afterburner and discharging them high above the ground. Analysis of area and breathing zone samples showed methanol and formaldehyde concentrations below the OSHA limits of 200 and 3 parts per million, respectively. The authors conclude that workers are not overexposed to either methanol or formaldehyde on a short or long term basis. Maintenance ...
The system which is performed the transportation and measurement of drum automatically to measure the surface dose-rate of radioactive waste drum and can inspect place of contaminated sources and precise dose-rate within a drum according to measuring many places equally at the same time has been developed. It is expected that the system be used to minimized radiation exposure of workers and manage the drum effectively according to established at the production facilities as well as the radioactive waste treatment facilities. (author). 7 refs., 9 tabs., 16 figs.
The Savannah River Site has successfully used robots, teleoperators, and remote video to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation, improve worker safety, and improve the quality of operations. Previous reports have described the use of mobile teleoperators in coping with a high level liquid waste spill, the removal of highly contaminated equipment, and the inspection of nuclear reactor vessels. This report will cover recent applications at the Savannah River, as well as systems which SRS has delivered to other DOE site customers.
This text-book (electronic book - multi-media CD-ROM) constitutes a course-book - author's collection of lectures. It consists of 13 lectures in which the reader acquaints with the basis of radiobiology: Introduction to radiobiology; Physical fundamentals of radiobiology; Radiation of cells; Modification of radiation damage of cells; Reparation of radiation damage of cells; Radiation syndromes and their modification; Radiation injury; Radiation damage of tissues; Effect of radiation on embryo and fetus; Biological effects of incorporated radionuclides; Therapy of acute irradiation sickness; Delayed consequences of irradiation; Radiation oncology and radiotherapy. This course-book may be interesting for students, post-graduate students of chemistry, biology, physics, medicine as well as for teachers, scientific workers and physicians. (author)
A major component of the 1990 recommendations of ICRP (ICRP, 1991a) was the revision of the dose limits. But other changes were introduced which necessitated a review of earlier guidance. In particular, ICRP set up a Task Group in 1993 to prepare a report on the principles for the protection of workers. The report was adopted in 1997 and has now been published as ICRP Publication 75 (ICRP, 1997). It is for others to judge the real significance of the guidance provided; what follows are some of the main points. (author)
Tritium removal from tritiated heavy water in a PHWR is the most effective way in reducing workers` internal dose and radioactivity emissions from Wolsong NPP. The optimum design of the Wolsung TRF(Tritium Removal Facility) was carried out using an approximate short-cut method with an assumption that the TRF, designed to extract 8 MCi per year of elemental tritium from a heavy water feedstream, uses Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange (LPCE) front-end process and Cryogenic Distillation (CD) process. 19 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs. (author).
Tritium removal from tritiated heavy water in a PHWR is the most effective way in reducing workers' internal dose and radioactivity emissions from Wolsong NPP. The optimum design of the Wolsung TRF(Tritium Removal Facility) was carried out using an approximate short-cut method with an assumption that the TRF, designed to extract 8 MCi per year of elemental tritium from a heavy water feedstream, uses Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange (LPCE) front-end process and Cryogenic Distillation (CD) process. 19 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs. (author).
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.
The objectives of the research in the field of epidemiology , performed at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study. For radiobiology, the main objectives are: (1) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phase of its development, (2) to assess the genetic risks of maternal exposure to ionizing radiation, (3) to elucidate the mechanisms by which damage to the brain and mental retardation are caused in man after prenatal irradiation. The main achievements in these domains for 1997 are presented.
An estimate of the tritium dose to the public in the vicinity of the heavy water research reactor facility at AECL-Chalk River Laboratories, Ontario, Canada, has largely been accomplished from analyses on regularly-collected samples of air, precipitation, drinking water and foodstuffs (pasture, fruit, vegetables and milk) and environmental dose models. To increase the confidence with which public doses are calculated, tritium doses were estimated directly from the ratio of tritiated species in urine samples from members of the general public. Single cumulative 24 h urine samples from a few adults living in the vicinity of the heavy-water research reactor facility at Chalk River Laboratories, Canada were collected and analysed for tritiated water and organically bound tritium. The participants were from Ottawa (200 km east), Deep River (10 km west) and Chalk River Laboratories. Tritiated water concentrations in urine ranged from 6.5 Bq.l{sup -1} for the Ottawa resident to 15.9 Bq.l{sup ...
Ontologies ? a form of structured and logically related knowledge or classification hierarchy embedded in a computer system ? are regarded by many scientists as having enormous promise for the consistent use and re-use of data. To realise this promise, however, is not straightforward. In this paper, based on ethnographic observation, we argue that the challenges for ontology building are ?social? as much as they are technical. By this we mean the routine work undertaken in the building process and the problems and difficulties entailed can be understood in terms of the practices of knowledge workers and the practical nature of ?sorting things out?. Getting a better sense of how, in practise, this work gets done gives a sense of the main challenges of building successful ontologies and how ...
Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence method with a Si/Li semiconductor detector and "2"3"8Pu exciting source was used in the study of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb content of solid emissions, raw and final materials of a brick factory. From the point of view of metal content, the working environment if the brick factory is safe for workers. (author) 2 refs.; 2 figs.; 1 tab.
Recycling of used battery for recovering lead done by either small household/small scale industries has been identified as a source of air pollution, especially by heavy metal (Pb). This condition give an adverse impact toward workers and societies. Technological aspect is one of the causal. The process apply an open system. Therefore, a lot of energy, as well as dust wasted to the air without prior treatment. For overcoming this condition, closed system by utilizing Cupola furnace will be offered as one of the alternatives clean technology application and to increase the recovering performance in order to set an effective and efficient result. (author)
The bibliography contains citations concerning the properties, industrial uses and federal regulation of asbestos. The references explore advantages and disadvantages associated with use of industrial robots in areas containing high concentrations of asbestos dust, the use of water as a cutting tool to control the generation of asbestos dust, and governmental policies and attitudes relative to the health and welfare of workers subjected to asbestos. Thermal insulation properties, wear characteristics, high temperature capabilities, use as a reinforcement in composite materials, and asbestos substitutes are included. (Contains a minimum of 69 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)
The current state and need for radiation protection training in Finland have been surveyed by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority STUK. The survey sought to determine whether the current requirements for radiation protection training had been met, and to promote radiation protection training. Details of the scope and quality of present radiation protection training were requested from all educational institutes and organizations providing radiation protection training. The survey covered both basic and further training, special training of radiation safety officers, and supplementary training. The questionnaire was sent to 77 educational organization units, 66 per cent of which responded. Radiation workers and radiation safety officers were asked about radiation protection knowledge and needs for additional training. The questionnaire was sent to 880 radiation users and 170 radiation safety officers, 70 per cent of whom responded. The survey covered all ...
PETROBRAS/TRANSPETRO Pipelines and Terminals has 500 regular employees and 5.064 out sourced workers in its Southeast Division. The out sourced employees work through 125 contracts involving a wide range of activities such as maintenance, operational, pipeline launching , engineering, administrative and auxiliary services. Among these workers, 200 people are subjected to benzene occupational exposure, which might be present in the products we transport in our pipelines. Benzene is recognized as a carcinogen according to ACGIH and Brazilian Ministry of Labour regulation NR- 15. Exposure to benzene in an uncontrolled way, be it chronic or sharp, may affect the worker's health such as: hematological alterations, neoplasys, neurobehavior alterations. Our program PPEOB (acronym in Portuguese for benzene occupational exposure prevention program) involved the work force and fosters health by anticipation, recognition, ...
Dosimetry is evaluated for live-line workers exposed to 50 Hz non-uniform magnetic fields from typical high-voltage transmission lines in the United Kingdom. The configurations involve twin-, triple- and quadruple-conductor transmission line bundles. Scenarios include three worker postures for the twin and triple bundles, and four postures for the quadruple bundle. The postures are selected to simulate worst case scenarios representative of work practices and result in highest values of dosimetric measures in critical organs. Only single-phase bundles are considered, as adjacent bundles of differing phase result only in a small reduction of the dosimetric measures. Reported data include various measures of the electric field and current density induced in tissues, as well as of the current density averaged over 1 cm"2 areas normal to the current flow. A value of this latter quantity of 10 mA m"-"2 is suggested as a threshold for neural tissue ...
According to ICRP 60 and European-Directive 96/29, Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and Technical Enriched Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) have to take the radiation protection of the general population as well as of workers into account. The German radiation protection regulations stress that particularly. In connection with these regulations, various measurement programs have been and still are performed to investigate the relevant exposure paths. One of these programs is the determination of the intake of natural occurring radionuclides of the uranium decay series in individuals of the public, in exposed regions and houses and also at NORM workplaces by excretion analysis. Excretion analysis surveillance is one of the common tools for internal dosimetry. Sources of primordial radionuclides could be the ingestion of foodstuff and water and the incorporation of (mostly airborne) pollution on work places. The main focus in this ...
Parenting programmes are effective interventions for preventing and treating conduct problems in young children. Up to 20% of children in disadvantaged areas have conduct disorder. Recent government initiatives such as targeting early years services to designated disadvantaged Flying Start areas in Wales have resulted in increased nursery-care provision for pre-schoolers, yet little has been done to equip nursery staff with effective child behaviour management strategies. The purpose of this non-randomised trial platform study was to establish the feasibility of delivery and the effectiveness of the new Incredible Years Toddler Parent Programme in supporting nursery staff in managing difficult behaviour in the nursery. The Parent Programme is a 12-session (a two-hour session/week) course for carers/parents of children aged one to three years old, which encourages carers to: establish positive relationships with children through play and child-centred activities; use praise, rewards and ...
Depletion of stratospheric ozone increases irradiance of terrestrial ultraviolet (UV) radiation at short wavelengths, which may be harmful to the human health. To understand quantitatively the risks caused by increasing UV radiation to the Finnish population, the actual UV exposure of the population has to be assessed. It was shown that the snow reflection increases the UV exposure to the face and eyes particularly in the northern Finland. In 1993 exceptionally low ozone levels persisted up to the end of May, which resulted in a theoretical increase in the annual UV dose ranging from 8 % to 13 % in Finland. The maximal increase in the measured erythemally effective dose rate was 34 % on 23 April, when compared with the theoretical normal value. During this study exposure models have been developed. The models have been combined them with Green`s radiation transfer model to estimate annual facial UV doses received by different groups of Finnish population. Also, an updated estimate for ...
The Screening Risk Evaluation (SRE) guidance document is a set of guidelines provided for the uniform implementation of SREs performed on decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) facilities. Although this method has been developed for D&D facilities, it can be used for transition (EM-60) facilities as well. The SRE guidance produces screening risk scores reflecting levels of risk through the use of risk ranking indices. Five types of possible risk are calculated from the SRE: current releases, worker exposures, future releases, physical hazards, and criticality. The Current Release Index (CRI) calculates the current risk to human health and the environment, exterior to the building, from ongoing or probable releases within a one-year time period. The Worker Exposure Index (WEI) calculates the current risk to workers, occupants and visitors inside contaminated D&D facilities due to contaminant exposure. The ...
A measuring-basis encrypted quantum key distribution scheme is proposed by using twelve nonorthogonal states in a four-state system and the measuring-basis encryption technique. In this scheme, two bits of classical information can be encoded on one four-state particle and the transmitted particles can be fully used.
...Keeping chickens: a beginner's guide : Directgov - Environment and greener living chickens, feeding chickens, egg marking, registering a ...flock, battery hens Chickens; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Registrations; Animals; Livestock; Local government; Local ...authorities A guide for people keeping chickens on the laws for registering and feeding them, and how to spot key diseases. A ...guide for people keeping chickens on the laws for registering and feeding them, and how to spot key diseases. Keeping chickens: ...
The production of any form of coke is determined mainly by the raw material costs. Consequently for the production of special coke, of which the demand is satisfied at the present time by small size fractions of beehive coke or even blast furnace coke, it is necessary to use not only the plentiful coals but also the brown coals of the Kansk-Achinsk coalfield where mining is being expanded. The large reserves of the Kansk-Achinsk brown coals and the favorable geological conditions for recovery by the open-cast method make it possible to increase coal extraction from 31.6.10/sup 6/ tons in 1978 to 350.10/sup 6/ tons/yr in the next 15 to 20 years. In order to explain the high reactivity of heat treated brown coals we shall compare their properties with bituminous coal coke. During the heating of bituminous coals (with a high voltatile matter content) they are able to be weakly fused, to form a structure of coke whose pores are smooth because the coal is partially ...
Feasibility study is conducted for introduction of a top pressure recovery turbine (TRT) in China's Panzhihua Iron and Steel (Group) Company, Sichuan Province, for the potential project to simultaneously contribute to abatement of the greenhouse effect gases and to sustainable economic development of the counterpart country. This project considers to adopt the TRTs in 3 blast furnaces (No.1 to 3) of the 4 furnaces in service at the works, producing 2,500,000 t/y of crude steel, where the No.4 furnace is already provided with the model system and not considered in this project. According to the feasibility study results, the total fund required is 5.46 billion yen (Japan-made facilities: 4.172 billion yen, and China-made facilities: 1.288 billion yen), energy-saving effect is 36,467 t/y as crude, greenhouse effect gas emission abatement effect: 112,830 t/y as CO2, and pay-off period is 8.3 years. This plan considers to adopt almost the same facilities as ...
The physical, chemical and mechanical properties of magnesium alloys make them attractive materials for automotive and aerospace applications. However, these materials are susceptible to corrosion and wear. This work discusses the potential of using sol-gel based coatings consisting of ZrO_2 and 15 wt.% of CeO_2. The CeO_2 component provides enhanced corrosion protection, while ZrO_2 impart corrosion as well as wear resistance. Coating deposition was performed by the dip coating technique on two magnesium alloy substrates with different surface finishes: AZ91D (as-casted, sand-blasted, and machined) and AZ31 (rolled and machined). All as-deposited coatings (xerogel coatings) were then subjected to 10 h annealing: a temperature of 180 C was applied to the AZ91D alloy and 140 C to the AZ31 alloy. Morphological and structural properties of the annealed coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron ...
With the advance of science, rise of public interest in environmental matters, and continuing erosion of air quality, Federal and state regulators are demanding an increasing complex array of data concerning emissions produced by burning and detonating energetic materials. The US Department of Defense, one of the world`s largest consumers of energetic materials, now must characterize combustion products resulting from open burning/open detonation disposal operations. The catch-all phrase ``below detection limits`` no longer satisfies the regulators who now want testing to delve into the ppt level for volatile organic compounds and ppt level for semivolatile organic compounds. Regulators are also expanding their scope of interest and may soon be asking for emissions data on training operations such as artillery firing. Providing this type of information is no longer an impossibility. The Army, as the single manager of conventional munitions for the three military services, anticipated ...
Objective: Given the increasing popularity of motorcycle riding and heightened risk of injury or death associated with being a rider, this study explored rider behavior as a determinant of rider safety and, in particular, key beliefs and motivations that influence such behavior. To enhance the effectiveness of future education and training interventions, it is important to understand riders' own views about what influences how they ride. Specifically, this study sought to identify key determinants of riders' behaviors in relation to the social context of riding, including social and identity-related influences relating to the group (group norms and group identity) as well as the self (moral/personal norm and self-identity). Method: Qualitative research was undertaken via group discussions ...
Purpose - This paper aims to explore the links between revenue management and business-to-business (B2B) relationships and explains how revenue management can both support and damage B2B relationships. Design/methodology/approach - A single case study method was employed to conduct qualitative research into a company and its key accounts. In-depth data were collected from three divergent sources (company revenue managers, company account managers and nine of the company's key accounts) through semi-structured interviews, observations and document studies. Findings - The research findings reveal that from the company's perspective, managers acknowledge that revenue management has positively influenced the process of identifying and analysing key account activities and conducting contractual...
Purpose - Key account management (KAM) programmes are a way for companies to develop existing relationships and increase sales, thus being proactive and searching for opportunities (which is often expected of KAM). It is also a way to meet changing customer demands arising from changes in purchasing strategy, buyers' mergers and acquisitions and the search for synergies in order to reduce costs. The purpose of this article is to analyse different key account management programmes on how they manage the sales process complexity and customer expectations. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on qualitative data collected during a field study of ABB and six of their major customers, based on annual or biannual interviews with 50 individuals within ABB from 1996 to 2006 and three to t...
Customer relationships, product development, data integration and demand-driven supply chains are key concepts for companies that wish to remain competitive in today?s global economy. To address this important information management issue, the present study examines how, within a demand-driven network context, an eCRM can influence the interorganizational product development process between a manufacturer and its key customers. The theoretical model, built on research related to a technology assimilation model based on Fichman?s (2000) work, was tested on data from 104 manufacturers in the wireless equipment sector. The results show that the adoption of an eCRM does not moderate the relationship between collaborative e-product development involving a manufacturer and its key customers and ...
The phenomenon of key supply management (KSM) in business companies is far less investigated than the phenomenon of key account management (KAM) which beneficiates, both in practice and in an academic context, from a growing interest. This article is based on the empirical analysis of a sample of 10 international companies which have recently launched KSM programmes or are currently working on launching such programs. It examines the difficulties these companies come up against when implementing such programmes and proposes to organize these difficulties around three dimensions: 1) the difficulties in implementing real supplier portfolio approaches; 2) the narrow view of value co-creation with suppliers, and 3) the persistent lack of integration of the purchasing function with other intern...
OmpU porins are increasingly recognized as key determinants of pathogenic host Vibrio interactions. Although mechanisms remain incompletely understood, various species, including the...Full Text Available
The UK government's economy-wide 60% carbon dioxide reduction target by 2050 requires a paradigm shift in the whole energy system. Numerous analytical studies have concluded that the power sector is a critical contributor to a low carbon energy system, and electricity generation has dominated the policy discussion on UK decarbonisation scenarios. However, range of technical, social and market challenges, combined with alternate market investment strategies mean that large scale deployment of key classes of low carbon electricity technologies is fraught with uncertainty. The UK MARKAL energy systems model has been used to investigate these long-term uncertainties in key electricity generation options. A range of power sector specific parametric sensitivities have been performed under a 'what-if' framework to provide a systematic exploration of least-cost energy system configurations under a broad, integrated set of ...
The UK government's economy-wide 60% carbon dioxide reduction target by 2050 requires a paradigm shift in the whole energy system. Numerous analytical studies have concluded that the power sector is a critical contributor to a low carbon energy system, and electricity generation has dominated the policy discussion on UK decarbonisation scenarios. However, range of technical, social and market challenges, combined with alternate market investment strategies mean that large scale deployment of key classes of low carbon electricity technologies is fraught with uncertainty. The UK MARKAL energy systems model has been used to investigate these long-term uncertainties in key electricity generation options. A range of power sector specific parametric sensitivities have been performed under a 'what-if' framework to provide a systematic exploration of least-cost energy system configurations under a broad, integrated set of input assumptions. In this ...
While it has been established that microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles throughout development and are dysregulated in many human pathologies, the specific processes and pathways regulated by individual...Full Text Available
PurposeHeavy metals and other forms of oxidative stress have been implicated as key factors in the formation of age-related cataract in humans. Metallothioneins are...Full Text Available
The astronomical number of letters handled by the Post Office makes automatic sorting technology essential. Key roles are played by the postcode system and an ink-jet printer that has been developed to use phosphorescent inks.
An overall hypothesis for benzene-induced leukemia is proposed. Key components of the hypothesis include a) activation of benzene in the liver to phenolic metabolites; b) transport of these metabolites...Full Text Available
SummaryIn vivo tumor cell migration through integrin-dependent pathways is key to the metastatic behavior of malignant cells. Using quantitative in vivo...Full Text Available
BackgroundA key feature of a good general practice consultation is that it is patient-centred. A number of verbal and non-verbal behaviours have been identified as important to establish...Full Text Available
By analysis of crossovers in key recombinant families and by homozygosity analysis of inbred families, the Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) locus was localized in a 300-kb interval between the X104 gene and...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe link between maternal factors and birth outcomes is well established. Substantial changes in society and medical care over time have influenced women's reproductive...Full Text Available
SYNOPSISRhomboid proteases are a fascinating class of enzymes that combine a serine protease active site within the core of an integral membrane protein. Despite having key roles...Full Text Available
This paper describes the deliverables framework developed by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in its IAIMS planning process. The key deliverables include: visions for the future; mission,...Full Text Available
Although deep-sea cephalopods are key marine organims, their feeding ecology remains essentially unknown. Here, we report for the first time the trophic structure of an assemblage of these animals (19...Full Text Available
BackgroundHyaluronic acid capsule plays a key role in Streptococcus pyogenes virulence. Circulation of mucoid or highly encapsulated strains has been related to...Full Text Available
SummarySoluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a key enzyme in the metabolic conversion and degradation of P450 eicosanoids called epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). Genetic variations...Full Text Available
...A directory of University social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube facebook, twitter, blog Social media - Social media, The ... Key: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blog, LinkedIn, Flickr Missed you out? If you'd like to be included on this ...
It has become increasing clear that alterations in cellular metabolism have a key role in the generation and maintenance of cancer. Some of the metabolic changes can be attributed to the activation...Full Text Available
BackgroundMicrovascular injury plays a key role in normal tissue radiation responses. Statins, in addition to their lipid-lowering effects, have vasculoprotective...Full Text Available
BackgroundCurrently used indicators of iron status have limitations. Hepcidin, a key regulator of iron metabolism, is reduced in iron deficiency. We sought to determine the properties...Full Text Available
Receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) play key roles in the pathogenesis of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO). The aim of our study was to determine whether the...Full Text Available
Bacteria expressing type III secretion systems (T3SS) have been responsible for the deaths of millions worldwide, acting as key virulence elements in diseases ranging from plague to typhoid...Full Text Available
French scientists think they have discovered one of the key steps in the methanol-to-gasoline reaction pathway and their British counterparts have learned a new way of converting methanol into acetic acid without carbon monoxide.
The establishment of the primary meristems through proliferation after germination is essential for plant post-embryonic development. Cytokinins have long been considered a key regulator of...Full Text Available
BackgroundRifampin is a key drug in antituberculosis chemotherapy because it rapidly kills the majority of bacilli in tuberculosis lesions, prevents relapse and thus enables 6-month...Full Text Available
... presumed first instar Geocharidius. Anillines occur in deep forest litters, beneath rocks and in soil (endogean), or as ... their small size and cryptic mode of life. Forest litter inhabiting anillines ma...
Most genetic changes that promote tumorigenesis involve dysregulation of G1 cell cycle progression. A key regulatory site in G1 is a growth factor–dependent restriction point (R) where cells...Full Text Available
A structurally conserved element, the trigger loop, has been suggested to play a key role in substrate selection and catalysis of RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription elongation. Recently resolved...Full Text Available
Science and technology could be revolutionized by quantum computers, but building them from solid-state devices will not be easy. Robert W Keyes of IBM's research division outlines the challenges in scaling up the technology from lab experiments to practical devices. (U.K.)
Four-dimensional (4D) radiotherapy is the explicit inclusion of the temporal changes in anatomy during the imaging, planning, and delivery of radiotherapy. One key component of 4D radiotherapy planning...Full Text Available
Breast cancer is a progressive and potentially fatal disease that affects women of all ages. Like all progressive diseases, early and reliable diagnosis is the key for successful treatment and annihilation....Full Text Available
Stem cells are expected to play a key role in the development and maintenance of organisms, and hold great therapeutic promises. However, a number of questions must be answered to achieve an...Full Text Available
Eukaryotic cells can massively transport their own cytoplasmic contents into a lytic compartment, the vacuole/lysosome, for recycling through a conserved system called autophagy. The key process in...Full Text Available
Mycolic acids are key cell wall components for the survival, pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance of the human tubercle bacillus. Although it was thought that Mycobacterium tuberculosis...Full Text Available
Mice and rats are important mammalian models in biomedical research. In contrast to other biomedical fields, work on sexual differentiation of brain and behavior has traditionally utilized comparative...Full Text Available
BackgroundDysregulation of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system, a common consequence of adiposity-induced insulin resistance, may be a key underlying mechanism...Full Text Available
For aerodynamic force measurement in the ISL shock tunnel, the authors have developed a novel measurement technique. Its key feature is a mounting support, which releases the test model and tightens it again after a free flight duration of 10 to 15 millis...
Objective: To highlight the key differences in history, examination, and management of pyoderma gangrenosum and necrotizing fasciitis and to outline the importance of distinguishing these...Full Text Available
Combined QM(PM3)/MM molecular dynamics simulations together with QM(DFT)/MM optimizations for key configurations have been performed to elucidate the enzymatic catalysis mechanism on the detoxification...Full Text Available
AbstractIntrathymic expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) has been viewed as the key element in the induction of central tolerance and recently, a central role for the autoimmune...Full Text Available
In the present study, models of key chemical processes governing the compositions of the tapped metal from the cupola on the basis of physico-chemical fundamentals have been developed. As evident from the literature survey, the investigations conducted in the past have focused their attention on one phenomenon at a time; for example, a particular chemical reaction, measurement of gas composition or the temperature distribution inside a cupola. Notwithstanding the importance of these studies and their contribution toward the understanding of cupola operation, mathematical models of key chemical processes and their interdependence must be investigated to obtain a complete insight into the various interlinked phenomena occurring inside a cupola. For example, the oxidation of the metallic charge leads to the formation of iron oxide which influences the final content of elements such as silicon, manganese and carbon. The processes considered in this ...
Background Little is known about how migrants adapt to first-world public health systems. In Norway, patients are assigned a registered general practitioner (RGP) to provide basic care...Full Text Available
... We also toured a Trident submarine at Kings Bay, Ga. "During the weekend at the Joint Interagency Task Force Headquarters in Key West, Fla., we ...
Background/Objective:To determine the utility of certain instruments to assess sexuality and fertility after SCI, an expert panel identified key areas to study and evaluated...Full Text Available
Species that depend on ephemeral habitat often evolve distinct dispersal strategies in which the propensity to disperse is closely integrated with a suite of morphological, behavioural and physiological...Full Text Available
Despite the availability of dozens of animal genome sequences, two key questions remain unanswered: First, what fraction of any species' genome confers biological function, and second, are apparent...Full Text Available
BackgroundNeuropeptide Y is a key neurotransmitter of the central nervous system which plays a vital role in the feed energy homeostasis in mammals. Mutations in the regulatory and...Full Text Available
BackgroundA key question in the risk assessment of exposures to multiple chemicals is whether mixture effects may occur when chemicals are combined at low doses which individually...Full Text Available
Blunt chest-wall trauma is common; however, resultant tricuspid valve rupture is rare and can be subtle in its presentation. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a key role in diagnosis.Herein,...Full Text Available
BackgroundLarviciding is a key strategy used in many vector control programmes around the world. Costs could be reduced if larvicides could be manufactured locally. The potential...Full Text Available
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a switch of polarized epithelial cells to a migratory, fibroblastoid phenotype, is considered a key process driving tumor cell invasiveness and metastasis....Full Text Available
Given the high prevalence of overweight and low levels of physical activity among children, a better understanding of physical activity behaviour is an important step in intervention planning. This...Full Text Available
KOREA-JAPAN NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONE (KJNWFZ) CONCEPT PAPER ...A Korea-Japan2 Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (hereafter KJNWFZ) is a new concept.Once realized, ...Finally, we outline the key elements of the Korea-Japan NWFZ proposed in this paper, noting
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are highly polymorphic components of the vertebrate immune system, which play a key role in pathogen resistance. MHC genes may also function as odour-related...Full Text Available
Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is a key phenotype associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) for which the molecular mediators remain unclear. We therefore conducted an expression analysis of human...Full Text Available
Mouse models have dramatically improved our understanding of cancer development and tumor biology. However, these models have shown limited efficacy as tractable systems for unbiased genetic...Full Text Available
The spliced alignment of expressed sequence data to genomic sequence has proven a key tool in the comprehensive annotation of genes in eukaryotic genomes. A novel algorithm was developed to assemble...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene regulation is a key mechanism in higher eukaryotic cellular processes. One of the major challenges in gene regulation studies is to identify regulators affecting the...Full Text Available
Background:The cardiac sodium–calcium exchanger (NCX1) is a key sarcolemmal protein for the maintenance of calcium homeostasis in the heart. Since heart failure...Full Text Available
Recently, we demonstrated that the central ghrelin signalling system, involving the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1A), is important for alcohol reinforcement. Ghrelin targets a key mesolimbic circuit involved...Full Text Available
BackgroundDue to the high morbidity and mortality of fulminant hepatitis, early diagnosis followed by early effective treatment is the key for prognosis improvement. So far, little...Full Text Available
Moenomycin A (MmA) belongs to a family of natural products that inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis by binding to the peptidoglycan glycosyltransferases (PGTs), the enzymes that make the glycan...Full Text Available
Rapid place encoding by hippocampal neurons, as reflected by place-related firing, has been intensely studied, whereas the substrates that translate hippocampal place codes into behavior have received...Full Text Available
Summarizing the three main reasons why customized programs are commissioned, this book explains and explores the key aspects of successful development programs, with views from corporate sponsors, participants, faculty contributors and case studies of customised programs commissioned by 6 organizations
Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) constitute a key antibiotic-resistance mechanism affecting Gram-negative bacteria, and also an excellent model for studying evolution in real time. A shift in...Full Text Available
Trypanothione reductase (TryR) is a key enzyme involved in the oxidative stress management of the Trypanosoma and Leishmania parasites, which helps to maintain an intracellular reducing environment...Full Text Available
Chemoprevention strategies to prevent the development of lung cancer in at-risk individuals are a key component in disease management. In addition to being highly effective, an ideal chemopreventive...Full Text Available
Reversible protein glutathionylation plays a key role in cellular regulation and cell signaling and protects protein thiols from hyperoxidation. Sulfiredoxin (Srx), an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction...Full Text Available
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated to play key roles in normal physiological functions, and altered expression of specific miRNAs has been associated with a number of diseases. It is of great interest...Full Text Available
The mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway plays a key role in mediating estrogen actions in the brain and neuronal sensitization during inflammation....Full Text Available
Detecting plant health conditions plays a key role in farm pest management and crop protection. In this study, measurement of hyperspectral leaf reflectance in rice crop (Oryzasativa...Full Text Available
Under anaerobic conditions, several species of green algae perform a light-dependent hydrogen production catalyzed by a special group of [FeFe] hydrogenases termed HydA. Although highly interesting...Full Text Available
We review the application of C. elegans as a model system to understand key aspects of stem cell biology. The only bona fide stem cells in C. elegans...Full Text Available
BackgroundBiomarkers play a key role in risk assessment, assessing treatment response, and detecting recurrence and the investigation of multiple biomarkers may also prove useful...Full Text Available
To establish secure (point-to-point and/or broadcast) communication channels among the nodes of a wireless sensor network is a fundamental task. To this end, a plethora of (socalled) key pre-distribution schemes have been proposed in the past. All these schemes, however, rely on shared secret(s), which are assumed to be somehow pre-loaded onto the sensor nodes. In this paper, we propose a novel method for secure initialization of sensor nodes based on a visual out-of-band channel. Using the proposed method, the administrator of a sensor network can distribute keys onto the sensor nodes, necessary to bootstrap key pre-distribution. Our secure initialization method requires only a little extra cost, is efficient and scalable with respect to the number of sensor nodes. Moreover, based on a usability study that we conducted, the method turns out to be quite user-friendly and easy to use by naive human users.
Hundreds of genomes have been successfully sequenced to date, and the data are publicly available. At the same time, the advances in large-scale expression and purification of recombinant proteins have...Full Text Available
The aim of the overview is to give a perspective of global biobank development is given in a view of positioning biobanking as a key resource for healthcare to identify new potential markers that can...Full Text Available
Tyrosinase or polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.14.18.1) is the key enzyme in melanin biosynthesis and in the enzymatic browning of fruits and vegetables. The role of tyrosinase in the secondary metabolism of...Full Text Available
Background and aims: Serotonin (5-hydroxtryptamine, 5-HT) is an important factor in gut function, playing key roles in intestinal peristalsis and secretion, and in sensory...Full Text Available
Sep 9, 2009 ... You are here: GES DISC Home Geomorphology from Space By Location Landforms by Location: Asia. Info. Landforms by Location: Asia. KEY, ASIA ...
The cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) has emerged as a key regulator of metabolism, stress resistance and longevity. Apart from its role as ...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdipose tissue lipid storage and processing capacity can be a key factor for obesity-related metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Lipid uptake is...Full Text Available
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of energy metabolism; its activity is regulated by a plethora of physiological conditions, exercises and many anti-diabetic drugs. Recent...Full Text Available
From Toki-shakuyaku-san, an herbal formulation for “cleansing stagnated blood,” a key gene regulatory compound was purified and identified through a screening based on DNA microarray...Full Text Available
BackgroundStable transgenesis is an undeniable key to understanding any genetic system. Retrovirus-based insertional strategies, which feature several technical challenges when they...Full Text Available
Background and AimsSecondary growth via successive cambia has been intriguing researchers for decades. Insight into the mechanism of growth layer formation is, however, limited to...Full Text Available
The vanilloid receptor-1 (VR1, or transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 receptor, TRPV1) is activated by capsaicin, the key ingredient of hot peppers. TRPV1 was originally described on sensory neurons...Full Text Available
How learning and memory is achieved in the brain is a central question in neuroscience. Key to today’s research into information storage in the brain is the concept of synaptic plasticity, a...Full Text Available
Dust detection and control in real time, represent one of the most challenging problem in all those environments where fine and ultrafine airborne particulate solids products are present. The presence of such products can be linked to several factors, often directly related and influenced by the working-production actions performed. Independently from the causes generating dust, airborne contaminants are an occupational problem of increasing interest as they are related to a wide number of diseases. In particular, airborne dusts are well known to be associated with several classical occupational lung diseases, such as the pneumoconiosis, especially at high levels of exposure. Nowadays there is also an increasing interest in other dust related diseases, from the most serious as cancer and asthma, to those related with allergies or irritation and other illnesses, also occurring at lower levels of exposure. Among the different critical factors influencing health risk for airborne dust ...
Two avowable quantum communication schemes are proposed. One is an avowable teleportation protocol based on the quantum cryptography. In this protocol one teleports a set of one-particle states based on the availability of an honest arbitrator, the keys and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pairs shared by the communication parties and the arbitrator. The key point is that the fact of the teleportation can neither be disavowed by the sender nor be denied by the receiver. Another is an avowable quantum secure direct communication scheme. A one-way Hash function chosen by the communication parties helps the receiver to validate the truth of the information and to avoid disavowing for the sender.
Two avowable quantum communication schemes are proposed. One is an avowable teleportation protocol based on the quantum cryptography. In this protocol one teleports a set of one-particle states based on the availability of an honest arbitrator, the keys and the Einstein Podolsky Rosen pairs shared by the communication parties and the arbitrator. The key point is that the fact of the teleportation can neither be disavowed by the sender nor be denied by the receiver. Another is an avowable quantum secure direct communication scheme. A one-way Hash function chosen by the communication parties helps the receiver to validate the truth of the information and to avoid disavowing for the sender.
This paper summarizes the establishment and current development of space activities in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Space activities in Venezuela are focused on the areas of telecommunications, Earth observation and research on the physical properties of the Earth, and have as a primary goal the satisfaction of social needs. Current development of space activities started in 1999 when the new National Constitution recognized the value of outer space as the common heritage of mankind, and the key role of science and technology in promoting human welfare. The Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE) was created in 2007. Its legal framework recognizes three key elements that drive its policy: the participation of society, capacity building and human training, and international c...
Trapped ions are a near ideal system to study quantum information processing due to the high degree of control over the ion's external confinement and internal degrees of freedom. We demonstrate the key steps necessary for trapped ion quantum computing and focus on phonon-mediated entangling gates. We highlight several key algorithms implemented over the last decade with these gates and give a detailed description of Grover's quantum database search implemented with two trapped ion qubits.
To assist the Department of Energy (DOE) in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, the National Low-Level Waste Management Program (NLLWMP) outlines the key activities tat the NLLWMP will accomplish in the following fiscal year. Additional activities are added during the fiscal year as necessary to accomplish programmatic goals. This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the NLLWMP during Fiscal Year 1996.
With increasing liberalization of the energy sector, German suppliers of line-transmitted energy find themselves in an utterly changed sales environment, forcing companies and utilities to elaborate for the first time management policies and strategies that will ensure loyalty of their present customers, and help to solicit new customers. The article here explains some major terms and instruments used in designing key-account management strategies, as well as general procedures for suitability assessment. (orig/CB)
Five nomographs have been prepared that facilitate the estimation of cover thickness and cover material volume for the Uranium Mill Tailing Remedial Action Program. Key parameters determined include the cover thickness with either a surface radon flux or a boundary radon air concentration criterion and the total volume of cover material required for two different treatments of the edge slopes. Also included in the engineering guide are descriptions and representative values for the radon source term, the diffusion coefficients and the key meteorological parameters. 16 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.
A complete guide to 7000 key decision makers and 2800 organizations actively involved in energy today, the 1983 Directory updates the changes in state and Congressional energy offices that resulted from the 1982 elections, the reshuffling at DOE, the shifts of jurisdiction at the Department of the Interior, and the increasing role of the private sector in funding energy research and development. New features include the addition of nearly 100 major venture-capital firms and key public-affairs contacts. The Directory also features an Annual Energy Review highlighting development that will have international effects in the coming year.
In this paper, we proposed a novel quantum secure direct communication scheme with one-time pad in stabilizer formalism. Based on the reuse of qubit sequence, an efficient secure communication of secret messages without first producing a shared secret key can be achieved. One hence may find that the amount of private key needed for quantum communication is smaller than that in the general case. Therefore, the present protocol which is feasible with the present-day techniques may be applied to quantum communication with short-length encoding.
This article presents a linear-analytical case study on the development of ICT within the educational systems of Chile and South Korea. Through a comprehensive meta-data analysis and bibliographic review, we collected information on both educational systems and their ICT adoption policies. Key differences necessary to understand how both countries have developed their educational systems by integrating ICT were analyzed, including the educational system structure, the organization of state entities responsible for educational ICT, cultural characteristics, the creation of policies regarding ICT in education, and the effectiveness of such policies for the expansion of infrastructure and the ICT curriculum integration. We analyze these key differences in order to understand two cases of ICT ...
There is increasing pressure to operate laboratory facilities in environmentally and financially sustainable ways. A key factor in achieving this goal is careful consideration of how energy is used by the buildings' ventilation system, both for conditioning air supplied to the laboratories and the energy used moving air through the building. Traditionally, laboratory energy use is treated as an engineering concern within the scope of the building's overall design and operation. However, this approach limits the involvement of key stakeholders in many important decisions and can lead to unexpected safety concerns for the laboratory's users. We believe that a broad view of the parties affected by a laboratory building's operations is necessary to avoid having the various stakeholders working...
I review the past and present of wound ballistics research in China and look toward the future of this subject. The main points area as follows: (1) Before the 1970s, China did not conduct any experimental study on wound ballistics. (2) After the 1970s, experts in ordnance and medicine closely cooperated to conduct a series of experiments or tests on wound ballistics, such as wounding effects and the mechanism of various high-speed projectiles, the treatment of the protection from firearm wounds, high quality of ammunition design, lethality criterion, blast injuries, etc. Between 1981 and 1993, four national symposia on wound ballistics were held in China. In 1988, China sponsored the Sixth International Symposium on wound Ballistics. China has made great contributions to this subject. (3) As for the future of Chinese research on wound ballistics, I suggest strengthening the following areas: the relationship with weapons traumatology; the basic science research on ...
Extensive laboratory and industrial tests are being conducted at the Western Siberian Iron and Steel Works (I and SW) on the adoption of preheating of coking. The present article describes the results of laboratory investigations of the effect of the free oxygen content in the gaseous heat carrier and the final charge preheating temperature on the technological properties of the charge and the quality of the blast furnace coke, as well as the yield and quality of the coking products: 1. An increase in the free oxygen concentration in the heat carrier to 8% degrades the strength properties of the coke - the crushability and abradability are increased. 2. Charge preheating to 200 to 250/sup 0/C, even with a low oxygen concentration in the heat carrier, is accompanied by degradation of the physical and mechanical properties of the coke. 3. The optimal temperature of charge preheating before coking at the Western Siberia I and SW was found to be in the 150 to 200/sup ...
Emerging evidence suggests that E3 ligases play critical roles in diverse biological processes, including innate immune responses in plants. However, the mechanism of the E3 ligase involvement in plant innate immunity is unclear. We report that a rice gene, OsBBI1, encoding a RING finger protein with E3 ligase activity, mediates broad-spectrum disease resistance. The expression of OsBBI1 was induced by rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, as well as chemical inducers, benzothiadiazole and salicylic acid. Biochemical analysis revealed that OsBBI1 protein possesses E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro. Genetic analysis revealed that the loss of OsBBI1 function in a Tos17-insertion line increased susceptibility, while the overexpression of OsBBI1 in transgenic plants conferred enhanced resi...
A laboratory-scale well-mixed thermostatic reactor with continuously blasting air was used to investigate the oxidation inhibition of sulfite in dual alkali flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system. The effects of operating parameters such as pH value and catalyst concentration on the oxidation were studied. Sodium thiosulfate was used in the system, and was found that it significantly inhabited the sulfite oxidation. In the absence of catalyst, sodium thiosulfate at 12.67 mmol/L had an inhibition efficiency of approximately 98%. While in the presence of catalyst, sodium thiosulfate at 26.72 mmol/L had an inhibition efficiency less than 85.0%. The oxidation reaction order of sulfite in the sodium thiosulfate was determined to be -1.90 and -0.55 in the absence and presence of the catalyst, respectively. Apparent activation energy of oxidation inhibition was calculated to be 53.9 kJ/mol. Pilot tests showed that the consumption rate of thiosulfate agreed well with the ...
A programme has been initiated by the Coordinating Office for Monitoring of enhanced natural radioactivity of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection to investigate different kinds of sample materials with enhanced naturally occurring radioactivity (NORM) such as scales from oilfield and naturally gasfield pipes, blast furnace sludge and sinter dust from the production of pig iron, as well as bauxit and red mud from the production of aluminium oxide. The aim of these investigations is to find proper preparation and measuring methods which allow, in particular, a sample treatment with optimised effort combined with a reliable determination of the specific activities of the dominating radionuclides. Of particular interest is the method of gamma-ray spectrometry, since this method has been used for most of our studies of sample materials. Due to different compositions of calibration and NORM-samples, e.g. different densities, and the analysis of low-energy ...
A nuclear fuel waste disposal vault would not likely be a sterile environment. Bacterial activity would be expected in those areas of the vault conducive to bacterial life, i.e., where effects of heat, moisture content, radiation and compaction would not prevent or severely restrict bacterial life and where suitable and sufficient nutrients would be present. An inventory of bacterial nutrients that would be emplaced 'intentionally' with vault materials (fuel waste, waste containers, buffer and backfill materials) has been made previously. This report assesses bacterial nutrients that would be added 'inadvertently' to a vault in the form of residues of materials used to excavate and operate a vault. Measurements of blasting material residues in the various water supplies, excavated broken rock (muck) and in cores drilled in old and new tunnel walls were made at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory. Results show that the largest potential nutrient addition (both ...
Proceeding from laboratory and pilot plant tests of the screening of fine classes of coal under the effect of gravitational forces on stationary grates, and also from the experience of the Krivoi Rog and Kommunarsk Coke Works (1,2), the coal preparation division of OKhMK (Orsk-Khalilovo Integrated Iron and Steel Works) adopted an industrial scheme of comminution of coal before coking, screening out the fine classes ahead of the hammer crushers. In the bottom of the feeder chute a stamped screen was installed (dimensions 2100 X 1600 X 5 mm with apertures of 40 X 100 mm) with the large side perpendicular to the flow of coal. The distance between the apertures on the small side of the screen was 20 mm, on the large side 15 mm; the inclination was 60/sup 0/. The overscreen product enters the crusher, and the underscreen product is injected into the crushed charge without comminution. The improvement in the uniformity of the granulometric and qualitative composition of the prepared charge ...
In this paper the authors present some final results from a research project focused on introducing automatic control to the operation of cupola iron furnaces. The main aim of this research is to improve the operational efficiency and performance of the cupola furnace, an important foundry process used to melt iron. Previous papers have described the development of appropriate control system architectures for the cupola. In this paper experimental data is used to calibrate the model, which is taken as a first-order multivariable system with time delay. Then relative gain analysis is used to select loop pairings to be used in a multiloop controller. The resulting controller pairs melt rate with blast volume, iron temperature with oxygen addition, and carbon composition with metal-to-coke ratio. Special (nonlinear) filters are used to compute melt rate from actual scale readings of the amount of iron produced and to smooth the temperature measurement. The temperature ...
The molar of guinea pigs was irradiated with /sup 60/Co-..gamma.. ray for daily observations of the manifestation of disturbed tooth formation by microradiography and the time registration by tetracycline-labelling. Irradiation first injured young blast cells of the dentin in the growth phase, dental pulp cells, and cells of the enamel. The portion composed of injured cells formed a depressed ''constriction'' from the dental pulp side toward the border between the enamel and dentin. The cells of the enamel injured by irradiation in the growth phase later formed a very thin irregular stroma. In contrast, cells in the differentiation or subsequent phase at the time of irradiation and cells probably having started to grow after irradiation proceeded with formation of a normal stroma and calcification. No uniform relation was obtained between the histological staining of the organic stroma of normal or abnormal dentin and ...
A strategic partnership was formed among the American Foundrymen`s Society and the Federal government to develop and transfer the technology needed by the US foundry industry to: increase energy efficiency of cupola melting; improve recovery of carbon, silicon, and manganese through reduced oxidation losses; and improve productivity due to more uniform and predictable iron compositions. An effective mathematical model of the cupola offers a solution to the complex and interactive chemical and heat transfer processes to melt cast iron. The transient changes in charge size, charge composition, blast rate, and coke rate are used to optimize operation to improve melting rates, minimize oxidation losses of valuable alloying elements (C, Si, and Mn), and maintain iron composition. Despite these challenges, the cupola produces iron at a lower cost, and have better environmental controls than other melting process with 70% of domestic liquid iron produced by this ...
We use two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations to investigate the properties of dense ejecta clumps (bullets) in a core collapse supernova remnant, motivated by the observation of protrusions probably caused by clumps in the Vela supernova remnant. The ejecta, with an inner flat and an outer steep power law density distribution, were assumed to freely expand into an ambient medium with a constant density, $\\sim 0.1$ H atoms cm$^{-3}$ for the case of Vela. At an age of $10^4$ yr, the reverse shock front is expected to have moved back to the center of the remnant. Ejecta clumps with an initial density contrast $\\chi \\sim 100$ relative to their surroundings are found to be rapidly fragmented and decelerated. In order to cause a pronounced protrusion on the blast wave, as observed in the Vela remnant, $\\chi \\sim 1000$ may be required. In this case, the clump should be near the inflection point in the ejecta density profile, at an ejecta velocity $\\sim 3000 ...
The objectives of this project were to develop technologies to manufacture self-reducing briquettes out of waste iron oxides and to recycle them in an electric arc furnace or a cupola furnace. CRM has investigated and determined the optimal characteristics (binder, size, grain size, compositions and activator for the reduction reaction) for briquettes containing mixtures of mill scales, mill sludges, electric arc furnace (EAF) dust and coal as reduction agent. The goal of obtaining briquettes, in which iron oxides are totally reduced when these briquettes are loaded with the scrap into an electric arc furnace, was achieved. Trials at ProfilARBED have shown that it is possible to recycle mill and EAF by-products conditioned in self-reducing briquettes in an electric arc furnace without influence on the performance and on the environment. The iron content of the slag does not increase as the iron of the by-product is almost completely reduced. Zinc is completely removed and the ...
The object of briquetting coal fines is to convert a low grade fuel into one of superior quality coal. Briquetting techniques make coal an attractive substitute fuel by converting it into a compact, stable and inexpensive fuel. The briquetting of coal fines and char fines from coal and lignite, coke breeze, charcoal fines and similar materials is an important process for producing shaped fuel for a number of uses. Formed-coke made from non-caking coal for use in a blast furnace or in a cupola furnace involves the briquetting of treated char fines and further processing of the briquettes by means of carbonizing and curing. Briquettes may be made with or without binders, brown coal is particularly suitable for briquetting without a binder. Heat treatment may enable a higher rank coal to be briquetted without a binder, but binders are usually used so as to improve the combustion properties of the coal, they may include pitch, bitumen, sulphite liquor, starches and ...
Since the radiometric measuring technique was introduced for industrial measuring and control engineering 15 to 20 years ago, the advantages of this technique have become more and more evident and have led to its world-wide application. In the last 15 to 20 years this method has become the standard one in this field. Its major advantages as compared with conventional methods are: contactless measurement; high reliability and accuracy; no mechanically moving parts; and no maintenance required. Despite higher investment costs the application of this method is paid off within a very short time owing to a higher output and the savings in maintenance costs. Some chemo-technical methods can be realized on a grand scale only when radiometric measuring equipment is used - e.g., urea plants, high-pressure polyethylene production. Especially in moisture measurements of blast-furnace coke are the economical advantages significant. Detailed studies have shown that the system ...
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are thought to originate at cosmological distances from the most powerful explosions in the Universe. If GRBs are not beamed then the distribution of their number as a function of gamma-ray flux implies that they occur once per (0.3-40) million years per bright galaxy and that they deposit >10^{53} ergs into their surrounding interstellar medium. The blast wave generated by a GRB explosion would be washed out by interstellar turbulence only after tens of millions of years when it finally slows down to a velocity of 10 km/s. This rather long lifetime implies that there could be up to several tens of active GRB remnants in each galaxy at any given time. For many years, radio observations have revealed the enigmatic presence of expanding neutral-hydrogen (HI) supershells of kpc radius in the Milky Way and in other nearby galaxies. The properties of some supershells cannot be easily explained in terms of conventional sources such as stellar ...
An approximate analyzing model was developed to predict the azimuth of zigzag streamline, the distribution ratio between two neighboring layers and the radial distribution among the layers of the gas passing through the shaft of blast furnace loaded in layers. The theoretical basis of the approximate analysis is composed of the material balance derived from the assumption that any stream line surrounded with two streamlines is isolated and no material transfer occurs through the tube wall, and of the energy theory that the stream tube and passage are formed so that the total pressure drop in the whole system is the minimum. The effects of the apparent angle of repose between two layers, the packing volume and the passage resistance on the non-uniform flow in the layer were evaluated on the basis of the model. The result calculated by the approximate analysis agrees with the result by the numerical analysis based on the equations of continuity and of motion within ...
Citizens Gas and Coke Utility operates three coke oven batteries, producing both foundry coke and blast furnace coke, under the trade name Indianapolis Coke. Active participation in the regulation negotiation process by the Vice President of Indianapolis Coke allowed the company to accurately anticipate the environmental regulations, long before they were set in law. Several improvements were put into motion that helps them meet the new environmental regulations. Better trained operators with new job positions dedicated solely to environmental compliance, an extensive environmental training program, and two innovations, a portable oven door milling and cleaning machine and three new computer applications are the result of team efforts. The focus of this paper is development of the computer applications designed to enhance three areas of environmental compliance. The three areas addressed by the applications are documentation and information deployment, problem ...
The author says ''barehand'' methods, where specially trained utility workers are called in conductive suits to equalize voltage over their bodies, to maintain high-voltage transmission lines are on the rise. Utilities are building lines at higher voltages and selling more power to other utilities, making it highly inconvenient to take the lines out of service. However, some unions view the barehand work with less than enthusiasm. Touching lines energized at hundreds of thousands of volts demands flawless equipment and rigid work procedures followed to the letter. Some local unions contend that adequate safety procedures and training, and appropriate penalties for workplace negligence, should be in place before utilities may do barehand work. The author discusses some of the methods of barehand work and the equipment used, i.e. steel-mesh lineman's suit, bucket truck's boom, helicopters, and robots.
Radioactive waste shipping and receiving facilities presently planned for commercial and defence high level nuclear waste will handle waste packages at frequencies far in excess of those in common practice today. If current limits for radiation levels at the cask surface and current handling methods are used, high cumulative personnel exposure to ionizing radiation is projected to occur. To reduce these exposure levels, alternate handling methods are being developed and demonstrated. The production nature of cask receiving operations suggests commercial robotics be incorporated into a remote handling system to reduce predicted worker exposure to acceptable levels while maintaining or increasing throughput. The first phase of cask handling system development culminated in a proof-of-principle test demonstrating the feasibility of performing cask receiving and unloading operations in a remote and partially automated manner. (author).
Radioactive waste shipping and receiving facilities presently planned for commercial and defense high-level nuclear waste will handle waste packages at frequencies far in excess of those in common practice today. If current limits for radiation levels at the cask surface and current handling methods are used, high cumulative personnel exposure to ionizing radiation is projected to occur. To reduce these exposure levels, alternate handling methods are being developed and demonstrated. The production nature of cask receiving operations, suggests commercial robotics be incorporated into a remote handling system to reduce predicted worker exposure to acceptable levels while maintaining or increasing throughput. The first phase of cask handling system development culminated in a proof-of-principle test demonstrating the feasibility of performing cask receiving and unloading operations in a remote and partially automated manner.
Radioactive waste shipping and receiving facilities presently planned for commercial and defense nuclear waste will handle waste packages at frequencies far in excess of those in common practice today. Unacceptable personnel exposure to ionizing radiation is projected to occur if current limits for radiation levels at the cask surface and current handling methods are used. To reduce these exposure levels, alternate handling methods are being developed and demonstrated. The production nature of cask receiving operations suggests commercial robotics be incorporated into a remote handling system to reduce predicted worker exposure to acceptable levels, while maintaining or increasing throughput. The first phase of cask handling system development culminated in a proof-of-principle test demonstrating the feasibility of performing cask receiving and unloading operations in a remote and partially automated manner. 6 refs., 12 figs.
Full text: The nuclear renaissance, anticipated by AREVA in the beginning of the century is now happening in several countries around the world. The fundamentals being the increasing demand of energy, the volatility of fossil fuel prices, the awareness of climate change threat connected with the extensive use of fossil fuels. The EPRTM reactor present significant improvements compared to previous generation reactors enabling to reach an outstanding safety level (redundancy of safety systems, airplane crash resistance), to improve the economics (extended plant lifetime, flexibility and availability during operation and, increased efficiency and fuel utilization) while limiting the impact on workers and the environment. Several countries have been implementing the transition to third generation reactors. The presentation will analyze different examples in order to draw the lessons learned from this first wave and to set-up the criteria for a successful transition ...
We investigated the association between biomarkers of dermal exposure, naphthyl-keratin adducts (NKA), and urine naphthalene biomarker levels in 105 workers routinely exposed to jet-fuel. A moderate correlation was observed between NKA and urine naphthalene levels (p?=?0.061). The NKA, post-exposure breath naphthalene, and male gender were associated with an increase, while CYP2E1*6 DD and GSTT1-plus (++/+-) genotypes were associated with a decrease in urine naphthalene level (p?0.0001). The NKA show great promise as biomarkers for dermal exposure to naphthalene. Further studies are warranted to characterize the relationship between NKA, other exposure biomarkers, and/or biomarkers of biological effects due to naphthalene and/or PAH exposure. PMID:21961652
Objective: To develop software for assessment of dose to thyroid gland in emergencies resulting in the release of radioiodine. Methods: Based on procedures for thyroid monitoring and dose assessment introduced in IAEA publications (IAEA-TECDOC-1092 and EPR-MEDICAL-2005), a software was developed with Visual Basic 6.0 program to computerized the methods of thyroid dose estimation. Results: The intake of radioiodine and committed equivalent dose to thyroid could be estimated rapidly and accurately with the present software. Conclusion: The present software provide a practical and rapid tool for estimating thyroid doses received in emergencies resulting in the release of radioiodine by emergency workers and members of public, which is necessary for recommendation of further actions. (authors)
The results of radon concentration measurements inside of the Gabriel caves of Mexico, during three consecutive two-month periods covering almost three seasons, are reported in the present work. The radio-ecological importance of this site is related to the radon and its concentration-dynamic behavior in the cave. Further interest in radiation safety motivated this initiative since routine biological field work is done, with people spending long periods of time there. CR-39 passive nuclear track detector was chosen for this survey. Radon concentration levels decrease during the rainy season and show different values depending on the ventilation and geometeorological structure. Measured values range between 956 and 4931Bqm{sup -3}, an indication that radon doses may exceed the allowed values for workers. This project is part of a larger study of indoor radon alpha emitters in Mexican caves.
The results of radon concentration measurements inside of the Gabriel caves of Mexico, during three consecutive two-month periods covering almost three seasons, are reported in the present work. The radio-ecological importance of this site is related to the radon and its concentration-dynamic behavior in the cave. Further interest in radiation safety motivated this initiative since routine biological field work is done, with people spending long periods of time there. CR-39 passive nuclear track detector was chosen for this survey. Radon concentration levels decrease during the rainy season and show different values depending on the ventilation and geometeorological structure. Measured values range between 956 and 4931Bqm-3, an indication that radon doses may exceed the allowed values for workers. This project is part of a larger study of indoor radon alpha emitters in Mexican caves.
Radon measurements were carried out in Kozlu, Karadon and Uzulmez underground coal mines of Zonguldak bituminous coal basin in Turkey. Passive-time integrating method, which is the most widely used technique for the measurement of radon concentration in air, was applied by using nuclear etched track detectors (CR-39) in the study area. The radon concentration measurements were performed on a total of 42 points in those three mines. The annual exposure, the annual effective dose and lifetime fatality risk, which are the important parameters for the health of workers, were estimated based on chronic occupational exposure to the radon gas, which is calculated using UNCEAR-2000 and ICRP-65 models. The radon concentrations at several coal production faces are higher than the action level of 1000 Bq m{sup -3}. It is suggested that the ventilation rates should be rearranged to reduce the radon concentration.
Recent research findings of epidemiologist Alice Stewart suggest that nuclear workers may be at risk of contracting cancer even though their measured occupational doses fall within current safety standards. It is argued that these standards are inappropriate as they are based on extrapolations of studies on survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions. These individuals received single doses of radiation, whereas today's nuclear industry personnel are exposed to low-level ionizing radiation over the length of their working lives. Stewart's team linked low dose occupational exposure to ionizing radiation with an increased risk of cancer in respiratory, digestive and blood-forming tissues. The nuclear industry and United States government agencies hotly contest these assertion with their potentially damaging political and economic consequences. (UK).
Recent research findings of epidemiologist Alice Stewart suggest that nuclear workers may be at risk of contracting cancer even though their measured occupational doses fall within current safety standards. It is argued that these standards are inappropriate as they are based on extrapolations of studies on survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions. These individuals received single doses of radiation, whereas today's nuclear industry personnel are exposed to low-level ionizing radiation over the length of their working lives. Stewart's team linked low dose occupational exposure to ionizing radiation with an increased risk of cancer in respiratory, digestive and blood-forming tissues. The nuclear industry and United States government agencies hotly contest these assertion with their potentially damaging political and economic consequences. (UK).
The decommissioning of the Sodium Reactor Experiment is essentially complete. Contaminated materials, equipment, and soil were removed, decreasing the residual radioactivity to levels acceptable for future unrestricted use of the site. The fuel was removed and declad, tooling and techniques to support the decommissioning were developed, bulk sodium and residual sodium films were removed, coolant systems were dismantled, the reactor vessel was dissected, the interior surfaces of the facilities were decontaminated, and waste materials were packaged and shipped to burial sites. Radiation exposure to workers and the public was within the guidelines and as low as reasonably achievable. In performing the project, new decontamination techniques were tested, decontamination equipment was evaluated, and waste disposal methods were developed.
Implementing any new business software can be an intimidating prospect and this paper is intended to offer some insight in to how to approach this challenge with some fundamental rules for success. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) had undergone an original ERP implementation of HRMS, Oracle Advanced Benefits, Worker Self Service, Manager Self Service, Project Accounting, Financials and PO, and recently completed a project to implement Oracle Payroll, Time and Labor and Accrual Plans. This paper will describe some of the important lessons that can be applied to any implementation as a whole, and then specifically how this knowledge was applied to the design and deployment of Oracle Accrual Plans for LANL. Finally, detail on the functionality available in Oracle Accrual Plans will be described, as well as the detailed setups.that were utilized at LANL.
Long term indoor radon gas measurements using a passive monitor were conducted in the basement rooms of five hospitals, which are built in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The ventilation rate averaged over all hospital was 12.3 air change per hour (ACH). The highest radon concentration was 56.3 Bq/m"3. The value averaged concentration over all hospital and all season was 20 Bq/m"3. But the average of the two hospitals were twice as high as those of three others. Since the total ventilation rate integrated over a day is not different much, the reason of the concentration difference is considered to be the difference in radon emission rate from concrete wall and soil of the each hospital. Though we inquired workers about 'Environmental complaints', it do not show the direct relation between radon and environmental complaints. (author)
Chronic exposure to uranium compounds such as UO{sub 2} and U{sub 3}O{sub 8} led to the development of a methodology, based on the recommendation of ICRP, involving four main steps: the measurement of the uranium concentration and the particle size distribution at the workstation, the assessment of physico-chemical properties of the compound, the study of in-vitro solubility using a chemical test and the monitoring of workers. Results and comments on UO{sub 2} and U{sub 3}O{sub 8} are given. (author)
The OSHA's chemical occupational exposure standard for laboratories is an outgrowth of the previously issued Hazard Communication Standard. The standard relieves laboratories from complying with general industry standards but does not require compliance with specific guidelines. The heart of the standard is the creation of a Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) in every laboratory. The CHP addresses major issues such as safety equipment and procedures, work practices and training, the designation of a chemical hygiene officer, and the provision of medical consultation and examination for affected employees. This new standard, in effect as of 31 January, 1991, presents yet another regulatory challenge to laboratory managers but also will ensure a safer work environment for laboratory workers.
Industrial radiography accounts for approximately half of all the reported accidents for the nuclear related industry, in both developed and developing countries. This Safety Report is the result of a review made of a large selection of accidents in industrial radiography reported by regulatory authorities, professional associations and scientific journals. A small, representative selection of 43 accident descriptions has been used to illustrate the primary causes of radiography accidents, and a set of measures provided to prevent the recurrence of such accidents or to mitigate the consequences of those that do occur. These accident descriptions were categorized by primary causes as follows: inadequate regulatory control; failure to follow operational procedures; inadequate training; inadequate maintenance; human error; equipment malfunction or defect; design flaws; and wilful violation. The information in this Safety report is intended for use by those regulatory authorities, ...
The introduction of numerical control (NC) machine tools has made it possible to automate machining in series and small series production. The organization of automated production sections merged NC machine tools with automated transport systems. However, both the one and the other require the presence of an operative at the machine for low skilled operations. Industrial robots perform a number of auxiliary operations, such as equipment loading-unloading and control, changing cutting and auxiliary tools, controlling workpieces and parts, and cleaning of location surfaces. When used with a group of equipment they perform transfer operations between the machine tools. Industrial robots eliminate the need for workers to form auxiliary operations. This underscores the importance of developing robotized manufacturing centers providing for minimal human participation in production and creating conditions for two and three shift operation of equipment. Work carried out at ...
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has funded major environmental technology developments over the past several years. One area that received significant attention is robotics, which has resulted in the development of a wide range of unique robotic systems tailored to the many tasks unique to the DOE complex. These systems are often used in highly hazardous environments, which reduces or eliminates worker exposures. The DOE, concurrent with the technology development initiative, also established and funded a 5-yr cooperative agreement intended to interface with the technology development community-with specific attention to the occupational safety and health aspects associated with individual technologies through human factors and hazard assessments. This program is now in its third year.
At the 7th Healthy Buildings Conference, which was held in Singapore, 7-11 December 2003, more than 500 articles to improve public health and productivity of workers in buildings and the performance of installations. Special attention is paid to indoor air quality and thermal comfort in relation to energy efficiency. [Dutch] Op de laatste Healthy Buildings conferentie, december 2003 in Singapore, werden meer dan 500 artikelen gepresenteerd over het creeren van gezonde, productiviteit verhogende gebouwen en installaties. Deze keer lag de nadruk op binnenluchtkwaliteit en thermisch binnenklimaat, onder andere op het aspect energiezuinigheid. Opvallend was ook de aandacht die de problemen met binnenluchtkwaliteit in ontwikkelingslanden kreeg.
The primary responsibility of the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Division at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is to provide comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, waste processing, and environment protection. These activities are designed to protect the worker, the public, and the environment. Many disciplines are required to meet the responsibilities, including radiation protection, industrial hygiene, safety, occupational medicine, environmental science, epidemiology, and waste management. New and challenging health and safety problems arise occasionally from the diverse research and development work of the Laboratory. Research programs in HSE Division often stem from these applied needs. These programs continue but are also extended, as needed to study specific problems for the Department of Energy and to help develop better occupational health and safety practices.
The main objectives of research in the field of health effects at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are: (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study; (4) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phases of its development; (5) to assess the genetic risks of material exposure to ionizing radiation; (6) to elucidate the cellular mechanisms leading to brain damage after prenatal irradiation; (7) to advise authorities and to provide the general population with adequate information concerning the health risk arising from radiation exposure. Progress and major achievements in these topical areas for 1997 are reported.
This document describes an educational program designed to provide a pool of highly qualified administrative, technical, and managerial graduates that are familiar with the Hanford Site and business operations. The program is designed to provide work experience and mentoring to a culturally diverse student base which enhances affirmative employment goals. Short-term and long-term objectives of the program are outlined in the report, and current objectives are discussed in more detail. Goals to be completed by the year 2003 are aimed at defining the criteria necessary to establish partnerships between schools, community organizations, and human resources departments. Actions to be implemented includes providing instructors and equipment, enhancing skills of local teachers, and establishing collaboration with human resources organizations. Long-term goals of the program are to ensure a constant supply of qualified, trained workers to support industry missions. 6 ...
Abstract We provide the first firm-level evidence of the impact of the trade in producer services (-offshoring-) on the labour market. Using a new data set from the UK that measures trade in services at the firm level, we find no evidence that importing intermediate services is associated with job losses or greater worker turnover. Using regression to control for observable differences between firms that import service inputs and those that do not, we show that firms that start importing intermediate services experience faster employment growth than equivalent firms that do not. This seems likely to be the result of positive demand shocks, which cause a simultaneous increase in employment, output, and use of imported service inputs.
Validity of fern spore germination bioassays for the effects of environmental pollution was established by many researchers. Some workers studied the phytotoxicity of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) on the spores of Diplazium esculentum and observed that LAS levels above 0.001% are toxic to fern spores. Water pollution due to synthetic detergents has been increasing continuously during the last few years due to their extensive use in domestic life, agriculture and industry. These detergents are among the most common pollutants responsible for water pollution. In view of this fact, the phytotoxicity of LAS on germination of an aquatic fern Ceratopteris thalictroides spores was studied. However, in these studies, only germination pattern was taken as index and no observations were made on the developmental stages.
In Tarapur Atomic Power Station unit-3 and 4, which is 540 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor, tritium is produced in primary heat transport system and moderator system. Tritium is a major contributor to the internal dose. Internal dose contributes about 30% of the collective dose. Internal dose monitoring and its control are important to control the collective dose. Estimation of internal dose is done by analysis of bioassay samples of radiation workers. In a month, about 7000 bioassay samples are analysed for the internal dose assessment during normal operation, and about 12000 during the biennial shut down of the reactor. To enhance the sample preparation and counting performance, minimize the entry errors and reduce the processing time, barcode based label generation system was developed for the internal dose monitoring. This paper discusses about the use of barcode system in the internal dose monitoring at TAPS 3 and 4. (author)
Ulrich in the forward to the Zenger and Folkman (2002) book, ''The Extraordinary Leader'', wrote about the importance of character in leadership stating, ''Everything about great leaders radiates from character. Character improves the probability of exhibiting strong interpersonal skill. Some of this perceived character is innate . . . but more is driven by the leader's self-awareness and interactions with others'' (p. ix). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between leadership effectiveness and character using leader-managers of knowledge workers as the subject sample. Findings indicated that character, particularly those factors associated with honesty, setting the example, and valuing and strengthening others, were what set the most effective leader-managers apart from their peers. Technical competence and self-efficacy were found to be common characteristics ...
This investigation of a brain cancer cluster in Missouri used two approaches to investigate associations with potential risk factors. In a case-control study in a rural town, we interviewed surrogates of cases and controls about potential risk factors. We found a statistically significant positive association of brain cancer with reported exposure to dental x-rays. Occupation was not associated with the cluster in the rural town. In a standardized proportional mortality study for the state of Missouri, we calculated the observed and expected proportion of brain cancers by occupation and industry in Missouri decedents. We found that motor vehicle manufacturers, beauty shop workers, managers and administrators, elementary school teachers, and hairdressers and cosmetologists had significantly elevated proportions of brain cancer. Brain tumors are inconsistently associated with occupation in the literature. Further study of brain cancer etiology with respect to dental ...
On March 31, 1995, the US Department of Energy filed a draft application for certification of compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to show the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's compliance with the USEPA's environmental standards, making the application the first of its kind. Demonstration of compliance is by performance assessment. This paper is an early review of the performance assessment in the draft application, by the Environmental Evaluation Group, an oversight group. The performance assessment in the draft application is incomplete. Not all relevant scenarios have been analyzed. The calculation of potential consequences often does not use experimental data but rather estimates by workers developing additional data. The final compliance application, scheduled for October 1996 needs to consider additional scenarios, and be fully based on experimental data.
Industrial premises bear more and more important thermal constraints which can commonly reach 150 W/m{sup 2} and more. The reason is the general development of automation and automatic devices and the better thermal insulation of buildings. Production quality requires also more and more strict ambient conditions (temperature, humidity, air quality, air flow etc..). Thus, the air-conditioning market in the industrial sector is more linked to economic factors such as productivity and profit than to thermal comfort of workers. However, the air-conditioning potentialities in the industrial sector remains under-exploited in France. This paper analyzes the reasons of this situation in terms of investments and equipments. (J.S.)
Background The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and the prevalence of distal colorectal polyps and adenocarcinoma and (b) to analyse genetic alterations representing different molecular pathways of the colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods A total of 623 asymptomatic male (mean age: 53 years; 50?65) car factory workers were included. Information on smoking habits and other lifestyle factors were collected followed by a 60 cm colonoscopy. APC and KRAS mutations and microsatellite status were determined in colorectal lesions (colorectal carcinoma (CRC), hyperplastic (HP) and adenomatous polyps (AP)). Data were analysed using unconditional multiple logistic regression models. Results Smokers had a higher prevalence of AP (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.2?3.6;...
Full text: This presentation will review the progress achieved so far by the Irish national regulatory agency, the Radiological Protection Institut e of Ireland (R.P.I.I.) in the investigation of work activities where the presence of natural radiation sources (NORM) could lead to a significant increase in exposure to workers or members of the public which cannot be disregarded from the radiation protection point of view. Since the coming into force in Ma y 2000 of the Radiological Protection Act, 1991 (Ionising Radiation) Order, 2000 (S.I. No. 125 of 2000) which implements the Eu B.S.S. Directive 96/29/EURATOM, four major NORM industries currently active in Ireland have been investigated. According to the literature, they are all considered liable to involve work practices resulting in exposure to NORM. They include: the gas extraction and production industry, the peat- and coal-firing power generation industry and the bauxite/alumina refining industry. For the gas ...
Fusion device produces high-level neutrons and #gamma#-rays, which would hazard the safety of the public and workers if the doses would be higher than the regulatory limits because of leakage from the bio-shielding and skyshine. It is essential to monitor the radiation doses in the workshop and the enumerative around fusion devices. A radiation monitoring system (RMS) for full (near and far) areas around a nuclear fusion device has been designed and developed, which can achieve the monitoring and controlling of radiation doses in the workshop area by using the Controller Area Network (CAN), in the institution area by using the Bluetooth Ad hoc network based on a new tree topology formation and routing protocol and in a long range environment by using the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network. (authors)
There are 760 feederpipes, which they are connected to inlet/outlet of the 380 pressure tube channels on the front of the calandria, in CANDU-type Reactor of Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant. As an ISI(In-Service Inspection) and PSI (Post-Service Inspection) requirements, maintenance activities of measuring the thickness of curvilinear part of feederpipe and inspecting the feederpipe support area within calandria are needed to ensure continued reliable operation of nuclear power plant. And ultrasonic probe is used to measure the thickness of curvilinear part of feederpipe, however workers are exposed to radioactivity irradiation during the measurement period. But, it is exposed to radioactivity irradiation during the measurement period. But, it is impossible to inspect feederpipe support area thoroughly because of narrow and confined accessibility, that is , an inspection space between the pressure tube channels is less than 100 mm and pipes in feederpipe support area ...
Based on the practical condition of the plant and in reference to advanced management experiences worldwide, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant has established its own peculiar management system for radiation protection management and ALARA implementation. The characteristics of the system are: radiation protection training to all workers, active involvement of all managers and staffs, and whole process safety control to maintenance activities. The management philosophy of 'workers are responsible for their own radiation safety' is adopted in the plant. A strict, formalized and systematic whole staff radiation protection training, evaluation, authorization and periodically refreshing mechanism had been established and executed in the plant. In the organizational point of view, the responsibilities of line managers were specified in plant procedures, ALARA coordination organization on plant level and for specific activities were established. ...
Tarapur Atomic Power Station Unit-4 is first 540 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor in India. It achieved criticality on 06th March 2005 and then operated at full power i.e 500 MWe. Radiation workers during the normal operation and reactor shutdown are exposed to radiation field. The control of dose rates and the collective dose of the radiation workers is most important for the best performance of the reactor. Experience gained during the operation of the 220 MWe reactors has shown that the Moderator system, primary heat transport system, annulus gas system and moderator cover gas system are the main systems contributing to the dose rate and collective dose. In order to identify the radio nuclides contributing to the radiation field, study was undertaken at TAPS Unit-4. Various samples from the Moderator, primary heat transport system, annulus gas system and moderator cover gas system were collected and analysed for the spectrometric ...
After five years of implantation of a program for classification and signalling of restricted areas in the IPEN-CNEN-SP, we noticed that the applied measures of radio protection contributed for the improvement of the system of occupational radiological protection, promoting an improvement in the security of the workers, towards the planning in the execution of the activities involving the use of sources of ionizing radiation. Later, during the implantation of this program, the service of occupational radiological protection, there was great difficulty to conciliate its necessities in terms of security signalling, face the absence of existing standardisation in the country for the minimum disposals on the subject in question. Nowadays there are different interpretations of the specific criteria and many effective normative documents that exist in the country. This work presents as proposal the elaboration of a technical guide whose objective is to display the ...
PETROBRAS/TRANSPETRO Pipelines and Terminals have 500 regular employees and 5.064 out sourced workers in its Southeast Division. The out sourced employees work under 125 contracts involving a wide range of activities such as maintenance, pipeline operation, pipeline launching, engineering, administrative and auxiliary services. Among these workers, 1.200 peoples are subjected to occupational exposure, which may be present in the industrial process or in the products transported in our pipelines, e.g. industrial noise, sulfidric gas, toluene, xylene and benzene (recognized as a carcinogen according to ACGIH and Brazilian Ministry of Labour). Our PPRA (acronym in Portuguese for Occupational Exposure Prevention Program) involves the workforce and fosters health by anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of the situations that may result in injuries. Further actions include the procurement of equipment for detection of these agents not ...
In response to a request from the International Chemical Workers Union, Akron, Ohio, an investigation was made into possible hazardous working conditions at two American Smelting and Refining Company (SIC-1031) zinc mines (New Market and Young) in Mascot, Tennessee. Specifically, exposures to asbestos (1332214), silica (14808607), and diesel emissions were determined. At both mines overexposures were found to nitrogen-dioxide (10102440) (NO2) and coal-tar pitch volatiles. Twenty-four percent of the NO2 measurements taken were above the NIOSH recommended ceiling of 1 part per million (ppm), but none exceeded the Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) ceiling of 5ppm. Exposure to diesel particulates ranged from 0.24 to 1.06mg/cu m. None of the 52 respirable dust samples collected exceeded the calculated MSHA limits for free silica exposure. A medical evaluation was offered and 83 of the 400 current employees and one retired employee participated. ...
The concept of forestry-service enterprise used in the joint study (1997-7999) by the TTS-Institute and the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) refers to enterprises and co-operatives (including forest workers operating as entrepreneurs) offering services in the fields of silviculture, basic forest improvement, planning and wood-harvesting sector. Companies practicing large-scale wood-conversion and traditional forestry-machine and road haulage contractors are not included in this approach. It can be estimated that there is a total of 450 such entrepreneurs in the country Those engaged in only a minor degree in providing forestry services are not included in the figure. The nation-wide research material was collected in the form of a mail questionnaire addressed to forestry-service entrepreneurs (n=320) in the spring of 1998. Almost all forestry-service entrepreneurs provide timber felling as a service. More than half of them do planting, cleaning of young ...
There are 760 feederpipes, which they are connected to inlet/outlet of the 380 pressure tube channels on the front of the calandria, in CANDU-type Reactor of Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant. As an ISI(In-Service Inspection) and PSI (Post- Service Inspection) requirements, maintenance activities of measuring the thickness of curvilinear part of feederpipe and inspecting the feederpipe support area within calandria are needed to ensure continued reliable operation of nuclear power plant. And untrasonic probe is used to measure the thickness of curvilinear part of feederpipe, however workers are exposed to radioactivity irradiation during the measurement period. But, it is impossible to inspect feederpipe support area thoroughlv because of narrow and confined accessibility, that is, an inspection space between the pressure tube channels is less than 100mm and pipes in feederpipe support area are congested. And also, workers involved in inspecting ...
The emission isolation flux chamber (EIFC) methodology was applied to Superfund investigations at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300 to determine if on-site workers were exposed to VOCs volatilizing from the subsurface and what, if any, health risks could be attributed to the inhalation of the VOCs volatilizing from the subsurface. During July and August of 1996, twenty, eighteen, and twenty six VOC soil vapor flux samples were collected in the Building 830, 832, and 854 areas, respectively using EIFCS. The VOC concentrations in the vapor samples were used to calculate soil flux rates which were used as input into an air dispersion model to calculate ambient air exposure-point concentrations. The exposure-point concentrations were compared to EPA Region IX Preliminary Remediation Goals (PRGs). Buildings 830 and 832 exposure-point concentrations were less then the PRGs therefore no cancer risks were calculated. The cancer risks for Building 854 ...
Construction is one of the important industries employing a large number of people on its workforce. A wide range of activities are involved in it. Due to the advent of industrialization and recent developments, this industry is taking a pivotal role for construction of buildings, roads, bridges, and so forth. The workers engaged in this industry are victims of different occupational disorders and psychosocial stresses. In India, they belong to the organized and unorganized sectors. However, data in respect to occupational health and psychosocial stress are scanty in our country. It is true that a sizable number of the workforce is from the unorganized sectors - the working hours are more than the stipulated hours of work - the work place is not proper - the working conditions are non-congenial in most of the cases and involve risk factors. Their wages are also not adequate, making it difficult for them to run their families. The hazards include handling of ...
Steam generators (SG) are among the most critical components of pressurized water Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). SG tubes must provide a reliable pressure boundary between the primary and secondary cooling water. It is because that any leakage from tube defects could result in the release of radioactivity to the environment. Thus degradations of steam generators tubes should be monitored and inspected periodically under nuclear regulatory. In-service inspections of SG tubes are carried out using eddy current test (ECT) and the defected tubes are usually plugged. Because the radioactivity in the internal of SG chambers limits free access of human worker, remote manipulators are required. In South Korea, Manipulators such as the Zetec SM series and the Westinghouse ROSA series have been used. Such manipulators are rigidly mounted to manways or tube sheets of SG. Confusions for the inspected tubes may occur from deflection of the manipulators. To reduce the deflections ...
One regenerative path to produce hydrogen is the photo-biological hydrogen production by the green micro-alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This process can be divided into three phases: a growth phase, a phase in which the algae adapt from oxygen production and CO2-fixation to fermentative H2 production, and a phase in which H2 is produced. In a research project carried out at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, a new developed flat panel bioreactor was investigated. A system analysis was conducted and energetic and environmental key figures were determined. The intention of this assessment on a very early technological stage was to collect first technical data in order to classify the current technological status of the photo-biological H2 production to identify future potentials and to uncover weaknesses. For this reason the key figures were evaluated for the status quo and for two scenarios which allow an outlook on the mid and the long term. The results ...
A ground-breaking study was recently completed as part of the Seabrook Level 2 PRA update. This study updates the post-core damage phenomena to be consistent with the most recent information and includes accident management activities that should be modeled in the Level 2 PRA. Overall, the result is a Level 2 PRA that fully meets the requirements of the ASME PRA Standard with respect to modeling accident management in the LERF assessment and NRC requirements in Regulatory Guide 1.174 for considering late containment failures. This technical paper deals only with the incorporation of operator actions into the Level 2 PRA based on a comprehensive study of the Seabrook Station accident response procedures and guidance. The paper describes the process used to identify the key operator actions that can influence the Level 2 PRA results and the development of success criteria for these key operator actions. This addresses a key ...
A ground-breaking study was recently completed as part of the Seabrook Level 2 PRA update. This study updates the post-core damage phenomena to be consistent with the most recent information and includes accident management activities that should be modeled in the Level 2 PRA. Overall, the result is a Level 2 PRA that fully meets the requirements of the ASME PRA Standard with respect to modeling accident management in the LERF assessment and NRC requirements in Regulatory Guide 1.174 for considering late containment failures. This technical paper deals only with the incorporation of operator actions into the Level 2 PRA based on a comprehensive study of the Seabrook Station accident response procedures and guidance. The paper describes the process used to identify the key operator actions that can influence the Level 2 PRA results and the development of success criteria for these key operator actions. This addresses a key ...
This report presented some quick facts about oil and gas pipelines in Turkey and presented opportunities for trade. The key players and customers in the oil and gas sector were described along with an export check list. Turkey is looking into becoming an energy bridge between oil and gas producing countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. The oil and gas sectors are dominated by the Turkish Petroleum Corporation, a public enterprise dealing with exploration and production, and the State Pipeline Corporation which deals with energy transmission. They are also the key buyers of oil and gas equipment in Turkey. There are several pipelines connecting countries bordering the Caspian Sea. Opportunities exist in the areas of engineering consulting as well as contracting services for oil and gas pipeline transmission and distribution. Other opportunities lie in the area of pipeline construction, rehabilitation, materials, equipment, ...
In June 2009, the State of Hawaii enacted an Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) with a target of 4,300 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030 (Hawaii 2009). Upon setting this goal, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), working with select local stakeholders, partnered to execute the first key step toward attaining the EEPS goal: the creation of a high-resolution roadmap outlining key areas of potential electricity savings. This roadmap was divided into two core elements: savings from new construction and savings from existing buildings. BAH focused primarily on the existing building analysis, while NREL focused on new construction forecasting. This report presents the results of the Booz Allen Hamilton study on the existing building stock of Hawaii, along with conclusions on the key drivers of potential energy efficiency savings and on the steps ...
Quantum key distribution (QKD) can, in principle, provide unconditional security based on the fundamental laws of physics. Unfortunately, a practical QKD system may contain overlooked imperfections and may thus violate some of the assumptions in the security proofs of QKD. It is important to explore these assumptions. One key assumption is that the sender (Alice) can prepare the required quantum states without errors. However, such an assumption may be violated in a practical QKD system. In this paper, we perform a proof-of-principle experiment to demonstrate a technically feasible 'intercept- and-resend' attack that exploits such a security loophole in a commercial 'plug and play' QKD system. The resulting quantum bit error rate is 19.7%, which is substantially lower than the well-known 25% error rate for an intercept-and-resend attack in BB84. The attack we utilize is the phase-remapping attack (Fung et al 2007 Phys. Rev. A 75 32314) proposed ...
The broad use of Six Sigma in the improvement of all types of processes has provided new insight for how to design, analyze, and interpret formulation studies and mixture experiments. Experience has shown that, consistent with the Pareto principle, there are typically three to six key variables that have major effects on the performance of the process. Identifying these key variables increases your ability to control and optimize the process. Applying this concept to formulation studies suggests that we should be searching for those critical few components that are driving the performance of the product formulation. This thinking changes how we approach both the design and analysis phases of product formulation studies, including the reassessment of formulations in use today. A review of t...
Cyst nematodes are troublesome parasites that live on, and destroy, a range of important host vegetable plants. Damage caused by the potato cyst nematode has now been reported in over 50 countries. One approach to eliminating the problem is to stimulate early hatching of the nematodes, but key hatching stimuli are not naturally available in sufficient quantities to do so. Here, we report the first chemical synthesis of solanoeclepin A, the key hatch-stimulating substance for potato cyst nematode. The crucial steps in our synthesis are an intramolecular cyclization reaction for construction of the highly strained tricyclo[5.2.1.01,6]decane skeleton (DEF ring system) and an intramolecular Diels???Alder reaction of a furan derivative for the synthesis of the ABC carbon framework. The present ...
The key to the future for electric utilities will not be found in legislation or regulation. Title VII of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 will prove to be just as ineffectual in improving the industry's position as was the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. These legislative palliatives, which produced so much commotion and so many reams of heated commentary, are largely irrelevant to a successful future for electric utilities. The key will be found in economics, not in law, and the future will lie in completing Thomas A. Edison's century-old vision for the industry, half of which the industry has heretofore ignored. The industry must embrace the complete vision and evolve from electric utilities into [open quotes]end-use energy utilities.[close quotes
Floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels offer a cost-effective field development solution, especially in deepwater areas lacking an adequate pipeline network. Most FPSOs are permanently moored, i.e. the complete system is designed to withstand any kind of extreme environment at the field location. FPSOs that can be quickly disconnected from their moorings and risers have also been designed and deployed. The key feature of this type of disconnectable FPSO is that it can be disconnect and so avoid dangerous environmental conditions such as icebergs, hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and typhoons in the South China Sea. In this paper, the concept of disconnectable FPSOs for deepwater field development is presented. Key technologies and their engineering analyses are highlight...
Integrated femtocell/macrocell networks, comprising a conventional cellular network overlaid with femtocells, offer an economically appealing way to improve coverage, quality of service, and access network capacity. The key element to successful femtocells/macrocell integration lies in its self-organizing capability. Provisioning of quality of service is the main technical challenge of the femtocell/macrocell integrated networks, while the main administrative challenge is the choice of the proper evolutionary path from the existing macrocellular networks to the integrated network. In this article, we introduce three integrated network architectures which, while increasing the access capacity, they also reduce the deployment and operational costs. Then, we discuss a number of technical issues, which are key to making such integration a reality, and we offer possible approaches to their solution. These issues include efficient frequency and ...
Remote sensing is the most practical method available to managers of fire-prone forests for quantifying and mapping fire impacts. Differenced Normalised Burn Ratio (?NBR) is among the most widely used spectral indices for the mapping of burn severity but is difficult to interpret in terms of fire-related changes in key biophysical attributes and processes. We propose to quantify burn severity as a change in the leaf area index (?LAI) of a stand. LAI is a key biophysical attribute of forests, and is central to understanding their water and carbon cycles. Previous studies have suggested that changes in canopy LAI may be a major contributor to ?NBR and to the composite burn index (CBI) that is frequently used in combination with the NBR to assess burn severity on the ground. We applied remote...
KEPCO (Korean Electric Power Corp.) with the support of AECL and other Korean and Canadian subcontractors has created a strong multi-company team to execute design and construction of the Wolsung-2 CANDU 6 power plant. Key concepts of the project team are: 1. KEPCO is the project manager, and AECL is the major engineering and supply contractor; 2. Significant participation by Korean companies in design work in Canada and Korea; 3. Significant manufacturing in both Canada and Korea; 4. Construction by Korean contractors. Key concepts of the Wolsung 2 design are: 1. Evolutionary improvement of the Wolsung-1 plant which balances proven technology and necessary design improvements including current codes and standards. 2. Sharing some structures with the Wolsung-1 plant. This paper describes the successful establishment and operation of the complex project interfaces along with the current project status and plans.
Fitness, (biometric measurements, reproduction) and behaviour that are ecologically relevant biomarkers in assessing the quality of estuarine sediments were studied by comparing the responses of the polychaete worm Nereis diversicolor - a key species in estuaries - along a pollution gradient. Intersite differences were shown for all the measured parameters: size-weight relationships, energy reserves as glycogen and lipids, sexual maturation patterns, total number of oocytes per female, total and relative fecundity, burrowing behaviour. The physiological and behavioural status of N. diversicolor was consistently disturbed in the larger, most contaminated estuaries (Loire and Seine, Fr.) compared to reference sites (Bay of Bourgneuf, Goyen estuary, Fr.). Many classes of potentially toxic che...
The document provides: An overview of CCS technology including what plant equipment is novel and what is currently in use within the CCS or other industries; An in depth guide to carbon dioxide to broaden the readers understanding of the material and its health and safety issues; Key design features of plant and pipelines for carbon dioxide service including experience gained from the industrial gases sector; and Key operational information for plant and pipelines for carbon dioxide service including experience gained from the industrial gases sector to ensure that your operating practices take into account the latest operational experiences from carbon dioxide plant. 45 figs., 18 tabs.
Objectives1. We will use reduction of lysosomal stability as an indicator of cell injury induced by C-60 fullerenes and carbon nanotubes in the liver analogue or digestive gland (hepatopancreas) of marine mussels. Molluscan hepatopancreatic digestive cells are key to normal function and are a sensitive key interface with the environment. Reduction of lysosomal stability is mechanistically linked with impaired health of the whole animal. 2. We will also test the hepatopancreatic digestive cells for evide [continued...]DescriptionNanotechnology is a major innovative scientific and economic growth area, which may present a variety of hazards for environmental and human health. The surface properties and very small size of nanoparticles and nanotubes provides surfaces that may bind and transport toxic chemical pollutants, as well as possibly being toxic in their own right by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is a wealth of evidence ...
Heat transfer through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) is a key process in the design and operation of a PEM fuel cell. The analysis of this process requires determination of the effective thermal conductivity as well as the thermal contact resistance associated with the interface between the GDL and adjacent surfaces/layers. In the present study, a custom-made test bed that allows the separation of effective thermal conductivity and thermal contact resistance in GDLs under vacuum and ambient conditions is described. Measurements under varying compressive loads are performed using Toray carbon paper samples with a porosity of 78% for a range of thicknesses. The measurements are complemented by compact analytical models that achieve good agreement with experimental data. A key finding is that ...
Nuclear generation operators are facing a challenging business environment at the beginning of the new millennium. Evolving changes in business context, competitive commercial pressures, and changes in technology have dictated recurring evaluation of operational practices and the adequacy of supporting tools, and the pursuit of opportunities for operational improvement. A key area of utility operations that has been impacted by these changes is the nuclear plant control centre. Changes to workspace layout, equipment provisions, staffing, and work organization are examples of some of the adjustments being introduced to improve operational and safety effectiveness. This paper discusses some of the key factors influencing these changes and identifies additional design principles for CANDU control centres that will enable new control centre designs and retrofits of existing control centres to remain relevant and responsive to utility needs. ...
Until recently, the wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) transmission system has reached record capacities and distances due to innovations such as FEC (Forward Error Correction), distributed Raman amplification, new transmission fiber and advanced optical format. Optical-communication systems exclusively employed conventional On-Off Keying signals in either Non-Return-To-Zero (NRZ) or Return-To-Zero (RZ) format. Recently a number of advanced modulation formats have attracted attention. Some of these formats carry information through On-Off-Keying but also modulate the optical phase in order to enhance the robustness of signal to chromatic dispersion, optical filtering and non-linearities. Through extensive sets of simulation results, we showed that it is possible to replace a channel wit...
Abstract Gelatinization temperature (GT) is an important parameter in evaluating the cooking and eating quality of rice. Indeed, the phenotype, biochemistry and inheritance of GT have been widely studied in recent times. Previous map-based cloning revealed that GT was controlled by ALK gene, which encodes a putative soluble starch synthase II-3. Complementation vector and RNAi vector were constructed and transformed into Nipponbare mediated by Agrobacterium. Phenotypic and molecular analyses of transgenic lines provided direct evidence for ALK as a key gene for GT. Meanwhile, amylose content, gel consistency and pasting properties were also affected in transgenic lines. Two of four nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in coding sequence of ALK were identified as essential for GT. ...
The Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) is a key multipurpose species for the African region. In the recent years there has been an extended commercial interest for different A. digitata products. As a spectacular African key species there has been a growing interest from NGO?s and various research groups. A research group, focussing on the following countries Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, has participated in a concerted research action with cross counter disciplinary cooperation between plant physiology, population genetics, tree breeding, food science, and socioeconomics. This paper presents a review and the way knowledge gaps are being addressed using the above mentioned approach. The overall work was initiated in 2005?2006 when a large collection of A. digitata seeds was carried out in...
This work describes how a general, process-based mass-balance model (CoastMab) for phosphorus for coastal areas may be used as a tool to estimate realistic values of "natural" or preindustrial reference levels of key bioindicators in coastal science, including the Secchi depth, a standard measure of water clarity, the chlorophyll-a concentration, an operational measure of phytoplankton biomass and the concentration of cyanobacteria, a measure of the concentration of harmful algae. The CoastMab-model is an ecosystem model giving monthly predictions to achieve seasonal variations of basin-wide properties. The selected case-study area, the Gulf of Riga, is sensitive to nutrient loading because of its shallowness and low openness towards the Baltic Proper. The morphometry of any coastal area, ...
The objective of the present investigation was to develop a Bayesian framework for updating and integrating covariate information into key parameters of metabolizable energy (ME) systems for dairy cows. The study addressed specifically the effects of genetic improvements and feed quality on key parameters in current ME systems. These are net and metabolizable energy for maintenance (NEM and MEM, respectively), efficiency of utilization of ME for milk production (kL) and growth (kG), and efficiency of utilization of body stores for milk production (kT). Data were collated from 38 studies, yielding 701 individual cow observations on milk energy, ME intake, and tissue gain and loss. A function based on a linear relationship between milk energy and ME intake and correcting for tissue energy lo...
An updated listing of the vascular plants of the Hanford Site is provided, along with discussions of how humans may interact with local plants and have influenced the regional flora. Based on examinations of herbarium collections at the Westinghouse Hanford Company, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Washington State University, and Brigham Young University, 590 vascular plant species have been identified on or near the Hanford Site. This is more than twice the number of species on previously published lists of Hanford Site vascular plants. A review of the plant species that are currently listed as endangered, threatened, sensitive, or otherwise of concern to the Washington State Natural Heritage Program and the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service is included. Color photographs of selected species are included to aid identification. Lists are provided of the Hanford Site plant species that could be used as food and medicinal sources and of those introduced to the region through human ...
Fission track analysis (FTA) technique for the determination of "2"3"9Pu excreted through urine has been standardized using blank samples, tracer and "2"3"9Pu spikes. Double stage anion exchange separation protocol has been applied and an average radiochemical recovery of "2"3"9Pu of 18% was obtained. An average track registration efficiency of 11 tracks per #mu#Bq of "2"3"9Pu, irradiated to 0.35x10"1"7 neutron fluence was established. Reagent blank urine samples from 11 controlled subjects were analyzed by FTA and an average of 149#+-#14 tracks was obtained. Minimum detectable activity of 34 #mu#Bq L"-"1 of urine sample was obtained and will be useful for monitoring chronic exposure cases handling MOX fuel.
Describes progress made with the new economic system in the USSR coal industry since full self-financing was introduced on 1 January 1989, pointing out that mining is now being carried out at greater depths than before (515 m in 1988, 457 m in 1981 on the average) and that an increasing proportion of coal is being produced by mines liable to coal and gas bursts (62.3% in 1988, 59.6% in 1981). More difficult conditions means that mining costs are increasing. Explains system of agreements between teams of workers and mine management regarding output and extraction costs. Reveals that on 1 January 1990 a new list of coal prices will include 90% price rises on average, as a result of need for mines to finance themselves. There are to be 2 variants of this price list: one containing standard nationwide prices, the other based on mining areas, taking into account different geological and other conditions. Concludes by emphasizing the need to improve productivity, by ...
The report published in 2003 by the European committee on the risk of irradiation (C.E.R.I.) criticizes a part of the ICRP recommendations relative to the internal contaminations.Consequently, I.R.S.N. wishes to supply its own analysis. The present report points the questions linked to the internal contamination and to the difficulties inherent to the risk incurred after chronic exposure.Consequently it does not treat all the problems of the workers and populations radiation protection. (N.C.)
Due to the fact that, the workers' behavior is characterized by its complexity and diversity, this issue has been seen as a great 'black box' in discussions regarding the Management Systems of SHE. Associated with this issue other arises: How conscious people? How to engage them with the process? How to improve the risk control? How to motivate the prevention? Most of these responses are discussed in the Social and Human Sciences for many years. However, it is necessary to closer the technical-operational knowledge and the human aspects, applying in the organizations' daily work, to make the working environment more safe. The purpose of this study, therefore, is examining the possibility of reducing accidents through the identification and treatment of deviations (unsafe acts and unsafe conditions), cause the whole accident, be it serious or not, begins with a small deviation. It was used as a reference tool, the Behavior audit ...
This paper presents the status of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) project for remediation of transuranic (TRU) and TRU mixed waste from Pads 1, 2, and 4. Some of the TRU waste packages retrieved from Pad I are anticipated to be part of LANL`s initial inventory to be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in April 1998. The TRU Waste Inspectable Storage Project (TWISP) was initiated in February 1993 in response to the New Mexico Environment Department`s (NMED`s) Consent Agreement for Compliance Order, ``New Mexico Hazardous Waste Agreement (NMHWA) 93-03.`` The TWISP involves the recovery of approximately 16,865 TRU and TRU-mixed waste containers currently under earthen cover on Pads 1, 2, and 4 at Technical Area 54, Area G, and placement of that waste into inspectable storage. All waste will be moved into inspectable storage by September 30, 2003. Waste recovery and storage operations emphasize protection of worker safety, public health, and the ...
The public expects that the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) will operate in a manner that prevents negative impacts to the environment and protects the safety and health of its employees and the public. To achieve this goal within budget, the Department of Energy (DOE) and LANL must develop new and improved environment, safety, and health (ES and H) technologies and implement innovative, more cost-effective ES and H approaches to operations. In FY95, the Environment, Safety, and Health (ESH) Division initiated a Technology Development, Evaluation, and Application (TDEA) program. The purpose of this unique program is to test and develop technologies that solve LANL ES and H problems and improve the safety of LANL operations. This progress report presents the results of 10 projects funded in FY97 by the TDEA Committee of the Environment, Safety, and Health Division. Products generated from the projects funded in FY97 included implementation of radiation worker ...
Worker exposures to N-nitroso compounds were evaluated at B.F. Goodrich Company, Woodburn, Indiana on December 12, 1979. Personal and area air samples were collected and analyzed by gas-chromatography and thermal-energy-analysis methods. All of the samples contained N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) and five samples also contained N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). The amount of NMOR ranged from 0.85 to 3.7 micrograms per cubic meter (micrograms/cu m) for area air samples and 0.63 to 1.8 micrograms/cu m for personal samples. NDMA concentrations ranged from undetectable to 1.8 microgram/cu m for area samples and undetectable to 0.09 micrograms/cu m for personal samples. The authors note that no exposure standards exist for NDMA or NMOR but both are listed as potential human carcinogens. They suggest that the B.F. Goodrich Company characterize nitrosamine exposures at this facility.
The US Department of Enregy (DOE) Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area is developing technologies to address environmental problems associated with hazardous and radioactive contaminants in soil and groundwater that exist throughout the DOE complex, including radionuclides, heavy metals; and dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). More than 5,700 known DOE groundwater plumes have contaminated over 600 billion gallons of water and 200 million cubic meters of soil. Migration of these plumes threatens local and regional water sources, and in some cases has already adversely impacted off-site rsources. In addition, the Subsurface Contaminants Focus Area is responsible for supplying technologies for the remediation of numerous landfills at DOE facilities. These landfills are estimated to contain over 3 million cubic meters of radioactive and hazardous buried Technology developed within this specialty area will provide efective methods to contain contaminant plumes and new or alternative ...
This Environmental Assessment evaluates the proposed action to operate two laboratory-size muffle furnaces in glovebox HC-21C, located in the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP), Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. The muffle furnaces would be used to stabilize chemically reactive sludges that contain approximately 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of plutonium by heating to approximately 500 to 1000{degrees}C (900 to 1800{degrees}F). The resulting stable powder, mostly plutonium oxide with impurities, would be stored in the PFP vaults. The presence of chemically reactive plutonium-bearing sludges in the process gloveboxes poses a risk to workers from radiation exposure and limits the availability of storage space for future plant cleanup. Therefore, there is a need to stabilize the material into a form suitable for long-term storage. This proposed action would be an interim action, which would take place prior to completion of an Environmental Impact Statement for the PFP ...
Researches on oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibers and thermoplastic composites have been carried out by many workers in the last decade. The main focus was to enhance the properties of the resultant composites in view of the incompatibility of the two components. Thus, efforts have been made to enhance their properties by using coupling agents, treating the fibers and modifying the matrices. In this study, the effects of electron beam (EB) irradiation and some reactive additives (RAs) on the mechanical properties of EFB-PP (polypropylene) composites were evaluated. Different modes of irradiation were investigated. Mono, di and tri functional of monomers of RAs were used. irradiating PP alone, compared to irradiating the EFB fibers or irradiating both components, gave optimum properties for EFB-PP composites. Further, improvements of the properties of the composites were achieved with the addition of RAs with TMPTA (trymethylol propane triacrylate) giving the ...
With the practice of 10 years safe operation, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station has established and continuously improved the management system for radiation protection and optimization (ALARA) which contains 3 basic requirements: all workers are trained, all employees are engaged in totally, and work management is implemented for the whole process. At the same time, strong efforts have been made to build the 'infrastructure' as a platform for its effective operation. This article introduces the contents and characteristics of the system and basic experiences of its effective implementation. In order to implement the management system effectively, it is necessary for NPPs to strengthen the responsibility system for radiation protection and the leading role of the radiation protection personnel, especially the role of technical support and supervision during the work with high radiation risk, emphasize the organic combination and actively mutual action with the safe ...
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 prefilming period of 1 00 hours. The effect is discussed in terms of ...
A book has been written to introduce the physical aspects of the radiotherapy electron beam by presenting a summary of the developments in this field. The first chapter is a brief introduction to the technology of medical accelerators with emphasis on the electron beam production facilities. Chapter 2 describes the interaction processes at the atomic level once the electron beam enters the medium. Chapter 3 is concerned with the various properties of the electron beam purely from the clinical point of view. The electron beam algorithms and models for distribution calculations are covered in Chapter 4 with inclusion of age diffusion and multiple scattering approaches. The factors affecting the beam distribution in a patient, with inhomogeneities, surface irregularities, backscattering etc. are discussed in Chapter 5. The last two chapters are devoted to electron beam dosimetry including various dosimetric methods, specification and measurement of beam energy, radiation output and beam ...
The authors present arguments against nuclear energy and pro renewable energy sources. Thus, the water used in Uranium mining and primary ore processing becomes contaminated in long lived radioisotopes and so a threat for local ecosystems and communities. Then, during the fabrication, enrichment, and handling of nuclear fuel the workers are exposed to radiations and dangerous accidental radioactive leaks can occur. But, by far, the most menacing aspect of nuclear power exploitation remains the human errors in operating the nuclear plants which can result in major accidents like that from Chernobyl which spread radioactivity all over the Europe. The equipment used in nuclear facilities which is highly contaminated as well as the burned fuel implies transportation and long term storage which also present high risks. The major advantage of the nuclear energy consists in its very low environment impact and its null contribution to the greenhouse effect. In contrast, ...
Protected cultures are widespread along the Lebanese narrow coastline, encouraged by mild winter conditions. Although one of the most intensive production systems, water and nutrients managements are mostly empirical, based on the experience of the grower himself or of his workers. So far, water has been available in Lebanon, but it will become scarce within ten years. The conservation of water quality by a rational addition of nutrients is particularly relevant to protected cultures. This is important as greenhouses are developed on imported shallow soils that could be fragile and highly vulnerable to pollution. Sound management includes the amount and the forms of fertilizers as well as the modality of fertigation. An experiment was conducted during two spring seasons in a location along the northern coast in a typical unheated greenhouse. The cucumber response to two frequencies and modalities of fertigation was followed: continuous T2C and T3C and discontinuous ...
This paper builds on earlier work to give a consistent treatment of the positive column of discharges in electronegative gases covering the transition from collisionless to collisional. In particular it seeks to elucidate the conditions under which there is an ion-ion plasma core surrounded by an electron-ion plasma, and when there is not. The parameters which describe the processes of ionization, attachment, detachment and recombination are related to the central negative ion density relative to the electron density and, where appropriate, the size of the core. The use, by earlier workers, of the Boltzmann approximation to describe the negative ion distribution and to obtain ambipolar diffusion coefficients at higher pressures is shown not to be justified. This leads to the clarification of an inconsistency in the literature. Where possible, the work is related to other recent treatments of the same problem in order to begin to build a comprehensive picture of ...
The Mixed Waste Landfill occupies 2.6 acres in the north-central portion of Technical Area 3 at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The landfill accepted low-level radioactive and mixed waste from March 1959 to December 1988. This report represents the Corrective Measures Study that has been conducted for the Mixed Waste Landfill. The purpose of the study was to identify, develop, and evaluate corrective measures alternatives and recommend the corrective measure(s) to be taken at the site. Based upon detailed evaluation and risk assessment using guidance provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Mexico Environment Department, the U.S. Department of Energy and Sandia National Laboratories recommend that a vegetative soil cover be deployed as the preferred corrective measure for the Mixed Waste Landfill. The cover would be of sufficient thickness to store precipitation, minimize infiltration and deep percolation, support a healthy vegetative ...
There is increasing use of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in industry for communications, welding, security, radio, medicine, navigation etc. It has been recognised for some years that RFR may interact with cardiac pacemakers and steps have been taken to prevent this interference. It is less well recognised that other metallic implants may also act as antennas in an RFR field and possibly cause adverse health effects by heating local tissues. There are a large and increasing number of implants having metal components which may be found in RFR workers. These implants include artificial joints, rods and plates used in orthopaedics, rings in heart valves, wires in sutures, bionic ears, subcutaneous infusion systems and (external) transdermal drug delivery patches"1. The physician concerned with job placement of such persons requires information on the likelihood of an implant interacting with RFR so as to impair health. The following outlines the approach developed in ...
Experiments were carried out on mice and the subjects irradiated for cancer therapy to evaluate the protective efficacy of a Chinese medicinal herb-compound (CMHC). The lethality and the degree of leucopenia caused by radiation in mice medicated with CMHC were significantly less in comparison with control mice (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). CMHC significantly improved the WBC and the thrombocytes in irradiated workers (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). The WBC count of 40 patients under radiotherapy while treated with CMHC recovered from 3450 +/- 77/c.mm to 5425 +/- 264/c.mm (p less than 0.001); whereas, in the control group, without any medication, the WBC count dropped significantly (p less than 0.001). Our results revealed the applicabilities of CMHC in protection against radiation damage in spaceflight and in other fields.
Locomotive engineers (train drivers) on irregular work schedules reported a general coffee consumption rate higher than that reported by a comparison sample of permanent shift factory workers. The present study examines the impact of this consumption on workday and non-workday sleep behaviour and mood ratings. Twenty-seven engineers and their spouses each completed daily logs for 30 consecutive days. Daily logs were then sorted into workday and non-workday categories. Workday sleep length was significantly shorter than non-workday sleep length for both engineers and spouses. For the engineers only, coffee consumption on workdays was higher than on non-workdays. This increased coffee consumption was correlated with longer sleep latency, increased negative mood, and decreased positive mood on both work and non-workdays. This was not true for spouses. These results may be related to a days-off carry-over effect of caffeine or a general consumption behaviour ...
The inelastic energy losses for single collisions of Xe"+ ions with Xe targets have been measured for incident ion energies from 0.3 to 1.2 MeV and for scattering angles from 3"0 to 20"0. The energy losses were found to range from 1 to 11 keV with distinct steps at distances of closest approach of 0.22 and 0.12 A. By comparing these data with earlier ionization data by the same authors these steps are shown to be caused by M-shell excitation. Other excitations observed in the ionization data may be attributed to N-shell excitation. The distances of closest approach at which these excitations occur agree well with calculations by Eichler and Wille and co-workers, giving further evidence of the usefulness of Fano and Lichten's one-electron molecular model and these calculations.
Industrial facilities offer a wide variety of design challenges to engineers, including the mechanical engineers who design the HVAC, the process, exhaust, and other required mechanical systems; the mechanical contractors who install and maintain the systems (and who also may do design work); and the owners` engineers who are responsible for the day-to-day operation of their facilities. Along with the responsibility to see that all systems function as intended is the responsibility to ensure that all worker health concerns are addressed. These include heat stress avoidance and the proper control of harmful substances. The services of industrial hygienists may be required to ensure this. These may be independent consultants or the staff members of mechanical design firms. In addition, it is not unusual for major corporations that own manufacturing plants to have staff industrial hygienists. The accompanying sidebar presents a checklist of items to be considered when ...
An in-depth industrial hygiene survey was conducted to evaluate worker exposures to phosphine during fumigation of grain at the Early and Daniel Co. grain elevator in Louisville, Kentucky. Stored grain was fumigated using aluminum phosphide. Aluminum-phosphide pellets were also added directly to the grain by the blender as it was poured into the storage containers. Local exhaust ventilation was used at points in the grain-moving system where grain dust was generated. Air samples were taken during full-shift periods at the breathing zone of the weighmaster, two bin floormen, and the blender. Area monitoring samples were also taken. If the operators spend considerable time in the vicinity of a bin which is being filled with grain, there is a likelihood of far greater exposure levels being noted. According to the author, further studies of the use of phosphide products at other elevators should be conducted to determine the effect of environmental and process ...
The US Department of Energy (DOE) established the Office of Technology Development (EM-50) as an element of the Office of Environmental Management (EM) in November 1989. In an effort to focus resources and address priority needs, EM-50 introduced the concept of integrated programs (IPs) and integrated demonstrations (IDs). The In Situ Remediation Integrated Program (ISR IP) focuses research and development on the in-place treatment of contaminated environmental media, such as soil and groundwater, and the containment of contaminants to prevent the contaminants from spreading through the environment. Using in situ remediation technologies to clean up DOE sites minimizes adverse health effects on workers and the public by reducing contact exposure. The technologies also reduce cleanup costs by orders of magnitude. This report summarizes project work conducted in FY 1994 under the ISR IP in three major areas: treatment (bioremediation), treatment (physical/chemical), ...
Ionizing radiation dose levels due to home radon can rise to levels that would be illegal for workers in the nuclear industry. It is well known that radon levels within homes and from home to home, and also from month to month, vary considerably. To define an Isle of Man radon seasonal correction factor, readings were taken in eight homes over a 12 month period. An average island indoor exposure of 48 Bq m{sup -3} (range 4-518 Bq m{sup -3}) was determined from 285 homes selected from a cohort of 1300 families participating in the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) in the Isle of Man. This compares with a UK home average of 20 Bq m{sup -3} and a European Union average (excluding UK) of 68 Bq m{sup -3}. Ten homes of those measured were found to have radon levels above the National Radiological Protection Board 200 Bq m{sup -3} action level. There are 29 377 homes on the Isle of Man, suggesting that there could be some 900 or more homes ...
The alpha emitter plutonium-238 ("2"3"8Pu), which is produced in uranium-fueled, light-water reactors, is used as a thermoelectric power source for space applications. Inhalation of a mixed oxide form of Pu is the most likely mode of exposure of workers and the general public. Occupational exposures to "2"3"8PuO_2 have occurred in association with the fabrication of radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Organs and tissue at risk for deterministic and stochastic effects of "2"3"8Pu-alpha irradiation include the lung, liver, skeleton, and lymphatic tissue. Little has been reported about the effects of inhaled "2"3"8PuO_2 on peripheral blood cell counts in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate hematological responses after a single inhalation exposure of Beagle dogs to alpha-emitting "2"3"8PuO_2 particles and to extrapolate results to humans.
"What happens to conventional metals near the ocean?" you might ask the workers who are repairing the water tower at Jones Beach. They will tell you that both the tower's steel framework and copper roof show extensive corrosion from the salty air. To power future generations of cars, homes, utility plants, and even particle accelerators, unprecedented levels of efficiency will be needed. Such efficiency will require new unconventional alloys and composite materials that can also withstand high temperatures, intense radiation fluxes, high stresses, and other extreme conditions in highly corrosive environments that accelerate the aging and weakening of materials, as salty air weakens steel and copper. During the lecture, Simos will discuss the demands of next-generation energy systems and focus on the extreme conditions that materials used in these systems will perform under. He will also explain Brookhaven Lab's role in past, ongoing, and future ...
Nuclear Fuel Plant (FCN) is a facility that produces fuel bundles of CANDU-6 type for the CANDU nuclear power plant. Only natural and depleted uranium in bulk and itemized form are present as nuclear materials in this facility. Uranium and wastes from the plant are handled, processed, treated and stored throughout the entire facility. The nuclear materials with natural and depleted uranium are entirely under nuclear safeguards. The amount of uranium present in the plant in different forms and activities together with zircaloy, beryllium and other hazardous substances, wastes, explosive materials at high temperatures, etc. lead to special measures undertaken by Nuclear Safety Department (DNS) to ensure nuclear safety. Different aspects of safety are continuously monitored in the plant: operational safety, industrial safety, radiological safety, labour safety, informational safety. The emergency preparedness and response, physical protection and the security of the plant and of the ...
The risk of lung cancer associated with diesel exhaust has been calculated from 14 case-control or cohort studies. We evaluated the findings from these studies to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to implicate diesel exhaust as a human lung carcinogen. Four studies found increased risks associated with long-term exposure, although two of the four studies were based on the same cohort of railroad workers. Six studies were inconclusive due to missing information on smoking habits, internal inconsistencies, or inadequate characterization of diesel exposure. Four studies found no statistically significant association. It can be concluded that short-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust (20 years) increases the risk of lung cancer for locomotive engineers, brakemen, and diesel engine mechanics. There is inconsistent evidence on the effects of long-term exposure to diesel exhaust in the trucking industry. There is no evidence for a joint effect of diesel ...
In searching modulators of immunity and hematopoiesis among natural products, being used as foods, six herbs exhibited lymphocyte proliferation in vitro, and six exhibited augmentation of hematopoietic cell growth. The combined treatments showed synergistic effects of lymphocyte proliferation and of hematopoietic cell growth. On the other hand, we found four effective oriental medicinal prescriptions, used as energy tonic or blood-building decoctions, for survival and regeneration of hematopoietic cells and for protection of stem cells of intestinal crypt in irradiated mice. On the basis of these results, extracts from combinations of herbs were made in expectation of higher effects in the three respects. In immuno modulation activity by the two combinations of herbs was confirmed in mice. In culture of bone narrow cells, growth improvement of non-adherent precursor and induction of cytokine expression by herb mixture extracts were observed. In evaluation of fractions, polysaccharide ...
Designed to provide international coverage of current research in library and information science, this quarterly journal indexes investigations, studies, surveys, and evaluated innovations. Doctoral, post-doctoral, and research staff-level work, and in-house or action research from practicing librarians, information workers, archivists, and documentalists are included in the main section, "Current Research, Development, and Investigation." Each standard entry provides information on personnel, expected duration of the work, funding, references, contacts, aims, and a full history of the project. Entries in the main section are arranged according to the Classification Research Group's "A Classification of Library and Information Science" (1971), and each project is assigned a serial number. Cross-references to main section entries are provided in the Alphabetical Subject Index and the Name Index. Sub-doctoral theses and dissertations are listed separately and are ...
In general, over the course of the time, the phenomenon of acceleration in physical development may be observed, i.e. the children and adults of the next generation are taller and heavier than in former generation. Our data presented in this paper show a regular trend of acceleration in the development on Vietnamese, but the trend is still slow and was mostly probably influenced by our difficulties in a long time of war. It is hoped that, the acceleration in the development may be increased in the future following the economical acceleration of our country, however it is known that the ratio between the length of different parts of human body is a specific characteristic for human race, sex and group age. Therefore we may estimate these ratio for the prolongation of the utilization of our measured physical data. The result of studies on water balance of Vietnamese living in comfortable environment air temperature conditions and working in hot environment with different levels of energy ...
Maintenance energy expenditures were mesured for five rumen bacteria, Selenomonas ruminantium, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Bacteroides ruminicola, Megasphaera elsdenii, and Streptococcus bovis, by using a complex medium with glucose as the carbon source. Large differences (as high as 8.5-fold) in maintenance energy expenditures were seen among these bacteria. The suggestion is made that maintenance requirements could be a significant determinant of bacterial competition in the rumen. Theoretical maximum growth yields, calculated from double reciprocal plots of yield versus dilution rate, were compared to theoretical Y(ATP) values in order to estimate minimum molar adenosine 5'-triphosphate yields from glucose for each bacterium. Results showed that relative yield among the bacteria was growth rate dependent. At high dilution rates, both S. ruminantium and S. bovis produced lactate as their principal fermentation product. At lower dilution rates very little lactate was formed and growth ...
There is a plethora of new silver-containing dressings on the market today. Various manufacturers attempt to show that their dressings are the most efficacious and therefore should be preferentially employed by health care workers based on the results of their in vitro tests. However, there have been no studies that clearly identify which tests are appropriate for comparison purposes. The purpose of this study was to determine which in vitro test is most appropriate for evaluating the antimicrobial efficacy of silver-containing dressings. This was done by testing seven silver-containing dressings and two non-silver-containing topical agents against 17 clinically relevant microorganisms using zone of inhibition assays and time-kill kinetic assays in complex media. The results for the two assays were then correlated to determine whether the methods generated similar results. It was determined that the two methods do not correlate at all. This is most likely a result ...
The Savannah River Site (SRS) is currently developing a new facility, the Actinide Packaging and Storage Facility (APSF), to process and store legacy materials from the United States nuclear stockpile. A variety of materials, with a variety of properties, packaging and handling/storage requirements, will be processed and stored at the facility. Since these materials are hazardous and radioactive, automation will be used to minimize worker exposure. Other benefits derived from automation of the facility include increased throughput capacity and enhanced security. The diversity of materials and packaging geometries to be handled poses challenges to the automation of facility processes. In addition, the nature of the materials to be processed underscores the need for safety, reliability and serviceability. The application of automation in this facility must, therefore, be accomplished in a rational and disciplined manner to satisfy the strict operational requirements ...
The HIPAA privacy rule (HIPAA) has had both positive and negative effects on the release of patient information by healthcare facilities. Although the intention of HIPAA was to protect patient privacy and to promote security and confidentiality of patient information, it has had unintended consequences for facilities. To identify some of these unintended effects, two expert panels of health information management directors from healthcare facilities participated in the nominal group technique meetings. They identified 70 barriers related to release of patient information associated with the implementation of HIPAA. The perceived biggest barriers were increases in the public's misunderstanding about release of patient information, lack of an umbrella policy or regulation defining infractions and enforcement that allows individual institutions to make their own interpretations, and challenges to health information management professionals in controlling safeguards related to release of ...