Comparative Molecular Genetic Monitoring of Myxoviruses Circulating in Populations of Seals Phoca Caspia and Phoca Sibirica in Northern Caspian Region and Lake Baikal
This report contains the results of a survey of reactor coolant pump shaft seal reliability. The survey sample is representatively large (approx. = 27% of total US commercial plant population) and includes the three industry seal suppliers (Bingham-Williamette, Byron Jackson, and Westinghouse). Operationally incurred/induced problems and seal redesign parameters are identified. Failure hypotheses in the form of fault trees have been developed to describe the failure mechanisms. Recommendations are made for seal reliability improvement.
The widespread use of building materials with relatively high radium concentrations may increase population exposure. A method is presented for measuring effective diffusion coefficients and exhalation rates of radon from such materials. Equations for use in the experimental determination of these values are obtained theoretically. The experimental set-up consists of a container which is hermetically sealed to a slab of the building material. Nitrogen is blown through the container and then through an ionization chamber which is connected to an electrometer and X-Y plotter, and the radon concentration is measured continuously. Exhalation rates of radon from some major building materials measured by this method will be used as reference levels. The method can also be used to determine other properties such as porosity. (author).
Based on the replies to a questionnaire distributed throughout Japan in 1983, genetically significant dose (GSD), per Caput mean bone marrow dose (CMD), leukemogenically significant dose (LSD), malignantly significant dose (MSD), and per Caput effective dose equivalent (EDE) from using small sealed radiation sources for radiotherapy were estimated. Annual frequencies of brachytherapy were estimated to be 2.6 x 10"3 for men and 36.3 x 10"3 for women, with a total of 38.9 x 10"3. The annual frequencies of using afterloading technique were 0.3 x 10"3 for men and 18.8 x 10"3 for women, with a total of 19.1 x 10"3. The annual population doses per person were 7.9 nGy for GSD, 118 #mu#Gy for CMD, 19.3 #mu#Gy for LSD, 172 #mu#Gy for MSD, and 428 #mu#Gy for EDE. The annual collective effective dose equivalent was estimated to be 5.13 x 10"4 man Sv. (Namekawa, K.).
CLIMATE CHANGE Copenhagen: seal the deal ...2 OUR PLANET SEAL THE DEAL UNEP promotes environmentally sound practices globally and in its own activities. ...PaGE 30OUR PLANET SEAL THE DEAL 3
Metallic O-ring or Helicoflex seals can prevent relaxation and provide greater resilience than composite seals, helping to keep joints leaktight. Their characteristics and applications in the nuclear industry are outlined. (Author).
From the indoor radon problem arises a great challenge for the radiation protection of the population. The soil can be considered as the only source for high radon concentrations in buildings. The contribution of common building materials to high indoor concentrations with a range of 30 Bq/m"3 is negligible low. Therefore building materials for radon mitigation should be judged by their tightness against diffusive radon and not by their radon exhalation rate. Also isolation materials for mitigation should be radon tight. The radon diffusion coefficient describes the physical processes in relatively homogeneous samples. The diffusion coefficient D and the diffusion length R are very exactly determined by a self engineered measuring method. The range of D reaches from D = (0.0005 to 2.35) . 10"-"6 m"2/s for building materials and from D = (0.07 to < 10"-"6) . 10"-"6 m"2/s for isolation materials. Applicable mitigation measures like increased ventilation rates, ...
Purpose: To enable the use of a vacuum container under a relatively high temperature or a high level radioactive dose. Constitution: Vacuum sealing materials for use in a vacuum container are made of resins such as polyimide and polyamide. The sealing materials are joined to the both surfaces of a plate-like insulator by means of adhesives or sealants, or the sealing materials are joined between two plate-like insulators by means of adhesives or sealants. They are situated within grooves of both of flanges, which are clamped tightly by insulation bolt and nut. Since the vacuum sealing materials are joined to the insulator by means of the adhesives or sealants, the reliability of the vacuum sealing can be improved without impairing the electrical insulation. The resin of the vacuum sealing material can be used for the radiation dose up to 10"8 rad, temperature up ...
In many drug dispensing devices, such as syringes and inhalers, an elatomeric gasket is used to prevent the formulation from leaking from the chamber. During device actuation, the seal is subjected to friction, which in turn causes its deformation and can cause unintentional leakage, thus dose variability. Additionally, friction of seal is responsible for a host of potential problems such undue effort required for actuation and potential wear. The mechanism of friction generation in the seal conjunction is complex, arising from adhesion of rubber in contact with the moving interface, viscous action of a thin film of fluid and deformation of seal asperities. Therefore, the first step in understanding the conjunctional behaviour of rubber seals is a fundamental study of mechanisms of frictio...
Studies of asphalt emulsion sealants conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory have demonstrated that the sealants are effective in containing radon and other potentially hazardous material within uranium tailings. The laboratory and field studies have further demonstrated that radon exhalation from uranium tailings piles can be reduced by greater than 99% to near background levels. Field tests at the tailings pile in Grand Junction, Colorado, confirmed that an 8-cm admix seal containing 22 wt% asphalt could be effectively applied with a cold-mix paver. Other techniques were successfully tested, including a soil stabilizer and a hot, rubberized asphalt seal that was applied with a distributor truck. After the seals were applied and compacted, overburden was applied over the seal to protect the seal from ultraviolet degradation.
Studies of asphalt emulsion sealants have demonstrated that the sealants are effective in containing radon and other potentially hazardous material within uranium tailings. The laboratory and field studies have further demonstrated that radon exhalation from uranium tailings piles can be reduced by greater than 99% to less than background levels. Field tests at the tailings pile in Grand Junction, Colorado confirmed that an 8-cm admix seal containing 22 wt % asphalt could be effectively applied with a cold-mix paver. Other techniques were successfully tested, including a soil stabilizer and a hot, rubberized asphalt seal that was applied with a distributor truck. After the seals were applied and conpacted, overburden was applied over the seal to protect the seal from ultraviolet degradation. 14 figures.
The nuclear power industry has many applications where electrical equipment is required to operate in environments which contain high relative humidity, steam and water or chemical sprays. Equipment is susceptible to these environments by moisture entering through inherent design provisions such as O-rings and through the electrical interface. The objective of this research is to review electrical interface sealing techniques and to recommend methods for providing effective electrical interface sealing. The most common methods of sealing are the use of electrical fittings containing sealants, add-on assemblies and hardware changeout. The experience gained in several years of testing electrical interface seals on such devices as limit switches, solenoid valves and transmitters is presented to provide information on seal effectiveness and preferred application. The effectiveness of ...
A HydroSele S seal from James Walker has provided more than two years maintenance-free service at the large Entracque pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme in Italy.
One of the most loaded parts of a steam generator of VVER 440 MW type are the bolts and thread holes of the primary collector cover sealing set. The strength calculations and tensometric measurings performed during operation proved the high degree of a load on the bolts. The conditions of the stress limitation are not met in some cases according to the pertinent standards. The untightnesses at nickel rings occurred during putting the units of Jaslovske Bohunice and Dukovany nuclear power stations into operation. With regard to improve the reliability, the producer has taken measures to improve the quality of the rings and users have introduced more strict regulations for bolts tightening. Due to these measures the high reliability of the set has been obtained from point of view of the tightness, but substantial reduction of bolts and holes threads loading have not been obtained. Several years operation experience proved relatively low service of bolts, damage of ...
Mass mortalities among seals and dolphins inhabiting contaminated marine regions have led to speculation about a possible involvement of immunosuppression associated with environmental pollution. To...Full Text Available
end of the barrel. The petal valve and ring seal are inserted behind it, and the gun barrel assembly and HP section are clamped together with hydraulic collars. ...
The objective of this research is to gain a better understanding of the corrosion of the aluminized type 316 stainless steel employed in the seal areas of the molten carbonate fuel cell. The seals are formed between the aluminized Type 316 SS surface and the electrolyte (generally a mixture of molten alkali carbonates and lithium aluminate).
sinensis), the otter (Lutra lutra) and the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) can be mentioned as ...conflict relates to damage caused by the grey seal to coastal fisheries, whereas in Germany damages ...For example species like the grey seal involved in the conflicts may benefit from the by-catch regulation.
The structure of a demountable vacuum joint designed for operation from -120 to +120 deg C is developed and tested. Requirements of especially low gas release from the materials used have been fulfilled; the same concerns low sealing efforts, repeated action and keeping tightness under loads, indium being used as a sealant. Experimental studies of demountable vacuum joints, dia 100,125,140,160,180 and 200 mm, with an indium sealant permit to make the following conclusions: 1. The joints are sealed at sealing specific efforts of 0.4 kg/mm (without considering atmospheric pressure). 2. The joints retain tightness at opening and closing a cover five times and under +-120 deg C. 3. To ensure repeated operation of the joint with continued stable sealing effort, one should make sure the sealed surfaces coincide at repeated sealing. 4. When operating demountable vaccum ...
This paper defines a rigorous seal test program conducted to develop a functional and proven high-pressure, multi-product swivel suitable for use as a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit for the transfer of liquids and gases at high pressures and high temperatures through a rotating system. The test program was accomplished with specially designed test equipment with computer monitoring of temperature, torque, fluid pressures, seal lip temperatures, number of cycles, and leakage. The three primary phases are: (A) Seal Laterial screening with a computer-automated Falex testing machine, plus physical testing of chemically exposed samples. (B) One-third scale testing of several seal system configurations using a hydraulic driven, computer controlled test machine. (C) Full scale testing of prototype swivel. This paper documents the procedures for selection and testing of both the ...
Excessive erosion of the labyrinth seal of a 100 MW geothermal turbine has been investigated. This study used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and aims to identify one cause of erosion and a possible solution for substantially reducing it. The predictions were based upon a numerical calculation using a CFD model of the labyrinth seal with a water/steam flow containing hard solid particles and solved with a commercial CFD code: Fluent V5.0. The results confirmed the existence of flow conditions that play a major role in the rotor labyrinth seal erosion. Afterwards, the flow path was simulated with changes of rotor labyrinth seal geometry, which are indeed feasible of being implemented. The results confirmed that it is possible to reduce the erosion process by approximately 80% by incorporating a steam flow deflector in the fourth stage diaphragm, which changes the steam flow direction in the inlet zone ...
The integrity of helium circulation loop flanged joints has been attracting recent attention as a design problem, in the development of high-temperature facilities incorporating helium loops (e.g., the VRG-50 pilot nuclear facility). Elevated temperatures and pressures, and the radiation environment, impose additional requirements on sealant materials. This applies first and foremost to rubber seals, which have found widespread favor on account of its excellent elasticity, its ability to spontaneously conform to possible changes in the clearance in the seal assembly, and the low compressive stresses developed in the flange joint assembly.
This invention concerns a hydraulic braking system for loads subjected to impacts and vibrations. These double acting telescopic type hydraulic braking systems possess significant drawbacks linked to possibly important hydraulic leaks due to (a) the use of many dynamic seals in such appliances and (b) the effects of the environment of the system on these seals, particularly when employed in nuclear power stations where the seals reach significant temperatures and are subjected to radiation. Under this invention a remedy is suggested to such drawbacks by integrating means to offset automatically the leaks and the accumulation of hydraulic fluid expansions, as well as facilities to show if such leaks have occurred.
Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are presently not allowed on NASA missions because they outgas water and organic vapors, as well as H2. As a consequence, much larger and heavier packages of tantalum capacitors are used. A hermetically sealed aluminum capacitor has been developed under NASA-MSFC SBIR contracts. This capacitor contains a nongassing electrolyte that was developed for this application so internal pressure would remain low. Capacitors rated at 250 to 540 V have been operated under full load for thousands of hours at 85 and 105 C with good electrical performance and low internal pressure. Electrolyte chemistry and seal engineering concepts will be discussed.
The fabrication of the ZT-40 torus, a large complex all-ceramic toroidal plasma containment vessel, is described. Several glass sealants covering the temperature range of 500 to 1300"0C, were developed and used to ''braze'' segments of the torus together, sapphire windows to the torus and the required pump-out and diagnostic parts to the ceramic vacuum vessel. Designs of window seals were developed that allowed sealing of the sapphire windows in a vertical position with minimum sealing glass flow.
In this paper, we describes the research in condenser cone of SF{sub 6} gas sealing end for 345 kV oil-filled cable. The designed of condenser cone based on the results electric field analysis by electrostatics theory and FEM. As a results, we have been designed the condenser cone and the inner insulation part of SF{sub 6} sealing end, the width and length, the number of condenser, the length of stress relief slope, the total length of condenser cone. (author). 4 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.
W. Wayne Scott, Chattanooga State Technical Institute, 4501 Amnico Highway,. Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. Robert L. Seale, University of Arizona, Tucson, ...
W. Wayne Scott, Chattanooga State Technical Institute, 4501 Amnico Highway,. Chattanooga, Tennessee 3401. Robert L. Seale, University of Arizona, Tuscon, ...
Nomographs are presented that estimate the evaporation loss from external floating-roof tanks using tank diameter, type of seal, product vapor pressure, and wind velocity.
Experiments have been performed with the PMK integral-type facility, a model of WWER-440 type PWRs, to investigate two-phase natural circulation behaviour. The phenomena to be expected in this reactor type are different from those in PWRs with vertical steam generators mainly due to the loop seal in the hot leg and the horizontal layout of the steam generator heat transfer tubes. The experiments showed that the system is repressurized when the water level drops to the hot leg elevation due to the effect of the loop seal. Opening of the loop seal can be smooth, but may lead to oscillations depending on the power and the mass inventory. Natural circulation recovers after the hot leg loop seal is opened, but then decreases with further mass inventory decrease. (orig.).
Dampfturbinen bei hohen Dampfparametern [Study of shaft seals for steam turbines under high steam parameters],. Maschinenbautechnik L5, 27-31 (1966)0 ...
To reconstruct the profiles of heavy metal levels in the South Ocean ecosystem of Antarctica, the concentrations of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) in seal hairs and lake sediments spanning the past 1500?years from Fildes Peninsula of King George Island and in weathering lake sediments from Nelson Island of West Antarctica were determined. The lead contents in the seal hairs and the weathering sediments show a sharp increase since the late 1800s, very likely due to anthropogenic contamination from modern industries. After the 1980s, the Pb content in seal hairs dropped by one-third, apparently due to the reduced usage of leaded gasoline in the Southern Hemisphere. Copper arises mainly from the weathering process, and its level may be substantially affected...
Sep 19, 2005 ... within a sealed tube to control the environment to which a sample mounts are better suited to handling the very small crystal is exposed. ...
The behaviour of an elastomeric seal for vehicle brake Tandem master cylinder is measured and analyzed in temperature and brake fluids changed. Working conditions are simulated for different piston rod velocity and cylinder supply pressure, in temperature rising, brakefluid boundary and Nanoaluminum oxide brakefluid oxide brakefluid lubrication. The result shows that Nanoaluminum oxide brakefluid with its ball shape can highly reduce friction coefficient to avoid seal excessive wear and reduce slick slip in brake applications.
The invention deals with a pumping plant for oil filled power cables. An air driven piston type pump is used as primary pump. A PLS (Programmable Logic control System) is used to control the oil flow to the cable(s). Improvements of the pump includes means for ensuring that the pump piston is operated also at low pressure and flow, and means for sealing off the piston rod to ensure maximum life of seals, to facilitate detection of possible leakages and to avoid contamination of the cable oil. 3 figs.
The development and experimental demonstration of a high-temperature seal for the SHARE ceramic dome cavity receiver is reported. The mechanical contact seal which was tested on one-foot-diameter silicon-carbide ceramic-dome hardware at pressure differentials to four atmospheres and dome temperatures to 2200/sup 0/F (1200/sup 0/C) showed negligible leakage at expected receiver operating conditions. Potential solar receiver applications for the technology are illustrated.
Clastic sediments of Albian age provide hydrocarbon source rocks, reservoirs and seals. Major reservoirs occur in sandstones to the north, and have a limited reservoir potential in offshore Qatar. Distal shales are a major seal in offshore Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Local source-rock potential exists in the northern part of the Arabian Gulf and in the extreme SE of Saudi Arabia (in the Rub Al Khali Basin). (author)
The purpose of the invention is to simplify assembly and to reduce labor intensity. This is achieved by the fact that the assembly shaft is positioned in a hawser, while its wall which is turned towards the body of the installation is combined with the hawser wall, where a U shaped opening is made in the wall of the assembly shaft, along the edges of which there is a hermetically sealing device, while the bottom of the body of the offshore drilling rig is equipped with a rigid insert attached with the capability of adjoining it with the hermetically sealing device.
Sealants for radon-resistant foundation construction must seal the gap between concrete sections. Modern sealants have such low permeability that seal performance depends only on the permeability of the material that contacts the sealant. The surface permeability of concrete walls and floors was measured by a specially designed permeameter, which measures the airflow induced by a pressure difference across a temporary test seal applied to the surface. The permeability of bulk concrete is about 10"-"1"5 m"2. Areas free of surface defects had surface permeability ranging from 10"-"1"4 to 10"-"1"6 m"2. However, surface defects are common on concrete wall surfaces, which increase the permeability to >10"-"1"2 m"2, too high for standard seal designs to be adequate as the only method of soil gas and radon exclusion. Radon-resistant seals require either extended contact widths or ...
The objective of this animation is to develop a QTL mapping population for locating and characterizing the genes responsible for resistance to tan spot disease of wheat.
The influence of electron-beam irradiation on mechanical properties of commercial multilayer flexible packaging materials based on coextruded and laminated polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), irradiated with doses up to 120 kGy, was studied. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the irradiated PET/PP film increase, while the penetration and sealing resistance decreased. In addition, the irradiated PET/LDPE/EVOH/LDPE film presented increase in the tensile strength on some radiation doses and decrease of the penetration and sealing resistance, except for sealing resistance at radiation dose of 15 kGy that resulted in a slight increase of ca 4%.
Glass ceramics are commonly used as sealing materials for planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The major requirements of stack and module builders for these materials are the stability of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), excellent bonding (sticking) behaviour and the absence of volatile ingredients, which can lead to changes of the material properties and the sealing ability. SCHOTT Electronic Packaging has developed special glasses and glass-ceramics for various solid oxide fuel cell designs and operating temperatures. The glass compositions are based on the system MgO-Al2O3-BaO-SiO2-B2O3. In this study the evaluation of the developed materials was done by high temperature aging tests for up to 1000h, high temperature XRD-studies and Rietveld calculations, combined with scann...
In the course of designing a catalytic porous membrane reactor for experimental studies, both inside and outside of the non-reaction zones as well as the two ends of the membrane need to be completely sealed to ensure that there is no flow across the membrane in the non-reaction zone. Experiments show that up to 50% of the total flow across the membrane may be contributed by the axial flow along the wall of the non-reaction zones if only one side of the membrane is sealed. Another problem that cannot be solved by sealing is the capillary flow of the catalyst along the tube wall into the non-reaction zones when the catalyst is doped on the membrane. One of the best ways to avoid this axial flow of catalyst would be to use non-porous tubes in the non-reaction zones and join them with the porous membrane tube. In doing so, the cost of the membrane reactor could be reduced simply because shorter membrane tube is needed.
When operating a nuclear power plant the necessity arise to eliminate various defects of building constructions, to seal joints and transitional elements. The authors present data concerning the production of a sealing composition made of epoxy resin and used for NPP premises of emergency location. Analytical relations are presented between the properties of the composition (adhesion strength, water absorption and others) and its structure. Physical, mechanical and thermal properties and structural peculiarities are determined in the process of interaction between the filling and binding agents. The composition sustains sealing properties under environmental conditions at he presence of an air - vapour mixture with 160 degrees C"o temperature and 0.3 MPa surplus pressure. (author).
The surface permeability of concrete walls and floors in houses was measured with a specially designed permeameter, based on measuring the air-flow induced by a pressure difference across a temporary test seal applied to a surface. The permeability of bulk concrete is 10"-"1"6 m"2. Areas free of surface defects had permeability ranging from 10"-"1"4 to 10-"1"6 m"2. However, surface defects are common on concrete wall surfaces, which increase the permeability to >10"-"1"2 m"2. This is too high for standard seal designs to be adequate as the only method of soil gas and radon exclusion. Satisfactory seals require either extended contact width or mechanical removal of the surface layer. (orig.). (2 figs., 1 tab.).
Surveillance of a population, such as a weapon stockpile, is needed to discover manufacturing defects as well as deterioration as the population ages. This article considers the risks of sampling rates for surveillance from three perspectives: detection probability of defects in a proportion of a population with pass/fail data, detection of a trend in a defective proportion of the population with pass/fail data, and detection of a trend with quantitative degradation measurements. Understanding of these risks will help the decision maker choose a sampling rate to protect against such problems of a specified size at a tolerable risk.
... a woman with a history of PID, perhaps endometriosis -- or some limited vaginal access because of the ... I'm doing an oophorectomy or, you know, endometriosis case where we need to use bipolar sealing ...
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are developing high-performance explosive firing vessels to contain (one time) explosive detonations that contain toxic metals and hazardous gases. The filament-wound polymer composite vessels are designed to contain up to 80 lb (TNT equivalent) explosive in a 2-meter sphere without leakage. So far, two half-scale (1-meter diameter) vessels have been tested; one up to 150% of the design explosive limit. Peak dynamic pressures in excess of 280 MPa (40 Ksi) in the vessel were calculated and measured. Results indicated that there was a small amount of gas and particle leakage past the first two of the seven o-ring seals. However, the remaining five seals prevented any transient leakage of the toxic gases and particulates out of the vessel. These results were later confirmed by visual inspection and particulate analysis of swipes taken from the sealing surfaces.
Processes and apparatus are disclosed for generation of radioisotope contaminant fission fragment free ozone from oxygen containing streams by chemonuclear irradiation accomplished by passing the stream past high energy radiation sources placed in sealed chambers.
The broad objective of the engineered barriers studies was to demonstrate and qualify the use of different materials and techniques for sealing water flow paths in the Stripa granite, the mine excavations and the excavation disturbed zones. As may be anticipated from the application of the observational method that forms the basis for design of geotechnical structures, the programme evolved with the finding being made at Stripa and other underground laboratories. During phase 1, the engineered barriers investigations focussed on the heat affected zone of the repository. Specifically, the response of clay buffers and the interactions between waste containers, clay buffer materials and the rock were studied. The phase 2 investigations examined the feasibility of sealing boreholes shafts and tunnels with clay sealants. The phase 3, studies of the ability to grout and seal fractured granite including the excavation disturbed ...
W. Wayne Scott, Chattanooga State Technical Institute, 4501 Amnico Highway,. Chattanooga, Tennessee 3'7401. Robert L. Seale, University of Arizona, Tuscon, ...
A fireplace door assembly having doors pivotally mounted on a frame to be mounted on the opening of a fireplace. The doors are mounted on hinges that provide adjustment along a vertical axis of rotation and the front of the frame. An adjustable fire resistant gasket is used for an air seal. A gravity operated latch is provided to maintain the door in a closed position.
Alton Ochsner was a giant of American surgery. His career encompassed patient care, teaching, and research as symbolized on the original seal of the Ochsner Clinic. His ideas were innovative and groundbreaking...Full Text Available
To reconstruct the profiles of heavy metal levels in the South Ocean ecosystem of Antarctica, the concentrations of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) in seal hairs and lake sediments spanning the past 1500 years from Fildes Peninsula of King George Island and in weathering lake sediments from Nelson Island of West Antarctica were determined. The lead contents in the seal hairs and the weathering sediments show a sharp increase since the late 1800s, very likely due to anthropogenic contamination from modern industries. After the 1980s, the Pb content in seal hairs dropped by one-third, apparently due to the reduced usage of leaded gasoline in the Southern Hemisphere. Copper arises mainly from the weathering process, and its level may be substantially affected by climatic conditions. The concentrations of Cd, As, and Zn do not show any clear temporal trends.
One of the concerns with locating radioactive waste storage sites in salt deposits is how to permanently seal the underground storage areas once they have reached their storage capacity. The compaction of salt using explosives has been identified as a potential method of producing permanent seals in both entryways and shafts to storage areas. This paper describes the test procedure and results of a preliminary investigation to determine the feasibility of utilizing explosives in the compaction of salt. Three simple tests were carried out to measure the degree to which loose salt could be compacted.
This paper discusses the evolution of the horizontal subsea tree and its utilization in increasingly demanding applications. Initially, the Horizontal Tree was seen as a solution for wells requiring high well maintenance, such as those using electrical downhole pumps. Today, the horizontal tree is being applied to natural drive wells because of attractive whole life economics. This raises concern in a number of areas. Tubing hanger seals are permanently exposed to well fluids, and must provide high integrity sealing. This required the development of a new type of radially energized, all metal sealing system, specifically for horizontal tree applications, suitable for oil or gas service at working pressures to 15,000 psi. In addition, horizontal tree pressure integrity depends on the master valve stem, gate and bonnet seals. The need for high seal integrity also dictates that the ...
Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between densely spaced, polymorphic genetic markers in humans and other species contains information about historical population size. Inferring past population size is of...Full Text Available
Feasibility of using sterile females for population suppression of Earias vittella (Fabricius) was evaluated by conducting studies on mating competitiveness of radiation sterilized females, both in individual pairs and in simulated large population conditions. Results showed that sterility induced by using a 10:1:1 ratio (sterile female: normal female: normal male) in single pair experiments and also in simulated large population conditions was more than 99.0 per cent. Release of radiation- sterilized females of E. vittella in natural populations has thus an excellent potential for population suppression. (author)
Removal Sampling is an easy-to-use Windows program which calculates population statistics from removal trapping experiment data. Using maximum likelihood methods it ... ...
PurposeTo describe the prevalence of cataract in older people in 2 areas of north and south India.DesignPopulation-based, cross-sectional study.ParticipantsRandomly...Full Text Available
Coral are symbiotic with photosynthetic dinoflagellates from the genus Symbiodinium. There are eight divergent clades (A-H) within the genus which each ... ...
Fungal and oomycete populations and their dynamics were investigated following the introduction of the biocontrol agent Pythium oligandrum into the rhizosphere of tomato plants grown...Full Text Available
Acquisition of detailed knowledge of the structure and evolution of Trypanosoma cruzi populations is essential for control of Chagas disease....Full Text Available
Parasites display considerable phenotypic plasticity in life-history traits such as, body size. Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite of the western honey bee Apis mellifera. Several studies have reported that in V. destructor, there is a wide phenotypic plasticity within a population of mites. However, it is unknown if there are morphologic variations in V. destructor populations affecting different A. mellifera populations. A morphometric study of V. destructor populations was conducted to provide information concerned to the relationships among parasite populations found in different geographic locations from A. mellifera colonies of Argentina. The hypothesis tested was different morphotypes of V. destructor populations parasitizing different A. mellifera populations from Argentina...
The authors investigated the harmful effect of compound grease on premium connections. The pressure buildup of compound grease trapped between threads was measured during and after makeup of the connection. The resulting hoop stress in the coupling and the reduction in the seal interference were also measured. Mathematical models were developed to calculate coupling stress and grease pressure. Results indicate that for the conventional API buttress-thread profile, the pressure of trapped compound grease remains permanently high after the connection is made up because of the small thread-clearance area. This high pressure results in a high coupling stress and a large reduction in seal interference diameter, thereby degrading the integrity of the connection. To solve this problem, the thread profile was redesigned with a thread-clearance area larger than that of conventional buttress thread. The connection with the new thread design showed a ...
A method is described for testing a diverter system on an offshore drilling rig of a type having a marine riser assembly extending to a subsea well, the diverter system having a packer element and at least one port located below the packer element for the passage of drilling fluid flowing upward from the marine riser assembly during drilling. The method consists of connecting a tubular member to the upper end of a packer having an elastomeric expansive seal element; placing the packer in an upper portion of the marine riser assembly below the diverter system and expanding the seal element against the interior of the upper portion; closing the packer element of the diverter system around the tubular member; and finally applying fluid pressure in the space between the packer element of the diverter system and the seal element of the packer to determine if any leakage in the diverter system exists. The patent also describes an ...
Nomographs have been constructed to estimate the average evaporation loss from internal floating-roof tanks. Loss determined from the charts can be used to evaluate the economics of seal conversion and to reconcile refinery, petrochemical plant, and storage terminal losses. The losses represent average standing losses only. They do not cover losses associated with the movement of product into or out of the tank. The average standing evaporation loss from an internal floating-roof tank depends on: vapor pressure of the product; type and condition of roof seal; tank diameter; and type of fixed roof support. The nomographs can estimate evaporation loss for product true vapor pressures (TVP) ranging from 1.5 to 14 psia, the most commonly used seals for average and tight fit conditions, tank diameters ranging from 50 to 250 ft, welded and bolted designs, and both self-supporting and column-support fixed roof designs. The charts ...
The thin windows for the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) liquid Absorber will be fabricated from 6061-T6-aluminum. The absorber and vacuum vessel thin windows are 300-mm in diameter and are 180 mm thick at the center. The windows are designed for an internal burst pressure of 0.68 MPa (100 psig) when warm. The MICE experiment design calls for changeable windows on the absorber, so a bolted window design was adopted. Welded windows offer some potential advantages over bolted windows when they are on the absorber itself. This report describes the bolted window and its seal. This report also describes an alternate window that is welded directly to the absorber body. The welded window design presented permits the weld to be ground off and re-welded. This report presents a thermal FEA analysis of the window seal-weld, while the window is being welded. Finally, the results of a test of a welded-window are presented.
Contents: recent trend of battery technologies; alkaline manganese battery with no mercury addition; high capacity zinc-air battery series for hearing aids; characteristics of vanadium-niobium-lithium rechargeable battery; high-energy density lithium-ion rechargeable battery; lithium polymer rechargeable battery: polymer gel electrolyte and electrode; high-capacity ni-cd battery sm120; high-capacity nickel-metal hydride battery; sealed-type batteries for electric vehicles; high-temperature-durable calcium-type battery for automobiles; sealed lead acid batteries for upss; solar cell power unit; solid oxide fuel cell (1); battery management system.
Electrical penetration assemblies mounted on the containment wall are used to carry electrical power and signals from the equipment inside this containment (e.g. recirculation pumps, control rod position indications etc.) Todays BWR nuclear power plants apply epoxy resin sealed electric penetration. Contrariwise, the epoxy resin (organic sealant) was replaced with sodium barium glass (inorganic) by way of trial in search for a quality sealant. The glass sealant has been proved to have high temperature airtightness at 300 degC above from an evaluation test involving full-scale model parts. Environmental tests were conducted continuously as to heat cycle, vibration and LOCA etc. the specimens (module) of five types. They were made certain of conformity to the design requirements for boiling water operation. (author).
Native plant individuals often persist within communities dominated by exotics but the influence of this exposure on native populations is poorly understood. Selection for traits contributing to competitive ability may lead to native plant populations that are more tolerant of the presence of exotic invaders. In this way, long-term coexistence with an exotic may confer competitive advantages to remnant (experienced) native populations and be potentially beneficial to restoration. In past studies we have documented genetic differentiation within native grass populations exposed to the exotic invader Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens). Here, we examine populations of a cool-season grass, needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata [Trin. & Rupr.]) and a warm season, alkali sacaton (Sporobolus a...
Populations living close to high-voltage transmission lines often have residential magnetic field exposures in excess of 1 [mu]T, and sometimes over 2 [mu]T. Yet, populations studied in most epidemiologic investigations of the association between residential magnetic field exposure and cancer typically have exposures below 1 [mu]T and frequently below 0.5 [mu]T. To improve statistical power and precision, it would be useful to compare high exposure populations with low exposure population. Toward this end, we have developed an automated method for identifying populations living near high-voltage transmissions lines. These populations likely have more highly exposed individuals that the population at large. The method uses a geographic information system (GIS) to superimpose digitized transmission line locations on U.S. Census block location ...
The objective of this work is to develop sealing materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A suitable sealant must form strong, dense bonds with SOFC components, be chemically and mechanically compatible with the components, be stable at 1000 degrees C in the operating environment of the SOFC (H_2 and H_2O on the anode side, O_2 on the cathode side), and must be nonconductive.
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)
Polymer sealing parts are widely used in various branches of engineering as detachable joints that operate at normal and cryogenic temperatures. They are also used in nuclear-power engineering to seal pumps, pipelines, etc., where they operate at 600-650 K under a neutron fluence of around 10"1"6 cm"-"2 (E #>=# 0.18 MeV) and concomitant #gamma#-irradiation of about 10"6 R. The fluoroplastic-based materials currently used degrade when irradiated in water at 320-360 K with a neutron fluence of 10"1"5 cm"-"2 (thermal neutrons) or 10"1"4 cm"-"2 (fast neutrons), and a concomitant #gamma#-irradiation dose of 2 x 10"6 R. The strength of these fluoroplastics decreases markedly after #gamma#-irradiation (from a cobalt source) at room temperature at doses above 10"6 R. For this reason, flexible and swelling graphites are finding ever increasing application. Graflex foils made of extra-pure natural graphite were found to be radiation-resistant and ...
This book includes the latest developments and covers pump performance, selection and operations, materials, seals and packings, effective fluid characteristics, filtration, piping systems, economics, valves, instrumentation, automatic controls, power transmission equipment, pump and pipeline heating, and more. An extensive data section contains formulas, charts, symbols, nomographs, and standard specification documents.
Full text of publication follows: As SiCf/SiC composites are very low activation materials, their use as structural material for the reactor blanket and first wall components appears essential to demonstrate the potential of D-T fusion power reactor. Positive features of SiCf/SiC are their high performances at elevated operating temperature and the ability to produce a specific component. Critical issues of SiCf/SiC are the mechanical properties, radiation stability and, with regard to technological issues, their hermeticity and joining processes. Improvement of joining processes for SiC/SiC components is also needed. Recently, several blanket designs have been studied: the TAURO blanket concept in the European Union, the ARIESAT concept in the US and the DREAM concept in Japan. In those reactors, hermetic SiCf/SiC or self-sealing coatings are mandatory. The basic idea of self sealing concept is to manufacture a coating with specific ...
Technology of plasma sputtering, structure and properties of zirconium dioxide coatings were studied. Necessity of void number increase to enhance coating heat-resistance is shown. Optimal powder particle size (20-60 #mu#m) providing optimal coating porosity was determined. Weight part of stabilizating oxide (Y_2O_3) in ZrO_2 for formation in coating of microcracks serving as barriers for macro-cracks propagation was determined.
In the year 2008, the high pressure partial turbine and two low pressure partial turbines in the hard coal power station Bergkamen (Federal Republic of Germany) were modernized. A three-dimensional blade design and innovative seals were used. This resulted into a distinct increase in efficiency among other things.
An advanced ceramic dome cavity receiver is discussed which heats pressurized gas to temperatures above 1800/sup 0/F (1000/sup 0/C) for use in solar Brayton power systems of the dispersed receiver/dish or central receiver type. Optical, heat transfer, structural, and ceramic material design aspects of the receiver are reported and the development and experimental demonstration of a high-temperature seal between the pressurized gas and the high-temperature silicon carbide dome material is described.
The invention concerns an improvement of a cooling device for rotors of multistage axial steam turbines by providing in the first stage of each group of turbine stages a circulation loop connecting the wheel chamber on the inlet side of the rotor disc of the first stage with the wheel chamber on its outlet side. This is to cause the cooling effect not to be hampered by gap widths of the seal in the bottom range of the rotor blades changing during operation. Design particulars are described in detail. (UWI).
A side terminal battery is described comprising: a casing having a side wall made from a moldable material; and a plug formed of relatively deformable, electrically conductive, corrosion resistant material molded into the side wall to form a seal between the interior and exterior of the casing and including a battery terminal insert embedded therein so as to be exposed at the exterior of the casing and isolated, by the plug, from the interior of the casing.
Skip to Content Cancer Control and Population Sciences Home Applied Research Home Risk Factor Monitoring and Methods Home Diet Usual Dietary Intakes: Background The NCI Method Details of the NCI Method Food Intakes, US Population, 2001-04 Selected Intakes
Skip to Content Cancer Control and Population Sciences Home Applied Research Home Risk Factor Monitoring and Methods Home Diet Usual Dietary Intakes: Background The NCI Method Details of the NCI Method Food Intakes, US Population, 2001-04 Selected Intakes
Objectives. This study determined to what extent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations have been studied over the past 20 years of public health research.Methods....Full Text Available
A population based survey of trachoma and blindness was conducted in a rural Nile Delta hamlet. Trachoma remains hyperendemic in this region. Active trachoma was common among preschool children; over...Full Text Available
A community health survey of 438 individuals was taken to detect health problems related to high voltage electrical transmission among an adjacent residential population. Results revealed no significant...Full Text Available
BackgroundDespite having the largest population in Africa, Nigeria has no accurate population based data to plan and evaluate eye care services. A national survey was undertaken...Full Text Available
This investigation will explore the effect that current timber extraction techniques have on plethadontid salamander populations in ... group selection, and two-age harvest. Broad scale timber extraction can d...
BackgroundSeverely disabling chronic pain in the adult population is strongly associated with a range of negative health consequences for individuals and high health care costs,...Full Text Available
This paper presents a new deformable model using both population and patient-specific statistics to segment the prostate from CT images. There are two novelties in the proposed method. First,...Full Text Available
ObjectivesMild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) case-finding criteria have low specificity in general population studies. The present study retrospectively identifies cases...Full Text Available
BackgroundAn abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) that is identified when the abdomen is imaged for some other reason is known as an incidental AAA. No population-based studies have...Full Text Available
Production of dissolved macromolecules by ambient autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial populations was measured in a eutrophic Florida reservoir by in situ labeling with various radioactive substrates....Full Text Available
During a study of the health status of children in rural Nigerian communities a gross lack of fit was observed between the sample and the growth attainment standards derived from local longitudinal...Full Text Available
An explicit proposal for experiments leading to abrupt transitions in spatially extended bacterial populations in a Petri dish is presented on the basis of an exact formula obtained through an analytic...Full Text Available
BackgroundLong-term vegetation changes in hyper-arid areas have long been neglected. Mortality, recruitment and change in populations of the ecologically and culturally important...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVES. In this study we tested the association between occupational stress--as measured by job demands, decision latitude, and job strain--and hypertension in a population of 1396 Black and White...Full Text Available
Background and AimsMany plants reproduce both clonally and sexually, and the balance between the two modes of reproduction will vary among populations. Clonal reproduction was characterized...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
Natural accumulations of skeletal material (death assemblages) have the potential to provide historical data on species diversity and population structure for regions lacking decades of wildlife monitoring,...Full Text Available
BackgroundBengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris the National Animal of India, is an endangered species. Estimating populations for such species is the main objective...Full Text Available
This is the first report of research for an ongoing study to evaluate the genetic effects of using hatchery-reared fish to supplement natural populations of chinook salmon and steelhead in the Snake River Basin.
AIMS: To examine the frequency of intraocular metastases in patients who had died of cancer, in an eye bank and necropsy population sample. METHODS: The first group included 302 cancer cases received...Full Text Available
Fibroblast cell population kinetics in the developing molar periodontal ligament was investigated in 10, 12, 16 and 20 days old mice by autoradiography after the administration of [3H]thymidine. Labelled...Full Text Available
The effective population size (Ne) is an important parameter in ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology. It is, however, notoriously difficult to estimate,...Full Text Available
The roles played by environmental factors in seasonal changes in microbial populations were investigated in the Tvärminne area, off the southern coast of Finland. Surface-layer samples were...Full Text Available
Recently reported technologies for DNA-directed organic synthesis and for DNA computing rely on routing DNA populations through complex networks. The reduction of these ideas to practice has been limited...Full Text Available
The extensive diversity of Plasmodium falciparum antigens is a major obstacle to a broadly effective malaria vaccine but population genetics has rarely been used to guide vaccine design....Full Text Available
BackgroundThis study examines the prevalence and nature of bereavement help-seeking among the population who experienced an "expected" death in the five years before their survey...Full Text Available
AimsTo develop a population pharmacokinetic model for maraviroc, a noncompetitive CCR5 antagonist, after oral administration of tablets to healthy volunteers and asymptomatic HIV-infected...Full Text Available
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are leading causes of morbidity across all populations, with heritability estimates of ∼80% indicating a substantial genetic component. Population genetics...Full Text Available
Complete text of publication follows. Baikal is an ancient unique lake. The sweet water of Baikal is crystal clean; it concentrates oxygen and contains scarce silicon. This feature is provoked very particular interest for scientists and poses some awkward questions concerning the preservation of Baikal's ecosystem. A profound investigation of fish otholiths, animal teeth, sponges, valves of mollusks and diatom algae provides chronological information, possibility to reconstruct the events proceeding in the environment based on variations of their chemical composition. Because these study objects are small-sized, and some of them are micron-size, application of the electron-probe microanalysis turns to be quite productive. The goal of this study is to disclose performance capabilities of this method while investigating the Baikal flora and fauna. Investigations were performed by devices JCXA-733 and JXA-8200 using the electron microscope and x-ray microprobe modes. Measurements of ...
Variation for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and its component traits was documented in a `Cheyenne¿ x Cheyenne (`Wichita¿ 3A) recombinant inbred chromosome line population. In the present study, a population of 223 Cheyenne (Wichita 3A) recombinant inbred chromosome lines was used to map ...
Populations living close to high-voltage transmission lines often have residential magnetic field exposures in excess of 1 microT, and sometimes over 2 microT. Yet, populations studied in most epidemiologic...Full Text Available
Simple, one-zone models for inhomogeneous chemical evolution of the Galactic halo are used to predict the number fraction of zero-metallicity, Population III stars, which currently is empirically estimated at < 4e-4. These analytic models minimize the number of free parameters, highlighting the most fundamental constraints on halo evolution. There are disagreements of at least an order of magnitude between observations and predictions in limiting cases for both homogeneous Simple Model and Simple Inhomogeneous Model (SIM). Hence, this demonstrates a quantitative, unambiguous discrepancy in the observed and expected fraction of Population III stars. We explore how the metallicity distribution of the parent enrichment events f(z_0) drives the SIM and predictions for the Population III fraction. The SIM shows that the previously-identified "high halo" and "low halo" populations are consistent with a ...
The GSD must be considered as a quantity by means of which the risk in a given population can be described exclusively in terms of genetic risk. In cases of a simultaneous increase in the rate of examinations, the GSD may lead to a misinterpretation of the population exposure, suggesting a decreasing trend, although there is an actual increase in the somatic radiation exposure. It is recommended to indicate not only the GSD but also the amount of somatic radiation exposure of the population for each specific source when comparing and evaluating radiation exposures from different sources. Although the somatically significant dose formally would be suited as a complement to the GSD, it is recommended to use the effective per caput dose equivalent. It must be pointed out that the application of the concept of effective dose equivalent is only appropriate for comparative evaluations of the population ...
A good knowledge of medfly population dynamics is necessary to control it. Population dynamics are being studied by means of the Jackson trap with trimedlure attractant (male, sex-pheromone). Weekly sampling of wild medfly populations was started in June at Aabde and in August at Sour and Jbeil. Trap surveys of medfly density will be carried for at least one year before sterile males releases are started against a long-established infestation. Since populations can vary with season and in different parts of an infested area. Knowledge of this variation is needede to determine when releases should start, because they should begin, just after or during a population decline. Field evaluation will include, ecological data on medfly population distribution number, host preference, and medfly overwintering. Surveys of medfly adults and larvae, host species, and ...
The genetically significant dose (GSD) is an index variable which exclusively allows to describe the genetic risk in the progeny of a population due to the application of ionizing radiation and radioactive substances in one part of this population. It may result in wrong interpretation of population exposure at increasing incidence of examinations in a population involving ionizing radiation and radioactive drugs at simultaneously increasing application of alternative methods in children and adolescents owing to the fact that it indicates a downward trend although somatic exposure of this population has increased. Therefore, it is recommended to state both the GSD and the level of somatic radiation exposure of the population taken from the individual sources for the comparison and assessment of radiation exposure from various sources in future. Although the ...
A hose lining process, used widely for underground service structures, such as for city gas, and water and sewerage pipes, was adopted to repair interiors of underground wire raceways, and improvements were made for power cable pipe use, including long size construction, inner diameter assurance, and flame retardation. The sealing hose as a lining material consists of a fabric layer woven by warps of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and wefts of combined PBT fibers and glassfibers, the fabric being coated with polyurethane resin on one side. The other side of the fabric is coated with heat hardening resin made of epoxy resin as the main ingredient and aromatic amine as the hardening agent to assure close adhesion of the sealing hose onto the pipe interior. Mimic raceways were used to verify the lining material for its abrasion coefficient, mechanical strength, wear resistance, water cut-off performance, chemical resistance, and shape retention ...
The results of an extensive, detailed geologic and geophysical evaluation of the offshore South Florida basin show this area to have considerable hydrocarbon exploration potential. Geophysical mapping on six key horizons identified numerous structural closures at Dollar Bay through Bone Island mapping levels. Geologic evaluation indicated at least four viable potential reservoir horizons, including the Sunniland formation - the main producing unit onshore in what is called the Sunniland trend. Mature, organic rich carbonate source rocks are found in several stratigraphic intervals throughout the basin, and extensively developed seals consisting of micritic limestones and anhydrites are also common in the stratigraphic section. All the critical factors for hydrocarbon accumulation - source, reservoir, trap, and seal - appear to be present in the offshore Pulley ridge area of the South Florida basin. Using high-resolution seismic data, additional ...
The constitutive model used to describe the deformation of crushed salt is presented in this report. Two mechanisms -- dislocation creep and grain boundary diffusional pressure solution -- are combined to form the basis for the constitutive model governing the deformation of crushed salt. The constitutive model is generalized to represent three-dimensional states of stress. Upon complete consolidation, the crushed-salt model reproduces the Multimechanism Deformation (M-D) model typically used for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) host geological formation salt. New shear consolidation tests are combined with an existing database that includes hydrostatic consolidation and shear consolidation tests conducted on WIPP and southeastern New Mexico salt. Nonlinear least-squares model fitting to the database produced two sets of material parameter values for the model -- one for the shear consolidation tests and one for a combination of the shear and hydrostatic consolidation tests. ...
The thesis gives an overview of the validation process for thermal-hydraulic system codes and it presents in more detail the assessment and validation of the French code CATHARE for VVER calculations. Three assessment cases are presented: loop seal clearing, core reflooding and flow in a horizontal steam generator. The experience gained during these assessment and validation calculations has been used to analyze the behavior of the horizontal steam generator and the natural circulation in the geometry of the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Large part of the work has been performed in cooperation with the CATHARE-team in Grenoble, France. (41 refs., 11 figs., 8 tabs.).
The study of the dynamics of lubricants and mechanical components encased in metal enclosures is important to many industries. Of particular importance is the flow characteristics of oils or similar lubricants within the metal enclosure during operation of the device. The purpose of this summary is to report on the design and successful application of a real-time neutron radiography system to study the lubrication and design of the piston and seal of a gas spring. In addition, the application of this technique to a wider range of similar problems using the pulse capability of the TRIGA reactor is described.
The study of the dynamics of lubricants and mechanical components encased in metal enclosures is important to many industries. Of particular importance is the flow characteristics of oils or similar lubricants within the metal enclosure during operation of the device. The purpose of this summary is to report on the design and successful application of a real-time neutron radiography system to study the lubrication and design of the piston and seal of a gas spring. In addition, the application of this technique to a wider range of similar problems using the pulse capability of the TRIGA reactor is described.
This short article discusses the results of a market survey on ventilation systems for residential buildings and the role played by ventilation systems in our daily lives. Problems incurred as a result of insufficient ventilation conditions such as the formation of mould in dwellings whose windows have been replaced with better seals are discussed, for example. The negative image of air-conditioning and its causes are examined. The need for action in this area is stressed. Further findings of the study are presented, including a detailed review of current equipment and scenarios on how these systems can develop in the future. The extension of the study to cover the situation in further European countries is mentioned.
Various remedial measures have been tried to lower radon levels in buildings in Uranium City. The methods used are source material removal, passive ventilation of crawl spaces, sub-floor ventilation, complete epoxy coating of the entire basement, sealants for floor-wall joints and cracks in basements, electrostatic precipitators, mechanical ventilation, and sealing and grouting concrete block plenums in basement walls. The type and condition of structures encountered in Uranium City as well as the relative isolation of the town indicate that mechanical ventilation is the most long-term cost-effective method.
Oil and gas industry is the largest user of radioactive materials in Nigeria. They make use of radiation generators, sealed and unsealed radioactive sources.Some of these are potentially dangerous to human health and environment if not properly controlled. here is also the need to maintain control over occupational exposures to radiation, as well as to protect the public and the environment through proper management of wastes that may be radiologically hazardous. To minimize these, effective regulatory infrastructure is being put in place.For a smooth take-off of the nuclear power program, the National Nuclear Regulatory Authority and other stake holders in the nuclear industry need to start to put together licensing procedure for these.
NIST radon standards are hermetically sealed polyethylene capsules filled with {sup 226}Ra solution. Recently, four new series of standards with activities 5, 50, 500, and 5000Bq were prepared. The measured emanation fraction agrees with a calculation that accounts for the radon accumulated inside the polyethylene walls of the capsule. Obtained solubility of radon in polyethylene is approximately 45 of the solubility of radon in water. The radon diffusion coefficient in low-density polyethylene is 7.2x10{sup -8}cm{sup 2}/s.
Radioactive "1"4C sucrose was found to be an ideal marker for microleakage because it did not penetrate tooth tissue, dental cement, or mounting resin. The main finding is that the adhesive cements--the glass-ionomer and polycarboxylate--are significantly more effective at preventing microleakage than are the traditional phosphate cements--silicate and zinc phosphate. The differences can be as high as two orders of magnitude. The adhesive cements provide almost perfect and reliable seals. By contrast, the nonadhesive cements are erratic sealants with most of the restorations leaking.
This paper discusses the remote plugging of leaks in inaccessible pipework, with main reference to small leaks which frequently appear in ancillary cooling water circuits of nuclear reactors. Initially developed to cure problems of the pre-stressed concrete pressure vessels of UK reactors, the ZORIC sealant has been used to repair leaking biological shield pipework on six CANDU reactors. ZORIC is based on a water-soluble epoxy resin and an aqueous suspension of a refined mineral clay. This paper describes the evolution of the sealant, the qualification and testing program, and their application to CANDU reactor systems. 2 refs., 6 figs.
This article gives a survey of the history, properties and applications of 'Kevlar' aramide fibers. For example, the 'Kevlar' para-aramide fiber is used in compound materials in ship-, aircraft- and vehicle construction. 'Kevlar' is used as a replacement for asbestos, for example in brakes, clutches and seals or as rubber reinforcement (tyres, conveyor belts, hoses). The aramide fibers also offer manufacturers of ropes, hawsers and cables a near ideal range of properties. (MM).
The High Exposure Facility is a collimated high-level gamma irradiator that is located in the basement of the 318 building. It was custom developed by PNNL back in 1982 to meet the needs for high range radiological instrument calibrations and dosimeter irradiations. At the time no commercially available product existed that could create exposure rates up to 20,000 R/h. This document is intended to pass on the design criteria that was employed to create this unique facility, while maintaining compliance with ANSI N543-1974, "General Safety Standard for Installations Using Non-Medical X-Ray and Sealed Gamma-Ray Sources, Energies up to 10 MeV."
A fiber optic feedthrough module which comprises a metal sleeve, a fiber optic element extending through the sleeve in spaced relation thereto, and a tandem series of centrally-apertured mating annular sealant bodies of thermoplastic material surrounding the fiber optic element and compressed between it and the sleeve. The module is made by first providing a loose subassembly of a plurality of individual but interfitting sealant bodies on the fiber optic element and then inserting this subassembly into a metal sleeve, following by swaging the whole assembly which eliminates clearances and provides sealed interfaces between the various contacting components. (author).
An apparatus is provided for rapidly restarting the flow of coolant through the cold electromagnetic shield of a superconducting rotor following a thermal transient episode. A vortex diode inhibits coolant flow in the undesirable reverse direction and encourages the reestablishment of a normal thermosyphon cooling loop flow quickly following the termination of a thermal transient such as that caused by transmission line faults. The present invention requires no moving parts and may therefore be permanently sealed in the superconducting rotor without risk of costly repair efforts caused by components failure.
A core preservation package was developed to maintain the reservoir characteristics of core samples and consequently to improve the quality of data obtained through laboratory core analyses. The package is a heat-sealable plastic-aluminum laminate similar to those common in the food-packaging industry. The laminated core preservation package acts as an impermeable barrier to water vapor and gases, and is resistant to chemical alteration and degradation by core fluids. These performance characteristics result in effective core preservation by maintaining the fluid content of the core. Other advantages of the laminated package are that it is fast and simple to use and eliminates the cumbersome dip-coat step used in some core preservation methods.
This paper is a quarterly report describing the use of a new soil gas collection device which allows the collection of soil gas in the field for later analysis in the laboratory. It describes the installation of this sampling device and the procedure for setting the probe, extraction of soil gas beneath the surface, and sealing of the soil gas for transport. The sites used for initial testing was the top of Yucca Mountain and Crystal Spring in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The results from this initial test showed no volatile matter present in the soil at these locations.
It is imperative to use a leak-proof container for counting liquid sample to prevent contamination of costly gamma detectors. A sealant that ensures no leak is reported. It is a vinyl adhesive sealant used for household purposes, marketed by Gloucester Co., Inc, Franklin, MA under the trade name of Phenoseal (translucent variety). This sealant was superior to other sealants studied because it cures quickly, peels off easily after counting, and contains no detectable radioactivity. This sealant has been thoroughly tested and successfully employed it in the routine analysis of environmental liquid samples. (author)
A cryogenic separation method of chloromethane (CH{sub 3}Cl) from methyl iodide (CH{sub 3}I) for {delta}{sup 37}Cl measurement with isotope ratio mass spectrometer is described. A cold trap with sealed 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP) as the cryogen is used in this method. CH{sub 3}Cl can be separated from CH{sub 3}I at the TMP melting point (-107 deg. C) based on the difference in the vapor pressure between CH{sub 3}Cl (322.6 Pa) and CH{sub 3}I (lower than 1.3 Pa) at -107 deg. C. After two-step separation processes, the yields of CH{sub 3}Cl purified from CH{sub 3}Cl-CH{sub 3}I mixture are 96-101%, and the difference between the {delta}{sup 37}Cl{sub original} and {delta}{sup 37}Cl{sub Afterseparation} is from -0.06 to +0.06 per mille (0.01 {+-} 0.04 per mille ). These results suggest that CH{sub 3}Cl is completely separated from CH{sub 3}I with no change of {delta}{sup 37}Cl value. This method using the cold trap with sealed TMP is very safe and ...
Soon there will be only 14 states in two compacts that are able to dispose of Low Level Waste (LLW): the Northwest and Rocky Mountain compact with disposal options in Richland, Washington, and the Atlantic compact with disposal options in Barnwell, South Carolina. How do states not in one of the two compacts dispose of their LLW? The Off-Site Source Recovery Project can take possession and dispose of some of the unwanted transuranic sources at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). However, there will be no path forward for states outside of the two compacts for disposal of their non-transuranic LLW. A solution that has been much discussed, debated and researched, but has not been put into wide scale practice, is the borehole disposal concept. It is the author's position that companies that drill and explore for oil have been disposing of sources in borehole-like structures for years. It should be noted that these companies are not purposely disposing of these sources, but ...
In a recent survey of the stellar populations of LINERS and LINER/HII Transition Objects (TOs) we identified a numerous class of nuclei which stand out because of their conspicuous 10^8-9 yr populations. These objects were called ``Young-TOs'', since they all have TO-like emission line ratios. In this paper we investigate the radial variations of spectral properties in Low Luminosity AGN. Our analysis is based on high S/N, 3500-5500 A, long-slit spectra for 47 galaxies. The data probe distances of typically up to 850 pc from the nucleus with a resolution of ~ 100 pc and S/N ~ 30. Stellar population gradients are mapped by the radial profiles of absorption line equivalent widths and colours along the slit. These variations are further analyzed by means of a decomposition of each spectrum in terms of template galaxies representative of very young (<= 10^7 yr), intermediate age (10^8-9 yr) and old (10^10 yr) ...
In this paper, we consider the prey-dependent consumption predator-prey (natural enemy-pest) models with age structure for the predator, immature and mature natural enemies are released and pesticide is applied impulsively. We prove that, when the impulsive period is no longer than some threshold, the pest-eradication solution is globally asymptotically stable, or say, the pest population can be eradicated totally. But from the point of ecological balance and saving resources, we only need to control the pest population under the economic threshold level instead of eradicating it totally, so we further prove that, when the impulsive period is longer than the threshold, pest population and natural enemy population can coexist, i.e., the system is uniformly permanent. Considering population communities always are imbedded in periodically varying environments, and the parameters in ...
Examination of measurement invariance provides a powerful method to evaluate the hypothesis that the same set of psychological constructs underlies a set of test scores in different populations. If measurement invariance is observed, then the same psychological meaning can be ascribed to scores in both populations. In this study, the measurement model including core and supplementary subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth edition (WAIS-IV) were compared across the U.S. and Canadian standardization samples. Populations were compared on the 15 subtest version of the test in people aged 70 and younger and on the 12 subtest version in people aged 70 or older. Results indicated that a slightly modified version of the four-factor model reported in the WAIS-IV technical manual provided the best fit in both populations and in both age groups. The null hypothesis of measurement invariance ...
Amphibians are considered reliable indicators of environmental quality. In the western United States, a general decline of frog populations parallels an apparent worldwide decline. The factors thought...Full Text Available
Parthenogenesis-inducing (PI) Wolbachia belong to a class of intracellular symbionts that distort the offspring sex ratio of their hosts toward a female bias. In many PI Wolbachia-infected species sex ratio distortion has reached its ultimate expression-fixation of infection and all-female populations. This is only possible with thelytokous PI symbionts as they provide an alternative form of reproduction and remove the requirement for males and sexual reproduction. Many populations fixed for PI Wolbachia infection have lost the ability to reproduce sexually, even when cured of the infection. We examine one such population in the species Trichogramma pretiosum. Through a series of backcrossing experiments with an uninfected Trichogramma pretiosum population we were able to show that the gen...
We determined the underlying aetiology of blindness for the registered blind population of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In both 1981 and 1984 single-gene disorders accounted for 30% of...Full Text Available
Snakebites are common among the rural population of developing countries. The severity of venomous snakebites depends on several factors, including the location of the bite, the amount of venom injected,...Full Text Available
PurposeTo describe etiologies and clinical characteristics of corneal opacities leading patients to seek cosmetic treatments.MethodsThe medical records...Full Text Available
BackgroundTo identify the differential tuberculosis (TB) characteristics within the immigrant population with respect to natives in Spain.Methodology/Principal...Full Text Available
IntroductionShoulder pain covers a wide range of problems and affects up to 20% of the population. It is not a specific diagnosis. Shoulder pain can be caused by problems with the...Full Text Available
BackgroundCharacterizing and comparing the determinant of cotinine concentrations in different populations should facilitate a better understanding of smoking patterns and addiction....Full Text Available
The resident bald eagles of the lower Columbia River have lower productivity and higher contaminant levels than other bald eagles of the Pacific Northwest. The primary population stressors are believed to be habitat loss, human disturbance, p,p{prime}DDE, PCBs, dioxins and furans. The primary effect of habitat loss is to reduce the carrying capacity of the region for nesting sites, and the primary effects of human disturbance and contamination by organic compounds are to reduce productivity. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of all of, these potential stressors on the bald eagle population dynamics. A model of the population dynamics was developed. The model structure includes a physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBTK) submodel to estimate the degree of contamination, which is linked via a toxicology submodel to a population dynamics submodel. The PBTK submodel is ...
Age-related alterations in the cellular composition of the B lineage are a major cause of the poor antibody response to vaccination and to infectious agents among the elderly population. The mechanisms...Full Text Available
This paper focuses on the Internet as a tool for enhancing behavior and lifestyle changes to reduce the burden of cancer at a population level. The premise of this paper is that the Internet...Full Text Available
Despite advances in standard of living of the population, the condition of widows and divorced women remains deplorable in society. The situation is worse in developing nations with their unique social,...Full Text Available
BackgroundA large and increasing part of the European population has a history of migration. Germany, for example, is home to about 15 million people with migrant background, which...Full Text Available
The geographical arrangement of people on the surface of the earth is approximated by a mathematical equation of 361 terms. This is a convenient form for comparison with other distributions and for...Full Text Available
... in western DRC, at the Zaire River near Matadi (Brown 1994). (click map to view full version) ... is available to confirm this. The population of Matadi is increasin...
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated, in a large, heterogeneous population, the outcome of open cholecystectomy as it is currently practiced. SUMMARY BACKGROUND AND DATA: Although cholecystectomy has been...Full Text Available
The binding energy parameter #lambda# plays an important role in common envelope evolution. Previous works have already pointed out that #lambda# varies throughout the stellar evolution, though it has been adopted as a constant in most of the population synthesis calculations. We have systematically calculated the binding energy parameter #lambda# for both Population I and Population II stars of masses 1-20 M _s_u_n, taking into account the contribution from the internal energy of stellar matter. We present fitting formulae for #lambda# that can be incorporated into future population synthesis investigations. We also briefly discuss the possible applications of the results in binary evolutions.
ABSTRACTOBJECTIVETo explore the prevalence and the demographic predictors of nonmedical use of opioid analgesics in the Canadian adolescent population.DESIGNData...Full Text Available
AIMSTo develop a population pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic model to describe the occurrence and severity of bleeding or bruising as a function of enoxaparin exposure.METHODSData...Full Text Available
BackgroundAs long-term nursing home care is likely to increase with the aging of the population, identifying chronic medical conditions is of particular interest. Although need factors...Full Text Available
Background and AimsIt is well known that genome size differs among species. However, information on the variation and dynamics of genome size in wild populations and on the early...Full Text Available
About a third of the population in the cities of developing countries live in slums and shanty towns. By the year 2000 it is estimated that this number will grow to 2200 million, and by 2025 about 57%...Full Text Available
Genetics, Genomics, and Molecular Biology USGS scientists develop and integrate new genetic and molecular techniques into systematic analyses to describe individuals and populations of fish .....
Behavioral responses to wind are thought to play a critical role in controlling the dispersal and population genetics of wild Drosophila species1,Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Cuba's response to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic has been to conduct mass testing of the population to ascertain seroprevalence, to enforce mandatory relative quarantine...Full Text Available
The study of genetic variability within natural populations of pathogens may provide insight into their evolution and pathogenesis. We used a Mycobacterium tuberculosis high-density...Full Text Available
Abstract: In many biological processes heterogeneity within clonal cell populations is an important issue. One of the most striking examples is a population of cancer cells in which after a common, identical death signal some cells die whereas others survive. The reason for this heterogeneity is intrinsic and extrinsic noise. In this paper we present a mechanistic multi-scale modeling framework for cell populations, in which the dynamics of every individual cell is captured by a parameter dependent stochastic differential equation (SDE). Heterogeneity among individual cells is accounted for by differences in parameter values, modeling extrinsic influences. Based on the statistical properties of the extrinsic noise and the SDE model for the individual cell, a partial differential equation (...
BackgroundMultiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy associated with the development of a destructive osteolytic bone disease.ResultsMathematical...Full Text Available
A community health survey of 438 individuals was taken to detect health problems related to high voltage electrical transmission among an adjacent residential population. Results revealed no significant or consistent relationships between exposure to a high voltage DC power line and the perceived health problems that were measured. The sample was not, however, large enough to draw statistically significant conclusions regarding possible health effects with a very low incidence.
The Ra, Th, and K-40 content of the most important phosphate fertilizers used and authorized in the FRG was determined by #gamma#-spectroscopy. The results, together with statistical data on the consumption and use of fertilizers, were used for an estimation of the contribution of #gamma#-radiation from phosphate fertilizers to the external population exposure in the FRG. (orig./AK).
Dwarf galaxies are generally faint. To derive their age and metallicity distributions, it is critical to optimize the use of any collected photon. Koleva et al., using full spectrum fitting, have found strong population gradients in some dwarf elliptical galaxies. Here, we show that the population profiles derived with this method are consistent and more precise than those obtained with spectrophotometric indices. This allows studying fainter objects in less telescope time.
The consumption of food products obtained in areas subjected to radioactive contamination as a consequence of a radiation accident appears to be the most significant source of irradiation for the population. At the same time, this route can be regulated very effectively. The regularities of contamination of agricultural production, peculiar features of internal dose formation in the population and the effectiveness of countermeasures in agriculture have been analysed using the experience of two major accidents in the former USSR - in the South Urals (Kyshtym accident) in 1957, and at the Chernobyl NPP in 1986. (Author).
The radiation burden of the people of the GDR in relation to biomedical radiography altogether as well as organ doses, gonad doses and genetically significant doses in detail are outlined. The concepts of radiation protection and standards of radiographic examination are demonstrated. Possibilities of influencing radiation exposure by scientifically based indication of X-ray examination, application of new and improvement of usual examination techniques are discussed with regard to quality assurance and control. Proposals concerning the reduction of radiation exposure of the GDR population are presented.
This report revises estimates of population exposure to external natural background made by D. T. Oakley in 1972. The revisions include more recent estimates of dose equivalents from cosmic rays, use of 1970 U.S. census data, and corrections for building shielding and for self-shielding in the body. The dose equivalents calculated are those from cosmic rays and terrestrial radiation, and do not include doses from natural radioactive materials in the body.
From the frequency of diagnostic radiologic examinations and their radiation dose delivered to the population the risk of cancer induction and genetic damage is calculated on the basis of the risk factors given by the ICRP. Thus 0.38 % and 3 % of the total mortality for cancer and leukemia, resp., can be attributed to X-ray diagnostics. Chest examinations alone result in 0.07-0.7 damages per 100,000 persons depending on the imaging technique applied. (author).
It is shown that observations of the lithium isotope ratio in high surface temperature Population II stars may be critical to cosmological nucleosynthesis models. In particular, decaying particle scenarios as derived in some supersymmetric models may stand or fall with such observations. 18 references.
Hematological deficiencies increase with aging leading to anemias, reduced hematopoietic stress responses and myelodysplasias. This study tested the hypothesis that side population hematopoietic...Full Text Available
The theoretical evolution of a horizontal branch star of Population II is followed through the helium burning in the core phase and is compared with the results given by other investigators. The m- fluence of different physics and interpolation schemes in the opacity tables is discussed. Some thoughts are given on the explanation of the erratic period variations observed in some of the RR Lyrae variables in the globular clusters. (auth)
Iron deficiency anaemia is highly prevalent among rural population of Northeast Thailand. The habitual diets are plant-based. Several herbal vegetables and spices such as lead tree leaves, ivy gourd, Thai basil, chilli peppers etc are consumed in a substantial in common Northeast dishes. High contents of phytate and polyphenol compounds including tannin in these herbs and spices may profoundly influence iron bioavailability in the northeast population
Discussion is presented of world CO{sub 2} emissions and the effect rising population and population distribution has on this. Possible ways of decreasing emissions are presented, including potential for heat recovery, exhaust-air purification as an energy supply, shared power supply in industry, the use of cogeneration, and multiple use of heat in industry. 9 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.
The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are inversely associated with inflammatory processes in an elderly background population.
Using QCT, we made a longitudinal, population-based assessment of rates of bone loss over life at the distal radius, distal tibia, and lumbar spine. Cortical bone loss began in perimenopause in women...Full Text Available
There are many sources of population exposures to power-frequency (50/60 Hz) electric and magnetic fields including household appliances and wiring, neighborhood distribution circuits, and high-voltage transmission lines. Bioeffects studies were unable to demonstrate that exposures to power-frequency fields can affect public health. Researcher have likewise been unable to show that the health effects of such exposures are negligible. State and federal regulatory agencies are, therefore, grappling with questions of whether and how to regulate the sitting or design of new extra high-voltage transmission lines so as to control the ground-level fields to which people are exposed. The purpose of this dissertation is to illuminate some of the exposure-related aspects of these question. A taxonomy of the relationship between field encounter and effect is developed to clarify the meaning of terms such as exposure and dose in the power-frequency context. The major inputs to ...
Annual medical examinations are conducted by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) for a population of Marshallese who were accidentally exposed to radioactive fallout in 1954, for a comparison population, and for all inhabitants of the atolls of Rongelap and Utirik. Disease surveillance includes analysis of serum samples. Elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels are common along Pacific populations, and modifying environmental factors have been investigated as a cause for this finding. The authors have studied SUA levels of people living in the Marshall Islands, and have found elevated values similar to those reported for other Micronesian populations. The nearly Gaussian distribution of individual serum uric acid values for men, and for women less than or equal to45 years of age, indicates that the elevation is due to a regularized increase in serum uric acid rather than to a subpopulation that has ...
Biomonitoring of human populations for exposure to genotoxic/clastogenic agents in the environment or the workplace must depend upon statistical tests for elevations in the frequencies of the biological endpoints being monitored, usually chromosomal aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MN), or sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Statistical tests are based, in turn, upon certain assumptions regarding the distribution of the test statistic. When they are often not recognized as such, tests of significance can be in error, and any conclusion drawn that there is or is not a statistically significant difference between one population sample and another maybe erroneous. In population monitoring this means either false negatives or false positives can result and it is hard to know which is worse. Furthermore, even the intelligent design of studies whose object is to test for an elevated level in an exposed ...
Liquid Zone Control (LZC) System is a 'first-of-its-kind' reactivity control device, designed and implemented at TAPP-3 and 4. The system provides zonal and bulk power control. The system consists of fourteen Zone Control Compartments (ZCCs) containing demineralised light water as neutron absorber. Reactivity control is achieved by varying the level of water in the compartments bi-directionally. Six in-core zircaloy assemblies, housing the fourteen ZCCs and an elaborate process system constitute the LZC system. Measurement of water levels in the ZCCs is done using helium bubbler method. Reliability of ZCC water level measurement is of paramount importance. Commissioning and operating the new system trouble free was a challenge, considering the complex nature of the system. While commissioning the system, level measurement of one of the ZCCs (ZCC - 1) was found erratic and inconsistent. Methodologies were developed to identify the problem and investigations revealed leakage of helium ...
On all steam turbines operating with condensation the air leakage penetrating from the part of the plant which is under vacuum must be eliminated, in order to maintain the vacuum created by physical conditions. In order to attain effective air bleed-off, the water-steam-air mixture is conveyed via the super-cooling bundles in the condenser. In this way the steam partial pressure decreases and the air partial pressure increases at a constant condenser pressure. In this procedure the mixture is supercooled by about 4"0C compared with the saturate steam temperature appertaining to the condenser pressure. The values of volume of air leakage are the result of a year's experience on existing plant. (orig.).
During unit wise conditioning of unit 8, the vacuum started deteriorating inside the tube after a spark. The RGA reading was taken and it was found out that residual gas inside tube was sulphur hexafluoride. A leak was detected in second tube of unit number eight in between electrode 6 to 8. Leak was sealed with the sealant. Again leak check was done and no leak was found. The tank was closed and conditioning was started again. During the same unit number eight conditioning, leak developed again followed by a spark. So the damaged tube was replaced with a new accelerator tube. During the installation time the alignment of the machine was taken care. Again leak checking was done and the tube was baked properly. The tank was closed again and this particular unit was conditioned for about four days. The maximum voltage it has attained was 1.1 MV. (author)
Most plans for the disposition of surplus nuclear materials involve storage in sealed containers where the evolution of gases from reactions of adsorbed water could present both pressure and flammability hazards[l] . Despite efforts such as calcining the material to minimize the water content prior to packaging, both residual moisture and readsorbed water may be present in the final containers . Given the anticipated temperature excursions during transportation and storage, this water may thermally desorb, increasing the pressure, and/or thermally dissociate to produce H2 gas, increasing flammability hazards . In addition, the radiation from the nuclear material may induce radiolysis of the water with the likely products being water vapor, H2, 02 and H2O2. In order to better understand the relative importance of the thermal- and radiationinduced chemistry, we have studied the interactions of water on single crystals of uranium dioxide .
In the context of the LHC computing grid (LCG) project, the applications area develops and maintains that part of the physics applications software and associated infrastructure that is shared among the LHC experiments. The "physicist interface" (PI) project of the LCG application area encompasses the interfaces and tools by which physicists will directly use the software, providing implementations based on agreed standards like the analysis systems subsystem (AIDA) interfaces for data analysis. In collaboration with users from the experiments, work has started with implementing the AIDA interfaces for (binned and unbinned) histogramming, fitting and minimization as well as manipulation of tuples. These implementations have been developed by re-using existing packages either directly or by using a (thin) layer of wrappers. In addition, bindings of these interfaces to the Python interpreted language have been done using the dictionary subsystem of the LCG applications ...
In the context of the LHC Computing Grid (LCG) project, the Applications Area develops and maintains that part of the physics applications software and associated infrastructure that is shared among the LHC experiments. The "Physicist Interface" (PI) project of the LCG Application Area encompasses the interfaces and tools by which physicists will directly use the software, providing implementations based on agreed standards like the AIDA interfaces for data analysis. In collaboration with users from the experiments, work has started with implementing the AIDA interfaces for (binned and unbinned) histogramming, fitting and minimization as well as manipulation of tuples. These implementations have been developed by re-using existing packages either directly or by using a (thin) layer of wrappers. In addition, bindings of these interfaces to the Python interpreted language have been done using the dictionary subsystem of the LCG-AA/SEAL project. The actual status and ...
To address lithium-ion cell safety issues in demanding power applications, electrical and thermal abuse tests were performed on 18650 sized cells. Video and electrically monitored abuse tests in air included short circuit, forced overcharge, forced reversal, and controlled overheating (thermal) modes. Controlled overheating tests to 200 C were performed in a sealed chamber under a helium atmosphere and the gases released from the cell during thermal runaway were analyzed at regular intervals using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. In addition to alkane and alkene solvent breakdown fragments, significant H{sub 2} was detected and evidence that HF was evolved was also found.
A rotary drill bit having a drill bit body and at least one trunnion projecting from the drill bit body and a rotary cutter supported on at least one radial roller bearing on the trunnion. The rolling elements of the bearing are guided on at least one axial end facing the drill bit body in an outer bearing race groove incorporated in the bore of the rotary cutter. The inner bearing race groove is formed on the trunnion for the rolling elements of the radial roller bearing. At least one filling opening is provided which extends through the drill bit body and trunnion and is essentially axially oriented having one terminal end adjacent the inner bearing race groove and at least one filler piece for sealing the opening.
Soil placed over any sealant/barrier system can provide a protective mantle if the soil is not lost by erosion. Vegetation is an attractive choice for controlling erosion because it can provide an economic self-renewing cover that serves to reduce erosion by both wind and water. Vegetation alone, however, may not adequately stabilize the surface in extremely arid areas. In those areas, a properly designed surface treatment of rock cover, perhaps in conjunction with vegetation, may be necessary to stabilize the tailings surfaces. The objective of this program is to establish guidelines for surface stabilization that are compatible with sealant/barrier systems and that are suited to soils and climates at inactive uranium mill tailings sites. These guidelines will provide the means to estimate potential vegetation cover, potential erosion, effects of surface treatments on sealant/barrier systems, and costs of vegetation and rock covers. Methods for establishing vegetation on ...
The #alpha# radiation dose to the lungs of people who live in buildings constructed of some granites, low density concretes, and gypsum boards is higher than for residents of most other types of dwellings due to the air-borne progeny of radon. There is evidence that sealing the interior surfaces with epoxy paint, for example, can reduce the #alpha# dose to the lung significantly without a compensating increase in whole-body exposure to the #gamma#-rays from radon progeny. Based on the incidence rates for lung cancer in uranium miners, a concentration of radon of the order of 1 to 5 pCi/l. appears to be a reasonable limit for 'lifetime' exposure indoors for 'typical' home ventilation conditions. (author).
A cold-leg small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) experiment was performed on the PACTEL facility to study the behavior of natural circulation in a VVER-440 reactor geometry. The facility is a volumetrically scaled (1:305) integral test loop simulating the VVER-440 reactors used in Finland. The test results were used to assess the computer codes RELAP5/MOD3.1 and APROS 3.0 for VVER reactors. The behavior of the horizontal steam generator and the effect of the hot-leg loop seal were of particular interest. The specific parameters to be compared included the primary pressure and the downcomer mass flow rate.
A cold-leg small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) experiment was performed on the PACTEL facility to study the behavior of natural circulation in a VVER-440 reactor geometry. The facility is a volumetrically scaled (1:305) integral test loop simulating the VVER-440 reactors used in Finland. The test results were used to assess the computer codes RELAP5/MOD3.1 and APROS 3.0 for VVER reactors. The behavior of the horizontal steam generator and the effect of the hot-leg loop seal were of particular interest. The specific parameters to be compared included the primary pressure and the downcomer mass flow rate.
The patent describes a method for repairing leakage-causing cracks and fissures in a cryogenic heat exchanger. It comprises: reducing the interior pressure of the heat exchanger to a level which does not exceed the external pressure upon the hear exchanger while maintaining the temperature of the heat exchanger at a low level relative to the ambient external temperature; applying a curable liquid filler composition to the surface of the heat exchanger proximal the leakage site for seepage into the cracks and fissures located at the leakage. The composition upon a relatively short period of cure at low temperature forming a solid material which fills the cracks and fissures; curing the filler composition; and, applying a sealant composition to the surface of the heat exchanger at the filled leakage site. The sealant composition having long-term sealing performance under cyrogenic conditions.
A kind of polymer-metal complex gel electrolyte is successfully prepared and is used in dye-sensitized solar cells. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the structure of this complex and is found that the metal ion reacts with nitrogen in the polymer. This novel electrolyte shows apparent diffusion coefficient of iodide of 8.37 x 10-7 cm2 s-1 and the energy conversion efficiency of 6.10% when the amount of ZnI2 is 0.04 M. By studying the dissociation active energy of the inorganic salt in electrolytes, we find that the metal salts can dissociate more easily after reacting with polymer and as a result can provide extra free iodide ion. The cell maintains ca. 93% of its initial efficiency after 20 d without further sealing, which shows good long-time stability.
{sup 1}H, {sup 13}C, {sup 27}Al, and {sup 29}Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR was used to elucidate the nature of the catalytic activity of zeolite H-ZSM-5. {sup 1}H MAS NMR of sealed samples after mild hydrothermal dealumination shows that the enhanced activity for n-hexane cracking is not due to an enhanced Bronstead acidity. The concentrations of the various OH groups and aluminous species suggest that the reason for the enhanced catalytic activity is the interaction of the n-hexane molecule with a bridging hydroxyl group and with extra-framework aluminium species, which give rise to the enhanced activity, cannot be easily removed from their positions, and are therefore immobilized by the zeolitic framework.
Mine rescue teams frequently must fight fires and guard against the propagation of fires or explosions during a rescue and recovery operation. The team's ability to fight fires depends a great deal on hands-on experience with different fire fighting agents and equipment. The team's work includes an assessment of fire conditions, mine fire gases and other potential hazards associated with fire fighting activity. This training module covers the underlying principles of the fire triangle and the different methods for controlling, containing and extinguishing fires in a mine. The manual also covers fire-fighting equipment, considerations involved in a sealing operation and the cause-effect of explosions.
The results of following the oxidative degradation of a plastic-bonded explosive (PBX 9501) are reported. Into over 1100 sealed containers were placed samples of PBX 9501 and combinations of its components and aged at relatively low temperatures to induce oxidative degradation of the samples. One of the components of the explosive is a poly(ester urethane) polymer and the oxidative degradation of the samples were following by measuring the molecular weight change of the polymer by gel permeation chromatography (coupled with both differential refractive index and multiangle laser light scattering detectors). Multiple temperatures between 40 and 64 degreeC were used to accelerate the aging of the samples. Interesting induction period behavior, along with both molecular weight increasing (cro...
Object: To minimize the range of the liquid level variation of the cooling system and reduce the time required for the liquid level control by sealing the gas of a cover gas respiration system which acts upon an evaporator and pump overflow column. Structure: In liquid level control by the cover gas pressure of a high-speed reactor secondary cooling system, upon occurrence of a sudden change in the rate of flow of the recirculated liquid, automatic check valves provided in an evaporator and pump overflow column cover gas respiration system are completely or substantially closed, while at the same time the recirculation cooling medium is sucked up and an automatic check valve provided in the overflow system is closed. (Kamimura, M.).
The present invention concerns a high thermal load heat receiving plate such as a divertor plate of a thermonuclear device. The high thermal load heat receiving plate of the present invention has a cooling performance capable of suppressing the temperature of an armour tile to less than a threshold value of the material against high thermal loads applied from plasmas. Spiral polygonal pipes are inserted in cooling pipes at a portion receiving high thermal loads in the high temperature load heat receiving plate of the present invention. Both ends of the polygonal pipes are sealed by lids. An area of the flow channel in the cooling pipes is thus reduced. Heat conductivity on the cooling surface of the cooling pipes is increased in the high thermal load heat receiving plate having such a structure. Accordingly, temperature elevation of the armour tile can be suppressed. (I.S.).
A headspace gas chromatographic (GC) method, which can be automated, has been developed for determination of methyl bromide. This method has been applied to wheat, flour, cocoa, and peanuts. Samples to be analyzed are placed in headspace sample vials, water is added, and the vials are sealed with Teflon-lined septa. After an appropriate equilibration time at 32 degrees C, the samples are analyzed within 10 h. A sample of the headspace is withdrawn and analyzed on a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD). Methyl bromide levels were quantitated by comparison of peak area with a standard. The standard was generated by adding a known amount of methyl bromide to a portion of the matrix being analyzed and which was known to be methyl bromide free. The detection limit of the method was 0.4 ppb. The coefficient of variation (CV) was 6.5% for wheat, 8.3% for flour, 3.3% for cocoa, and 11.6% for peanuts.
A test program was conducted under contract to Sandia National Laboratories to investigate water/steam effects on elevated temperature low cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue of Alloy 800. This report presents interpretation and analysis of the test results. Tubular specimens with water sealed inside were cycled to failure under strain control. Tests were conducted to 616K (650/sup 0/F) and 922K (1200/sup 0/F); some at 922K included tensile or compressive hold periods to simulate creep-fatigue conditions. The tubular specimens showed significantly lower lives than solid bar specimens cycled at equivalent strain ranges. Rough internal surfaces contributed to early crack initiation with these specimens. Inclusion of hold periods caused further large reductions in cycles to failure.
The loss of seal of the H9 channel in vacuum, freeing the entire cross section of the front part, leads to a fast leak that progresses rapidly. The effect of depressurizing the reflector can leads to shutdown of the shutdown rod pumps. The source changer associated with the channel fills completely before the valve closes. All of the leak water remains contained within the source changer containment. After the valves open, cooling of the fuel element is handled by natural convection, requiring a reversal of the flow between the plates. This changeover, which takes place at a relatively low pressure level, could lead to local boiling in the fuel element. Consequently, irreversible transformations cannot be excluded as possibilities for the fuel element and even for the control rod. Subsequently, the can is refilled with heavy water with establishment of the usual pressure levels.
The Sulige gas field and the Yulin gas field are located in the north of the Ordos Basin. Reservoir pressure in the Sulige area is subnormal, whereas reservoirs in the Yulin area have normal hydrostatic pressure. This paper provides an explanation of this difference. The characteristics of reservoir sediment and formation water chemistry in the gas reservoirs of these two areas were analyzed. The results showed that both reservoirs have good sealing ability. Data of numerical simulation showed that tectonic uplift resulted in a great reduction in formation pressure in the northern Ordos Basin during the late Cretaceous period, and the decrease was greater in the Yulin gas field than in the Sulige gas field. However, because the total hydrocarbon-generating intensity of the Sulige area (<24...
This paper reports on a flexible dimensionaly flush joint for 500kV aluminum-sheathed oil-filled cables capable of being assembled, pulled an installed in a similar manner to cables at site which has been developed. This joint is intended for use at intermediate points on long bridges or tunnels where local assembly and installation of conventional joints would be difficult. In developing the joint various novel and original techniques have been employed, including the flexible flush jointing of segmental conductors, the flexible jointing of paper insulation by a combination of wrapping-back and stepping methods, plus on-site aluminum sheath corrugating and sealing methods.
The present paper describes the development of a radon standard source for use in establishing the traceability of radon concentration measurements in air. Previously, radon generated by bubbling air through a radium salt solution was widely used for calibration of radon measurement equipment; however, the handling of a solid-phase radon source is easier. In the present study, the radioactivity of radon released in a vapor phase was determined from the difference between the radioactivity of the radium and the residual radon progenies in the source. A germanium detector, calibrated using gamma reference sources, was used for these radioactivity measurements. Under equilibrium conditions the radioactivity of the radon released from the radium source was found to be 988 Bq. The source was sealed in a stainless-steel container having a nominal capacity of 6 l to produce a radon standard source of density of 167.5 [Bq/l].
In a turbine rotor, a thermal mismatch between various component parts of the rotor occurs particularly during transient operations such as shutdown and startup. A thermal medium flows past and heats or cools one part of the turbine which may have a deleterious thermal mismatch with another part. By passively controlling the flow of cooling medium past the one part in response to relative movement of thermally responsive parts of the turbine, the flow of thermal medium along the flow path can be regulated to increase or reduce the flow, thereby to regulate the temperature of the one part to maintain the thermal mismatch within predetermined limits.
Recently, foods are often exposed to radiation under packed states with various wrapping materials. In this study, the effects of #gamma#-ray radiation were investigated on the additives in wrapping materials on the market. 10 - 50 kGy #gamma# radiation was irradiated to samples under sealed condition in a glass-ware. Polyethylene bag and wrapping film, polypropylene wrapping film, cup and sheet, and polystyrene cup were used as samples. And the additives in these materials were analyzed by GC/MS to evaluate the radiation effects on them. The irradiation was found to induce rapid degradation of antioxidants, especially, Irgafos 168. Some fatty acid amides used as a lubricant and a plasticizer, DBP were also reduced, but not aliphatic hydrocarbons. However, all polystyrene products used in this study included no additives. The contents of styrene dimer and trimer in those wrapping materials were not changed by #gamma#-irradiation. (M.N.)
Natural circulation experiments carried out in the REWET-III facility in 1985 have been used for RELAP5/MOD2 assessment. The REWET-III facility is a scaled-down model of VVER-440 type reactors. The facility consists of a pressure vessel in which the downcomer is simulated with an external pipe assembly, hot and cold legs with loop seals and a horizontal steam generator. The volume scaling factor compared to the reference reactor is 1:2333. The present paper summarizes the experiences gained in the RELAP5/MOD2 calculations of selected REWET-III single- and two-phase natural circulation experiments. The code's ability to represent the main phenomena of experiments in both cases was satisfactory.
Natural circulation experiments carried out in the REWET-III facility in 1985 have been used for RELAP5/MOD2 assessment. The REWET-III facility is a scaled-down model of VVER-440 type reactors. The facility consists of a pressure vessel in which the downcomer is simulated with an external pipe assembly, hot and cold legs with loop seals and a horizontal steam generator. The volume scaling factor compared to the reference reactor is 1:2333. The present paper summarizes the experiences gained in the RELAP5/MOD2 calculations of selected REWET-III single- and two-phase natural circulation experiments. The code`s ability to represent the main phenomena of experiments in both cases was satisfactory.
Natural circulation experiments carried out in the REWET-III facility in 1985 have been used for RELAP5/MOD2 assessment. The REWET-III facility is a scaled-down model of VVER-440 type reactors. The facility consists of a pressure vessel in which the downcomer is simulated with an external pipe assembly, hot and cold legs with loop seals and a horizontal steam generator. The volume scaling factor compared to the reference reactor is 1:2333. The present paper summarizes the experiences gained in the RELAP5/MOD2 calculations of selected REWET-III single- and two-phase natural circulation experiments. The code's ability to represent the main phenomena of experiments in both cases was satisfactory.
For years rock bit performance has been progressively improved by many innovative changes to the design of both the bit cutting structure and the bearing. The changes have offered increased footage per bit and reduced cost per foot of hole through longer bit life and/or faster penetration rate. Efforts to assist the industry in drilling deeper thru hard abrasive rocks such as cherts of West Texas, conglomerated of the Rockies and bromides of Oklahoma led to a major breakthrough in rock bit design - the development of the tungsten carbide cutting structure. When properly applied the bit far exceeded that of the non-sealed ball and roller bearing being used at the time. The bearing failure mode was one of severe race spalling and abrasive wear influenced by the drilling fluid entering the bearing.
Female rats were given tritiated drinking water (3 microCi/ml) from 30 days before mating up to and throughout pregnancy. At this low dose, the course and the outcome of pregnancy were normal. The differences between newborn body and cerebral weights of the treated rats and those of control animals were on the borderline of significance. In contrast, cerebral DNA and cerebral protein were highly significantly lower. In 30-35% of the treated population the DNA and protein values were more than 2 standard deviations (SD) below the mean values for the control population. Thus the number of the progeny of the mothers exposed to tritiated water that were considered to have outstandingly low levels of DNA and protein was 14-17 times greater than in the control group. The irradiated population also had 3-5% of severely affected individuals with cerebral DNA and protein values more than 2 SD below the mean of the experimental ...
Abstract Absence of the palmaris longus muscle has been well documented in several populations at a prevalence rate ranging between 2.2 and 63.9% which varies according to race, sex, and side of the body. There is little documentation of the prevalence of absence of this muscle from populations in the Arabian Gulf region. We examined 1,043 subjects, 3 85 years old, from the Kingdom of Bahrain for the presence or absence of the palmaris longus muscle using the conventional test for the presence of this muscle. Statistical analyses investigated the association of muscle absence with sex, hand dominance, and laterality. The palmaris longus muscle was absent in 36.8% of subjects. Bilateral absence (19%) was more common than unilateral absence (17.9%) with preponderance in female subjects. The ...
In this article, we propose a model selection method, the Bayesian composite model space approach, to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) in a half-sib population for continuous and binary traits. In our method, the identity-by-descent-based variance component model is used. To demonstrate the performance of this model, the method was applied to map QTL underlying production traits on BTA6 in a Chinese half-sib dairy cattle population. A total of four QTLs were detected, whereas only one QTL was identified using the traditional least square (LS) method. We also conducted two simulation experiments to validate the efficiency of our method. The results suggest that the proposed method based on a multiple-QTL model is efficient in mapping multiple QTL for an outbred half-sib population and is more powerful than the LS method based on a single-QTL model. PMID:21487433
Abstract It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to demonstrate that adult predatory performance declines with age and that an increasing ratio of senescent individuals in the wolf population depresses the rate of prey offtake. Because this ratio fluctuates independently of population size, predatory senescence may cause wolf populations of equal size but different age structure to have d...
Phenotypic plasticity can facilitate reproductive strategies that maximize mating success in variable environments and lead to differences in sex allocation among populations. For simultaneous hermaphrodites with sperm competition, including Serranus tortugarum a small coral reef fish, proportional male allocation (testis in total gonad) is often greater where local density or mating group size is higher. We tested whether S. tortugarum reduced male allocation when transplanted from a higher density site to a lower density site. After 4?months, transplants mirrored the sex-allocation patterns of the resident population on their new reef. Transplants had significantly lower male allocation than representatives from their source population, largely as a result of reduced testis mass relative...
To determine the proportion of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving preventive health care according to US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations compared with a community-based population sample, with emphasis on dyslipidemia testing, given the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in RA patients. Patients with RA (ICD-9 code 714.0 at ?2 office visits with a rheumatologist) and a primary care physician (PCP) at the Geisinger Health System (GHS) were identified through electronic health records. The records were searched back from 3/31/08 for the length of time required to satisfy each outcome measure. Percentages were compared with population testing rates using the Pearson Chi-square test. Eight hundred and thirty-one RA patients were compared to 169,476 subjects...
Monocelis lineata is a complex of cryptic species (three in the Mediterranean and one in the Atlantic) widespread in midlittoral habitats. Throughout the range, populations with or without an ocular pigmented shield are found. We investigated the genetic structure of the North-East Atlantic populations with the aim of shedding light on their phylogeography and reconstructing possible patterns of recolonization after the Wrmian glaciation. Fourteen samples were investigated using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 13 by inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). COI did not exhibit a clear pattern of decreased genetic diversity along a latitudinal gradient. Populations from Ferrol (Spain), Doolin (Ireland), and Helsingr (Denmark) showed a higher genetic variability, whereas a reduction in...
ABSTRACT New observations from the Hubble Ultra Deep Field suggest that the star formation rate at Formula Not Shown drops off faster than previously thought. Using a newly determined star formation rate for the normal mode of Population II/I (PopII/I) stars, including this new constraint, we compute the Thomson scattering optical depth and find a result that is marginally consistent with Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 5 results. We also reconsider the role of Population III (PopIII) stars in light of cosmological and stellar evolution constraints. While this input may be needed for reionization, we show that it is essential in order to account for cosmic chemical evolution in the early universe. We investigate the consequences of PopIII stars on the local metallicity distribution fu...
Despite the many advances in scientific research over the last several decades, cutting edge technologies and therapeutics often take many years to find their way into widespread use. The dissemination and uptake of best practices into clinical care is sometimes a neglected component of research that is essential to improve the population?s health. Type 2 translational research, sometimes called ?Proof in Practice Research,? seeks to maximize the yield of what has been learned from the bench and from carefully controlled clinical trials and to extend those benefits to a larger population. One aspect of type 2 translational research, sometimes called evidence implementation or implementation science, applies what has been learned about clinical medicine to achieve best practices across prov...
The number of immigrants to Western Europe has been increasing, with immigration the subject of much controversy in contemporary Europe. In this article, we investigate the relationship between the size of the immigrant population, how natives perceive this size, and their anti-immigrant attitudes. We use data from the 2002/2003 European Social Survey covering 17 Western European countries, and we find that as a rule Western Europeans think that the immigrant population in their country is much larger than it actually is. The perceived size of an immigrant population has an impact on anti-immigrant prejudices, but the real size does not. Like many authors before us, we find that education reduces prejudice. However, we also find that around 10 percent of the total effect of education is a ...
Radiation sterilization has several merits that it is a positively effective sterilization method, it can be used to sterilize low heat-resistant containers and high gas barrier films, and there is no possibility of residual chemicals being left in the packages. It has been commercially used in 'Bag in a Box' and some food containers. The #gamma# ray and an electron beam are commonly used in radiation sterilization. The #gamma# ray can sterilize large size containers and containers with complex shapes or sealed containers due to its strong transmission capability. However, since the equipment tends to be large and expensive, it is generally used in off production lines. On the other hand, it is possible to install and electron beam system on food production lines since the food can be processed in a short time due to its high beam coefficient and its ease of maintenance, even though an electron beam has limited usage such as sterilizing relatively thin materials ...
This paper reports on Run SB-CL-05, a test similar to Semiscale Run S-UT-8. The test results show that the core was uncovered briefly during the accident and that the rods overheated at certain core locations. Liquid holdup on the upflow side of the steam-generator tubes was observed. After the loop seal cleared, the core refilled and the rods cooled. These behaviors were similar to those observed in the Semiscale run. The Large-Scale Test Facility (LSTF) Run SB-CL-06 is a counterpart test to Semiscale Run S-LH-01. The comparison of the results of both tests shows similar phenomena. The similarity of phenomena in these two facilities build confidence that these results can be expected to occur in a PWR. Similar holdup has now been observed in the 6 tubes of Semiscale and in the 141 tubes of LSTF. It is now more believable that holdup may occur in a full-scale steam generator with 3000 or more tubes. These results confirm the scaling of these phenomena from ...
A recently developed neutron diagnostic probe system has the potential to satisfy a significant number of van-mobile and fixed- portal requirements for nondestructive verification of sealed munitions and detection of contraband explosives and drugs. The probe is based on a unique associated-particle sealed-tube neutron generator (APSTNG) that interrogates the object of interest with a low-intensity beam of 14-MeV neutrons generated from the deuterium-tritium reaction and that detects the alpha-particle associated with each neutron. Gamma-ray spectra of resulting neutron inelastic scattering and fission reactions identify nuclides associated with all major chemicals in chemical warfare agents, explosives, and drugs, as well as many pollutants and fissile and fertile special nuclear material. Flight times determined from determined from detection times of the gamma-rays and alpha-particles yield a separate tomographic image of each identified ...
The somatically significant dose index can be considered as a measure for the somatic radiation risk to which the population is exposed. Figures are stated for conventional tomography of the skull and thorax. These are compared with the corresponding data for other x-ray examinations, especially computerised tomography. PMID:7134769
To evaluate the role of chronic inflammation in the development of gallstones and biliary tract cancer, we examined the risk associated with 62 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including...Full Text Available
Geographic information systems (GIS) are being used with increasing frequency in environmental epidemiology studies. Reported applications include locating the study population by geocoding addresses...Full Text Available
BackgroundExisting studies concerning the health care use of homeless people describe higher utilisation rates for hospital-based care and emergency care, and lower rates for primary...Full Text Available
Demographic and health surveillance (DS) systems monitor and document individual and group-level processes in well-defined populations over long periods of time. The resulting data are complex...Full Text Available
Ecological investigations were made of habitats containing natural populations of the snail Oncomelania hupensis quadrasi and of habitats free from the snail in the island of Leyte,...Full Text Available
Recent reports confirm that, due to the presence of long-lived, latently infected cell populations, eradication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) from infected patients by using antiretroviral...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE--To assess the accuracy of the ten questions screen as a measure of childhood disability for epidemiologic studies in populations lacking resources for professional assessment of children's...Full Text Available
Ecological speciation is the process by which barriers to gene flow between populations evolve due to adaptive divergence via natural selection. A relatively unexplored area in ecological speciation...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of the study was to examine the role that melatonin production plays in the regulation of sleep consolidation in a population of shiftworkers working and sleeping...Full Text Available
In a cross-sectional study of the pattern of isolated sleep paralysis among the entire population of nursing students at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Abeokuta, Nigeria (consisting of 58 males and...Full Text Available
BackgroundDuring the last ten years, major advances have been made in characterizing and understanding the evolution of mitochondrial DNA, the most popular marker of molecular biodiversity....Full Text Available
Chronic heart failure (HF) is a cardiovascular disease of cardinal importance because of several factors: a) an increasing occurrence due to the aging of the population, primary and secondary prevention...Full Text Available
Most of the general population is exposed to carbaryl and other contemporary-use insecticides at low levels. Studies of laboratory animals, in addition to limited human data, show an association between...Full Text Available
BackgroundCharacterizing infectious disease burden in Africa is important for prioritizing and targeting limited resources for curative and preventive services and monitoring the...Full Text Available
BackgroundEpidemiological studies have shown a J- or U-shaped relation between alcohol and type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). The underlying mechanisms are not clear....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
Background. For unknown reasons, the prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disorders is higher in patients with Down's syndrome than in the general population. The present case strongly...Full Text Available
BackgroundPublic information about prevention of zoonoses should be based on the perceived problem by the public and should be adapted to regional circumstances. Growing fox populations...Full Text Available
High blood pressure (BP) is a major public health problem in India and its prevalence is rapidly increasing among urban and rural populations. Reducing systolic and diastolic BP can decrease cardiovascular...Full Text Available
Gonadal, adrenal, and thyroid hormones affect the brain directly, and the sensitivity to hormones begins in embryonic life with the appearance of hormone receptor sites in discrete populations of neurons....Full Text Available
Objectives: To determine the community based prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in the rural population of the district of Rahim Yaar Khan in Pakistan.Subjects...Full Text Available
Goals of workThe goal of this study was to evaluate, at a population level, the association between specialized palliative care services (SPCS) and short- and long-term caregiver...Full Text Available
BackgroundPrevention of Chagas disease depends mainly on control of the insect vectors that transmit infection. Unfortunately, the vectors have been resurgent in some areas. It is...Full Text Available
The somatically significant dose index can be considered as a measure for the somatic radiation risk to which the population is exposed. Figures are stated for conventional tomography of the skull and thorax. These are compared with the corresponding data for other X-ray examinations, especially computerised tomography.
The somatically significant dose index can be considered as a measure for the somatic radiation risk to which the population is exposed. Figures are stated for conventional tomography of the skull and thorax. These are compared with the corresponding data for other X-ray examinations, especially computerised tomography. (orig.).
Background:Smoking cessation is an important strategy for reducing the harmful effects of tobacco, particularly in the prevention of lung cancer; however, prospective data on the...Full Text Available
Dental caries continues to be a common chronic disease among various population groups. Patient care can be improved with detection at the earliest stage. However, current techniques do not...Full Text Available
BackgroundLarge population growth surveys of children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 y were undertaken in Hong Kong in 1963 and 1993. The global epidemic of obesity is a major public...Full Text Available
Project ZEUS was designed to characterize the effects of long-term gamma irradiation on free-ranging meadow voles, and to determine the lowest level of radiation at which biological effects are discernible in the population. Behavioural tests are consider...
Atypical antipsychotic medications have assumed growing importance for the treatment of bipolar disorder, an illness that affects approximately 1.2%–3.7% of the general population in a given...Full Text Available
PurposeNocturnal rhythms of gene expression in the retina are known to be both darkness- and circadian clock-dependent, but their role and cellular location are not well defined....Full Text Available
Background:Parity has been linked to gallbladder cancer and gallstones, but the effects of other reproductive factors are less clear.Methods:We examined...Full Text Available
Quality reporting tools, integrated with ambulatory electronic health records, can help clinicians and administrators understand performance, manage populations, and improve quality. Report Central...Full Text Available
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
OBJECTIVE--To examine the effect of a reduced sodium and increased potassium and magnesium intake on blood pressure. DESIGN--Randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. SETTING--General population...Full Text Available
Several different neuronal populations are involved in regulating energy homeostasis. Among these, agouti-related protein (AgRP) neurons are thought to promote feeding and weight gain; however, the...Full Text Available
BackgroundQuality of Life measurements are necessary tools for effectively evaluating health services. In the population of patients afflicted with war-related blindness in Iran,...Full Text Available
A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis designed for a multi-parent population was carried out and tested in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), which is a diploid cross-fertilising...Full Text Available
Testicular neoplasm accounts for about 1% of all cancers in men. Over the last 40 years, the incidence of testicular cancer has increased in northern European male populations for unknown reasons. When...Full Text Available
Forty species of anaerobes were screened for the ability to produce an ether-extractable mutagen which is present in the feces of 15 to 20% of individuals in populations at high risk for colon cancer....Full Text Available
A patient’s electronic medical record contains a large amount of unstructured textual information. As patient records become increasingly dense owing to an aging population and increased occurrence...Full Text Available
BackgroundMost maternal deaths in developing countries can be prevented. China is among the 13 countries with the most maternal deaths; however, there has been a marked decrease...Full Text Available
AimTo estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment in the population aged 40 years and over in Muyuka, a rural district in the South West Province...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Although the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in high-risk groups has been proven, vaccine coverage continues to be less than 50% in The Netherlands. To improve vaccination rates,...Full Text Available
Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of human malaria, invades host erythrocytes using several proteins on the surface of the invasive merozoite, which have been proposed...Full Text Available
Factors potentially contributing to the lower incidence of Lyme borreliosis (LB) in the far-western than in the northeastern United States include tick host-seeking behavior resulting in fewer human...Full Text Available
... being reported (Kisseberth et al., 1984; Ma, 1989; Shore and Douben, 1994). Small mammals are useful indicator species because they have relatively small home ranges allowing a direct tie to the source of ...
Orthologous positions of 55 genes associated with height in four human populations were located on the bovine genome. Single nucleotide polymorphisms close to eight of these genes were significantly...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo evaluate the association of physical activity with left ventricular structure and function in the general population in a community setting.Full Text Available
The sequence in the first hypervariable segment (HVS-I) of the control region has been used as a source of evolutionary information in most phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA. Population genetic inference...Full Text Available
Amphibian populations are declining globally at an alarming rate. Pesticides are among a number of proposed causes for these declines. Although a sizable database examining effects of pesticides on...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVEModerately preterm infants (30–34 6/7 weeks’ gestational age) represent the largest population of NICU residents. Whether their clinical...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeasonal influenza A infection affects a significant cohort of the global population annually, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic strategies...Full Text Available
Background. The Free Radical Theory of Aging mechanistically links oxidative stress to aging. Okinawa has among the world's longest-lived populations but oxidative stress in this...Full Text Available
BackgroundOral cancer is as prevalent as cervical and testicular cancer in the United Kingdom. Nursing staff provide the oral health care for the patient population in hospital....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
Marine ecosystems are suffering severe depletion of apex predators worldwide; shark declines are principally due to conservative life-histories and fisheries overexploitation. On coral reefs, sharks are strongly interacting apex predators and play a key role in maintaining healthy reef ecosystems. Despite increasing fishing pressure, reef shark catches are rarely subject to specific limits, with management approaches typically depending upon no-take marine reserves to maintain populations. Here, we reveal that this approach is failing by documenting an ongoing collapse in two of the most abundant reef shark species on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). We find an order of magnitude fewer sharks on fished reefs compared to no-entry management zones that encompass only 1% of reefs. No-take zones, which are more difficult to enforce than no-entry zones, offer almost no protection for shark populations. Population viability ...
The evolution of drug resistant bacteria is a severe public health problem, both in hospitals and in the community. Currently, some countries aim at concentrating highly specialized services in large...Full Text Available
BackgroundIt is a priority to achieve an adequate nutritional status of iodine during pregnancy since iodine deficiency in this population may have repercussions on the mother during...Full Text Available
Listeria monocytogenes, isolated from outbreaks in either human or nonhuman primate populations, was administered orally at doses ranging from 106 to 1010 CFU....Full Text Available
Neurodegenerative and infectious disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and stroke are rapidly increasing as population’s...Full Text Available
PurposeThe size of neuronal populations is modulated by gene variants that influence cell production and survival, in turn influencing neuronal connectivity, function,...Full Text Available
BackgroundRecent advances in the understanding of the maternal and paternal heritage of south and southwest Asian populations have highlighted their role in the colonization of Eurasia...Full Text Available
BackgroundIdentification of global livestock diversity hotspots and their importance in diversity maintenance is essential for making global conservation efforts. We screened 52...Full Text Available
Nutrient transport affinities of nutrient-starved microbial populations were measured as initial slopes of plots of limiting-nutrient transport rates versus extracellular limiting-nutrient concentrations....Full Text Available
BackgroundTwo planned trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis tenofovir in Cambodia and Cameroon to prevent HIV infection in high-risk populations were closed due to activist pressure...Full Text Available
Within the next 30 years, the proportion of urban dwellers will rise from under half to two thirds of the world’s population. Such a shift will entail massive public health consequences,...Full Text Available
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the leading cause of lower urinary tract symptoms among the aging male population. Epidemiological, pathophysiological and clinical studies indicate that...Full Text Available
IntroductionNormal and neoplastic breast tissues are comprised of heterogeneous populations of epithelial cells exhibiting various degrees of maturation and differentiation. While...Full Text Available
We have exploited ``progeny testing'' to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying the genetic variation of milk production in a selected dairy cattle population. A total of 1,518 sires, with progeny...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe complications of hypertension cause severe health problems in rural areas in China. We (i) screened the major factors inducing hypertensive complications and provided...Full Text Available
Dysregulation of the alternative pathway of complement activation, caused by mutations or polymorphisms in the genes encoding factor H, membrane co-factor protein, factor I or factor B, is associated...Full Text Available
The somatic sensory system responds to stimuli of distinct modalities, including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity. In the past century, great progress has been made in understanding the...Full Text Available
Kin form important political groups, which change in size and relative inequality with demographic shifts. Increases in the rate of population growth increase the size of kin groups but decrease their...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe maternally inherited, bacterial symbiont, parthenogenesis inducing (PI) Wolbachia, causes females in some haplodiploid insects to produce daughters...Full Text Available
Large population sizes, rapid growth and 3.8 billion years of evolution firmly establish microorganisms as a major source of the planet's biological and genetic diversity. However, up to 99% of the...Full Text Available
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
Populations of a common forage fish, red shiner Notropis lutrensis, were sampled from four localities on the Brazos River, Texas, affected by cold-water discharge from a hydroelectric dam and from unaltered sites in the same region. Polymorphism at the Mdh-B locus, encoding supernatant malate dehydrogenase, indicates that populations within 57 km of the dam are distinctive from other regional populations and possess a unique Mdh-B allele, have significantly higher levels of heterozygosity at the Mdh-B locus, represent a homogeneous set that have significantly different Mdh-B zygotic frequencies from other regional populations, and have significantly different Mdh-B zygotic proportions than would be expected under a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Increased levels of heterozygosity in fish within 57 km of the dam were correlated with discharge-associated fluctuations in water temperature at sampling ...
A collaborative research effort by scientists in several states and in Canada has produced information to develop a formal risk assessment of the impact of Bt corn on monarch butterfly...Full Text Available
IntroductionPrevious observations suggest that active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is associated with a prominent erythropoiesis gene-expression signature. The aim...Full Text Available
The Carassius auratus complex in natural populations includes diploid triploid and polyploidy individuals. Diploid individuals belong to the species Carassius auratus...Full Text Available
Epigenetic remodeling is a hallmark of cancer, with the frequent acquisition of de novo DNA methylation in CpG islands. However, the functional relevance of de novo...Full Text Available
... M. Taylor, T. Kurt Kyser. (2009) Feather isotope analysis discriminates age-classes of Western, Least, and Semipalmated sandpipers when plumage ... ...
Of 868 patients admitted with pancreatitis between 1971 and 1976, coexisting hyperbilirubinemia was noted in 125 (14%). The patient population was primarily composed of alcoholics (84%) with chronic...Full Text Available
BackgroundPopulation densities of many species throughout the world are changing due to direct persecution as well as anthropogenic habitat modification. These changes may induce...Full Text Available
Background:No recent data exist on human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in Beijing, People's Republic of China.Materials and methodWe interviewed...Full Text Available
We have developed a new strategy for immunization of wild rabbit populations against myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) that uses recombinant viruses based on a naturally attenuated field...Full Text Available
It is now widely accepted that novel infectious disease can be a leading cause of serious population decline and even outright extinction in some invertebrate and vertebrate groups (e.g., amphibians)....Full Text Available
Childhood cancer survivors often experience complications related to cancer and its treatment that may adversely affect quality of life and increase the risk of premature death. The purpose of this...Full Text Available
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ecologically important root symbionts of most terrestrial plants. Ecological studies of AMF have concentrated on differences between species; largely assuming...Full Text Available
Background and objectives: Few studies have examined health literacy in patients with end stage kidney disease. We hypothesized that inadequate health literacy in a hemodialysis population is common...Full Text Available
High rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among jail and prison inmates suggest that HIV prevention efforts should focus on incarcerated populations. Overcrowding, the high prevalence...Full Text Available
Every year nearly 200,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), and another 29,000 men succumb to the disease. Within certain regions of the world population based...Full Text Available
A fundamental property of neuronal networks in Ammon’s horn is that each area is comprised of a single glutamatergic cell population and various types of GABAergic neurons. Here we describe...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe objective of the study was to analyse the evolution of Bordetella pertussis population and the influence of herd immunity in different areas of the...Full Text Available
With the advent of dense maps of human genetic variation, it is now possible to detect positive natural selection across the human genome. Here we report an analysis of over 3 million polymorphisms...Full Text Available
Giardiasis is recognized as a worldwide public health problem. Seroprevalence data from both the developing and developed world show high rates of carriage in populations at risk for fecal-oral transmission,...Full Text Available
Amphibian population declines and sudden species' extinctions began to be noted at the beginning of the 1980s. Understanding the causes of the losses is hampered by our poor knowledge of the amphibian...Full Text Available
Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to establish for the first time reference curves for body fat levels in a Greek pediatric population aged 7-15y.Methods:...Full Text Available
The inflammatory and immune cell populations of the human lung parenchyma have not been characterized in detail. This report describes a novel and efficient procedure for their extraction. Histologically...Full Text Available
Forty-one Spanish families with polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) were studied for evidence of linkage disequilibrium between the disease locus and six closely linked markers. Four of these loci--three...Full Text Available
There is increasing recognition of intraspecific diversity and population structure within marine fish species, yet there is little direct evidence of the isolating mechanisms that maintain it or documentation...Full Text Available
Quality research, requiring large numbers of participants, in the intensive care unit (ICU) population requires multicentre collaboration. Although logistically challenging, this methodology reduces...Full Text Available
In the period November 1, 1985 to January 31, 1986, 703 cases of giardiasis were reported in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (population 50,265). The community obtained its water from two main reservoirs...Full Text Available
AimsTo describe the pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK–PD) characteristics of the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran in hip replacement patients by assessing coagulation...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection on production, reproduction and longevity in dairy cattle. The study population was a commercial Holstein...Full Text Available
Methyl fluoride is frequently used to specifically inhibit acetoclastic methanogenesis, thus allowing determination of the relative contribution of acetate versus H2/CO2 to total...Full Text Available
Dogs are domestic reservoir hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. We evaluated the effect of deltamethrin-treated dog collars (DTDCs) over time...Full Text Available
Analysis of gestation length in an obstetric population of indigenous African women revealed a mean pregnancy duration of 274.8 days, which is similar to values recorded in women of African descent...Full Text Available
BackgroundStudies from various countries have observed worse population health in geographical areas with more income inequality. The psychosocial interpretation of this association...Full Text Available
Data from 8,032 Manitoba respondents to the 1996/97 Canadian National Population Health Survey were linked to the 1996 census to study whether measures of morbidity, both self-reported and objectively...Full Text Available
BackgroundLittle is known about differences in professional care seeking based on marital status. The few existing studies show more professional care seeking among the divorced...Full Text Available
Many pathogens colonize different anatomical sites, but the selective pressures contributing to survival in the diverse niches are poorly understood. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is...Full Text Available
BackgroundDiet is considered an important factor for bone health, but is composed of a wide variety of foods containing complex combinations of nutrients. Therefore we investigated...Full Text Available
The association of dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) with cardiovascular diseases has been examined in several populations with varying results. We tested the hypothesis that...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVES: To assess the subjective quality of life (QOL) of family caregivers of Sudanese type-1 and type-2 diabetic outpatients, using the WHO 26-item QOL instrument, compared with a general population...Full Text Available
In rats, damage to neuronal populations in some brain regions occurs in response to neonatal alcohol exposure coinciding with the period of rapid brain growth. These alcohol-induced defects...Full Text Available
The primary mode of transmission of Helicobacter pylori, a human pathogen carried by more than half the population worldwide, is still unresolved. Some epidemiological data suggest...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:In view of increasing therapeutic efficacy, the delivery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antiviral treatment is expected to increase. Yet practical experience reveals...Full Text Available
Will the aging of Canada's population bankrupt the health care system? In this issue (see pages 1555 to 1560) Dr. Marie Demers reports that the increase in physician service costs for elderly people...Full Text Available
Accurate prediction of the pathogenic effects of specific genotypes is important for the design and execution of clinical trials as well as for meaningful counseling of individual patients. However,...Full Text Available
ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to describe the levels of daily spiritual experiences in community-dwelling older adults, to compare levels of spiritual...Full Text Available
Cystic dysplasia of the rete testis (CDT) is a very rare congenital benign testicular tumor that is often associated with ipsilateral genitourinary anomalies. It is usually found in the pediatric population...Full Text Available
Determine the degree to which different precautionary themes are dominant in various target populations and how these themes are acquired. Assess cultural signals of potential danger: are there different kinds of potential danger in different cultures. Do...
BackgroundBreast-feeding rates in the UK are known to vary by maternal socio-economic status but the latter function is imperfectly defined. We test if CTVB (Council Tax Valuation...Full Text Available
Post amputation pain can be debilitating for patients and families. Chronic pain is a common phenomenon after lower extremity amputation, occurring in up to 80% of this population. The purpose of this...Full Text Available
BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with a population prevalence of about 1%. Natriuretic peptide level is elevated in patients with AF with...Full Text Available
Parasite transmission generally exhibits some form of positive density dependence. Thus, as population density increases, so too does the per capita risk of becoming infected. Under...Full Text Available
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a leading cause of diarrhea in travelers to countries where the disease is endemic and causes a major disease burden in the indigenous population,...Full Text Available
ObjectiveFish consumption advisories are issued to warn the public of possible toxicological threats from consuming certain fish species. Although developing fetuses and children...Full Text Available
There is limited information about the true incidence of acute renal failure (ARF). Most studies could not quantify disease frequency in the general population as they are hospital-based and...Full Text Available
A cross sectional population based epidemiological survey of 899 adults aged between 15 and 59 was undertaken in two urban areas of demographic surveillance sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, using the...Full Text Available
In world Helminthes infections are the most widespread of all the infections in humans. The morbidity due to parasitic diseases has been increasing in our population. The gastrointestinal helminthes...Full Text Available
Calcium, vitamin D, exposure to sunshine, and vitamin D receptor (VDR) genotypes have been associated rectal cancer. We used data from 750 rectal tumors and 1,205 population-based...Full Text Available
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in a number of solid tumors, but not yet in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most frequently occurring soft tissue tumor in childhood. Hence, the aim of this...Full Text Available
BackgroundLevels of brominated flame retardants are increasing in U.S. populations, yet little data are available on body burdens of these and other persistent hormonally-active...Full Text Available
Global hypomethylation has been shown to increase genome instability potentially leading to increased cancer risk. We determined whether global methylation in blood leukocyte DNA was associated...Full Text Available
The importance of algal and detrital food supplies to the planktonic food web of a highly disturbed, estuarine ecosystem was evaluated in response to declining zooplankton and fish populations. We assessed...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn 1988, the SPILI project was established in order to evaluate the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile of the inhabitants of Spili, in rural Crete, Greece. The first...Full Text Available
BK virus (BKV) is a polyomavirus that ubiquitously infects the human population. Following a typically subclinical primary infection, BKV establishes a lifelong persistent infection in the kidney...Full Text Available
Baldwin County is located on the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama and has a rapidly growing population. Almost 3,000 permits for septic systems are approved annually by by the Baldwin County Health Department. More than 50% of the county's residents rely on septic systems for their d...
Objective: Determine and compare the prevalence of known risk factors for cardiovascular disease among unselected individuals presenting with their first ever episode of...Full Text Available
... hearing protection since you play, sit or stand near loud instruments and speakers. Here are a few ... piper's calling you to join him" Led Zeppelin (Robert Plant), "Stairway to Heaven" "My ears are ringin' ...
Teleost gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) consists of leucocyte populations located both intraepithelially and in the lamina propria with no structural organization. The present study aims to assess...Full Text Available
The different radiation loads caused by natural and artificial radionuclides are compared in this paper. This examples will serve to illustrate that the problem of population exposure to radiation can only be solved in consideration of all components and to show which effects of the radiation from natural sources are of special importance in this connexion. (orig./AK).
Many species introduced by humans for social and economic benefits have invaded new ranges by escaping from captivity. Such invasive species can negatively affect biodiversity and economies. Understanding...Full Text Available
The distribution and activity of communities of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea in two contrasting Antarctic sediments were investigated. Methanogenesis dominated in freshwater...Full Text Available
A goal of our research is to identify biochemical factors that underlie the susceptibility of bone marrow cell populations to benzene metabolites so as to develop a mechanistically based chemoprotective...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe goat (Capra hircus) represents one of the most important farm animal species. It is reared in all continents with an estimated world population of...Full Text Available
BackgroundTraumatic pneumothoraces are common. Many are managed with tube thoracostomy. However, there is a high complication rate from chest tube placement, particularly in patients...Full Text Available
IntroductionMale circumcision is being promoted for HIV prevention in high-risk heterosexual populations. However, there is a concern that circumcision may impair...Full Text Available
Besides ethanol, acetic acid is produced in naturally fermenting sweet resources and is a significant environmental stress for fruit-breeding Drosophila populations and species. Although not related...Full Text Available
BackgroundChronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease are major causes of morbidity and mortality that are seen far more commonly in the aged population. Interestingly, kidney...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn malarious areas of the world, a higher proportion of the population has blood group O than in non-malarious areas. This is probably due to a survival advantage conferred...Full Text Available
We describe the Phase II HapMap, which characterizes over 3.1 million human single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped in 270 individuals from four geographically diverse populations and...Full Text Available
AIM: To examine the determinants of maternal-neonatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV).METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted in Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic...Full Text Available
A generalized Fisher equation (GFE) relates the time derivative of the average of the intrinsic rate of growth to its variance. The GFE is an exact mathematical result that has been widely used in population...Full Text Available
During the autumn of 1994 an investigation of foodstuffs has been accomplished to assess the average intake of {sup 137}Cs by the Swedish population due to the Chernobyl accident. A standardized food basket has been collected from two grocers in 10 localities, of which the majority came from areas with the highest fallout. The estimated maximum intake of {sup 137}Cs was 815 Bq/year in the inland of the county of Vaesterbotten. The population weighted average intake for the fallout affected counties was 435 Bq/year. The rest of the county received an intake of 235 Bq/year. The population weighted average of the intake for the whole county was estimated to 274 Bq/year. From this intake the calculated body burden would be 1.3 Bq/kg for the average citizen. Whole-body measurements of a sample of the population gave 2.0 Bq/kg. A plausible explanation would be that 40% of the intake of {sup 137}Cs can have ...
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
OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and the long-term risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the role of age as a modifier of this association.PARTICIPANTS...Full Text Available
BackgroundInsurance coverage of tobacco cessation medications increases their use and reduces smoking prevalence in a population. However, uncertainty about the impact of this coverage...Full Text Available
Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is an important animal model of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a β-Herpesvirus that infects the majority of the world's population and causes disease in neonates...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVESTo examine the association between α-blocker use and sexual dysfunction among men participating in a population-based cohort of...Full Text Available
"The focus of this study was to examine the structural, social, and attitudinal factors that influence an individual?s decision to choose an IT career. The findings revealed many differences among male and female high school students? attitudes and intentions. Although many stereotypes existed among the male and female students, perceptions appeared to be similar within the population. For boys, computer and technical skills had a stronger association with attitudes toward IT than for girls. For girls, social issues showed a strong association with attitudes toward IT. Overall, the intention to pursue IT as a career was most likely to prevail within the population of the high school boys."
Microbial population and moisture content of traditional herbal medicines contaminated with 3 kinds of aerobic microbes, packed in 5 kinds of plastic packaging materials, followed by irradiation at minimum dose of 5 kGy and stored for 6 months were investigated. The highest reduction of microbial counts during storage was observed on samples packed in polyethylene bags. All of packaging materials used were found to be impermeable to microbes and water vapour. Radiation and packaging materials used acted synergistically to inactivate microbes durind storage. The microbial counts decreased as much as 2 to 4 log cycles during storage. (author).
The author describes the history of the Soviet Unions nuclear weapons testing in Siberia from the first bomb on 29th August 1949 until the test-ban treaty of 1963. The effects of the weapons testing on the local population is only now becoming widely known. Levels of cancers and cataracts are significantly higher than in uneffected populations, and there are also high levels of some lung, bone, skin and digestive conditions. Perhaps the most important information relates to cataracts, previously thought to be caused by single large bursts of radiation. Regulatory authorities worldwide will need to tighten the safety limits for eye radiation exposure to these findings. (U.K.).
The author describes the history of the Soviet Unions nuclear weapons testing in Siberia from the first bomb on 29th August 1949 until the test-ban treaty of 1963. The effects of the weapons testing on the local population is only now becoming widely known. Levels of cancers and cataracts are significantly higher than in uneffected populations, and there are also high levels of some lung, bone, skin and digestive conditions. Perhaps the most important information relates to cataracts, previously thought to be caused by single large bursts of radiation. Regulatory authorities worldwide will need to tighten the safety limits for eye radiation exposure to these findings. (U.K.).
Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained atrial arrhythmia and it is independently associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. As a result of the high prevalence of AF, the economic and clinical impact of the disease is substantial. This study describes the economic and clinical impact of AF in the Netherlands. Methods Epidemiological data on AF in the Netherlands were projected on population estimates of the Netherlands in 2009 and combined with data on the cost of AF and its interventions. Results Overall prevalence of AF in the Netherlands is 5.5% in the population over 55?years, corresponding to about 250,000 AF patients. The prevalence increases with age, and the mean age of AF patients is 69.3?years. Incidence of AF in the Netherlands varies with age...
A survey is presented of the consequences of the irradiation of the population with ionizing radiation. There is an increased incidence of leukemia in irradiated population groups. Among the inhabitants of Hiroshima and Nagasaki maximum death of leukemia was observed in the years 1951 to 1952. The results are summed up of the observation of carcinoma of the breast, lungs and bronchi, bones, and carcinoma of the thyroid. The effect of radiation on experimental animals is described. It was found that the scatter of the dependence of the incidence of various types of cancer on the dose equivalent apparently reflects differences in the biological mechanism of this incidence and that a proportional relationship cannot be expected between the primary damage of cells during irradiation and the actual manifestation of the disease. (E.S.).
The role of natural enemies in the regulation of populations is one of the major questions facing population ecologists. Simplification have led to two theoretical ways of incorporating the role of natural enemies in single ecological models: diffusion models and patch-type models. The predictions of the models are different because of the way variability is incorporated. Three equations are presented for diffusion models and one for patch models. Since the two types of models apply at different combinations of spatial and temporal scales, the right model(s) to choose for a particular study requires careful assessment. A continuing dialogue between experimentalists and theoreticians will lead to a better understanding of natural systems such as those that occur in biological control.
The development of Callossobruchus chinensis (L.) in different packaging materials were conducted with gram and lentil seeds under control temperature. The highest population rise was recorded in laminated jute bags and the weight loss of gram increased with the increase of the number of insects. A doses of 0.1 kGy inhibit all metamorphic stages of the beetle. The use of appropriate packaging materials can reduce the risk of re infestation in the post-irradiated food items. 9 refs., 1 fig., 2 tables (author).
A database has been compiled on human dietary intakes of trace elements by populations groups living in various countries. The main sources of information used were (1) publications in the open scientific literature, and (2) data submitted to the IAEA in response to a questionnaire. The database contains 1,758 intake values covering 35 elements and 47 countries. In this report the data are listed in various ways to facilitate identification of intake values for any specified country, element and population group. 4 refs, 5 tabs.
The genetically and leukemia-significant doses (GSD and LSD) were calculated from the average gonad and bone marrow doses caused by the most frequently applied radiopharmaceuticals in Bulgaria in 1976. Because of the lack of information about the age groups of the patients examined assumptions have been made which led to estimated values of 0.97 mrad for GSD and 2.0 mrad for LSD which must be considered as the upper limit of the real GSD and LSD. The influence of the different radiopharmaceuticals on the average radiation exposure of the population is discussed. (author).
Abstract The white sea bream, Diplodus sargus (Teleostei, Sparidae), is a species with a high commercial importance in Mediterranean aquaculture. There is currently little information available about the genetic characteristics of cultured populations. In this survey, we have developed eight polymorphic microsatellites for the white sea bream using an enriched genome library protocol. All of them were polymorphic in the 67 individuals tested, 32 of which were wild specimens, and 35 were individuals from a captive F1 broodstock. These markers can potentially be useful tools for use in population genetic studies.
Microbial dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) often stops although a significant number of removable chlorines remain. To determine the reason for the cessation, we investigated the limitation of organic carbon, PCB bioavailability, and inhibition by metabolic products. Enrichment with carbon sources did not induce additional chlorination, indicating the plateau was not due to depletion of organic carbon. The bioavailability was not limiting, since a subcritical micelle concentration of the surfactant, which enhanced desorption without inhibiting dechlorinating microorganisms, failed to lower the plateau. Neither was it due to accumulation of metabolites, since no additional dechlorination was detected when plateau sediments were incubated with fresh medium. Similarly, dechlorination was not inhibited in freshly spiked sediment slurries. Dechlorination ended up at the same level with nearly identical congener profiles, regardless of treatment. These results indicate that ...
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 man rem for non-destructive inspectional, 450 man rem for non-atomic energy ...
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 doses previously calculated using a chord ...
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 doses previously calculated using a chord ...
The US National Energy Policy of 2001 advocated the development of advanced fuel and fuel cycle technologies that are cleaner, more efficient, less waste-intensive, and more proliferation resistant. The need for advanced fuel development is emphasized in on-going DOE-supported programs, e.g., Global Nuclear Energy Initiative (GNEI), Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), and GEN-IV Technology Development. The Directorates of Energy & Environment (E&E) and Chemistry & Material Sciences (C&MS) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are interested in advanced fuel research and manufacturing using its multi-disciplinary capability and facilities to support a design concept of a small, secure, transportable, and autonomous reactor (SSTAR). The E&E and C&MS Directorates co-sponsored this Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) Project on Mono-Uranium Nitride Fuel Development for SSTAR and Space Applications. In fact, three out ...
We have developed refined statistical and modeling techniques to assess low-level uptake and urinary excretion of plutonium from different population group in the northern Marshall Islands. Urinary excretion rates of plutonium from the resident population on Enewetak Atoll and from resettlement workers living on Rongelap Atoll range from <1 to 8 {micro}Bq per day and are well below action levels established under the latest Department regulation 10 CFR 835 in the United States for in vitro bioassay monitoring of {sup 239}Pu. However, our statistical analyses show that urinary excretion of plutonium-239 ({sup 239}Pu) from both cohort groups is significantly positively associated with volunteer age, especially for the resident population living on Enewetak Atoll. Urinary excretion of {sup 239}Pu from the Enewetak cohort was also found to be positively associated with estimates of cumulative exposure to worldwide ...
In the case of a serious accident and as a precautionary measure, several protection actions can be implemented by the prefect during the emergency phase. In France the levels of intervention are given by a ministerial decree of the 13. october 2003, resuming recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The selected values are: an efficient dose of 10 mSv for the stake under cover and in the listening: the concerned persons have to put under cover in a building, any openings carefully closed and stay in the listening of the orders of the prefect; an efficient dose of 50 mSv for evacuation; an efficient dose to the thyroid of 100 mSv for the taking of stable iodine tablets. In order to help the authorities to choose between the keeping of populations at their place or immediate evacuation the decision criteria are: if the forecasted efficient dose of the first month is under 1 mSv, the populations stay in place; if the forecasted ...
Background: Anxiety disorders are known to be common in the general population. Previous studies with adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs) report a prevalence of general anxiety disorder ranging from less than 2% to 17.4%. Little is known about associated factors in this population. This study investigates point prevalence of anxiety disorders and determines the factors independently associated with them. Methods: Information was collected with 1023 adults with IDs who participated in a large-scale, population-based study. All had a comprehensive physical and mental health assessment. The point prevalence of anxiety disorders according to different diagnostic criteria was determined, as were independently associated factors by using logistic regression analysis. Results: Three point eight per cent (95% CI = 2.7-5.2%) of the cohort had an anxiety disorder at the time of assessment. Generalised anxiety disorder was the ...
During outbreaks, Microdiprion pallipes (Fall.) is the most destructive of the pine sawflies in Sweden. Its distribution includes most provinces, but damaging outbreaks have until recently occurred only in two inland areas in northern Sweden. These areas are characterised by high elevation, a harsh climate, and slow tree growth. The four recorded outbreak periods showed a 10 year periodicity. Outside these areas, a lesser outbreak occurred in 1988 to 1990, on the east coast (province of Uppland). Outbreak patterns, life history variation, and mortality factors were studied. Factors that may explain the distribution of outbreaks and the population patterns were identified.Experimental and observational evidence on the potential of various factors to influence fecundity, dispersal, and survival was evaluated. In the outbreak areas, there were few major population factors. Parasitism by Rhorus substitutor (Thunb.) was the largest cause of larval ...
The most important factor in assessing radiologic risk is ensuring scientific means for evaluation of the radioactive release impact upon humans and organisms. To evaluate quantitatively this impact not only knowledge of radioactivity distribution in these dynamical systems is necessary but also understanding the transfer mechanisms between ecosystem components is needed. Thus a complete radioecologic study appear to be very complex and needs defining the source term, dynamic description of radionuclides behavior in the ecosystem, estimation of radiation doses in the major components of the ecosystem and finally the effects of radiation doses upon different parts of the systems. A diagram of the steps implied in evaluation of the effects due to radioactive effluent release in the environment is presented and discussed. The following steps are described: - identification of radioactive sources, as well as their input rate. Presence of noxious materials such as heavy metals or some ...
Recent studies indicate that [Fe]-hydrogenases and H{sub 2} metabolism are widely distributed among green algae. The enzymes are simple structured and catalyze H{sub 2} evolution with similar rates than the more complex [Fe]-hydrogenases from bacteria. Different green algal species developed diverse strategies to survive under sulfur deprivation. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii evolves large quantities of hydrogen gas in the absence of sulfur. In a sealed culture of C. reinhardtii, the photosynthetic O{sub 2} evolution rate drops below the rate of respiratory O{sub 2} consumption due to a reversible inhibition of photosystem II, thus leading to an intracellular anaerobiosis. The algal cells survive under these anaerobic conditions by switching their metabolism to a kind of photo-fermentation. Although possessing a functional [Fe]-hydrogenase gene, the cells of Scenedesmus obliquus produce no significant amounts of H{sub 2} under S-depleted conditions. Biochemical ...
The equilibria composition of the gaseous and the solid phase in the system GeO/sub 2//WO/sub 2/ is calculated with an improved thermodynamical program for temperatures 1100 < T < 1400 K and constant volume. By means of the results the experimental observed migration of GeO/sub 2/ in the presence of WO/sub 2/ in a temperature gradient T/sub 2/ ..-->.. T/sub 1/ (1200 ..-->.. 1100 K) in sealed evacuated silica tubes is due to a chemical transport with H/sub 2/ as the transporting agent. The H/sub 2/ is formed by H/sub 2/O which is desorbed by the quartz glass of the ampoules. The also observed volatility of WO/sub 2/ and its deposition in form of Ge/sub 0.75/W/sub 3/O/sub 9/ at the 'cold' end (T/sub 1/) of the tubes is performed by gaseous GeWO/sub 4/. The calculated and experimental transport rates are compared and discussed.
Abstract Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes are major bacterial pathogens associated with poultry products. A controlled released ClO2 sachet applied with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was evaluated for its ability to control the growth of S. Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes on raw chicken breast during refrigerated storage. The fresh chicken samples were inoculated with one or the other of the pathogens at 104-cfu/g, and the packages (with and without ClO2 sachet) were flushed with ambient air or 30% CO2/70% N2 before sealing, and then stored at 4C for up to 21 days. The maximum reduction in MAP plus ClO2 (compared with MAP alone) was 0.68-log-cfu/g for S. Typhimurium and 1.87-log-cfu/g for L. monocytogenes. Color and pH changes of the chicken breast were observed at ...
There are a number of characteristics exhibited by ceramic materials that may provide potential benefits for the reciprocating internal combustion engine. However, the brittle nature of these materials together with a variability in strength has created difficulties in applying ceramic materials to the engine environment. Although a wide range of physical properties is available from contemporary ceramic materials, a material offering consistently high strength has yet to be developed. For sliding-contact applications, desirable characteristics include good wear resistance, low friction, ability to join metals and good heat dissipation. Test results have shown that cam/follower components with cast iron cam sliding on a silicon nitride follower exhibit very low wear rates. The application of silicon carbide to face seals has also shown substantial reductions in both friction and wear when compared with conventional materials. The use of ceramic materials for ...
A surplus USN 40 mm ammunition can was subjected to a variety of tests. Pressure tests were carried out with nitrogen gas, followed by the venting of actual Li/SO/sub 2/ cells and batteries inside the can. A fire test was also conducted on a can packed with 10 each 10-cell batteries surrounded by vermiculite. Test results indicate the US Navy (USN) 40-mm ammunition can is suitable as a shipping container for Li/SO/sub 2/ batteries on passenger aircraft. To provide a further measure of safety, a sulfur dioxide getter was incorporated into the can. Studies indicated a commercial material, ASC carbon, is suitable for this purpose. The granular material was packaged in porous paper desiccant bags and placed in the can with the batteries and vermiculite. The batteries were vented inside the sealed can and the internal pressure monitored. Pressure returned to normal within several minutes, indicating that this arrangement should prevent sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) gas ...
An automated Time Resolved Aerosol Collector (TRAC) has been developed for sequential sampling of field-collected aerosols for laboratory-based Computer Controlled Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersed X-ray (CCSEM/EDX) single particle analysis. The collector is optimized for use of grid-supported 20 nm carbon films as deposition substrates. The carbon films have low enough X-ray background to permit EDX analysis down to 0.1-0.2 ?m particles, including detection of low-Z elements: C, N, & O. The TRAC provides unattended sampling onto a set of 151 individual grids, at sequential time intervals as short as 1 min. After collection, the samples are sealed and refrigerated pending analysis. The utility of the TRAC-CCSEM/EDX approach is exemplified using the aerosol samples collected during the Texas 2000 Air Quality Studies (Aug. 15 ? Sept. 15, 2000). We are able to quantitatively follow the time evolution in the relative contribution of non-volatile ...
Research commenced in FY 97 to determine the suitability of superplasticized cement-sand grouts for backfilling vertical boreholes used with geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems. The overall objectives were to develop, evaluate and demonstrate cementitious grouts that could reduce the required bore length and improve the performance of GHPs. This report summarizes the accomplishments in FY 98. The developed thermally conductive grout consists of cement, water, a particular grade of silica sand, superplasticizer and a small amount of bentonite. While the primary function of the grout is to facilitate heat transfer between the U-loop and surrounding formation, it is also essential that the grout act as an effective borehole sealant. Two types of permeability (hydraulic conductivity) tests was conducted to evaluate the sealing performance of the cement-sand grout. Additional properties of the proposed grout that were investigated include bleeding, shrinkage, bond ...
The deep water parts of the Moere and Southern Voering Basins are large frontier areas, which are considered to contain significant undiscovered hydrocarbon resources, within Cretaceous and Paleogene reservoirs. PGS Reservoir AS have evaluated the Cretaceous and Paleogene successions of the shallow and deep water areas offshore Mid-Norway using high-resolution sequence stratigraphic techniques. The successions have been subdivided into about 20 stratigraphic sequences. The results are: (1) A more acurate and higher resolution stratigraphy, (2) Greater constraints on basin palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographic reconstructions, (4) Fully integrated sandstone fairway models, with increased ability to reservoir and seal quality and continuity, (5) In addition to several obvious giant domal traps, subtler yet significant structural and stratigraphic leads and prospects can be identified, (6) The timing, volume and phase of hydrocarbon generation may be estimated more ...
Hydrogenation of carbon monoxide at 101.3 kPa has been studied over a series of ion-exchanged Ru catalysts supported on NaX, NaY, KL, Na mordenite, and HY zeolites. The type of zeolite had pronounced effects on the activity and selectivity of the Ru. The specific activity would appear to be related to the dispersion of reduced ruthenium in the zeolite. Methane selectivity, however, seems to be strongly influenced by the type and concentration of alkali cations remaining in the ion-exchanged zeolite. These cations appear to promote chain growth much as traditional alkali promoters would, though perhaps more indirectly. Due to bifunctional properties of the zeolite-supported catalysts, a significant fraction of C/sub 4/ was in the form of isobutane. Formation of isobutane seems to be related to either the Si/Al ratio in the zeolites or the concentration of the remaining alkali cations, but not to the OH concentration. In addition, H/sub 2/ chemisorption at 25/sup 0/C was increasingly ...
New rare earth metal rich cadmium compounds RE_4CoCd and RE_4RhCd (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho) were prepared by high-frequency melting of the elements in sealed tantalum tubes. The samples were studied by x-ray powder and single-crystal diffraction. All the compounds crystallize with Gd_4RhIn-type structure, with space group F4-bar3m. The structures are built up from rigid three-dimensional networks of condensed, cobalt (rhodium) centred trigonal RE_6 prisms. The voids left by these networks are filled by Cd_4 cluster units and the coordination number 14 polyhedra of the RE1 atoms. The terbium and dysprosium compounds in both series undergo antiferromagnetic ordering, whereas the holmium compounds exhibit ferromagnetic ordering. The magnetic ordering in these compounds is characterized by broad peaks around the transition temperatures. The results of detailed crystallographic investigations and preliminary magnetic and specific heat studies are presented and discussed in this ...
Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis (RXFA) were used for the determination of rare earth elements. For INAA, solution obtained by sample decomposition was dripped onto filter paper, enclosed and sealed into a polyethylene foil. The sample was activated in reactor WWR-S over a period of 4 to 6 hours with a neutron fluence of 10"1"3cm"-"2. Gamma radiation measurement was carried out with a planar and a coaxial HP-Ge detector in three decay periods. La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Tm, Yb and Lu were determined. The advantage of the method is its accuracy and high sensitivity, the disadvantage is the time-consuming analysis. The RXFA method was used as a rapid and operative method for the analysis of loose ore samples, aqueous and organic solutions of rare earth elements. For exciting X-ray radiation, "2"4"1Am was used and the radiation of K-lines was detected with a planar Si(Li) detector. For elements beyond Dy ...
The world fusion program has advanced to the stage where it is appropriate to construct a number of devices for the purpose of burning DT fuel. In these next-generation experiments, the expected flux and fluence of 14 MeV neutrons and associated gamma rays will pose a significant challenge to the operation and diagnostics of the fusion device. Radiation effects include structural damage to materials such as vacuum windows and seals, modifications to electrical properties such as electrical conductivity and dielectric strength and impaired optical properties such as reduced transparency and luminescence of windows and fiber optics during irradiation. In preparation for construction and operation of these new facilities, the fusion diagnostics community needs to work with materials scientists to develop a better understanding of radiation effects, and to undertake a testing program aimed at developing workable solutions for this multi-faceted problem. A unique ...
A case-control study on lung cancer and radon exposure in dwellings has been carried out in Lazio, a high indoor radon region of Central Italy. A total of about 400 cases and 400 controls were recruited and radon concentration was measured in a total of about 1850 dwellings. In each dwelling, radon concentration measurement devices were placed in both the main bedroom and living room for two consecutive six-month periods. Each radon device, enclosed in a sealed polyethylene bag, contains two LR 115 detectors, each being covered by a thin absorber to reduce the alpha-energy within the detector sensitive range. A quality assurance program, described in this paper, was applied in order to reduce radon concentration measurement uncertainty, which have a significant impact on the results of an epidemiological study. The reported internal quality control and intercomparison results are compared with the results of other studies, and show that the radon measurement ...
The potential of ultrasonic guided modes for use in global structural health monitoring of aging metallic aircraft can only be realized if the modes selected are able to propagate over a reasonable distance. This work studies the propagation of different modes through fuselage structure by means of mode analysis, finite element modeling and experimental measurement. Beginning with the case of a simple skin panel, the paper examines propagation across a set of structural features representing a typical monocoque fuselage and considers the effect of overlying sealant layers, bonded and sealed joints, paint layers and tapering skin. With the exception of the fundamental symmetric mode at very low frequency, no mode was found that could propagate across all features with an effective attenuation of less than 40 dB/m. This makes global monitoring of a fuselage structure using a sparse array of transducers very difficult. However, more local monitoring is possible and ...
Our objective is to increase both the life and power of the molten carbonate fuel (MCFC) by developing improved components and designs. Current activities are as follows: (1)Development of LiFeO{sub 2} and LiCoO{sub 2} cathodes for extended MCFC life, particularly in pressurized operation, where the present cathode, NiO, provides insufficient life (2) Development of distributed-manifold MCFC designs for increased volumetric power density and decreased temperature gradients (and, therefore, increased life) (3) Development of components and designs appropriate for high-power density operation (>2 kW/m{sup 2}and >100 kW/m{sup 3}in an integrated MCFC system) (4)Studies of pitting corrosion of the stainless-steel interconnects and aluminized seals now being employed in the MCFC (alternative components will also be studied). Each of these activities has the potential to reduce the MCFC system cost significantly. Progress in each activity will be presented during ...
A cooling system was developed which could be used even in such areas where the maximum and minimum temperatures of a day might differ widely. The system features in that a latent heat storage unit is connected to the natural circulation cooling unit consisting of 2 heat exchangers where condensed gas (refrigerant) which performs gas-liquid change has been sealed, enabling to cool objects night and day without the requirement for any power source. Electronic equipment was installed in an insulated shelter. Lauric acid and refrigerant R-22 were used as the latent heat storage medium and the heat transport medium respectively. Natural convection heat transfer performance of the outside surfaces of the condenser and the evaporator and the transient behavior of the system during the melting and solidification periods of the latent heat storage medium were tested. As a result of a 48 hour simulation experiment with load conditions set basing on the result of load ...
The main reasons of tube failures in steam generators (SG) are considered. 1.Stress corrosion craining which has 28% of SG (most of them have stainless steel tubes). 2. Corrosion loss of metal, which accounts for 24% of tubes (phosphate corrosion due to addition of PO into water). 3.Denting-peripheral pressing of tubes in the openings of the foundation plates by the corrosive products, which are formed on internal surface of drillings in the foundation plates made of carbon steel. 4.Separation of a plating layer on tube panels. 5.Dratting-corrosion. 6.Metal fatigue. A series of experiments were conducted to study the influence of material selection on tube reliability (stainless steel 304, inconel-600, mone-400, incalloy-800). The problem of increase of SG elements reliability is a complex one and can be solved by direct selection of material, proper control of water-chemical conditions and other measures of corrosion prevention such as direct selection of materials for the equipment ...
This report introduces a microprocessor system composed of a Z-80 single-board computer controlling a gas-carburizing process. The system has 7 analogical input and output signals 24 switch signal-input and 12 switch signal-output signals, which are applicable for temperature, carbon potential, and mechanical-movement control of multipurpose sealed furnaces, or for mutiple-zone temperature, carbon potential, and mechanical-movement control of continuous gas carburizing furnaces; or for distributed control of pit-type carburizing furnaces. The setpoints of variables, such as treating time, temperature, carbon potential of carburizing period, carbon potential of diffusion period, depth of carburizing layer, P.I.D. etc., are entered by keyboard and stored into memories, and actual values are displayed by digital tubes. Furthermore, the fault of thermocouple, oxygen probe, or infrared CO/sub 2/ analyzer; carbon potential, or temperature exceeding the setting value; ...
A lightweight, low permeability liner for graphite epoxy composite compressed gas storage vessels. The liner is composed of polymers that may or may not be coated with a thin layer of a low permeability material, such as silver, gold, or aluminum, deposited on a thin polymeric layer or substrate which is formed into a closed bladder using torispherical or near torispherical end caps, with or without bosses therein, about which a high strength to weight material, such as graphite epoxy composite shell, is formed to withstand the storage pressure forces. The polymeric substrate may be laminated on one or both sides with additional layers of polymeric film. The liner may be formed to a desired configuration using a dissolvable mandrel or by inflation techniques and the edges of the film seamed by heat sealing. The liner may be utilized in most any type of gas storage system, and is particularly applicable for hydrogen, gas mixtures, and oxygen used for vehicles, fuel ...
A lightweight, low permeability liner for graphite epoxy composite compressed gas storage vessels. The liner is composed of polymers that may or may not be coated with a thin layer of a low permeability material, such as silver, gold, or aluminum, deposited on a thin polymeric layer or substrate which is formed into a closed bladder using torispherical or near torispherical end caps, with or without bosses therein, about which a high strength to weight material, such as graphite epoxy composite shell, is formed to withstand the storage pressure forces. The polymeric substrate may be laminated on one or both sides with additional layers of polymeric film. The liner may be formed to a desired configuration using a dissolvable mandrel or by inflation techniques and the edges of the film seamed by heat sealing. The liner may be utilized in most any type of gas storage system, and is particularly applicable for hydrogen, gas mixtures, and oxygen used for vehicles, fuel ...
The purpose of this document is to provide a framework for developing protective strategies in the longer term following an accidental release of radionuclides to the offsite environment. This advice covers all forms and scales of accidental release, including releases from nuclear sites and reactors, weapons accidents, and damaged industrial or medical sealed sources. The countermeasures considered are those intended to protect the public from external irradiation from radionuclides deposited in the environment, from the inhalation of resuspended radionuclides, and from inadvertent ingestion of radionuclides resulting from contact with contaminated surfaces. The Board terms these recovery countermeasures. They can be broadly grouped as either decontamination measures (ie measures that deal directly with the radionuclides, whether by removing them, shielding them or physically or chemically bonding them) or as restricted access measures (ie measures that reduce ...
Operation safety and reliability are major guidelines in the design of city-gate units. Conventional natural gas heaters operate by a indirect mechanism, where liquid water is used to transfer heat by natural convection between the combustion chamber and the natural gas coil. In this work, the concept of vapor chamber is evaluated as an indirect gas heater. In a vapor chamber, liquid water is in contact with the heat source, and vaporizes. The vapor condenses in contact with the heat sink. A reduced scale model was built and tested in order to compare these two heating concepts where the combustion chamber was replaced by electrical cartridge heaters. This engineering model can operate either as a conventional heater or as a vapor chamber. The comparison between the concepts was done by inducing a controlled power to the cartridges and by measuring the resulting temperature distributions. In the novel design, the heat exchanger efficiency increases, and the thermal inertia decreases, ...
A family of sealant materials has been developed for use in the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and in other applications in the temperature range of 800 endash 1000 degree C. These materials are based on glasses and glass-ceramics in the SrO endash La_2O_3 endash Al_2O_3 endash B_2O_3 endash SiO_2 system. The coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) for these materials are in the range of 8 endash 13x10"-"6/degree C, a good match with those of the SOFC components. These sealant materials bond well with the ceramics of the SOFC and, more importantly, form bonds that can be thermally cycled without failure. At the fuel cell operating temperature, the sealants have viscosities in the range of 10"4-10"6 Pa-s, which allow them to tolerate a CTE mismatch of about 20% among the bonded substrates. The gas tightness of a sample seal was demonstrated in a simple zirconia-based oxygen concentration cell. copyright 1996 Materials Research Society.
The 105-KE and 105-KW Fuel Storage Basins were constructed more than 35 years ago as repositories for irradiated fuel from the K East and K West Reactors. Currently, the basins contain irradiated fuel from the N Reactor. To continue to use the basins as desired, seismic adequacy in accordance with current US Department of Energy facility requirements must be demonstrated. The 105-KE and 105-KW Basins are reinforced concrete, belowground reservoirs with a 16-ft water depth. The entire water retention boundary, which currently includes a portion of the adjacent reactor buildings, must be qualified for the Hanford Site design basis earthquake. The reactor building interface joints are sealed against leakage with rubber water stops. Demonstration of the seismic adequacy of these interface joints was initially identified as a key issue in the seismic qualification effort. The issue of water leakage through seismicly induced cracks was also investigated. This issue, ...
Previous laboratory tests of elastomer O-rings in coal liquefaction solvents conducted at L'Garde, Inc., indicated that certain ethylenepropylenediene monomer (EPDM) compounds provided the best performance when a backup ring was used to limit swelling. Before service testing in a pump at the Wilsonville, Alabama, Advanced Coal Liquefaction Research and Development Facility, tests of six selected elastomers in the appropriate Wilsonville-produced solvent were conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The ORNL tests measured the elastomers' changes in cross section, weight, density, and relative flexibility. Although two perfluoroelastomers showed less degradation of most properties during these tests, it was decided to proceed with service testing of two EPDM elastomers because of their much lower cost. 5 refs., 14 figs., 7 tabs.
The high insulating strength of certain gases, such as sulfur hexafluoride, when used at high pressure, suggests that there may be advantages to compressed gases as the insulating fluid in power transformers. However, simply exchanging the oil for compressed gas in an otherwise conventional transformer design will not yield a significant overall advantage. Compressed gases present the engineer with properties which are quite different from mineral oil. If gases are to be used as the major insulating fluid in power transformers, then virtually all aspects of the insulation and cooling of the apparatus must be reconsidered, affording an opportunity to introduce new design concepts, new materials, and new construction techniques. In this program, the feasibility of using the following principal design concepts has been explored: sheet conductors for the windings; a system of sealed, self-contained, annular cooling ducts containing circulating cooling fluid to cool the ...
For each sample, one 30-gallon drum containing approximately 90 lb of coal at {minus}1/4 inch was designated for headspace oxygen analysis and coal quality monitoring at yearly intervals. Headspace oxygen analysis and retrieval of a 5-lb sample for coal analysis have begun. Headspace oxygen contents are shown in Table 1. Preparation and analysis of these samples for the second yearly quality evaluation is in progress. We have initiated a study of different means of storage in preventing sample deterioration and in maintaining an inert headspace atmosphere. The work was performed with support from the Penn State Cooperative Program in Coal Research. A run-of-mine sample of medium-volatile bituminous Lower Kittanning coal was collected as PSOC-1536 and promptly processed. Gieseler fluidity FSI, alkali extraction and preparation of petrographic pellets were accomplished within 32 hours of extraction of the coal from the mine face. Splits of the sample were sealed ...
Sandia was presented with an opportunity in 1993 to design containers for the long term storage and transport of fissile material. This program was undertaken at the direction of the US Department of Energy and in cooperation with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory which were tasked with developing the internal fixturing for the contents. The hardware is being supplied by Allied Signal Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, and the packaging will occur at Mason and Hangar Corporation`s Pantex Plant. The unique challenge was to design a container that could be sealed with the fissile material contents; and, anytime during the next 50 years, the container could be transported with only the need for the pre-shipment leak test. This required not only a rigorous design capable of meeting the long term storage and transportation requirements, but also resulted in development of a surveillance program to ensure that the container ...
This experiment was done to determine the effects of irradiation on the physical properties of three kinds of laminated packaging materials, i.e. polypropylene-polypropylene, polypropylene-polyethylene, polyester-polyethylene. Observations were made on pinhole production, leakage, oil resistance, resistance against insect penetration, colour, odour tensile strength, elongation at break, seal strength and tear resistance. The samples were irradiated with doses of 0, 5 and 10 kGy, then stored at room temperature and examined after 0, 3, 6 and 12 months of storage. The results showed that irradiation doses up to 10 kGy, as well as storage up to 12 months, did not create pinholes, or leakage in pouches prepared from laminated films. The resistance of the films to oil and insect penetration, the colour, and the odour were also unchanged. Both irradiation and storage treatments had a significant effect on physical properties of the laminated films. In general, the ...
The behaviour of bare aluminium is studied in atmospheric exposure at 11 natural testing stations with salinity levels ranging between 2.1 and 684 mg Cl''- m''-2 d''-1. In atmospheres of low or moderate aggressivity aluminium behaves as a passive material, though the insignificant corrosion that is produced is sufficient to spoil its appearance. In contrast, at salinity levels of 50 mg Cl''- m''-2 ''-1 or above, aluminium is susceptible to pitting corrosion even in the first year of atmospheric exposure, or in the second year at salinities of {<=} 10 mg Cl''- m''-2 d''-1. For comparative purposes, results are included for aluminium protected with an anodic film of 28 {mu}m thickness exposed at the same testing stations. A 28 {mu}m anodic film, correctly sealed, prevents the risk of localised ...
BC Hydro recently conducted a demonstration test of a bearing condition monitor. The test, at the 529-MW Kootenay Canal project, proved the ability of the monitor to detect machine condition faults. The capability to detect changing conditions during normal operation of hydroelectric machines gives hydro plant owners the opportunity to anticipate needed maintenance and ultimately to reduce the number of equipment failures. BC Hydro intends to install bearing condition monitors, as well as windings monitors, brushgear monitors, environmental monitors, and other selected systems in as many as 46 of its hydro generators. BC Hydro analyzed forced outages between 1985 and 1989 in its hydro system to identify which parts of a generating unit resulted in the highest number of hours of outage. From there, the utility has formulated a concept for a machine condition monitoring system. To keep the system cost effective, it will be developed in modules. In this way, users can pick and choose from ...
Volume sources is used for standard sources by radioactive measurement using Ge semiconductor detector of environmental sample, e.g. water, soil and etc. that require large volume. The commercial volume source used in measurement of the water sample is made of agar-agar, and that used in measurement of the soil sample is made of alumina powder. When the plastic receptacles of this two kinds of volume sources were damaged, the leakage contents cause contamination. Moreover, if hermetically sealing performance of volume source made of agar-agar fell, volume decrease due to an evaporation off moisture gives an error to radioactive measurement. Therefore, we developed the two type methods using unsaturated polyester resin, vinilester resin, their hardening agent and acrylicresin. The first type is due to dispersing the hydrochloric acid solution included the radioisotopes uniformly in each resin and hardening the resin. The second is due to dispersing the alumina ...
A study on development of magnetic drive packless valves for commercial purpose showed the results as follows; 1. Study on the radial rays effecting to the permanent magnets -Measurement of the strength of Nd-magnets according to irradiation of radial rays. 2. Effects of temperature on the magnetic driving device -Temperature dependency of the Nd-casting magnets. -Effects of temperature on the heat releasing fins of high-temperature valve. 3. Optimization of torque -Arranging method of permanent magnets -Measuring method and results of torque. 4. Design, manufacture and test for the pressure-resisting structure of magnetic power transmitting device -Calculation and design for the flat circular plates under pressure of the magnetic power transmitting device -Design, manufacture and test for the pressure-resisting structure of magnetic power transmitting device -Comparison of the characteristics between magnetic drive valve and general/bellows-sealed valves. 5. ...
There are certain factors to take into account when determining the suitability of a healthy house site. Power lines, agricultural spraying, vehicle exhaust, and industrial pollution are all potential sources of indoor air contamination. It is recommended that a environmental assessment be done to determine whether there are specific sources of contamination. Good drainage is required. The surrounding landscaping should be open and sunlit, and with low maintenance requirements. Decks and fences made from pressure-treated or chemical treated lumber should be avoided. One of the early decisions in the design process is the choice of the structural system. The key with all foundation types is to control moisture, whether from rain, from the ground, or the condensation of moisture from the air with cooling. The construction frame is sealed away from the occupants by the air/vapor barrier, so only in extreme cases is it essential to use alternatives to softwood lumber ...
Petrographic and geochemical characteristics of the Pipe Creek Jr. paragenesis record the stratigraphic and burial evolution of the cratonic Silurian platform of Indiana during Late Silurian to Pennsylvanian. A variety of several diagenetic fluids acting over geological time affected the reef. The paragenetic sequence is as follows: (1) precipitation of turbid, fibrous, blotchy cathodoluminescent (CL) cement; (2) dolomitization of mud-rich facies; (3) precipitation of clear, zoned CL equant calcite cements; (4) fracturing and karst formation, partially filled by geopetal silt and sandstone; (5) precipitation of clear, dull CL, ferroan to nonferroan equant calcite cement, ferroan dolomite overgrowth and equant dolomite cement in moldic porosity, caves and fractures; (6) microdissolution and hydrocarbon emplacement; and (7) stylolitization. The New Albany Shale was both the hydrocarbon source and top seal to the fossil Pipe Creek Jr. oil field with original oil in ...
Crystals of a new ternary samarium rhenium oxide, Sm{sub 3}ReO{sub 7} were obtained by subsolidus reaction of samariumsesquioxide and rheniumdioxide (ratio 1.5:1) in sealed Pt-10Rh-tubes at 1673 K. The structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Sm{sub 3}ReO{sub 7} crystallizes in the orthorohombic system with unit cell dimensions a = 10.736(5), b = 7.392(3), and c = 7.519(3) in space group Cmcm (No. 63) with Z = 4. The structure consists of ReO{sub 6} octahedra, distorted SmO{sub 6} octahedra, and SmO{sub 8} prisms that are interconnected to each other to form a three-dimensional network. Rhenium has the formal oxidation state of +5 but no metal-metal bond is observed in this compound. The observed magnetization in the temperature range 4 K < T < 52 K is explained by a Curie-Weiss law modified by a temperature independent Van Vleck paramagnetism of samarium (3+).
In this work, a feasible and simple method of assembling a micro MEMS-based ?PEMFC (about 0.35 ml in volume and 0.65 g in weight) with the help of a spiral micrometer was proposed. The micrometer provided a constant pressure between the two flow field plates and MEA in assembling for a short term while a special epoxy resin was applied to seal the cell and provide long term pressure between the above components after removing the micrometer. Tests showed that the as-assembled cell had a reasonable performance, which was proved by the linear polarization and EIS experiments. The long term behavior of the ?PEMFC was stable in general except for some fluctuation along time. We concluded that this fluctuation was due to a combined effect of heat produced and water management, which the as-assembled ?PEMFC has its own ability to adjust. More importantly, this experiment demonstrated the full feasibility and great promise of assembling ?FCs with the help of a spiral ...
High-resolution sequence stratigraphy taking base-level cycles as interface of reference was developed rapidly in recent years. Its greatest predominance lies in that it can be applied to multi-controled continental sedimentary basins and can effectively improve accuracy and distinguishability of sequence stratigraphy analysis. Principles of base-level cycles can also be applied to the research and practice of the exploration and exploitation of sandstone-type uranium deposits as they control the spatial distribution, porosity, the permeability and the sealing ability of sandstone and mudstone, and stacking patterns of strata configuration. Taking Dongsheng uranium deposits as an example, the application of base-level cycles to exploration and exploitation of sandstone uranium deposits was analyzed. It is suggested that favorable strata framework of sandstone and mudstone was developed very well in the fluctuation of base-level cycles. Sand bodies were provided ...
A method and an instrument for determining the total water content in a hydrocarbon fuel using an indicator composition, which includes calcium hydride and phenolphthaleyn, are developed. The essence of the method is fixing the presence of water with its interaction with the calcium hydride and subsequent indication of the formed Ca(OH)2 using the phenolphthallen. To make the indicator composition, a hygroscopic cotton, prewashed by rectified alcohol and dried for 30 minutes at 105 degrees, is impregnated by a 1 percent alcohol solution of phenolphthaleyn and is dried in the same conditions. Then the cotton is processed by a powder form calcium hydride (a layer thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 millimeters, and a granule size of less than or equal to 80 micromters). The indicator composition is placed in a glass tube (a diameter of 4 to 7 millimeters and a length of 80 to 100 millimeters), whose ends are sealed or filled with paraffin. The content of water in the fuel is ...
The design of high level radioactive waste (HLW) repositories in deep geological media in which bentonite clay is proposed as a sealing material leads to the need of further studying the behaviour of highly compacted expansive soils when subjected to mechanical, hydraulic and thermal changes. Laboratory tests may help to understand the processes that take place in the clay barrier under simple and controlled conditions and to develop the governing equations. The laboratory tests enable to isolate the different processes, making their interpretation easier, and provide with fundamental data concerning the parameters to be used in the models. The extremely low permeability of these materials, their avidity for water (high suction) and their high swelling capacity make necessary the modification of the conventional laboratory techniques and procedures to determine basic physical parameters. The main hydraulic properties of the barrier to be considered are the ...
T-history method, developed for measuring heat-of-fusion of phase change material (PCM) in sealed tubes, has the advantages of a simple experimental device and convenience with no sampling process. However, some improper assumptions in the original method, such as using a degree of supercooling as the end of latent heat period and neglecting sensible heat during phase change, can cause significant errors in determining the heat of fusion. We have improved this problem in order to predict better results. The present study shows that the modified T-history method is successfully applied to a variety of PCMs such as paraffin and lauric acid having no or a low degree of supercooling. Also it turned out that selected periods for sensible and latent heat do not significantly affect the accuracy of heat- of-fusion. As a result, the method can provide an appropriate means to assess a newly developed PCM by a cycle test even if a very accurate value cannot be obtained. ...
The current primary standards at NPL for the measurement of absorbed dose to water in high energy photon and electron beams are graphite calorimeters. However, the quantity of interest in radiation dosimetry is absorbed dose to water. Therefore, a new absorbed dose to water standard based on water calorimetry has been developed for use in high energy photon and electron beams. The calorimeter operates at 4 deg C, with temperature control being provided by liquid cooling. The sealed glass inner vessel of the calorimeter was designed to minimise the effect of non-water materials on the measurement of absorbed dose. The temperature sensing thermistor probes were designed and constructed so that glass is the only material in contact with high purity water inside the vessel. Initial measurements of absorbed dose to water made in 6, 10, and 19 MV photons, and 16 MeV electrons agreed, within the measurement uncertainties of approximately 1.5% (95% c.l.), with those ...
Most countries have taken the vitrification route for managing High Level Waste (HLW). Depending on composition of site-specific HLW, suitable glass forming oxides are added to it in a melting furnace designed for converting the mixture to a matrix of borosilicate glass. After thorough homogenization, the product is poured into stainless steel canisters as an inert solidified form. Canisters are seal welded and 2-3 such containers are then packed and sealed in another bigger container for providing an additional engineered barrier. This product form is considered safe for long-term storage. The concurrent vitrification technologies employ either induction-heated metallic melters or joule-heated direct resistance-heated ceramic melters. In India, both technologies have been adopted. While older facilities in Trombay and Tarapur employ metallic melters, a retrofitted facility at Tarapur and the new plant at Kalpakkam are based on ceramic melter ...
Chemical looping combustion is a novel technology that can be used to meet the demand on energy production without CO{sub 2} emission. To improve CO{sub 2} capture efficiency in the process of chemical looping combustion of coal, a prototype configuration for chemical looping combustion of coal is made in this study. It comprises a fast fluidized bed as an air reactor, a cyclone, a spout-fluid bed as a fuel reactor and a loop-seal. The loop-seal connects the spout-fluid bed with the fast fluidized bed and is fluidized by steam to prevent the contamination of the flue gas between the two reactors. The performance of chemical looping combustion of coal is experimentally investigated with a NiO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} oxygen carrier in a 1 kW{sub th} prototype. The experimental results show that the configuration can minimize the amount of residual char entering into the air reactor from the fuel reactor with the external circulation of oxygen carrier ...
(abridged) We present a study of stellar population of LAEs at z=4.86 in GOODS-N and its flanking field. With the publicly available IRAC data in GOODS-N and further IRAC observations in the flanking fields, we select five LAEs which are not contaminated by neighboring objects in IRAC images and construct their observed SEDs with I_c, z', IRAC 3.6micron, and 4.5micron band photometry. The SEDs cover the rest-frame UV to optical wavelengths. We derive stellar masses, ages, color excesses, and star formation rates of five LAEs using SED fitting method. Assuming the constant star formation history, we find that the stellar masses range from 10^8 to $10^{10} Msun with the median value of 2.5x10^9 Msun. The derived ages range from very young ages (7.4 Myr) to 437 Myr with a median age of 25 Myr. The color excess E(B-V) are between 0.1-0.4 mag. Star formation rates are 55-209 Msun/yr. A comparison of the stellar populations is made between three LAEs ...
The hazards of smoking in relation to lung cancer can never be over emphasized. In recent times shortly after Ebonyi State was created in 1996, the capital territory has increasingly been polluted by either quarry operators, motorcycle (Okada) riders or reckless cigarette smokers and bush burning. To investigate the havoc caused by all these on people, questionnaire was distributed among smokers and non smokers in various areas of specialization and habitations. In measuring the significance of association and the degree of association, a chi2 test and odds ratio method of analysis was employed. The result of the analysis showed that non-smokers do suffer lung cancer. It also revealed that the chances of a smoker to have lung cancer is 1.765 times higher than that of a non-smoker. Analysis also showed that lung cancer depends on age of smokers. It was later discovered that middle aged population are mostly affected, by the reason of chi2 partitioning. This research ...
We present new results from BRAVA, a large-scale radial velocity survey of the Galactic bulge, using M giant stars selected from the Two Micron All Sky Survey catalog as targets for the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 4 m Hydra multi-object spectrograph. The purpose of this survey is to construct a new generation of self-consistent bar models that conform to these observations. We report the dynamics for fields at the edge of the Galactic bulge at latitudes b = -8 deg. and compare to the dynamics at b = -4 deg. We find that the rotation curve V(r) is the same at b = -8 deg. as at b = -4 deg. That is, the Galactic boxy bulge rotates cylindrically, as do boxy bulges of other galaxies. The summed line-of-sight velocity distribution at b = -8 deg. is Gaussian, and the binned longitude-velocity plot shows no evidence for either a (disk) population with cold dynamics or for a (classical bulge) population with hot dynamics. The observed ...
In this 150-day study, chicken manure, kenaf, and white rot fungus were added to soil microcosms in an attempt to enhance the degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls. The soil was contaminated with commercial PCB mixtures. Dishes were ammended with 5% dry weight chicken manure, 1% dry weight kenaf, and 1% dry weight kenaf plus Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculant. PCB concentrations were determined at 30 day intervals by soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography analyses. Preliminary results of microbial populations and PCB degradation are presented. At 90 days, the microcosms amended with chicken manure had significantly higher populations of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. However, at 120 days, these soils underwent great reductions in actinomycete and bacterial populations. Through 60 days, the concentration of the PCBs Aroclor 1242 and 1248 had its greatest reduction in the kenaf amended soils. The concentration ...
Population doses from diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radiopharmaceuticals have been estimated on the basis of a nation wide survey data on the number of investigations and treatments used radiopharmaceuticals in the nuclear medicine and the annual amount of their activities. The gonad and marrow doses were calculated from published biokinetics data from humans, employing the MIRD method. The resultant annual genetically significant dose from diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radiopharmaceuticals was 0.36 and 0.02 mrad (3.6 and 0.2 #mu#Gy) per person, respectively, with a total 0.38 mrad (3.8 #mu#Gy) per person. The annual per Caput mean bone marrow dose was 2.3 mrad (23 #mu#Gy) for diagnosis and 0.2 mrad (2 #mu#Gy), for therapy. The resultant annual leukemia significant dose was 1.8 mrad (18 #mu#Gy) per person for diagnostic uses and 0.2 mrad (2 #mu#Gy) per person for therapeutic use, with a total of 2.0 mrad (20 #mu#Gy) per person. These ...
Containing an epidemic at its origin is the most desirable mitigation. Epidemics have often originated in rural areas, with rural communities among the first affected. Disease dynamics in rural regions have received limited attention, and results of general studies cannot be directly applied since population densities and human mobility factors are very different in rural regions from those in cities. We create a network model of a rural community in Kansas, USA, by collecting data on the contact patterns and computing rates of contact among a sampled population. We model the impact of different mitigation strategies detecting closely connected groups of people and frequently visited locations. Within those groups and locations, we compare the effectiveness of random and targeted vaccinations using a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered compartmental model on the contact network. Our simulations show that the targeted vaccinations of only 10% ...
Blomqvist M, Ahadi S, Fernell E, Ek U, Dahllf G. Dental caries in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a population-based follow-up study. Eur J Oral Sci 2011; 119: 381-385. 2011 Eur J Oral Sci This study tested the hypothesis that adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit a higher prevalence of caries than adolescents in a control group. Thirty-two adolescents with ADHD and a control group of 55 adolescents from a population-based sample, all 17-yr of age, underwent a clinical and radiographic dental examination. The mean--SD number of decayed surfaces (DS) was 2.0--2.2 in adolescents with ADHD and 0.9--1.4 in adolescents of the control group. Thirty-one per cent of the adolescents in the ADHD group had no new caries lesions (DS-=-0) co...
Naturally occurring radionuclides in building materials are a source of external and interal radiation exposure to essentially the entire US population. Although detailed data are not available, estimates are that the average contribution from such sources to the external dose equilvaent rate in brick and masonry houses is about 5 to 10 mrem/year. For critical population groups, values reported in the literature for the contribution from such sources range up to a hundred mrem/year or more. Dose equivalent rates to the lungs are even higher and, for abnormal situations, it would appear that control measures, either on a voluntary or mandatory (legislative) basis should be considered. Such measures include: (1) material substitution; (2) improved manufacturing standards; (3) changes in basic building designs; (4) application of surface sealants; and (5) increased ventilation accompanied by processes for the adsorption and/or filtration of ...
The role of intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) on hematopoiesis was investigated in long term bone marrow cultures using cytokines and agonists of P2 receptors. Cytokines interleukin 3 and granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulator factor promoted a modest increase in Ca2+i concentration ([Ca2+]i) with activation of phospholipase Cgamma, MEK1/2, and Ca2+/calmodulin kinase II. Involvement of protein kinase C was restricted to stimulation with interleukin 3. In addition, these cytokines promoted proliferation (20 times) and an increase in the Gr-1(-)Mac-1+ population with participation of gap junctions (GJ). Nevertheless ATP, ADP, and UTP promoted a large increase in [Ca2+]i, moderate proliferation (6 times), a reduction in the primitive Gr-1(-)Mac-1(-)c-Kit+ population, and differentiation into macrophages without participation of GJ. It is likely that Ca2+i participates as a regulator of hematopoietic signaling: moderate increases in [Ca2+]i would be ...