This handbook provides guidance in the application of qualityassurance to measurement activities. It is intended to help those persons making measurements in applying qualityassurance to their work activities by showing how laboratory practices and qualityassurance requirements are integrated to provide control within those activities. The use of the guidance found in this handbook should help provide consistency in the interpretation of qualityassurance requirements across all types of measurement laboratories. This handbook also can assist qualityassurance personnel in understanding the relationships between laboratory practices and qualityassurance requirements. The handbook is composed of three chapters and several appendices. ...
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a group of expert collaborators are using the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site 300 Area uranium plume within the footprint of the 300-FF-5 groundwater operable unit as a site for an Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge (IFRC). The IFRC is entitled Multi-Scale Mass Transfer Processes Controlling Natural Attenuation and Engineered Remediation: An IFRC Focused on the Hanford Site 300 Area Uranium Plume Project. The theme is investigation of multi-scale mass transfer processes. A series of forefront science questions on mass transfer are posed for research that relate to the effect of spatial heterogeneities; the importance of scale; coupled interactions between biogeochemical, hydrologic, and mass transfer processes; and measurements/approaches needed to characterize and model a mass transfer-dominated system. This QualityAssurance Project Plan provides the ...
In Hungary, legislation for nuclear power plants was developed at the end of the 1970s, among which is the qualityassurance code for nuclear power plants. Hungarian practice is presented, including discussion of the requirements for qualityassurance, qualification of the suppliers and inspection practices. The general requirements of qualityassurance in the course of construction of a nuclear power plant are presented: qualityassurance of technological equipment, fuel, electrical equipment, automatic instrumentations, building structures and technology.
...Agriculture Analysis of food supply chains and linkages in relation to quality and safety assurances Dept of Primary Industries, Australia Impact of food chain qualityassurance requirements on farmer adoption and competitiveness UK Research Councils Review of environmental certification through farm assurance followed by industry developmental workshop Agriculture & ...
The qualityassurance requirements in various countries and according to various international codes and standards are presented, compared and critically discussed. Cases of developing countries are also discussed, and the use of IAEA code of practice and other codes for qualityassurance in these countries is reviewed. Recommendations are made regarding the qualityassurance system to be applied for Egypt's nuclear power plants.
The general requirements applicable to the qualityassurance of the Finnish nuclear power plants are presented in the Council of State Decision (395/91) and in the guide YVL 1.4. This guide specifies the qualityassurance requirements to be applied during the operation of the nuclear power plants as well as of the other nuclear facilities. Qualityassurance applies to all the activities and organizations with a bearing on the safe operation of the nuclear power plants. (5 refs.).
The present code requirements on qualityassurance as well as the present praxice of qualityassurance procedures in the operation of nuclear power plants are presented. On the example of recurring inspections the organizational and technical complications are shown with respect to the code and licensing requirements. Taking the present experiences into account suggestions are given how to transform the general requirements of KTA 1401 to qualityassurance requirements during plant operation. (orig.).
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Proper use of qualityassurance will provide the basis for an effective management control system for nuclear waste management programs. Control is essential for achieving successful programs free from costly losses and failures and for assuring the public and regulators that the environment and health and safety are being protected. The essence of qualityassurance is the conscientious use of planned and systematic actions, based on selecting and applying appropriate requirements from an established qualityassurance standard. Developing a qualityassurance program consists of using knowledge of the technical and managerial aspects of a project to identify and evaluate risks of loss and failure and then to select appropriate qualityassurance requirements ...
Intended to be used in conjunction with ANSI N45.2 and addresses the qualityassurance requirements related to subsurface investigations performed prior to the construction of safety related structures of nuclear power plants.
Requirements for the installation, inspection, and testing that assure the quality of important components of a nuclear power plant during construction are presented.
This guide describes an acceptable method of complying with the Commission's regulations with regard to the qualityassurance requirements for the packaging, shipping, receiving, storage, and handling of items for water-cooled nuclear power plants.
The guide describes a method acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with the Commission's regulations with regard to qualityassurance requirements for installation, inspection, and testing of mechanical equipment and systems for water-cooled and high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear power plants.
This paper discusses the qualityassurance requirements for high-level canistered waste form products which would be acceptable for disposal in a deep geologic repository. A review plan and guidelines are provided.
This plan describes the QualityAssurance Program which will be applied to spent fuel handling and packaging tests conducted at the Area 25 E-MAD facility, Nevada Test Site (NTS).
This document presents the basic QualityAssurance (QA) requirements which shall be included in the QualityAssurance Program established by sites planning to certify Transuranic (TRU) Waste to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Acceptance Criteria. These QA requirements were modeled after ANSI/ASME NQA-1-1979. The application of qualityassurance to Waste Certification Programs is required by WIPP-DOE-069 and DOE Order 5700.6A, as implemented by DOE Order AL 5700.6A.
Apppendix B of 10 CFR Part 50 establishes qualityassurance requirements for the operation of nuclear power plant safety-related structures, systems and components. This Guide describes an acceptable method for complying with these regulations with regard to overall qualityassurance program requirements for the operation phase of nuclear power plants. Input to this Guide has been provided by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.
Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 50 establishes overall qualityassurance requirements for the design, construction and operation of safety-related structures, systems, and components. This guide presents a method acceptable to the Commission for complying with these regulations with regard to overall qualityassurance program requirements during design and construction of nuclear power plants. Input to this guide has been provided by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.
The Sodium Storage Facility Project QualityAssurance Plan delineates the qualityassurance requirements for construction of a new facility, modifications to the sodium storage tanks, and tie-ins to the FFTF Plant. This plan provides direction for the types of verifications necessary to satisfy the functional requirements within the project scope and applicable regulatory requirements determined in the Project Functional Design Criteria (FDC), WHC-SD-FF-FDC-009.
As controlled clinical vocabularies assume an increasing role in modern clinical information systems, so the issue of their quality demands greater attention. In order to meet the resulting stringent...Full Text Available
Adaptive radiation therapy for liver cancer has the potential to reduce normal tissue complications and enable dose escalation, allowing the potential for tumor control in this challenging site. Using adaptive techniques to tailor treatment margins to reflect patient-specific breathing motions and image-guidance techniques can reduce the high dose delivered to surrounding normal tissues while ensuring that the prescription dose is delivered to the tumor. Several treatment planning and delivery techniques have been developed for use in the liver, including a margin to encompass the full breathing motion, mean position techniques, which evaluate the probability of tumor location during breathing, breath hold, gating, and tracking. Patient selection, clinical workflow, and qualityassurance m...
The QualityAssurance Requirements and Description (QARD) is the principal qualityassurance document for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program (Program). It establishes the minimum requirements for the QualityAssurance Program. The QARD contains regulatory requirements and program commitments necessary for the development of an effective qualityassurance program. Qualityassurance implementing documents must be based on, and consistent with, QARD requirements. The QARD applies to the following: (1) acceptance of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; (2) transport of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; (3) the Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility through application for an operating license; (4) Mined Geologic Disposal System ...
The Decree specifies basic qualityassurance requirements applicable to machines, their parts and materials, civil engineering structures, means for automated control of technological processes including hardware and software, and electricity supply systems related to nuclear safety of nuclear facilities, and stipulates binding procedures for the implementation of technical and organizational provisions associated with the quality of selected equipment to ensure nuclear safety of nuclear facilities. Safety classes are defined for selected equipment. Requirements laid on safety assurance documentation are specified, and requirements placed on safety assurance programmes, their preparation, finalization and approval are defined. Qualityassurance requirements are also specified with respect to the designing, manufacture, construction, ...
With regard to the operation of nuclear power plants, Electricite de France formally recognized in 1973 that it was necessary for safety reasons and economically acceptable to adopt organizational principles of qualityassurance that would be applicable both to its own activities and to those of its suppliers. Generally speaking, the form and spirit of the qualityassurance programme chosen is based largely on the Code of Practice No. 50-C-QA. In particular, the programme focuses on the flexible character of qualityassurance requirements and stresses that in the final analysis product quality depends above all on those to whom the project has been assigned, because it is they who are responsible for meeting the quality objectives set. Ten years of experience with the suppliers of Electricite de France has shown that ...
This paper discusses the new qualityassurance regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for packaging and transportation of radioactive materials. These regulations became effective on October 18, 1977. Background information concerning these regulations and packaging and transportation history is included. The qualityassurance program is described with indications of how it is composed of general (administrative) provisions which must meet the 18 qualityassurance criteria and be approved by the NRC; specific provisions which appear in the DOT and NRC regulations and in the individual package design approval; and other specific procedures which are not required by regulations but which are necessary for the proper control of quality. The qualityassurance program is to be developed ...
This document defines the qualityassurance program requirements for the US Department of Energy, Richland Field Office, Environmental Restoration program at the Hanford Site. This document integrates qualityassurance requirements from US Department of Energy Orders, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, and applicable industry standards into a single source document for the development of qualityassurance programs applicable to the Environmental Restoration program items and activities. This document has been configured into three parts and fifteen criteria to provide user organizations with a workable document that best facilitates line operations. When developing individual user organization qualityassurance programs, the document configuration provides each organization with the Flexibility to ...
The present Manual provides guidance and illustrative examples for applying a method by which graded qualityassurance requirements may be determined and adapted to the items and services of a nuclear power plant in conformance with the requirements of the IAEA Nuclear Safety Standards (NUSS) Code and Safety Guides on qualityassurance. The Manual replaces the previous publication IAEA-TECDOC-303 on the same subject. Various methods of grading qualityassurance are available in a number of Member States. During the development of the present Manual it was not considered practical to attempt to resolve the differences between those methods and it was preferred to identify and benefit from the good practices available in all the methods. The method presented in this Manual deals with the aspects of management, documentation, control, verification and ...
Most of the tissue banks in the Asia Pacific region have been using ionising radiation at 25 kGy to sterilise human tissues for save clinical usage. Under tissue banking quality system, any dose employed for sterilisation has to be validated and the validation exercise has to be a part of quality document. Tissue grafts, unlike medical items, are not produced in large number per each processing batch and tissues relatively have a different microbial population. A Code of Practice established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2004 offers several validation methods using smaller number of samples compared to ISO 11137 (1995), which is meant for medical products. The methods emphasise on bioburden determination, followed by sterility test on samples after they were exposed to verification dose for attaining of sterility assurance level (SAL) of 10{sup -1}. This paper describes our experience in using the IAEA ...
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed comparatively detailed qualityassurance requirements for the high-level radioactive waste disposal systems. Qualityassurance is recognized as a key issue for confidence building and smooth implementation of the HLW program in Japan, and Japan is at an initial phase of repository development. Then the qualityassurance requirements at site research and site selection, site characterization, and site suitability analysis used in the Yucca Mountain project were examined in detail and comprehensive descriptions were developed using flow charts. Additionally, the applicability to the Japan high-level radioactive waste disposal project was studied. The examination and study were performed for the following QA requirements: The requirements that have the relative importance at site research and site selection, site ...
The qualityassurance requirements in use today for radioactive waste facilities, geologic repositories and hazardous waste projects were developed initially for the nuclear power plant industry, and their intent is being applied by regulations and guidance documents to radioactive and hazardous waste programs. The wording of the NRC qualityassurance requirements in Appendix B of 10CFR50, the related guidance documents and the industry's ANSI/ASME NQA-1 were developed over a period of several years to address qualityassurance for the design and construction of the complex and interactive systems to produce electrical power using nuclear fuel. Now, those same documents are the basis for the qualityassurance requirements and guidance for waste management facilities and repositories. The intent of Appendix B of 10CFR50 ...
Total quality management strategy and the worldwide introduction of the DIN/ISO 9000 (EN 29 000) series of standards have given new impetus to traditional qualityassurance. The most important change must surely be seen in the holistic approach of total quality management and its strict orientation towards customer requirements and satisfaction. International codes and standards for the nuclear industry will also have to be brought into line as part of the process of harmonizing qualityassurance system standards. One possible approach is simply to specify a supplementary 'delta' of nuclear-specific requirements to be appended to the broad range of conventional requirements. It is a particular feature of quality-assured procedures in Germany that product and/or component related quality requirements and ...
This paper discusses the clean-up of an Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) site utilized for disposal of transuranic contaminated waste from 1954 until 1970. The author presents requirements of the environmental protection statutes that have generated qualityassurance requirements in addition to those historically implemented as a part of facility design, construction and operation. A hierarchy of program guidance quality documentation and procedures is discussed. Data qualification and computer database management are identified as requirements.
The environmental Restoration Remedial Action QualityAssurance Requirements Document (DOE/RL 90-28) defines the qualityassurance program requirements for the US Department of Energy-Richland Field Office Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. This paper describes the objectives outlined in DOE/RL 90-28. The Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program implements significant commitments made by the US Department of Energy in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order entered into with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Different aspects of overall evaluation of training programmes and processes as well as role of evaluation in the qualityassurance process are considered.
The basic QualityAssurance Program Requirements standard for the National Waste Terminal Storage Program has been developed primarily for nuclear reactors and other fairly well established nuclear facilities. In the case of waste isolation, however, there are many ongoing investigations for which qualityassurance practices and requirements have not been well defined. This paper points out these problems which require supplementary requirements. Briefly these are: (1) the language barrier, that is geologists and scientists are not familiar with qualityassurance (QA) terminology; (2) earth sciences deal with materials that cannot be characterized as easily as metals or other materials that are reasonably homogeneous; (3) development and control of mathematical models and associated computer programs; (4) research and development.
Studies continued on organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers as part of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization project. This subject report for the quarter 01/01/93 through 03/31/93 discusses the following issues: project organization and responsibilities; qualityassurance program; design control; procurement document control; instructions, procedures, and drawings; document control; control of purchased items and services; identification and control of items; control of processes; inspection; test control; control of measuring and test equipment; handling, storage, and shipping; inspection, test, and operating status; control of nonconforming items and conditions; corrective action; qualityassurance records; audits; software qualityassurance; and scientific investigation.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standards for the qualityassurance requirements for the design and manufacture of Class 1E instrumentation and electric equipment for a nuclear power generating station are presented. This standard establishes QualityAssurance Program requirements for electrical manufacturers. This standard, used in conjunction with ANSI N45.2-1977 and the supplemental standards to the extent referenced in this standard, is intended to meet the requirements of 10CFR50, Appendix B. These requirements are intended to assure that Class 1E instrumentation and electric equipment are responsibly engineered and manufactured from proper materials, that the manufacturing processes and practices are controlled, and that the manufacturing process produces a product of the required quality for Class 1E application.
Analytical procedures are described for the determination of organic compounds, metals and radioisotopes in environmental materials, human tissues, urine, feces, and waste water.
The Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant Project has been established to convert the high-level radioactive waste associated with nuclear defense production at the Hanford Site into a waste form suitable for disposal in a deep geologic repository. The Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant will mix processed radioactive waste with borosilicate material, then heat the mixture to its melting point (vitrification) to forin a glass-like substance that traps the radionuclides in the glass matrix upon cooling. The Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant QualityAssurance Program has been established to support the mission of the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant. This QualityAssurance Program Description has been written to document the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant QualityAssurance Program.
This document provides the detailed design requirements for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project Cold Vacuum Drying Facility. Process, safety, and qualityassurance requirements and interfaces are specified.
This book discusses the procedures applied for the clinical nuclear medicine laboratory. The procedures are presented as proven guidelines. The chapters are included on qualityassurance, radionuclide handling, and radiation safety.
This document establishes the QualityAssurance (QA) Program requirements for the Hazards Waste remedial Actions Program (HASWRAP) for ensuring, with a high degree of confidence, that program objectives will be achieved as planned. The QA Program is introduced in Sect. 1. The HAZWRAP Support Contractor Office (SCO) functional organization and QA responsibilities are shown in Sect. 2. QA program requirements are contained in Sect. 3. These requiremens are pased on the American national Standard, American National Standards Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers NQA-1 QualityAssurance Program Requirements for Nuclear Facilities. The 18 elements defined in the standard are tailored to HAZWRAP's needs. The QA program requirements are delineated under the major headings: QualityAssurance Program, Organization, and Control of ...
This document defines the qualityassurance requirements for the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program at the Hanford Site. The Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program implements significant commitments made by the US Department of Energy in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order entered into with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Environmental Protection Agency. This document combines qualityassurance requirements from various source documents into one set of requirements for use by the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office and other Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program participants. This document will serve as the basis for developing QualityAssurance Program Plans and implementing procedures by the participants. The ...
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH) has continuously emphasized improvement in the quality of care provided in hospitals as the central purpose of the accreditation process. In...Full Text Available
This paper presents a brief account of Lingling Hydroelectric Power Equipment General Works, the capacity of equipment production, the organization body, the qualityassurance system and supervision of government department on its product quality.
BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to analyze the radiotherapy (RT) qualityassurance (QA) assessment in Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) 0202, which was the first trial...Full Text Available
Requirements and guidance are provided for a qualityassurance program for the design of nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities involving structures, systems and components whose satisfactory performance is required to prevent accidents that could cause undue risk to the health and safety of the public, or to mitigate the consequences of such accidents if they were to occur. The standard is to be used in conjunction with ANSI N46.2.
The requirements are given as placed on the development, procurement, maintenance, and application of software for the creation or processing of data during the design, construction, operation, repair, maintenance and safety-related upgrading of nuclear power plants. The verification and validation processes are highlighted, and the requirements put on the software documentation are outlined. The general qualityassurance principles applied to safety analyses are characterized. (J.B.). 1 ref.
This qualityassurance plan (QAP) is designed ensure that the methodologies and the data used for environmental cleanup and treatment studies at the Nevada Test Site are both usable and defensible. The QAP serves two purposes in this regard: (1) to guide the preparation of procedures for carrying out the tasks of the Basic Environmental compliance and Monitoring program (BECAMP); and (2) to help management track the progress of those tasks.
125I-seeds are extensively used in ocular and interstitial brachytherapy for the treatment of various malignant lesions. Qualityassurance and classification performance testing of indigenously produced 125I-seeds were carried out for ensuring their safety in different brachytherapy applications. The sources were found to qualify Class -43211 specifications, in accordance with AERB SS-3 and ISO-2919. (author)
This booklet familiarizes the reader with DOE's QualityAssurance Rule and Order. Underlying this Training Briefing is the premise that the Rule and Order have antecedents going back to the original QualityAssurance Programs that were written when nuclear power was just being developed for commercial purposes. While a lot has changed since then, much has not.
Software qualityassurance (SQA) for robotic systems used in nuclear waste applications is vital to ensure that the systems operate safely and reliably and pose a minimum risk to humans and the environment. This paper describes the SQA approach for the control and data acquisition system for a robotic system being developed for remote surveillance and inspection of underground storage tanks (UST) at the Hanford Site.
Scattered radiation generated in patient and imaging system has to be considered when quality-assurance tests involve dose detection or image-quality estimations. Measurement of automatic-exposure control dose can be altered by backscattering from intensifying screens of more than 10% and the equipment transmission factor can be overestimated up to a factor of 10 when only primary radiation is used. The sensitivity of intensifying screens depends on the angle of incidence of the radiation and so primary and scattered radiation are detected differently. The quality-control aspects of anti-scatter grids are discussed. (author).
Scattered radiation generated in patient and imaging system has to be considered when quality-assurance tests involve dose detection or image-quality estimations. Measurement of automatic-exposure control dose can be altered by backscattering from intensifying screens of more than 10% and the equipment transmission factor can be overestimated up to a factor of 10 when only primary radiation is used. The sensitivity of intensifying screens depends on the angle of incidence of the radiation and so primary and scattered radiation are detected differently. The quality-control aspects of anti-scatter grids are discussed. (author).
Managing sites contaminated with munitions constituents is an international challenge. Although the choice of approach and the use of Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) tools may vary from country to country, the assurance of quality and the direction of ecotoxicological research are universally recognized as shared concerns. Drawing on a multidisciplinary team of contributors, 'Ecotoxicology of Explosives' provides comprehensive and critical reviews available to date on fate, transport, and effects of explosives. The book delineates the state of the science of the ecotoxicology of explosives, past, present, and recently developed. It reviews the accessible fate and ecotoxicological data for energetic materials (EMs) and the methods for their development. The chapters characterize the fate of explosives in the environment, then provide information on their ecological effects in key environmental media, ...
The textbook is primarily intended for radiologic staff and radiologic safety officers and gives information on the current regulatory provisions of the German X-ray Ordinance, applications of X-rays, qualityassurance, organisational aspects of film processing and quality requirements of X-rays. An annex lists the guidelines of the Bundesaerztekammer (German National Chamber of Physicians) relating to qualityassurance aspects, and further useful information on commercially available film-screen systems, the various associations of physicians in Germany, and requirements and performance of radiation surveys. (vhe).
How does one assure that both quality and creativity are obtained in basic research environments QA theoreticians have attempted to develop workable definitions of quality, but in more reflective moments, these definitions often fail to capture the deeper essence of the idea of quality.'' This paper asserts that creativity (as a product of the human mind) is a concrete interface between perfunctory definitions of quality (conformance to specifications) and more philosophical speculations about the nature of quality- related ultimates'' like elegance or beauty. In addition, we describe the distinction between creative ideas and creative acts and highlight one of the major inhibitors of creativity, fear. Finally we show that highly creative people often have an irreverent attitude toward boundaries and established authority, and ...
Radiotherapy recent development in cancer treatment needs strong procedures and quality assessment to improve safety both for patients and professionals. In Ile de France territory, a coordinated action between ASN inspectors and medical doctors specialized in public health (MISP), working as civil servants in health administration, was initiated at the end of 2007. An inspection guideline was implemented in a workshop between ASN and Regional Hospital Agency (ARH). The MISP as health administrator has to verify if care organisation responds to treatment cancer regulatory framework: as a doctor he is authorized to access to patient records to know which treatment was chosen. He has to assure if the therapeutic guidelines are respected. His comprehensive approach is essentially patient-oriented. The MISP inspection coordinated with ASN inspectors is a very pertinent pluri-disciplinary approach, undeniably necessary in such a medical technic. The ...
Radiotherapy recent development in cancer treatment needs strong procedures and quality assessment to improve safety both for patients and professionals. In Ile de France territory, a coordinated action between ASN inspectors and medical doctors specialized in public health (MISP), working as civil servants in health administration, was initiated at the end of 2007. An inspection guideline was implemented in a workshop between ASN and Regional Hospital Agency (ARH). The MISP as health administrator has to verify if care organisation responds to treatment cancer regulatory framework: as a doctor he is authorized to access to patient records to know which treatment was chosen. He has to assure if the therapeutic guidelines are respected. His comprehensive approach is essentially patient-oriented. The MISP inspection coordinated with ASN inspectors is a very pertinent pluri-disciplinary approach, undeniably necessary in such a medical technic. The ...
This standard provides requirements and guidelines for installation, inspection and testing activities that assure the quality of important mechanical parts of a nuclear power plant not covered by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, during construction. These parts include those mechanical systems and components whose satisfactory performance is required: for the plant to operate reliably; to prevent accidents that could cause undue risk to the health and safety of the public; or to mitigate the consequences of such accidents if they were to occur. The requirements of this standard deal with the protection and control necessary to assure that the requisite quality of those important parts of the plant are preserved from the time items are removed from storage or receiving until they are incorporated into the plant up to but not including fuel loading for PWR plants and the completion ...
The challenge to our profession today is to improve the quality of oral health while overcoming both extrinsic and intrinsic factors which may adversely affect our progress toward this goal. The combined...Full Text Available
PurposeIntestinal stomas can pose significant challenges for long-term (≥ 5 years) rectal cancer (RC) survivors. Specifying common challenges and sociodemographic or clinical...Full Text Available
The Nuclear Assurance Corporation (NAC) owns and operates four NAC-1 truck casks. These casks are used to ship spent reactor fuel assemblies and radioactive reactor-core components. The casks have been loaded or unloaded at a total of fifteen nuclear facilities in the United States. In addition, NAC has used another large, overweight-truck cask to ship radioactive reactor core components from a reactor to a waste burial site. There are many individual differences in the cask handling facilities at each of the reactor stations, nuclear research facilities and the storage and burial sites serviced. Various types of auxiliary lifting and handling devices for on-site cask operations have been required. The qualityassurance requirements for the equipment used in interfacing casks with nuclear power plant facilities have become more stringent. This paper presents details on the type of special equipment being employed, the ...
The IAEA Code of Practice on QualityAssurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants and the corresponding Safety Guides are reviewed and compared with qualityassurance (QA) practices in the IAEA Member States. The QA requirements stipulated by the Code place on the nuclear power plant owner the responsibility to establish an overall QA programme for the plant. In selecting the QA programme level for specific activities, the Code allows of a flexible approach but does not specify gradation in programme requirements. The Code is placing the burden of quality-achieving and quality-assuring functions on the task-performing organizations, namely the designers, manufacturers, constructors and plant operators. The plant owner provides for the management of the overall QA programme, surveillance of activities and verifications of the effectiveness of the constituent ...
This report describes a qualityassurance program plan for the Yucca Mountain Project. Aspects of the plan include: document control, equipment maintenance and calibration, process control, audits, computer software, and inspections. (CBS)
It has been suggested for qualityassurance purposes that linac output variations for helical tomotherapy (HT) be within ±2% of the long-term average. Due to cancellation of systematic...Full Text Available
Main results of 15-year SSTC NRS activity in the field of technical support of regulatory authority are presented. The article also described management policy, qualityassurance system, personnel training system and international co-operation of SSTC. (author)
The 52 papers discuss the following subjects: 1. Preparation and structural development; 2. Structural constitution; 3. Structural formation and phase transition; 4. Structure and mechanical properties; 5. Structural formation of metallic and nonmetallic materials; 6. Quantitative metallography, and 7. Qualityassurance.
The document reports the main issues discussed during the first course-debate on quality controls in radiotherapy, held in Rome in December 3-4, 1998 and May 3-5 1999 in collaboration between the Istituto Superiore di Sanita' and the Istituto Regina Elena. The points considered critical to the qualityassurance in radiotherapy by the participants are presented in relation to the total radiotherapy procedure.
In this article, the authors recall the factors apt to influence image quality in NMR Imaging and present the european works that have been developed in MRIQA to set 5 qualityassurance tests: EUROSPIN 1 to 5.
Huntsville, Alabama Utilities has successfully provided services for over 53 years. However, the quality of service demands from customers are changing every day! Part of this demand is due to updated digital appliances, home and business computers, and automated systems. A quality program was initiated in 1992 as a result of an internal assessment. The Malcolm Baldrige approach was selected which includes seven areas: (1) Leadership; (2) Information and Analysis; (3) Strategic Planning; (4) Human Resource Utilization; (5) QualityAssurance of Products and Services: (6) Quality Results: (7) Customer Satisfaction. Training for and implementation of the Quality program is discussed in detail.
The Department of Energy has issued a QualityAssurance (QA) specification for organizations involved in making a canistered high-level waste form product that is acceptable for storage in a deep geologic federal repository. The logic for the waste form acceptance process is described. In addition to NQA-1 requirements, fourteen supplemental QA requirements have been drafted to fit the waste form production process. A review plan for assuring complicance with the QA specification is provided. Guidelines for preparation of a waste form producer QA program are also presented. It is expected that the QA program description that result will be influential in supporting the acceptybility of the product to OCRWM and for ultimate disposal of the high-level waste in a deep geologic repository. (author) 3 figs., 4 refs.
Sandia National Laboratories has the qualification evaluation responsibility for the design of certain components intended for use in nuclear weapons. Specific techniques in assurance and assessment have been developed to provide the quality evidence that the software has been properly qualified for use. Qualification Evaluation is a process for assessing the suitability of either a process used to develop or manufacture the product, or the product itself The qualification process uses a team approach to evaluating a product or process, chaired by a QualityAssurance professional, with other members representing the design organization, the systems organization, and the production agency. Suitable for use implies that adequate and appropriate definition and documentation has been produced and formally released, adequate verification and validation activities have taken place to ensure proper operation, ...
BackgroundMigrants everywhere face several demands for health and maintaining good health and quality of life could be challenging. Iraqis are the second largest refugee group that...Full Text Available
The `Procurement Quality Function` is an element of the Body of Knowledge of Quality Engineering, as defined by the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC). This paper describes the Procurement Quality function which has been installed as an integral part of the Quality Engineering group of the Technical and Management Support Services (T&MSS) contractor to the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Each of the elements of the T&MSS Procurement Quality Engineering (PQE) system is discussed along with the measurements obtained. With the installation and development of the PQE system we have attained more meaningful evaluation of supplier capability, reduction of procurement document review reject ratios from 31% to less than 2% per quarter, more effective measurement and control of supplier performance, ...
A large number of fiber optic cables were used in support of a neutron imaging experiment at the Nevada Test Site. This paper describes the quality control testing of fiber components used on this experiment. The principal reason for quality control testing was to ensure reliable, high transmission fibers; a secondary reason was to gain data on a large sample of fiber cables in the field. Also described is the instrumentation developed for carrying out these field measurements. The design of the quality control instrumentation was a compromise between accuracy and simplicity of use.
Fuzzy theory has been regarded as a very important technique for quality management (QM) of distributed manufacturing system and attracts the attentions of academic and industry; however, there is a lack of a comprehensive literature review and a classification scheme for it. This paper is the first academic literature review of the fuzzy theory applied in quality management of distributed manufacturing system. It involves five most popular databases in this research area and covers more than 20 journals, proposes a classification scheme using clustering analysis method. Sixty-one journal articles were finally selected, reviewed and classified. Each selected article was classified firstly based on four QM dimensions (quality planning, quality control, qualityassurance and quality improvem...
In consistency with the increasing requests from Member States for establishing radiotherapy programmes, an IAEA Technical Co-operation project was initiated in Latin America aimed at improving the physical aspects (as a complement to the clinical issues) of qualityassurance in radiotherapy; this ARCAL XXX project (RLA/6/032) was classified as a Model Project of the IAEA. Among the important outcomes of the project were (i) the training of a considerable number of medical physicists in hospitals of the region, (ii) the development of a protocol for quality control procedures, and (iii) the organization of quality audit site visits (to the participant countries) where the implementation in hospitals of the developed quality control procedures is verified. The present publication is the protocol for quality control of the physical aspects of radiotherapy. It ...
This plan establishes both the scope of the review and the acceptance criteria to be utilized for the review of QualityAssurance Program Plans (QAPPs) developed in accordance with the requirements of DOE/RL-90-28. DOE/RL-90-28, the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action QualityAssurance Requirements Document (QARD) defines all qualityassurance (QA) requirements governing activities that affect the quality of the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action (ERRA) program at the Hanford Site. These requirements are defined in three parts, Part 1 of Quality Management and Administration tasks, Part 2 for Environmental Data Operations, and Part 3 of the Design and Construction of items, systems, and facilities. The purpose of this document is to identify the scope of the review by the DOE Field Office, Richland staff, ...
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 qualityassurance and safe and reproducible dosimetric systems. Patient and medical workers information guarantee radioprotection and prevention of accidental exposures. (authors)
For comparison of radiation exposure and risk in different diagnostic procedures for adults and children dose measurements and calculations of organs with special risk were carried out. Parameters of image formation influencing image quality as well as of exposure concerning infants and children are recorded and discussed as to radiation exposure and protection. Conclusions are drawn with respect to systems of image formation and to standards of examination and qualityassurance.
This standard describes requirements and provides guidelines for the control of activities to be exercised during procurement of items and services which affect the quality of nuclear power plants. These requirements and guidelines apply to procurement activities for items and services such as designing, purchasing, fabricating, handling, shipping, storage, cleaning, constructing, erecting, installing, inspecting, testing, maintaining, repairing, initial fueling, refueling, and modifying.
Requirements and guidelines are provided for the control of activities to be exercised during procurement of items and services which affect the quality of nuclear facilities. These requirements and guidelines apply to procurement activities for items and services such as designing, purchasing, fabricating, handling, shipping, storing, cleaning, constructing, erecting, installing, inspecting, texting, maintaining and modifying.
The Conference on Building Design and Architecture organized by Swedish Council for Building Research Contents included articles on building physics, thermal-climate technology, indoor-air-quality technology, construction materials, qualityassurance, and building policy and regulation.
The quality of the end product from andrology services continues to lack consistency and in some cases fails to meet the needs of the end users (patients or clinicians). Results of external quality assessment (EQA) schemes continue to show unacceptably wide variation for the results of a single specimen. Some laboratories are able to show that the results of semen analyses relate to both natural and assisted pregnancy and are therefore useful in the management of the infertile couple, whereas others claim that their value is limited to the identification of severe male factor infertility. With wide variation in standardisation of methodology, levels of staff training and qualityassurance, it is entirely understandable that such discrepancies persist. The following article proposes that Qu...
To address the potential threat that suspect/counterfeit parts could pose to DOE workers and the public, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oversight initiated a number of activities beginning in mid-1995. Oversight placed increased emphasis on the field`s qualityassurance-suspect/counterfeit parts programs during safety management evaluations, in keeping with the Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) oversight responsibilities, which include oversight of the Department`s qualityassurance (QA) programs. In addition, Oversight reviewed relevant policy documents and occurrence reports to determine the nature and magnitude of the problem within the Department. The results of that review, contained in an Office of Oversight report, Independent Oversight Analysis of Suspect/Counterfeit Parts Within the Department of Energy (November 1995), indicate a lack of consistency and ...
Within the Annual Conference 2009 of the VGB PowerTech e.V. (Essen, Federal Republic of Germany) from 23rd to 25th May, 2009, in Lyon (France) the following lectures were held: (1) Electricity demand, consequences of the financial and economic crisis - Current overview 2020 for the EU-27 (Hans ten Berge); (2) Status and perspectives of the electricity generation mix in France (Bernard Dupraz); (3) European electricity grid - status and perspective (Dominique Maillard); (4) Technologies and acceptance in the European energy market (Gordon MacKerran); (5) EPR construction in Finland, China, France, (Claude Jaouen); (6) EPR Flamanville 3: A project on the path towards nuclear revival (Jacques Alary); (7) Worldwide nuclear Revival and acceptance (Luc Geraets); (8) An overview on the status of final disposal of radioactive wastes worldwide (Piet Zuidema); (9) Who needs pumped storage plants? PSP are partner to grid stability and renewable energies (Hans-Christoph Funke); (10) Sustainable ...
Within the Annual Conference 2009 of the VGB PowerTech e.V. (Essen, Federal Republic of Germany) from 23rd to 25th May, 2009, in Lyon (France) the following lectures were held: (1) Electricity demand, consequences of the financial and economic crisis - Current overview 2020 for the EU-27 (Hans ten Berge); (2) Status and perspectives of the electricity generation mix in France (Bernard Dupraz); (3) European electricity grid - status and perspective (Dominique Maillard); (4) Technologies and acceptance in the European energy market (Gordon MacKerran); (5) EPR construction in Finland, China, France, (Claude Jaouen); (6) EPR Flamanville 3: A project on the path towards nuclear revival (Jacques Alary); (7) Worldwide nuclear Revival and acceptance (Luc Geraets); (8) An overview on the status of final disposal of radioactive wastes worldwide (Piet Zuidema); (9) Who needs pumped storage plants? PSP are partner to grid stability and renewable energies (Hans-Christoph Funke); (10) Sustainable ...
The objective of this Task Group is the coordination of research studies on biokinetic models and the evaluation of the implications of new biokinetic models on dose assessment and safety standards. For this the new ICRP models, which will be used for a revision of ICRP Publications 30, 54, 68 and 78, are implemented into six different computer codes in five European countries and qualityassured by intercomparison procedures. The work has started with the implementation of the new ICRP Alimentary Tract Model. New systemic models and the new NCRP wound model will follow. The work also includes the evaluation of experimental results in terms of formulation by the new model structures and a qualityassurance of model formulation. PMID:17556343
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has many R and D facilities in operation, including HANARO research reactor, radioactive waste treatment facility (RWTF), post-irradiation examination facility (PIEF) and irradiated material test facility (IMEF). Recently, nation-wide interest is focused on the safety and security of major industrial facilities. Safe operation of nuclear facilities is imperative because of the consequence of public disaster by radiological release/ contamination, in case of an accident. Recently, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the Korean government announced amendments of Atomic Energy laws to enforce requirements of the physical protection and radiological emergency. In this paper, the context of amended Atomic Energy laws were reviewed to confirm qualityassurance measures and identify additional QA activities, if any, that is required by the amendment
The final product of the radwaste conditioning process must satisfy certain requirments and physico-chemical properties in order to assure its safe long-term behaviour. Of course, the foreseen qualityassurance and quality control should be conducted by means of non-destructive techniques. This work presents an over-view of various applicable non-destructive methods of analysis, showing their fields of investigation in testing waste packages, together with some arising practical problems. The most promising methods, such as eddy current testing, ultrasonic testing, #gamma#-scanning, #gamma#-spectroscopy, neutron counting and computerized tomography, are treated more deeply and some applications are presented. Particular attention is devoted to the development of a device based on computerized tomography; its essential components are reported and some design problems are also discussed.
Electric utility plants, for which construction commenced after September 18, 1978, must install and operate continuous emission monitoring (CEM) systems to demonstrate compliance with SO_2 and NO_x emission standards. Furthermore, effective December 4, 1987, each plant must develop and implement a CEM qualityassurance (QA) program. This paper reviews the CEM and QA requirements set forth by new source performance standards (NSPS) promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The paper summarizes operating characteristics of the 32 power plants currently subject to NSPS and describes the types of CEM systems used by these plants. Also, to the extent available, the paper presents the results of initial (i.e., first quarter 1988) QA activities (e.g., audits and calibration drift assessments) conducted by these plants.
While most cancer survivors are at risk for being lost in the transition from treatment to survivorship, rural breast cancer survivors face special challenges that might place them at particular...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
Description is given of how the design challenges were met in commissioning the Sasol Two plant in 1980, a larger plant than Sasol One, and devoted to producing liquid fuels. The design parameters included treating South African coals of poor quality with high ash contents, and rapidity in building the plant.
Since its creation the nuclear industry has been struggling with the question of how safe is safe enough. Safety is a common goal to all involved in the design, operation and regulation of a nuclear installation. As a concept safety is not easy to define. However, there is a general understanding of what attributes a nuclear power plant should have in order to operate safely. The challenge lies in measuring the attributes. The new competitive open electricity market, in many countries throughout the world, is increasing the economic pressure on operators to lower operating costs without jeopardizing safety. Challenges are occurring at a rate that is unprecedented in the nuclear industry: competitiveness; downsizing; ageing; policy changes; reorganization; restructuring; mergers; globalization; and takeovers demand increasing attention to the management of safety. There are various means to measure safety performance, some of which are more ...
The present guidelines supplement the 'VGB guidelines for the reduction of noise in thermal power plants' with indications for the ordering and qualityassurance of the individual noise-producing machines and equipment of power plant operation. These guides are to simplify the commissioning and delivering for the orderer and deliverer. In addition, these guidelines are to lead to a successful cooperation of all parties in the reduction of the sound radiation. A precondition for this is an explanation of the sound technical demands which must be made on the single machines or mechanical equipment in power plant systems. A protection of the neighbourhood as well as operational personnel against noise according to the state of technology is to be achieved by a clear form of ordering and qualityassurance. The ordering and assurance procedure for all aggregates in the region of the ...
An x-ray fluorescence spectrometer was designed and fabricated which nondestructively determines the thickness of aluminum cladding at small suspected thin spots in the inner or outer surface of actinide reactor tubes. The analysis method is based on the difference in absorption of actinide L/sub #alpha#/ and L/sub #beta#/ fluorescent x-rays in passing through the cladding. Calibration plots of the logarithm of the L/sub #beta#//L/sub #alpha#/ x-ray intensity ratio versus cladding thickness are linear to at least 40 mils for U-Al, U_3O_8-Al, and PuO_2-Al substrates. Accuracy and precision of the experimentally determined cladding thickness and evaluated for both uranium and plutonium substrates. Experimental thickness data are reported for 618 qualityassurance analyses on six Mark 41 PuO_2-Al target tubes. An x-ray fluorescence cladding thickness monitor operated with a computer-controlled fluoroscope holds considerable promise for ...
Experience of the Westinghouse Water Reactors Division with indoctrination and training of quality engineers includes training of personnel from Westinghouse divisions in the USA and overseas as well as of customers' personnel. A written plan is prepared for each trainee in order to fit the training to the individual's needs, and to cover the full range of information and activities. The trainee is also given work assignments, working closely with experienced quality engineers. He may prepare inspection plans and audit check lists, assist in the preparation of QA training modules, write procedures, and perform supplier surveillance and data analyses, or make special studies of operating systems. The trainee attends seminars and special courses on work-related technical subjects. Throughout the training period, emphasis is placed on inculcating an attitude of team work in the trainee so that the result of the training is the achievement of both ...
Lyophilized human whole blood control material containing lead was prepared for internal and external qualityassurance to evaluate and improve the analytical performance of lead. The samples were prepared in four different concentrations from outdated human whole blood stabilized with glucose and a citrate/phosphate buffer and provided under clean room conditions to avoid contamination. The lyophilized samples are easy to reconstitute with water. The materials were evaluated according to a statistical model. The lead concentrations in the specimens are close to blood lead levels usually following environmental and industrial exposure, particular in occupational health to the control of lead exposure at work regulations. The materials are available to the commercial as well as the scientific community. The Danish External Quality Assessment Scheme (DEQAS) for lead in blood is intended to complement the internal ...
The probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of the General Electric BWR/6 Mark III standard plant has been used to assess the effect of proposed new qualityassurance requirements on the off-site plant risk. This work was performed by General Electric Company under contract to the Electric Power Research Institute. First, the potential changes in the reliability of structures, systems and components were estimated. Then those changes that could affect the event tree and fault tree results were identified. Finally these changes were propagated through the probabilistic risk assessment fault trees and event trees to determine the effect upon off-site plant risk. The results show that applying qualityassurance requirements, very nearly equal to those of 10CFR50, Appendix B (3), to nearly all nonsafety-related structures, systems, and components would have a negligible effect on off-site plant risk. In this ...
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 qualityassurance and control. Proposals concerning the reduction of radiation exposure of the GDR population are presented.
QualityAssurance (QA) has not been taken very seriously in developing countries despite their having significant nuclear power programmes. This may affect plant reliability and demands that urgent and serious attention be given to the development and implementation of QualityAssurance programmes according to local conditions. Confusion has been created by the differences in definitions and interpretations of terminologies of QualityAssurance and Control. Problems have been aggravated by the lack of clearly defined responsibilities and accountabilities during the projects execution phases of site selection, data collection, design, equipment fabrication and construction, etc. Therefore, reliability of nuclear power plants in developing countries is relatively low. But whenever some programme of QA has been implemented it has helped to improve the plant ...
The document, based on European guidelines, was jointly developed by radiation oncologists, radiation physicists and radiation technologists. It contains the aims of the guidelines, professional profiles, roles and responsibilities, personnel and equipment requirements, procedures.
Accidents from three main practices: medical applications, industrial radiography and industrial irradiators are used to illustrate some common causes of accidents and the main lessons to be learned. A brief description of some of these accidents is given. Lessons learned from the described accidents are approached by subjects covering: safety culture, qualityassurance, human factors, good engineering practice, defence in depth, security of sources, safety assessment and monitoring and verification compliance. (author)
The High-Level Waste Storage Tank Farms/242-A Evaporator Standards/Requirements Document (S/RID) is contained in multiple volumes. This document (Volume 2) presents the standards and requirements for the following sections: QualityAssurance, Training and Qualification, Emergency Planning and Preparedness, and Construction.
PurposeRTOG protocol 95-17 was a phase I/II trial to evaluate multi-catheter brachytherapy as the sole method of adjuvant breast radiotherapy for stage I/II breast...Full Text Available
Within the United Kingdom, the regulatory body having responsibility for the licensing of nuclear installations is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) is that part of HSE which administers this function. Discussions on the applicability of qualityassurance (QA) to licensed sites began in 1974, and an internal report was published in 1975. In parallel with work going on at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prepare QualityAssurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants: A Code of Practice, Safety Series No. 50-C-QA, NII published a second report in 1978 entitled A Guide to the QualityAssurance Programme for Nuclear Power Plants. In 1980, the construction of advanced gas cooled reactors at Heysham 2 and at Torness was licensed, and a condition was attached to the licences requiring the licensees to ...
A database has been designed for storing, retrieving and analyzing information about samples, experimental conditions and results obtained by neutron activation analysis and gamma-ray spectrometry. It has been created using Microsoft ACCESS 2002 under a Windows operating system. The database has been designed not only for saving information but also for qualityassurance and quality control purposes. The structure of the relational design has been discussed and demonstrated with a new graphical feature of ACCESS 2002 called PIVOTCHART. (author)
Integrated femtocell/macrocell networks, comprising a conventional cellular network overlaid with femtocells, offer an economically appealing way to improve coverage, quality of service, and access network capacity. The key element to successful femtocells/macrocell integration lies in its self-organizing capability. Provisioning of quality of service is the main technical challenge of the femtocell/macrocell integrated networks, while the main administrative challenge is the choice of the proper evolutionary path from the existing macrocellular networks to the integrated network. In this article, we introduce three integrated network architectures which, while increasing the access capacity, they also reduce the deployment and operational costs. Then, we discuss a number of technical issues, which are key to making such integration a reality, and we offer possible approaches to their solution. These ...
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 qualityassurance 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, ...
Software qualityassurance is an area of concern for DOE, EPA, and other agencies due to the poor quality of software and its documentation they have received in the past. This report briefly summarizes the software development concepts and terminology increasingly employed by these agencies and provides a workable approach to scientific programming under the new requirements. Following this is a practical description of how to qualify a simulation code, based on a software QA plan that has been reviewed and officially accepted by DOE/OCRWM. Two codes have recently been baselined and qualified, so that they can be officially used for QA Level 1 work under the DOE/OCRWM QA requirements. One of them was baselined and qualified within one week. The first of the codes was the multi-phase multi-component flow code TOUGH version 1, an already existing code, and the other was a geochemistry transport code STATEQ that was under ...
The proceedings include the following lectures: Facing the challenges - new structures for electricity production. Renewable energies in Europe - chances and challenges. Nuclear outlook in the UK. Sustainable energy for Europe. Requirements of the market and the grid operator at the electricity production companies. Perspectives for the future energy production. Pumped storage plants - status and perspectives. Nuclear power/renewable energies -partners or opponents? New fossil fired power stations in Europe - status and perspectives. Nuclear energy: outlook for new build and lifetime extension in Europe. Biomass in the future European energy market - experiences for dong energy. Meeting the EU 20:20 renewable energy targets: the offshore challenges. DESERTEC: sustainable electricity for Europe, Middle East and North Africa. New power plants in Europe - a challenge for project and ...
This document defines the quality system requirements for the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL), Environmental Restoration (ER) Project at the Hanford Site. The Environmental Restoration Project Quality System Requirements for the Hanford Site integrates qualityassurance requirements from the DOE Orders, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement), the Hanford Facility Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) Permit, and applicable Federal and Washington State regulations. This document, based on ten criteria, provides user organizations with the flexibility to incorporate only those criteria and paragraphs applicable to their specific scopes of work. The requirements of this document are to be applied based on a graded approach that takes into consideration the risk inherent in, as well as the importance of, specific items, ...
KAERI (Korea Advanced Energy Research Institute) has performed research to develop the fabrication technology of CANDU nuclear fuel since 1981. Based on the satisfactory results of in-pile and out-of-pile tests of prototype nuclear fuel and the outstanding performance of 48 KAERI-made nuclear fuels in Wolsung(CANDU) power reactor, Korean government decided KAERI to supply all the nuclear fuels for Wolsung from 1988. In order to guarantee the safety and performance of nuclear fuel manufactured in mass production scale, well-organized qualityassurance system and appropriate quality control techniques should be established. To establish the QA system, KAERI reviewed various QA standards and decided to establish QA system based on the 10 CFR 50 Appendix B. Quality control techniques was also revised to fit the mass production even though quality inspection techniques have already been ...
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Defense Waste Management Plan has the objective of final disposal for high-level waste (HLW) generated from defense programs. The DOE sites that generate HLW are located at the Savannah River Operations Office in Aiken, South Carolina, the Hanford site in Richland, Washington, and the Idaho Operations Office in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The purpose in the development of a qualityassurance (QA) specification for organizations involved in HLW production is to establish uniform requirements that ensure that radioactive waste is converted to a waste form and canistered in such a way that it is acceptable in a federal repository licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A QA specification has been developed that will be applied to those activities important to certification of the product. The basic requirements are defined in national consensus standards and DOE directives. The supplemental requirements ...
Abstract Male infertility continues to be a clinical challenge of increasing significance. While male factors such as decreased semen quality are responsible for 25% of all infertility issues, the etiology of suboptimal semen quality is poorly understood. Many physiological, environmental, and genetic factors have been implicated, including oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals, and although ROS are required for critical aspects of sperm function, excessive levels of ROS can negatively impact sperm quality. The origin of ROS generation, and the etiologies of increased ROS in men with suboptimal sperm quality have only recently been elucidated, offering multiple targets for potential therapy. Here, we present a critical review of th...
Flexible delivery reliability (FLP), which is in focus in this report, means that the customer shall be able to choose from a number of different grid tariffs of different qualities. This way he shows his actual willingness to pay for quality. It is an important difference compared with the KILE system, which is based on a surveyed willingness to pay. As it is planned to be implemented, FLP assumes that the customer must choose one of a number of different subscriptions and that he makes his choice based on his own preferences and costs what suits him best. The various subscribers entail different degrees of delivery reliability. For the grid companies, customers and regulatory authorities the FLP represents a challenge. It is assumed that the customers have a conscious attitude or preference with respect to delivery quality. That is not always the case today.
ContextCost advantage has been one of the primary drivers of successful offshoring engagements of Indian software and services companies. However, the emphasis has shifted to the ability of the vendors to provide high quality over cost advantage in delivering software products and services. Meeting high quality requirements of the clients is a challenge due to the very nature of development and delivery of software through offshoring. ObjectiveThe objective of this research paper is to identify and evaluate the key determinants of quality in the case of software projects delivered through offshoring model. MethodA detailed survey was conducted among project managers/project leaders (leads) of a leading midsize Indian IT services company to evaluate the relationship of the determinants on t...
The procedure followed by the Laboratorio de Metrologia Nuclear (LMN) at the IPEN - CNEN/SP, in Sao Paulo, for modifying the NPL-CRC radionuclide sample holder in order to adapt for IPEN vials is presented. For the qualityassurance of the results using the IPEN vials, the influence of variation in dimensions and volume of solution has been investigated and suitable correction factors were applied. The solutions used in the present work were "5"1Cr "9"9"mTc "1"5"3Sm, and "2"0"1Tl. (author)
This Addendum to the Facility Safety Plan (FSP) 360 Complex describes the safety requirements for the safe conduct of all biohazardous research operations in all buildings within the 360 complex program areas. These requirements include all the responsibilities and authorities of building personnel, operational hazards, and environmental concerns and their controls. In addition, this Addendum prescribes facility-specific training requirements and emergency controls, as well as maintenance and qualityassurance requirements for ES&H-related building systems.
This specification establishes requirements for design, testing, and qualityassurance for electric heaters that will be used to maintain primary Sodium temperature in the Fast Test Facility (FFTF) reactor vessel. The Test Specification (WHC-SD-FF-SDS-003) has been revised to Rev. 1. This change modifies the fabrication of approximately 25 feet of the subject heater using ceramic insulators over the heater lead wire rather than compressed magnesium oxide. Also, 304 or 316 stainless steel can be used for the heater sheath. This change should simplify fabrication and improve the heater operational reliability.
The Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) is government-owned, government-operated, and programmatically under the DOE Office of Environmental Management. The Laboratory is administered by the Chicago Operations Office. EML provides program management, technical assistance and data qualityassurance for measurements of radiation and radioactivity relating to environmental restoration, global nuclear nonproliferation, and other priority issues for the Department of Energy, as well as for other government, national, and international organizations. This report presents the technical activities and accomplishments of EML for Fiscal Year 1998.
Case studies are presented for treatment of refinery wastes in a pilot-scale thin-film evaporator, the removal of volatiles from industrial wastewater for two steam strippers, and the removal of semivolatiles from water by steam stripping followed by liquid-phase carbon adsorption. The report provides data on removal efficiency, air emissions, process residuals, treatment costs, and process limitations. Details on sampling and analytical procedures, qualityassurance, and process data are contained in the Appendixes (Volume II).
Case studies are presented for treatment of refinery wastes in a pilot-scale thin-film evaporator, the removal of volatiles from industrial wastewater for two steam strippers, and the removal of semivolatiles from water by steam stripping followed by liquid-phase carbon adsorption. The report provides data on removal efficiency, air emissions, process residuals, treatment costs, and process limitations. Details on sampling and analytical procedures, qualityassurance, and process data are contained in the Appendixes (Volume II).
This proceedings volume contains contributions by about 70 authors on market trends, funding, marketing, boundary conditions and sales promotion of thermal solar energy and photovoltaic systems. The contributions reflect the diversity of authors, e.g. consultants, advocates and agents of solar technology producers and financial organisations. Central issues were markets in and outside Europe, qualityassurance, interdepartmental cooperations, and marketing strategies of the solar industry. The proceedings volume also contains the conference schedule and self-descriptions of the authors' institutions. (orig.)
Purpose: The purpose of this course is to review the physical principles underlying design, clinical application and execution of interstitial and intracavitary implants in the classical low dose-rate (LDR) range. This year, the course will focus on qualityassurance of sources, applicators and treatment planning software. In addition, development of procedures and QA checks designed optimize treatment delivery accuracy and patient safety during each individual procedure will be reviewed. The level of presentation will be designed to accommodate both physicists and physicians. Implementation of recently published AAPM Task Group reports (no. 40, 'Comprehensive QualityAssurance' and No. 43, 'Dosimetry of Interstitial Brachytherapy Sources') will be reviewed. Outline: (A) General Principles (1) QA endpoints: temporal accuracy, positional accuracy, dose delivery accuracy, and safety of the patient, ...
RESRAD was one of the multimedia models selected by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to include in its workshop on radiation dose modeling and demonstration of compliance with the radiological criteria for license termination. This paper is a summary of the presentation made at the workshop and focuses on the 10 questions the NRC distributed to all participants prior to the workshop. The code selection criteria, which were solicited by the NRC, for demonstrating compliance with the license termination rule are also included. Among the RESRAD family of codes, RESRAD and RESRAD-BUILD are designed for evaluating radiological contamination in soils and in buildings. Many documents have been published to support the use of these codes. This paper focuses on these two codes. The pathways considered, the databases and parameters used, quality control and qualityassurance, benchmarking, verification and validation of ...
For prolonged storage and eventual disposal radioactive wastes will be solidified to reduce the problems which accompany liquid waste whilst solid wastes will be encapsulated in an immobilising matrix. In the solidification and encapsulation process it will be important to produce a material in a form which is chemically stable, mechanically strong and which will not react with or allow free passage of groundwater. To this end a continuous check will be required to ensure that the various wastes are chemically compatible with the solidifying and binding matrices and that the associated processes are performed against a strict Quality Programme. The Quality Programme will be extensive requiring the specification of procedures for assessing the quality and nature of the wastes, the detailed operation of the solidification and/or encapsulation, the overpack requirements for transportation and the routines to be adopted with ...
Modern digital radiographic 'flat panel' detectors can exhibit a progressive form of image degradation arising from non-functioning pixels. The effect of these 'dead pixels' on the quantitative image quality measures of modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) is investigated by a simulated degradation of images obtained from an Hologic EPEX system. The effects on the semi-quantitive measures obtained from contrast threshold test objects and resolution gratings are also investigated. Results suggest that the contrast-detail tests often employed in qualityassurance measures are not sufficient to reveal the presence of dead pixels until well beyond the recommended replacement point for the flat panel detector. However, measurements of spatial resolution using a line pairs phantom were found to be more sensitive to pixel loss. ...
Modern digital radiographic 'flat panel' detectors can exhibit a progressive form of image degradation arising from non-functioning pixels. The effect of these 'dead pixels' on the quantitative image quality measures of modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) is investigated by a simulated degradation of images obtained from an Hologic EPEX system. The effects on the semi-quantitive measures obtained from contrast threshold test objects and resolution gratings are also investigated. Results suggest that the contrast-detail tests often employed in qualityassurance measures are not sufficient to reveal the presence of dead pixels until well beyond the recommended replacement point for the flat panel detector. However, measurements of spatial resolution using a line pairs phantom were found to be more sensitive to pixel loss. Measurement of the MTF, NPS and DQE can ...
Describes general trends in the quality of rural education: equivalent rural and urban performance on national standardized tests and high school graduation rates but continuing rural deficits in college attendance and teacher qualifications. Discusses the below-average performance of southern rural schools, factors affecting rural students' college attendance, and the influence of changing labor markets. (SV)
Planning for qualityassurance (QA) in research and development (R D) is like stealing eggs without waking up the chickens. The QA program should be as unobtrusive as possible. Researchers require a QA program that affords them an environment capable of supporting repeatable experiments with accurate data without unduly stifling their creative abilities. Careful advance planning ensures that the intensity of control provided by quality-related systems is commensurate with the importance and scope of the activities being performed. Good scientific practices applied to small bench-scale projects may require minimal additional controls. As projects increase in size and complexity the controls imposed through planning must, by necessity, be increased. Research and development QA planning, just like any other planning, involves all affected individuals. The application of control systems is determined by factors such as customer ...
After 3 years of construction the trial run of the heating power station HKW 2 ended in November 1997 on time. No extraordinary damage occured during construction, assembly or commissioning. The plant has been operating according to schedule since November 1997. A brief inspection carried out in the summer of 1998 in order to assess warranty claims showed no damage to any part except one valve. Experience shows that all aforementioned activities were necessary. The paper reports about success and negative experience. Certification according to DIN EN ISO 9000ff., however, affords to guarantee of high-quality construction. Builders of such plants therefore need to set up their own qualityassurance centre and ensure its technical competence. If necessary,additional experts should be called in.Qualityassurance costs for HKW 2 came to about 0.5-0.6 percent of total costs. In view of ...
Methods: Systemic irradiation of neuroaxis is an essential part in the management of medulloblastoma, stPNET and intracranial germ cell tumors. The introduction of qualityassurance programs in radiooncology assures a precise radiotherapy of target volumes and is a prerequisite to improve survival. Results: Hyperfractionated radiotherapy has the potential of increasing dose to tumor more safely without increasing the risk for late adverse effects. Pilot studies revealed excellent tumor control in medulloblastoma with acceptable acute toxicity and a long-term survival of up to 96%. In medulloblastoma stereotactic radiation techniques reveal an acceptable toxicity and promising results in tumor control in recurrent disease or as primary treatment. They are now part of future treatment protocols in case of persisting residual tumor. Radiotherapy alone in pure germinoma is continuously yielding high cure rates. In secreting ...
National efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care present challenges for medical education and training. Today's doctors need to be skilled communicators who know how to identify, prevent and manage adverse events and near misses, how to use evidence and information, how to work safely in a team, how to practise ethically, and how to be workplace teachers and learners. These competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) are set out in the National Patient Safety Education Framework (NPSF) of the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care. The NPSF is designed to help medical schools, vocational colleges, health organisations and private practitioners develop curricula to enable health professionals to work safely. The NPSF describes what doctors (depending on their level of knowledge and experience) can do to demonstrate competencies in a range of quality and safety ...
The document reports the main issues discussed during the first course-debate on quality controls in radiotherapy, held in Rome in December 3-4, 1998 and May 3-5 1999 in collaboration between the Istituto Superiore di Sanita' and the Istituto Regina Elena. The points considered critical to the qualityassurance in radiotherapy by the participants are presented in relation to the total radiotherapy procedure. [Italian] Questo documento e' dedicato al primo corso-dibattito sui controlli di qualita' in radioterapia svoltosi a Roma il 3-4 dicembre 1998 e il 3-5 maggio 1999 in collaborazione tra l'Istituto Superiore di Sanita' e l'Istituto Regina Elena. Esso presenta gli argomenti ritenuti critici per l'assicurazione di qualita' in radioterapia in relazione all'intera procedura radioterapica, in base alle esperienze dei partecipanti.
A declaration for achieving universal basic education adopted by the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien, Thailand, as it relates to Latin America is discussed in this paper. The document then offers an examination of educational expansion in Latin America, a discussion of disproportionate educational budget cuts, and an analysis of challenges that stem from two trends: (1) the growing gap between population growth and educational expansion; and (2) low educational quality and high repetition rates. Proposals are offered for major, gradual educational reforms based on an increased level of fiscal resources, and a change in resource management responsive to economic needs. The major obstacle to implementation is argued to be the political economy of education and of adjustment. International support of local initiatives is important in achieving basic educational equity. (33 references) (LMI)
In steel production lines such as pickling lines, cold rolling mills and coil processing lines, the needs for on-line continuous measurement of surface quality and property of products and on-line inspection of surface defects have become strong. This is because user requirements for the surface quality of various products have become severer than before and besides, expectations are running high on the side of manufacturers for higher speeds of production lines and higher quality by the adoption of automatic inspection. As for the measurement of surface quality, continuous measurements along the full length of a steel strip are required in order to overcome problems derived from off-line, batch measurements that cannot satisfy user's demands for qualityassurance. As for surface defects detection, various kinds of methods have been practically applied ...
Korea Advanced Energy Research Institute (KAERI) started a research project to develop the PHWR (CANDU) nuclear fuel fabrication technology in 1981. Based on the results of the intensive developmental work, several prototype fuel bundles were fabricated and tested in the Hot Test Loop at KAERI continuously in 1983 and 1984. After that, irradiation test and post-irrradiation examination were carried out for two KAERI-made fuel bundles at Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories in Canada in 1984. Since the results of in-pile and out-of-pile tests with prototype fuel bundles proved to be satisfactory, 48 additional fuel bundles were loaded in Wolsung reactor (CANDU) in 1984 and 1985, and all of them were discharged without a defect after excellent performance in the power reactor. In 1985, the Korean government decided that KAERI supplies all the fuel necessary for the Wolsung reactor. For the mass production of nuclear fuel bundle, several process equipment, facilities and automation methods ...
The textbook is primarily intended for radiologic staff and radiologic safety officers and gives information on the current regulatory provisions of the German X-ray Ordinance, applications of X-rays, qualityassurance, organisational aspects of film processing and quality requirements of X-rays. An annex lists the guidelines of the Bundesaerztekammer (German National Chamber of Physicians) relating to qualityassurance aspects, and further useful information on commercially available film-screen systems, the various associations of physicians in Germany, and requirements and performance of radiation surveys. (vhe) [Deutsch] Das vorliegende Lehrbuch, das sich vor allem an das technische Personal und an Strahlenschutzbeauftragte wendet, unterrichtet ueber die derzeit gueltigen Bestimmungen der Roentgenverordnung, die Anwendung von Roentgenstrahlen, ueber Qualitaetssicherung, die ...
Field data for validating plume models were collected in and around the Bull Run Steam Plant during two four-week periods between July and October, 1982. The field measurements were the second phase of the Plume Model Validation and Development (PMV and D) program. The Bull Run Steam Plant is located near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the area is described as the ''Moderately Complex Site'' to distinguish it from the ''Plains Site'' in eastern Illinois, which was the scene of the first phase of the PMV and D study conducted in 1980-81. The measurement program consisted of a set of meteorological, source, aerometric, and tracer measurements to track and characterize the plume. The tracer measurements constituted the largest portion of the total effort, and it involved the release of SF/sub 6/ tracer gas from the stack, and the sampling and analysis of nearly 64,000 air samples collected over a test period of 324 hours. ...
We describe features of the LSST science database that are amenable to scientific data mining, object classification, outlier identification, anomaly detection, image qualityassurance, and survey science validation. The data mining research agenda includes: scalability (at petabytes scales) of existing machine learning and data mining algorithms; development of grid-enabled parallel data mining algorithms; designing a robust system for brokering classifications from the LSST event pipeline (which may produce 10,000 or more event alerts per night); multi-resolution methods for exploration of petascale databases; indexing of multi-attribute multi-dimensional astronomical databases (beyond spatial indexing) for rapid querying of petabyte databases; and more.
A method of abrasion testing according to ASTM C 704-76 a is presented for steel fibre concrete mortar, fusion-cast basalt and a surface coating material and results of practical interest are mentioned. Due to the high technical demands on these materials and their specific fields of application, the very first test already supplied interesting findings. From the user's point of view, the method is an interesting alternative to the common test methods, e.g. according to DIN 52 108 (wheel test according to Boehme). In English-speaking countries, testing according to ASTM is often mandatory in the refractory industry in order to assure constant quality of refractory materials after setting. The method is characterized by good comparability and high accuracy of measurement. Only the test piece is exchanged while the test conditions remain constant, so that accurate information on the material studied is obtained.
Introduction: Patients in underdeveloped nations have limited access to life-saving medical technology including cardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices. We evaluated alternative means to provide such technology to this patient population while assessing the safety and efficacy of such a practice. Methods: Patients in the United States with clinical indications for extraction of CRM devices were consented. Antemortem CRM devices were cleaned and sterilized following a protocol established at our institution. Surveillance in vitro cultures were performed for qualityassurance. The functional status of pulse generators was tested with a pacing system analyzer to confirm at least 70% battery life. Most generators were transported, in person, to an implanting institution in Nicaragua. Recipien...
Portal localization images for high-energy electron beam therapy are necessary to confirm the treatment field by comparing them with a simulation image obtained before treatment or portal verification images after treatment. In this study, portal localization images were acquired using the computed radiography (CR) system and bremsstrahlung X-rays generated in the electron beam irradiations. All images obtained with phantom and the irradiations of in the electron energy of 8, 10, 12 and 15 MeV were feasible for clinical use. The CR system used in this study included general diagnostic imaging cassette and storage phosphor plate, but none of other special devices. The system can usually supply portal localization images, which maintains the qualityassurance of high-energy electron beam therapy. (author)
Low pressure turbine blades (LPT) made by investment casting from intermetallic titanium aluminide alloys for aero-engine applications in lengths between 200 and 400 mm require very demanding and sophisticated process for their manufacturing. Middle line shrinkage porosity along the airfoil and dimensional tolerances by near-net-shape casting are especially sensitive issues concerning Qualityassurance. Nevertheless the urgency to manufacture safer environmental-friendly high performance aero-engines requires the introduction of new high performance components like LPT blades made of TiAl, which are about 50% lighter than their nickel-based counterparts. The present work is based on process engineering taking into account different melting and casting technologies in order to develop a dep...
This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) examines a project that aimed to define standard solutions for use in buildings built to meet Minergie low energy consumption standards. These standard solutions are to provide a way of meeting Minergie standards in an easy way and thus further the use of the standard and also assurequality at the same time. The report describes how the solutions were developed on the basis of a selection of existing Minergie buildings. For various combinations of heating systems - wood, wood/solar, heat pumps (brine-water and air-water), gas/solar and oil/solar - the appropriate U-values for various building elements are listed. The resulting Minergie forms and guides are listed.
After having discussed the peculiarities of children in X-ray diagnosis the application of the effective as well as the mean equivalent doses as to the determination of the radiation exposure in children is represented. In using computerized tomograms to determine position and extent of an organ the exposure by repeated X-raying was calculated referring to the entrance dose. Entrance dose measurements for all types of X-ray examination in hospitals and ascertainments of the frequency of radiograms in 20 X-ray departments were used to determine per capita and collective doses, resp., in several age groups. Alltogether, the per capita dose of children in the GDR amounts to 30% of that of adults. Conclusions were drawn as to taking measures to further reduction of radiation exposure: (1) Technical measures, such as positioning of patients, shielding of organs, qualityassurance; (2) elaboration of regulations concerning the execution of X-raying ...
Kawasaki Steel started the construction of an automatic steel strip coil transportation system in the 1980's. Presently, most of the in-plant transportation of hot-rolled or cold-rolled coils are automated. For establishing the automatic transportation, there were developed various technologies, such as, the optimum handling technology using artificial intelligence, the technology of preventing additional piling of coils on existing coils by using an ultrasonic wave and a laser beam. Through the improvements of these technologies, a full-automated transportation system has been achieved and the system has contributed substantially toward product qualityassurance and cost reduction. This paper gives the changes in the automation technology of coil transportation in the automation of No. 3 finishing hot rolling mill, now having the latest automatic system, in Chiba Works. (author)
This paper presents an application of the state of the art and new trends for risk management of safety-related control and monitoring systems, currently applied in the industry. These techniques not only enable to manage safety and reliability issues but they also help in the control of quality and economic factors affected by the availability and maintenance of the system. The method includes an unambiguous definition of the system in terms of functions and a systematic analysis of hazardous situations, undesired events and possible malfunctions. It also includes the identification and quantification of the risk associated to the system. The required risk reduction is specified in terms of safety integrity levels. The safety integrity level results in requirements, preventive measures, possible improvements and recommendations to assure the satisfactory management of the risk.
A plutonium gamma-ray analysis system that operates on MS-DOS-based computers has been developed for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to perform in-field analysis of plutonium gamma-ray spectra for plutonium isotopics. The program titled IAEAPU consists of three separate applications: a data-transfer application for transferring spectral data from a CICERO multichannel analyzer to a binary data file, a data-analysis application to analyze plutonium gamma-ray spectra, for plutonium isotopic ratios and weight percents of total plutonium, and a data-qualityassurance application to check spectral data for proper data-acquisition setup and performance. Volume 3 contains the software listings for these applications.
Purpose - The article discusses how care programmes and integrated care pathways can be linked, finding ways to improve healthcare process professional and logistical quality from a supply chain and a network point-of-view. Design/methodology/approach - The authors argue that owing to cost containment goals and increasing healthcare demand, healthcare services systems are challenged to improve service quality, whilst at the same time finding ways to improve delivery processes. It explores if the combination of two instruments, care programmes and integrated care pathways, can meet both goals. This combination is illustrated by an example from the Institute of Mental Health Care Eindhoven en de Kempen. Findings - Analysis suggests that care programmes can be combined with integrated care pa...
Delivering the promise of personalised medicine is the challenge that the current generation of scientists face. The variations in human physiology and disease are considerable, and designing appropriate strategies to deliver what has been promised will require access to tissue from a large number of volunteers. The NHS provides an ideal infrastructure for sample acquisition, but requires two things to make this available?public consent and support for extra manpower and administration. There is a disconnection between the NHS and tissue based research that needs to be addressed on a number of levels to provide a translational platform. This should enable the path to be beaten to provide the ideal tailored treatment for future patients; one that preserves quality of life by curing the dise...
We operate a new NEC 250kV single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS) next to our established 5MV tandem. This permits good comparison of 14C-AMS and challenges SSAMS performance. Initial SSAMS ion-optical deficiencies have been addressed by shimming the injection magnet and 3permil 14C/13C measurement with background limited by sample chemistry is routine. Higher-precision analysis is also achievable. A problematic measurement interference remains, however. The small spectrometer was procured to add measurement capacity, and for experiments with positive ions, but is now the preferred instrument for both convenience and measurement quality.
The state of the laboratory address by LLNL Director Roger Batzel is summarized, and a breakdown of the laboratory funding is given. The Livermore defense-related committment is described, including the design and development of advanced nuclear weapons as well as research in inertial confinement fusion, nonnuclear ordnance, and particle beam technology. LLNL is also applying its scientific and engineering resources to the dual challenge of meeting future energy needs without degrading the quality of the biosphere. Some representative examples are given of the supporting groups vital for providing the specialized expertise and new technologies required by the laboratory's major research programs. (GHT)
To assurequality of safety critical software, software should be developed in accordance with software development procedures and rigorous software verification and validation should be performed. Software verification is the formal act of reviewing, testing of checking, and documenting whether software components comply with the specified requirements for a particular stage of the development phase[1]. New software verification methodology was developed and was applied to the Shutdown System No. 1 and 2 (SDS1,2) for Wolsung 2,3 and 4 nuclear power plants by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited(AECL) in order to satisfy new regulation requirements of Atomic Energy Control Boars(AECB). Software verification methodology applied to SDS1 for Wolsung 2,3 and 4 project will be described in this paper. Some errors were found by this methodology during the software development for SDS1 and were corrected by ...
To assurequality of safety critical software, software should be developed in accordance with software development procedures and rigorous software verification and validation should be performed. Software verification is the formal act of reviewing, testing of checking, and documenting whether software components comply with the specified requirements for a particular stage of the development phase[1]. New software verification methodology was developed and was applied to the Shutdown System No. 1 and 2 (SDS1,2) for Wolsung 2,3 and 4 nuclear power plants by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited(AECL) in order to satisfy new regulation requirements of Atomic Energy Control Boars(AECB). Software verification methodology applied to SDS1 for Wolsung 2,3 and 4 project will be described in this paper. Some errors were found by this methodology during the software development for SDS1 and were corrected by ...
The process of ensuring the quality of computer codes can be very time consuming and expensive. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Monte Carlo codes all predate the existence of qualityassurance (QA) standards and configuration control. The number of person-years and the amount of money spent on code development make it impossible to adhere strictly to all the current requirements. At ORNL, the Nuclear Engineering Applications Section of the Computing Applications Division is responsible for the development, maintenance, and application of the Monte Carlo codes MORSE and KENO. The KENO code is used for doing criticality analyses; the MORSE code, which has two official versions, CGA and SGC, is used for radiation transport analyses. Because KENO and MORSE were very thoroughly checked out over the many years of extensive use both in the United States and in the international community, the existing codes were ...
A new three-dimensional treatment planning system (TPS) based on convolution/superposition algorithms (TMS-Radix from HELAX AB, Uppsala, Sweden) was recently installed at the University Hospital in Lund. The purpose of the present study was to design a qualityassurance and acceptance testing programme to meet the specific characteristics of this convolution model. The model is based on parametrization of a non-measurable quantity - the polyenergetic pencil beam. However, the verification of the treatment planning model is still dependent on numerous comparisons of measured depth-doses and dose profiles. The test programme was divided in two basic parts: (i) model implementation and beam data consistency and (ii) model performance and limitations in special situations. The first part was scheduled for all photon beam qualities available before they could be used for clinical treatment planning. The second part was performed ...
In this paper, the state-of-the-art ultrasonic and magnetic measuring techniques developed at Kawasaki Steel and used in the production process of steel sheets are described. Representative examples shown here are as follows: (1) Magnetic flux leakage testing system for the detection of nonmetallic inclusions, (2) Nondestructive orientation measurement for secondary re-crystallized grains in grain-oriented electrical steel by ultrasonic interferometry, (3) Immersion testing method for the detection of nonmetallic inclusions, (4) Surface wave probe for the detection of surface flaws in rolls used in rolling mills. Developments of these techniques and their applications to actual steel sheets production processes have contributed to advance in technologies for qualityassurance and control. With the help of these techniques, steel sheet products with advanced and uniform properties are being continuously produced to meet customers' ...
Fabrication of diffused titanium optical guides on a LiNbO/sub 3/ crystal substrate requires precise qualityassurance. Light couplers in particular must be positioned within micron specifications. This requirement is the reason that the width of lines detected during microscopic inspection of the crystal is such an important parameter for quality evaluation. To assist in the inspection of these optical guides, a line width estimation program has been developed for an IBM PC based microscope inspection system. A digital image processing approach is used to develop an algorithm which can be tailored by the user for specific signal and noise characteristics. Default filter parameters, which can be updated and saved interactively by the user, are stored in a file on disk. The final program can be executed stand-alone or through a commercially available, menu-driven, image processing software package. Details concerning the ...
This paper describes an approach to the reliability engineering in aerospace technology. To promote development, configuration management (clarifies the base line of technology), reliability management, quality control, safety management, progress management, and cost management are very important. The following example related to reliability was contained for the development of an N-1 rocket in Japan. A timer and amplifier that are old-fashioned but have actual results were supplied from abroad. The induction system that was purchased from abroad contained faulty components in quality control. The improvement in reliability has priority and the first-stage tank was changed to a home-made aluminum alloy that is superior in stress-resistant corrosiveness. An H-II rocket was completely developed in Japan by self-technology. The number of faults to be generated in the H-II rocket decreases as compared with the N-1 rocket. In the combustion test of ...
In the production of heavy-sectioned ferritic spheroidal graphite iron castings for such parts as spent fuel shipping container (cask), undesirable structures like abnormal graphite lamella, pearlite or so-called chinese script type of inclusions tend to appear, deteriorating the mechanical properties at the central part of the section where molten iron freezes last. 500 mm thick cylindrical vessels with bottom, weighing 18 tons and 33 tons, were poured as trial products of casks. Solidification structure and mechanical properties were examined at many portions of the castings. By controlling chemical composition, solidification time and inoculation process the structure and the mechanical properties in the last portion of the section to solidify were improved. Sufficiently homogeneous heavy-sectioned ferritic spheroidal graphite iron castings were successfully produced in the as-cast state. In addition, qualityassurance process by using test ...
Most waste management activities are decided upon and carried out in a public or semi-public arena, typically involving the waste management organization, one or more regulators, and often other stakeholders and members of the public. In these environments, simulation modeling can be a powerful tool in reaching a consensus on the best path forward, but only if the models that are developed are understood and accepted by all of the parties involved. These requirements for understanding and acceptance of the models constrain the appropriate software and model development procedures that are employed. This paper discusses requirements for both simulation software and for the models that are developed using the software. Requirements for the software include transparency, accessibility, flexibility, extensibility, qualityassurance, ability to do discrete and/or continuous simulation, and efficiency. Requirements for the models that are developed ...
The use of previously measured mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel systems as benchmarks can be valuable tool in computational analysis and qualityassurance efforts. The Fissile Materials Disposition Program (FMDP) has identified these experiments as potential benchmarks, or standards, for VVER's employing MOX fuel. Standards for the analysis of these benchmark experiments were based on those used in the recent compilation International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments begun in 1992 by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Los Alamos National Laboratory's archives were explored for log-book records of these experiments without success. These experiments were the first to use MOX fuel in light water. Three approach-to-critical experiments were performed using fuel rods at various pitches and different plutonium-oxide concentrations. A parallel program verified the prediction of critical condition as similar materials and ...
Korea Advanced Energy Research Institute (KAERI) started a research project to develop the PHWR (CANDU) nuclear fuel fabrication technology in 1981. Based on the results of the intensive developmental work, several prototype fuel bundles were fabricated and tested in the Hot Test Loop at KAERI continuously in 1983 and 1984. After that, irradiation test and post-irradiation examination were carried out for two KAERI-made fuel bundles at Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories in Canada in 1984. Since the results of in-pile and out-of-pile tests with prototype fuel bundles proved to be satisfactory, 48 additional fuel bundles were loaded in Wolsung reactor (CANDU) in 1984 and 1985, and all of them were discharged without a defect after excellent performance in the power reactor. In 1985, the Korean government decided that KAERI supplies all the fuel necessary for the Wolsung reactor. For the mass production of nuclear fuel bundle, several process equipment, facilities and automation methods ...
This paper describes an approach to solve air quality problems which frequently occur during iterations of the baseline change process. From a schedule standpoint, it is desirable to perform this evaluation in as short a time as possible while budgetary pressures limit the size of the staff available to do the work. Without a method in place to deal with baseline change proposal requests the environment analysts may not be able to produce the analysis results in the time frame expected. Using a concept called the Rapid Response Air Quality Analysis System (RAAS), the problems of timing and cost become tractable. The system could be adapted to assess other atmospheric pathway impacts, e.g., acoustics or visibility. The air quality analysis system used to perform the EA analysis (EA) for the Salt Repository Project (part of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program), and later to evaluate the consequences of proposed ...
Full text: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has many R and D facilities in operation. including HANARO research reactor, radioactive waste treatment facility (RWTF), post-irradiation examination facility (PIEF) and irradiated material test facility (IMEF). Recently. nation-wide interest is focused on the safety and security of major industrial facilities. Safe operation of nuclear facilities is imperative because of the consequence of public disaster by radiological release/contamination, in case of an accident. Recently, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the Korean government announced amendments of Atomic Energy laws to enforce requirements of the physical protection and radiological emergency. All provisions on nuclear safety regulation and radiation protection are entrusted to the Atomic Energy Act(AEA). The Act is enacted as the main law concerning the safety regulation of nuclear installations, and is supplemented by the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement ...
Full text.S235JR carbon steel is one of the most popular steels used in Lebanon. It is imported by steel dealers and is widely used by all fabricators and manufacturers of steels for many structural purposes and applications. This kind of steel has good ductile properties as well as excellent weldability. It is still known by its previous designation St 37-2 or E 24-2. S235JR is produced in many shapes and thicknesses such as steel plates, sheets, angles and different other geometric shapes. Standard chemical and mechanical tests were conducted and reported on S235JR hot-rolled structural low-carbon mild steel specimens collected from Lebanese steel market. The main objective of this work is to assure the compliance of these properties with those set by the steel manufacturer. The above mentioned tests were performed at the laboratories of the Industrial Research Institute (IR) in Lebanon to assure the quality and ...
The most serious challenges in the design of chambers for inertial fusion energy (IFE) are 1) protecting the first wall from fusion energy pulses on the order of several hundred megajoules released in the form of x rays, target debris, and high energy neutrons, and 2) operating the chamber at a pulse repetition rate of 5-10 Hz (i.e., re-establishing, the wall protection and chamber conditions needed for beam propagation to the target between pulses). In meeting these challenges, designers have capitalized on the ability to separate the fusion burn physics from the geometry and environment of the fusion chamber. Most recent conceptual designs use gases or flowing liquids inside the chamber. Thin liquid layers of molten salt or metal and low pressure, high-Z gases can protect the first wall from x rays and target debris, while thick liquid layers have the added benefit of protecting structures from fusion neutrons thereby significantly reducing ...
This Packaging Review Guide (PRG) provides guidance for Department of Energy (DOE) review and approval of packagings to transport fissile and Type B quantities of radioactive material. It fulfills, in part, the requirements of DOE Order 460.1B for the Headquarters Certifying Official to establish standards and to provide guidance for the preparation of Safety Analysis Reports for Packagings (SARPs). This PRG is intended for use by the Headquarters Certifying Official and his or her review staff, DOE Secretarial offices, operations/field offices, and applicants for DOE packaging approval. This PRG is generally organized at the section level in a format similar to that recommended in Regulatory Guide 7.9 (RG 7.9). One notable exception is the addition of Section 9 (QualityAssurance), which is not included as a separate chapter in RG 7.9. Within each section, this PRG addresses the technical and regulatory bases for the review, the manner in ...
Resource coordination and interference management is the key to achieving the benefits of femtocell networks. Over-the-air signaling is one of the most effective means for distributed dynamic resource coordination and interference management. However, the design of this type of signal is challenging. In this letter, we address the challenges and propose an effective solution, referred to as coded single-tone signaling (STS). The proposed coded STS scheme possesses certain highly desirable properties, such as no dedicated resource requirement (no overhead), no near-and-far effect, no inter-signal interference (no multi-user interference), low peak-to-average power ratio (deep coverage). In addition, the proposed coded STS can fully exploit frequency diversity and provides a means for high quality wideband channel estimation. The coded STS design is demonstrated through a concrete numerical example. Performance of the ...
The production of heavy crude oils increased in the last years in the world. Crude oils with high density, viscosity, acidity and sulfur, nitrogen, metals and asphaltenes contents, by the others hand, low stability and low product quality. The challenger of many refiners is find solutions to refine the heavy crude oils, and produce fuels with certify quality, such as Jet Fuel. The principal aviation technique on the world work with gas turbines engines feted for jet fuel (JET A1). The quality specifications of this fuel are establish by International Norms: ASTM-1655, DEF STAN 91-91-3 (DERD 2494) and joint Fuelling System Check List. The world technologies to obtain jet fuel from mixtures of heavy crude oil with middle crude oils are: Atmospheric distillation, with a posterior hydrogenation and finally the additivation. Studies carried out have demonstrates that the Cubans heavy crude oils is ...
Lack of access to basic education leads to diminished individual and national capabilities, therewith furthering cycles of poverty. An equitable education system meeting basic learning needs represents not only a human right, but also a means for reducing poverty, promoting productivity, and sustaining development. The Government of China--the most populous developing nation, the majority of whose citizens live in rural areas--has been committed to universalizing nine-year compulsory education among school-aged children and eliminating illiteracy among youths and adults aged 15-45. This study examines lessons learned from China's efforts in these areas. It also reports on current challenges and trends in a new national initiative for achieving high-quality universal basic education by the year 2007.
The seminal work of Stern and his coauthors on integrated control has had a profound and long-lasting effect on the development of IPM programs in western orchard systems. Management systems based solely on pesticides have proven to be unstable, and the success of IPM systems in western orchards has been driven by conservation of natural enemies to control secondary pests, combined with pesticides and mating disruption to suppress the key lepidopteran pests. However, the legislatively mandated changes in pesticide use patterns prompted by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 have resulted in an increased instability of pest populations in orchards because of natural enemy destruction. The management system changes have made it necessary to focus efforts on enhancing biological control n...
Almost in all the major cities in Asian countries, residential buildings are characterized with high-rise and high density. Under this circumstance, achieving comfortable and healthy indoor environment with minimized energy consumption becomes a very challenging engineering and societal issue. While the wide use of air-conditioning helped to improve thermal comfort, health problems associated with poor indoor air qualities have appeared more frequently. The increased energy consumption is also a great concern in view of its impact on the energy economics of the region. Drawn from some of the onsite measurements and survey, and also the author's personal observation, some of the key issues are discussed in this paper. (author)
Bioethanol (fuel alcohol) has been produced by industrial alcoholic fermentation processes in Brazil since the beginning of the twentieth century. Currently, 432 mills and distilleries crush about 625 million tons of sugarcane per crop, producing about 27 billion liters of ethanol and 38.7 million tons of sugar. The production of bioethanol from sugarcane represents a major large-scale technology capable of producing biofuel efficiently and economically, providing viable substitutes to gasoline. The combination of immobilization of CO2 by sugarcane crops by photosynthesis into biomass together with alcoholic fermentation of this biomass has allowed production of a clean and high-quality liquid fuel that contains 93% of the original energy found in sugar. Over the last 30?years, several inn...
There is currently great interest in combining focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscopy technologies for advanced studies of polymeric materials and biological microstructures, as well as for sophisticated nanoscale fabrication and prototyping. Irradiation of electrically insulating materials with a positive ion beam in high vacuum can lead to the accumulation of charge, causing deflection of the ion beam. The resultant image drift has significant consequences upon the accuracy and quality of FIB milling, imaging and chemical vapour deposition. A method is described for suppressing ion beam drift using a defocused, low-energy primary electron beam, leading to the derivation of a mathematical expression to correlate the ion and electron beam energies and currents with other parameters required for electrically stabilizing these challenging materials.
Although nitrogen inputs to agricultural fields are necessary for global food sustainability, they present a major nutrient management challenge, because nitrogen inputs can increase nitrogen losses to the environment, which can negatively impact water quality across key surface and groundwater resources. The need to evaluate the potential risk of nitrogen losses for a given forage type, management scenario, and field quickly and easily can be met with new tools that assist in environmental risk assessment. An example is the Mexico Nitrogen Index: this new tool aims to help its users quickly evaluate the risk of nitrogen loss for a given field under a given set of management practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Mexico Nitrogen Index in ranking the risk...
''S-220'' white oil is used currently to impregnate and fill high voltage cables for 110-500 kilovolts; it has high electrical characteristics and meets production and use standards. High pressure and cooling problems, however, require filling cables with lower viscosity oils, while insulation needs still demand high viscosity. The authors developed a new white oil similar to S-220 using a neutral oil made in producing sulfonate additives. The process involved vacuum distillation, low-temperature paraffination, sulfation with oleum, neutralizing with ammonium hydroxide and simultaneous extraction of sulfo-salts and contact purification. The lowest content of aromatic hydrocarbons was sought. Dielectric qualities varied with viscosity. Satisfactory thermooxidational capability was found at 50/sup 0/C with an oil of no less than 50 mm/sup 2//sec viscosity. The final white oil had no more than 2% aromatic hydrocarbons, thus ...
The Waste Sampling and Characterization Facility (WSCF) complex consists of the main structure (WSCF) and four support structures located in the 600 Area of the Hanford site east of the 200 West area and south of the Hanford Meterology Station. WSCF is to be used for low level sample analysis, less than 2 mRem. The Laboratory features state-of-the-art analytical and low level radiological counting equipment for gaseous, soil, and liquid sample analysis. In particular, this facility is to be used to perform Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 sample analysis in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Protocols, room air and stack monitoring sample analysis, waste water treatment process support, and contractor laboratory qualityassurance checks. The samples to be analyzed contain very low concentrations of radioisotopes. The ...
Uranium-aluminum alloys with a significant enrichment of uranium with "2"3"3U or "2"3"5U serve as nuclear fuels in research reactors. The qualityassurance of this fuel requires, among other things, precise knowledge that all trace metal constituents that affect neutron economy, fuel integrity, and fuel fabrication process parameters are well within the specification limits. Trace metal characterization of "2"3"5U-Al alloy has been carried out by atomic spectrometry. The trace metal constituents of interest are grouped into common metals (silver, boron, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, nickel, lead, silicon, tin, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, and zinc) and lanthanides (cerium, dysprosium, europium, gadolinium, holminium, lutetium, samarium, and terbium). The elements yttrium and zirconium are grouped with the latter in view of the chemical separation procedure used. The alloy samples ...
There is increasing evidence that chemicals/test substances cannot only have adverse effects, but that there are many substances that can (also) have a beneficial effect on health. As this journal regularly publishes papers in this area and has every intention in continuing to do so in the near future, it has become essential that studies reported in this journal reflect an adequate level of scientific scrutiny. Therefore a set of essential characteristics of studies has been defined. These basic requirements are default properties rather than non-negotiables: deviations are possible and useful, provided they can be justified on scientific grounds. The 10 basic requirements for a scientific paper reporting antioxidant, antimutagenic or anticarcinogenic potential of test substances in in vitro experiments and animal studies in vivo concern the following areas: (1) Hypothesis-driven study design; (2) The nature of the test substance; (3) Valid and invalid test systems; (4) The selection ...
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 ...
Computer based control systems for safety related applications in nuclear power plants have to meet not only the functional, performance and interface requirements, they in addition, have to meet regulatory requirements like enhanced reliability, safety and security and should provide fault tolerance, diagnostics and self-supervision. The control system architecture, hardware design and software design should meet requirements as specified in design code and guides of AERB. The Dual Processor Hot Standby Process Control System (DPHS-PCS) for TAPP-3 and 4 is a safety related (Class- IB) system. DPHS-PCS regulates PHT pressure, Pressuriser pressure, Pressuriser level, Bleed condenser pressure, Bleed condenser level and Steam generator pressure. The performance, reliability and safety requirements of this control system are met by employing a fault tolerant computer configuration developed for this purpose using hardware designed with facility for on-line diagnostics and software ...
As a parameter for execution control of confirming a bearing stratum, which is most important in a bored precast pile method, discussions were made on the relativity between the product AT'' of a load current value A'' in an electric motor driving an auger used to drill pit holes with an excavation time T'' and a value N,'' a result of the standard penetration test of the ground. As a result, although the relativity of the N'' value has some variance in the ground of diluvial clay, they correspond well to each other in other kinds of ground. In pile bearing strata in particular, they correspond very well to each other regardless of soil textures of the ground, proving clearly that the AT'' value can be used as an effective parameter for confirmation of and penetration into the bearing stratum. Therefore, tips of all the piles used in one construction site can be driven to about ...
We discuss the possibility of extending solid state laser technology to high average power and of improving the efficiency of such lasers sufficiently to make them reasonable candidates for a number of demanding applications. A variety of new design concepts, materials, and techniques have emerged over the past decade that, collectively, suggest that the traditional technical limitations on power (a few hundred watts or less) and efficiency (less than 1%) can be removed. The core idea is configuring the laser medium in relatively thin, large-area plates, rather than using the traditional low-aspect-ratio rods or blocks. This presents a large surface area for cooling, and assures that deposited heat is relatively close to a cooled surface. It also minimizes the laser volume distorted by edge effects. The feasibility of such configurations is supported by recent developments in materials, fabrication processes, and optical pumps. Two types of lasers can, in ...
The {sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis method is a versatile measurements tool that has been applied to measurements for initial loading of reactors, qualityassurance of reactor fuel elements, fuel processing facilities, fuel reprocessing facilities, fuel storage facilities, zero-power testing of reactors, verification of calculational methods, process monitoring, characterization of storage vaults, and nuclear weapons identification. This method`s broad range of application is due to the wide variety of time- and frequency domain signatures, each with unique properties, obtained from the measurement. The following parameters are obtained from this measurement: average detector count rates, detector multiplicities, detector autocorrelations, cross-correlation between detectors, detector autopower spectral densities, cross-power spectral densities between detectors, coherences, and ratios of spectral densities. All of these measured ...
The specific objectives of the work were defined by the Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) as follows: (1) assess the stability of panel 1 during the proposed operation of waste emplacement; (2) estimate the amount of time before room closure would be expected to transfer rock loads to the waste packages. The work consisted of (1) an analysis of geotechnical data and a review of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) plans for waste emplacement in panel 1, (2) an evaluation of ground conditions based on data analysis and observations of changes in ground conditions since the first evaluation in 1993 (USBM 1993), and (3) preparation of a report and presentation of the results to EEG staff. Excluded from this study are radiological safety issues and policies. The study is based on data provided by DOE and Westinghouse Electric Corporation (operator of the site) and conversations with DOE and Westinghouse personnel. MTI cannot independently verify the accuracy of the data within the scope of ...
In October last year the first intercomparison of measurements of the soil radon concentrations between various laboratories in Slovakia was realised. The organisation of this intercomparison was conducted by the Slovak Legal Metrology in Banska Bystrica together with the Slovak National Accreditation Service in Bratislava (SNAS). The scientific guarantee of the exercise was the State metrological Centre for radon quantities, which is working at the Research base of Slovak Medical University in Bratislava. The main objective of the intercomparison was to verify the correctness of the methods for the soil radon measurements of the authorised laboratories for radon volume activities in soil air. The intercomparison (signed as SLM ILC 3/03) was performed as a 'circular' metrology comparison, in accordance with a methodical directive MSA 0117-98, published by SNAS. Six laboratories were participating on the intercomparison and there have been two stages of the work one in the radon chamber ...
Determination of americium (Am) is one of the requirements of chemical qualityassurance of plutonium (Pu) bearing fuel materials. Though many methods are published for determining Am at picogram to femtogram levels in environmental and biological matrices, yet a few of them are used routinely for Pu based nuclear fuel samples. This paper gives a brief summary of the different analytical methods available and presents results of our experiments on the determination of Am in Pu bearing fuels using gamma spectroscopy. The methods utilizing gamma emissions from "2"4"1Am and Pu isotopes are fast as they do not involve chemical separation of Pu and Am, do not require an accurate knowledge of the efficiency values of the detector systems and are not dependent on the availability of a radiometric standard for "2"4"1Am. In addition, for aged Pu samples containing large amounts of "2"4"1Am, there is no need for dilution and this reduces the volume of ...
GAO's review of the H-Coal and Exxon projects showed inadequacies in DOE's contracting practices and a failure by DOE to properly plan, manage, and monitor, especially the H-Coal project. The initial Government-industry H-Coal agreements regarding the level of investment by private sponsors and the ceilings imposed on sharing in cost growth were imbalanced. Larger investments by private sponsors and sharing of cost growth provides an incentive to private sponsors to control costs and helps to assure that each party is fully committed to the success of the project. DOE started the H-Coal project prematurely before sufficiently detailed designs were available and without adequate project planning for functions such as construction scheduling, materials handling, inventory systems, and quality control. DOE staffing was inadequate at both projects to effectively monitor progress and contribute to timely decisions. Its contracts ...
The increasing number of hazardous materials accidents in the United States has resulted in new federal regulations addressing the emergency response activities associated with chemical releases. A significant part of these new federal standards (29 CFR 1910.120 and 40 CFR Part 311) requires compliance with specific criteria by all personnel involved in a hazardous material emergency. This study investigated alternative lesson design models applicable to instruction for hazardous material emergencies. A specialized design checklist was created based on the work of Gagne, Briggs, and Wager (1988), Merrill (1987), and Clark (1989). This checklist was used in the development of lesson plan templates for the hazardous materials incident commander course. Qualitative data for establishing learning objectives was collected by conducting a needs assessment and a job analysis of the incident commander position. Incident commanders from 14 public and private organizations participated in the ...
AIDE (Activity and Internal Dose Estimates) is a software for calculating activities in compartments and committed doses due to occupational exposures, and for performing intake and dose estimates using bioassay data. It has been continuously developed and tested for more than 20 years. Its calculation core has been applied in several situations, like performing all dose estimates due to (137)Cs intakes, which occurred during the Goiania accident in 1987; performing qualityassurance of the ICRP Task Group on Dose Calculations regarding calculations of activities in compartments and generation of dose coefficients for adults due to intakes by inhalation, ingestion and injection of several radionuclides; and producing the tables of activities in compartments and dose coefficients using the NCRP Wound Model for the NCRP report. It provides several capabilities like performing calculations using modified Human Respiratory Tract Model parameters ...
The main purpose of this report is to document the benchmarking results and verification of the RESRAD-OFFSITE code as part of the qualityassurance requirements of the RESRAD development program. This documentation will enable the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its contractors, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its licensees and other stakeholders to use the quality-assured version of the code to perform dose analysis in a risk-informed and technically defensible manner to demonstrate compliance with the NRC's License Termination Rule, Title 10, Part 20, Subpart E, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 20, Subpart E); DOE's 10 CFR Part 834, Order 5400.5, ''Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment''; and other Federal and State regulatory requirements as appropriate. The other purpose of this report is to document the ...
Previous studies have found that classrooms are often inadequately ventilated, with the resultant increased risk of negative impacts on the pupils. This paper describes a series of field measurements that investigated the indoor air quality, thermal comfort and acoustic performance of nine recently built secondary schools in England. The most significant conclusion is that the complex interaction between ventilation, thermal comfort and acoustics presents considerable challenges for designers. The study showed that while the acoustic standards are demanding it was possible to achieve natural ventilation designs that met the criteria for indoor ambient noise levels when external noise levels were not excessive. Most classrooms in the sample met the requirement of limiting the daily average CO{sub 2} concentration to below 1500 ppm but just a few met the need to readily provide 8 l/s per person of fresh air under the easy control of the ...
This document provides details on a $120.2 million package of initiatives to implement the Ozone Annex, an agreement signed in December 2000 between Canada and the United States to significantly reduce transboundary smog causing pollutants and to improve air quality. Taking action under the Ozone Annex will address health and environmental challenges by reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds which are precursors to ground-level ozone. This document described the actions that will be taken by the Government of Canada to reduce emissions from vehicles and the fuels that power them. It also described the measures that will be taken to improve air quality monitoring networks. The National Pollutant Release Inventory will be used to meet new reporting commitments contained in the Annex. This document also highlights the initial actions that will be taken to reduce pollution from industrial sources ...
Accurate automated alignment of laser beams in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is essential for achieving extreme temperature and pressure required for inertial confinement fusion. The alignment achieved by the integrated control systems relies on algorithms processing video images to determine the position of the laser beam images in real-time. Alignment images that exhibit wide variations in beam quality require a matched-filter algorithm for position detection. One challenge in designing a matched-filter based algorithm is to construct a filter template that is resilient to variations in imaging conditions while guaranteeing accurate position determination. A second challenge is to process the image as fast as possible. This paper describes the development of a new analytical template that captures key recurring features present in the beam image to accurately estimate the beam position under good image ...
The needs of large industrial, commercial, and institutional energy consumers are more closely connected with the needs of power utilities and energy services companies, a result of the evolving global energy environment. Consumer choice, competition amongst energy suppliers, and increased demand are brought about in some regions by deregulation. Increasingly, large energy consumers expect high levels of quality and reliability from the energy delivered. As a result, management of the cost and the quality of the energy product and the energy assets that produce, deliver, control and consume it requires different strategies. Three major challenges must be overcome: (1) requirement to support economic and efficient delivery, purchasing and use of energy, (2) requirement to guarantee higher levels of power quality and reliability, and (3) requirement to supply the growing demand for energy while ...
A closed loop control process assures that a system performs within control limits. In closed loop control, the system's output feeds back directly to change the system's inputs. We describe an approach...Full Text Available
... counseling, some training, and assure the general health and welfare of the command. ... publications, promotions, OERs/NCOER's (Officer Efficiency ...
By 1970 the first edition of the ASME Code Section XI, Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Reactor Coolant Systems was published. From its inception, the Section XI inservice inspection scope was based on a fundamental risk-based selection process. In other words the inservice inspection scope included components where the consequences of a pressure boundary failure were high. Once the consequence significant system boundaries were established, inspections would then be performed at locations believed to be most susceptible service induced failure. Current Section XI requirements require that inspection locations be selected on the basis of peak stress and fatigue usage values contained in the Design Reports. These original stress calculations were designed to qualify a design and assure that the plant would provide reliable service throughout its design life. For the most part, the fatigue usage values in these reports do not provide an accurate measure of service ...
Accurate diagnosis of local invasion of hilar cholangiocarcinomas is challenging due to their small size and the anatomic complexity of the hepatic hilar region. On the other hand, the correct diagnosis of local invasion is essential for assuring the possibility of curative surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of four-channel multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in the assessment of vascular and bile duct involvement, by which we could obtain useful information for the surgical management of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The subjects were 18 patients for whom the extent of tumor invasion was surgically and pathologically confirmed. All patients underwent preoperative multiphasic CT scanning by MDCT. Arterial and portal dominant phases were acquired using a detector configuration of 1.25 mm x 4 mm, and both axial and multiplanar reconstructed images were interpreted. Longitudinal extension was evaluated up to ...
An independent investigation of pipe welding leaks from the Low-Level Waste 2 (LLW2) Skid-B System for the possibilities of improper welding (IW), microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), sensitization, chloride pitting corrosion (CPC), and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) was conducted. The results show the prevailing mechanisms that caused the leaks are identified as IW, CPC, and the improper selection of weld filler material for the base metals in an environment of the North Plateau underground water. These is no evidence of MIC, sensitization, or IGSCC. The chloride pitting corrosion mechanism that took place at all the welds are also described. All the pipelines were replaced with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for cost saving and the LLW2 Skid B System has been successfully operating since 1999. This report summarizes the findings and recommendations associated with preventive measures for future operations. The LLW2 Facility is a replacement for an existing waste ...
Visual Sample Plan (VSP) is an easy-to-use visual and graphic statistically-based software tool being developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to help determine the appropriate number and location of environmental samples so that environmental decisions can be made with the required confidence. The VSP software, which is available free at http://dqo.pnl.gov/vsp, is a significant aid in developing probability-based sampling designs (number and location of samples and measurements) using the Data Quality Objectives (DQO) planning process developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). VSP also has the capability of conducted statistical analyses to provide descriptive statistical summaries of data sets, to test whether data are normally distributed, and to compute upper confidence limits on means. This report is the latest in a series of reports that document the statistical methods used in VSP [Davidson (2001), Gilbert et al. ...
In the present paper the contamination levels of trace and toxic metals in drinking water collected from Tarapur industrial area, Thane were investigated. The concentrations of trace and toxic metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Se, V, Zn, Mn, Mo, Co, As and Ba) were determined simultaneously using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The results were compared with international water quality guidelines (WHO, 2008) and were found within the permissible limits. The qualityassurance was checked by standard addition method and spike recovery. The concentration of Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Se, V, Zn, Mn, Mo, Co, As and Ba varies from 4.25-19.62 #mu#g/L, 0.13-1.49 #mu#g/L, 0.60-65.55 #mu#g/L, 0.46-4.15 #mu#g/L, <0.1 #mu#g/L, 0.5- 9.35 #mu#g/L, <0.5 #mu#g/L, 3.41-99.64 #mu#g/L, 0.80-9.62 #mu#g/L, 0.30-1.48 #mu#g/L, <0.1-0.90 #mu#g/L, <0.63 #mu#g/L and 0.71-9.0 #mu#g/L respectively. Similarly Na, K, Ca ...
BackgroundBiodiesel or ethanol derived from lipids or starch produced by microalgae may overcome many of the sustainability challenges previously ascribed to petroleum-based fuels and first generation plant-based biofuels. The paucity of microalgae genome sequences, however, limits gene-based biofuel feedstock optimization studies. Here we describe the sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly for the non-model microalgae species, Dunaliella tertiolecta, and identify pathways and genes of importance related to biofuel production.ResultsNext generation DNA pyrosequencing technology applied to D. tertiolecta transcripts produced 1,363,336 high quality reads with an average length of 400 bases. Following quality and size trimming, ~ 45% of the high quality reads were assembled into 33,307 isotigs with a 31-fold coverage and 376,482 singletons. Assembled sequences and singletons were subjected to BLAST ...
The global spread of HIV and AIDS has presented a major threat to development, affecting the health of the poor and many aspects of social and economic development. The greatest impact of the epidemic has been felt in sub-Saharan Africa, and Zambia ranks among the worst hit countries. The Free Basic Education Policy in Zambia upholds the right of all children to a universal basic education. This study explored staff and student perceptions of the impact of the epidemic on access to, and the quality of, basic education for AIDS-affected children, orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs) in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, where the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate ranges from 34 to 40%, and life expectancy has dropped to 33 years. Data were collected from education personnel in six districts of the Copperbelt with the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS and from staff and students in six schools. The data indicated a range of factors that adversely affect the access ...
Full text: A semiempirical algorithm for absorbed dose calculation at off-axis points in irregular beams was implemented. It is well known that semiempirical methods are very useful because of their easy implementation and its helpfulness in dose calculation in the clinic. These methods can be used as independent tools for dosimetric calculation in many applications of qualityassurance. However, the applicability of such methods has some limitations, even in homogeneous media, specially at off axis points, near beam fringes or outside the beam. Only methods derived from tissue-air-ratio (TAR) or scatter-maximum-ratio (SMR) have been devised for those situations, many years ago. Despite there have been improvements for these manual methods, like the Sc-Sp ones, no attempt has been made to extend their usage at off axis points. In this work, a semiempirical formalism was introduced, based on the works of Venselaar et al. (1999) and Sanz et al. ...
Today some scientists are concerned that present budget considerations in Washington will make it impossible for the US to maintain its preeminence in important areas of science and technology. In the private sector there has been a demise of substantive R & D efforts through most of the major industries. For DOE a lack of future support for science and technology would be an important issue because this could impact DOE`s abilities to solve problems in its major areas of concern, national security, energy, environment. In fact some scientists maintain that were the present trend to continue unabated it could lead to a national security issue. Preeminence in science and technology plays a critical role in our nation`s position as the leader of world democracy. In contrast with this point of view of gloom and doom, however, in this presentation I hope to bring to you what I see as an exciting message of good news. Today I will list the important opportunities and ...
The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) in it's submission to the DTI's 2006 Energy Review reminded us that the 'UK has abundant wind, wave and tidal resources available; its mild climate lends itself to bio-energy production, and solar radiation levels are sufficient to sustain a viable solar industry'. These technologies are at different stages of development but they all draw on basic and applied Science and Engineering. The paper will briefly review the renewable energy technologies and their potential for contributing to a sustainable energy supply. Three research topics will be highlighted that bridge the gap between the physics underpinning the energy conversion, and the engineering aspects of development and deployment; all three are highly relevant to the Government's programme on micro-generation. Two are these are taken from field of thin film photovoltaics (PV), one related to novel device development and the other to a measurement technique for assessing the manufacturing ...
One of the most challenging problems in Opportunistic Spectrum Access (OSA) is to design channel sensing-based protocol in multi secondary users (SUs) network. Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for SUs have significant implications on this protocol design. In this paper, we propose a new method to find joint policies for SUs which not only guarantees QoS requirements but also maximizes network throughput. We use Decentralized Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (Dec-POMDP) to formulate interactions between SUs. Meanwhile, a tractable approach for Dec-POMDP is utilized to extract sub-optimum joint policies for large horizons. Among these policies, the joint policy which guarantees QoS requirements is selected as the joint sensing strategy for SUs. To show the efficiency of the proposed method, we consider two SUs trying to access two-channel primary users (PUs) network modeled by discrete Markov chains. Simulations demonstrate three ...
The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management's (DOE-EM) investments in science and technology, as well as science and technology investments associated with other parts of the DOE are aimed at meeting the Departments cleanup goals. These investments, primarily focused on EM's cleanup mission, comprise the Environmental Quality Research and Development (R&D) portfolios. Synchronizing EM's Cleanup Project Managers (operations facility and process owners throughout the DOE complex) operational needs with EM R&D including the extensive work of the six Focus Areas (major thrust areas within DOE-EM) has been a continuing challenge. This recent initiative to better integrate the R&D program is in response to evolving needs within the Department to apply proven system engineering methods to clarify requirements and define EM's process to effectively orchestrate their R&D Program. To optimize ...
Electricite de France, (EDF) in the late sixties and China through 10. 5-year Plan adopted the same approach of standardized NPPs to benefit from the series effect and to increase and speed up self reliance and localization. This approach also allows to continuously gather the feedback from design, construction and operation and to use it to constantly improve future and present nuclear power plants, by optimizing design features, construction phase and generation performances for safety, quality, cost and schedule aspects. Daya Bay NPP put into commercial operation in 1994 is posting high level safety and operation results. At Ling Ao NPP Chinese engineers of LANPC, with the contribution of the Chinese industry, have efficiency and successfully managed engineering, construction and operation preparation. GNPJVC / LANPC and EDF are developing permanent and mutual experience feedback exchanges in all areas of engineering, maintenance and operation. The results of ...
Changes facing the electricity supply industry are significant, and the challenges these changes pose are enormous. There are major changes to the business environment of transitional electric utilities. There are also changes in the management of the companies in that nontechnical people are taking over the leadership of traditionally technical companies to deal with the new business scenario. This raises the concern that there may be a lack of familiarity by management of the technical issues involved with the result that the quality of the product may be at risk over the long term. This article deals with the future. It describes a vision for the control center energy management systems (EMS) network security applications as a function of the current and expected changes in the electric supply industry. The objective is to present a conceptual specification. It suggests possible approaches to the problems control centers are likely to ...
Discussions were given on the current status of research systems and problems that occur in structuring the systems. The purpose is to improve efficiency and quality of the research flows, that is to better arrange the research infrastructures. Among the researches, the developmental researches of products and production techniques constitute the important factor of an integrated production system. Input information and output information must be determined in each developmental process, and the ways of internal processing must be arranged and structured. The basic proposition for structuring an aid system is to clarify what material development this system can bring about, what scenario can be drawn for the material development as its result, and what element technology is required for that scenario in what form and at what level. Discussions are required on the kinds of data base, the models of interface, and the scopes and patterns of communications. While the ...
Conversion of coal gas into liquid products is a multistep process which involves numerous unit processes. Compared with similar processes using natural gas as feedstock, there are challenges, particularly with the gas purification. There are, however, also advantages when using a carbon-monoxide-rich gas which ultimately may result in a greatly simplified process. This paper discusses the challenges when converting a gas from an entrained coal gasifier into a liquid product and the paper presents the various options available. The following issues will be touched upon: sour gas shift and adjustment of the H{sub 2}/CO ratio; acid Gas Removal (AGR) - when and how; syngas purification; methanol and combined methanol/DME synthesis; gasoline synthesis; future integrated processes. Here, various options are available depending on the gasifier; not only dry or slurry feed but also the question of quench as well as the selected scrubbing temperature ...
As the penetration of wind energy continues to increase around the world, with a trend towards large utility-scale wind farms (greater than 100 MW), effective wind energy forecasting will become increasingly important. Previous work by GH has estimated the trading benefit of high quality short-term forecasting to be EUR 7/MWh. Depending on market conditions, for a 100 MW wind farm with a capacity factor of 30%, this equates to an estimated annual trading benefit of up to EUR 1.8m. To date, a number of studies have focused on the mathematical modelling techniques for forecasting the production from wind farms, looking predominantly at the task of predicting the meteorological conditions at the site. This paper focuses on the final stage of the forecasting process, conversion from a meteorological forecast to a power production forecast. This challenge is particularly significant for utility-scale wind farms. The main body of research in ...
Devolution, as other types of decentralization (e.g. deconcentration, delegation, privatization), profoundly changes governance relations in the health system. Devolution is meant to affect performance of the health system by transferring responsibilities and authority to locally elected governments. The key question of this article is: what does devolution mean for human resources for health in Mali?This article assesses the key advantages and dilemmas associated with devolution such as responsiveness to local needs, downward accountability and health worker retention. Challenges of politics and capacities are also addressed in relation to human resources for health at the local level. Examples are derived from experiences in Mali with a capacity development programme and from case studies of other countries. It is not research findings that are presented, but highlights of key issues at stake aimed at inspiring the debate in Mali and elsewhere.A first lesson from ...
Seven years ago 164 governments, together with partner organizations from around the world, made a collective commitment to dramatically expand educational opportunities for children, youth, and adults by 2015. Participants at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, endorsed a comprehensive vision of education, anchored in human rights, affirming the importance of learning at all ages and emphasizing the need for special measures to reach the poorest, most vulnerable and most disadvantaged groups in society. This sixth edition of the "Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report" assesses the extent to which these commitments are being met. There is clearly a "Dakar effect," evidence that rallying around common goals can mobilize countries to empower individual lives. Partly because of the abolition of tuition fees, more children are enrolled in school than in 2000, with the sharpest increases in the regions farthest from the goals set in Dakar. Many governments have ...
The quality of fuel oils is discussed. The problems that the fuel oil marketer must deal with that relate to the quality of the fuel oil are described.
As a condition of accession into the European Union (EU), Lithuania is committed to the closure and decommissioning of Ignalina NPP comprising two RBMK-1500 reactor units (Fig. 1). It was agreed in a special protocol to the Accession Treaty that, in return for adequate EU financial assistance, Unit 1 would be closed before 2005 and Unit 2 by the end of 2009. The first unit was duly shut down on December 31, 2004. Lithuania, which has borders with Russia (Kaliningrad territory), Poland, Latvia and Belarus, spent fifty years as part of the Soviet Union and was deeply integrated into its economy and electrical infrastructure. At the break-up of the USSR, Lithuania inherited electricity generating capacity designed to supply the north-west region including ownership of Ignalina NPP located in the north-east of the country. Ignalina NPP Unit 1 was commissioned in 1983, Unit 2 in 1987; the planned lifespan of each unit was 30 years. Construction of a third unit was started but never ...
The Dalia field is located 210 km north west of Luanda (Angola), about 140 km from shore in 1400 meter water-depth. It was the second major discovery out of 15 made in the block 17 operated by Total. The Dalia Umbilical, Flow lines and Risers EPCI Contract was awarded in 2003. The sea-line network to connect and control the 71 wells and 9 manifolds consist of the following: 40 km of insulated pipe in pipe (12 inches into 17 inches) production flow lines; 45 km of 12 inches water and gas injection lines; 6 off 1.7 km flexible water and gas injection risers; 8 off 1.65 km flexible Integrated Production Bundle (IPB) risers; 75 km of control umbilicals. The flow assurance and associated insulation requirement of the production transport system was one of the main challenges of the project. With a crude temperature of 45 deg C at the wellhead and the required minimum temperature of 35 deg C on arrival at the FPSO, this problem was complex. ...
The {sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis method has been used in measurements for subcritical configurations of fissile systems for a variety of applications. Measurements of 25 fissile systems have been performed with a wide variety of materials and configurations. This method has been applied to measurements for (1) initial fuel loading of reactors, (2) qualityassurance of reactor fuel elements, (3) fuel preparation facilities, (4) fuel processing facilities, (5) fuel storage facilities, (6) zero-power testing of reactors, and (7) verification of calculational methods for assemblies with the neutron k < l. These previous measurements, performed with a wide variety of multiplying systems, demonstrated the usefulness of the method. The high sensitivity of noise-measured parameters to small changes in fissile systems has been observed in several measurements. This high sensitivity has been evaluated using Monte Carlo neutron transport ...
Large volumes of woodwaste disposal by incineration in a number of wigwam burners are contributing to pollution problems in Williams Lake, British Columbia. In 1985, the latest year for which data are available, total woodwaste production was about 800 million bd ft equivalent; only about 14% of this was used for energy recovery. In addition, about 66,000 m/sup 3/ of waste was sent to landfills after open burning. The characteristics of the local woodwaste are summarized, and available conversion technologies and the potential application of their products are reviewed. These include direct combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, liquefaction, and densification, for use in power generation, cogeneration, and the manufacture of saleable products. Environmental and legal aspects of woodwaste utilization are also outlined. Finally, options for reducing pollution from existing burners are reviewed. One option is the upgrading of existing burners; however, it is noted that there are inherent ...
Lateral and vertical variabilities in the bulk and mechanical properties of silicic volcanic tuff at the potential nuclear waste repository site in Yucca Mountain, NV have been evaluated. Laboratory measurements have been performed on tuff specimens recovered from boreholes located to support the design of the Exploratory Studies Facility/North Ramp. The data include dry and saturated bulk densities, average grain density, porosity, compressional and shear wave velocities, elastic moduli, and compressional and tensional fracture strengths. Data from eight boreholes aligned in a northwest-southeast direction have been collected under the required qualityassurance program. Three boreholes have penetrated the potential repository horizon. The information collected provides for an accurate appraisal of the variability of rock properties in the vicinity of the boreholes. As expected, there is substantial variability in the bulk and mechanical ...
Three CRMs of plant origin (SRM 1515 Apple Leaves, SRM 1570a Trace Elements in Spinach Leaves, and SRM 1575 Pine Needles) were used for analytical qualityassurance of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, and Pb determination by ICP-MS. The samples were decomposed using microwave assisted pressurized digestion by HNO_3 and HNO_3 + H_2O_2 mixture and temperature programmed dry ashing. Concentrations of elements in samples were evaluated by external calibration. All samples, blanks, and standards were spiked to 100 #mu#g/L concentration of In and Bi as internal standards. During the measurement, signals of "5"2Cr, "5"3Cr, "5"4Fe, "5"5Mn, "5"9Co, "6"0Ni, "6"2Ni, "6"3Cu, "6"5Cu, "6"6Zn, "9"5Mo, "1"1"1Cd, "1"1"2Cd, "1"1"5In, "2"0"6Pb, "2"0"7Pb, "2"0"8Pb and "2"0"9Bi were monitored. Results of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Mo and Co determination were in good agreement with certified values. In order to obtain accurate results for As at low levels, it was ...
This paper systematically introduces the supervision monitoring for radiation environment around the Guangdong Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power station by the Guangdong Environmental Radiation Research and Monitoring Center. It includes the monitoring plan, methods, qualityassurance, main results and conclusions. The results show that: (1) The gas discharge have not caused any detectable impacts to the terrestrial and atmospheric environment since their operation; (2) "1"1"0"mAg could only be detected in seawater in the West Daya Bay in 1995 and 1997 and in sediments in 1997. The maximum annual average in seawater was 3.1 Bq/m"3, annual average of "1"1"0"mAg in sediments was 1.0 Bq/kg(dry). But it was always detectable in pearl oyster, gulfweed and cuttlefish in the West Daya Bay. The "1"1"0"mAg concentrations in halobios were relatively higher in 1994, 1996 and 1997. The maximum concentrations in pearl oyster, gulfweed and cuttlefish were ...
The follow-up system for wastes (JAeSTI), developed at the end of the 1990s, forms a basis for today's followup activities in Finland. JAeSTI relies on an environmental protection database, the compliance monitoring system VAHTI operated by the environmental authorities. Waste followup and waste statistics depend very much on the annual waste quantities recorded in the VAHTI system. In the KYJ-project the coverage and reliability of the data in the VAHTI system was evaluated as for the streams of solid municipal waste. The project also included the compiling of national statistics on municipal waste for the year 2000. The project used other information sources, too, such as statistics compiled when the National Waste Plan and regional waste plans were revised in 2002. In addition, the extent and quantity of in-situ (household) composting and incineration were assessed on the basis of a separate study (Annex 2, In Finnish). In connection with the data processing and the ...
The WAND (Waste Assay for Nonradioactive Disposal) system can scan thought-to-be-clean, low-density waste (mostly paper and plastics) to determine whether the levels of any contaminant radioactivity are low enough to justify their disposal in normal public landfills or similar facilities. Such a screening would allow probably at least half of the large volume of low-density waste now buried at high cost in LANL`s Rad Waste Landfill (Area G at Technical Area 54) to be disposed of elsewhere at a much lower cost. The WAND System consists of a well-shielded bank of six 5-in.-diam. phoswich scintillation detectors; a mechanical conveyor system that carries a 12-in.-wide layer of either shredded material or packets of paper sheets beneath the bank of detectors; the electronics needed to process the outputs of the detectors; and a small computer to control the whole system and to perform the data analysis. WAND system minimum detectable activities (MDAs) for point sources range from ...
Nuclear facilities of the Department of Energy (DOE) located at the Savannah River Site must comply with DOE orders as implemented at DOE-SR. The DOE orders cover safety criteria, design criteria, environmental protection, occupational health and safety. The program applies to DOE and contractors. In this section, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) criteria and industry codes and standards are addressed as well as DOE orders. Specific DOE orders which add additional criteria have also been noted. A program for assessing and implementing contractor applicable DOE orders has been established. This program ensures that compliance is achieved through developing and implementing policies, programs, and procedures. The primary emphasis is placed on safe, efficient reactor restart and operation. DOE has classified orders applicable to restart as Level I, Category I while those applicable to post-restart are classified as Level I, Category II. Category I and II orders are listed in Tables ...
An on-going inter-comparison programme which is focused on assessing and establishing consensus protocols to be applied in the identification, selection and sub-sampling of materials for subsequent "1"4C analysis is described. The outcome of the programme will provide a detailed quantification of the uncertainties associated with "1"4C measurements including the issues of accuracy and precision. Such projects have become recognised as a fundamental aspect of continuing laboratory qualityassurance schemes, providing a mechanism for the harmonisation of measurements and for demonstrating the traceability of results. The design of this study and its rationale are described. In summary, a suite of core samples has been defined which will be made available to both AMS and radiometric laboratories. These core materials are representative of routinely dated material and their ages span the full range of the applied "1"4C time-scale. Two of the ...
The globalization of markets has generated more options of purchase of all type of goods and services, these options have generated opportunities and threats for all the companies and have looked for the satisfaction of the client as a strategy to remain or incursion into the global market. The Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas (IIE) is not the exception and therefore it looks for the identification of the qualitative aspects and to systematize its application in the projects that executes by means of the implantation of a system of qualityassurance based on the series of ISO 9000 Standards. Some examples are described to identify the qualitative aspects of the projects that are developed in the Institute. [Spanish] La globalizacion de los mercados ha generado mas opciones de compra de todo tipo de bienes y servicios, dichas opciones han generado oportunidades y amenazas para todas las empresas y se ha buscado satisfacer al cliente como ...
It has been five years since the last in-depth American College of Nuclear Physicians/Society of Nuclear Medicine Symposium on the subject of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was held. Because this subject was nominated as the single most desired topic we have selected SPECT imaging as the basis for this year's program. The objectives of this symposium are to survey the progress of SPECT clinical applications that have taken place over the last five years and to provide practical and timely guidelines to users of SPECT so that this exciting imaging modality can be fully integrated into the evaluation of pathologic processes. The first half was devoted to a consideration of technical factors important in SPECT acquisition and the second half was devoted to those organ systems about which sufficient clinical SPECT imaging data are available. With respect to the technical aspect of the program we have selected the key areas which demand awareness and attention in order ...
Before low-level waste may be disposed of, a performance assessment must be written and then approved by the DOE (DOE 1988a DOE 1999a). The performance assessment is to determine whether ''reasonable assurance'' exists that the performance objectives of the disposal facility will be met. The DOE requirements for waste disposal (DOE 1988a DOE 1999a) require the protection of public health and safety; and the protection of the environment. Although quantitative limits are sometimes stated (for example, the all-pathways exposure limit is 25 mrem/year), usually the requirements are stated in a general nature. Quantitative limits were established by: investigating all potentially applicable regulations as well as interpretations of the review panels which DOE has established to review performance assessments, interacting with program management to establish the additional requirements of the program, and interacting with the public ...
A Siemens Mevatron KV2 accelerator installed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital employs cylindrical solid-walled electron cones for some electron collimation. The cones being used at present result in treatment fields that do not always conform with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standards (particularly at high energies). The aim of this project was to simulate the existing cones using Monte Carlo methods in order to evaluate potential cone modifications required to overcome the field irregularities. Simulations were performed using the EGS4 (Electron Gamma Shower version 4, distribution II) Monte Carlo code installed on a DEC Alpha workstation at the University of South Australia. To rigorously simulate the existing electron cones it was necessary to also simulate various components within the treatment head of the linear accelerator. Results of simulations for existing cones were found to be consistent with experimental data. (obtained from Royal Adelaide Hospital ...
This report covers the technical effort through February, 1989. This effort was directed towards the technology associated with the development of a large scale, long pulse DF-CO{sub 2} chemical laser. Optics damage studies performed under Task 1 assessed damage thresholds for diamond-turned salt windows. Task 2 is a multi-faceted task involving the use of PHOCL-50 for laser gain measurements, LTI experiments, and detector testing by LANL personnel. To support these latter tests, PHOCL-50 was upgraded with Boeing funding to incorporate a full aperture outcoupler that increased its energy output by over a factor of 3, to a full kilojoule. The PHOCL-50 carbon block calorimeter was also recalibrated and compared with the LANL Scientech meter. Cloud clearing studies under Task 3 initially concentrated on delivering a Boeing built Cloud Simulation Facility to LANL, and currently involves design of a Cold Cloud Simulation Facility. A Boeing IRAD funded theoretical study on cold cloud ...
The implementation of a three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy facility in the radiotherapy department of the Heinrich Heine University is described. Complex radiotherapy techniques with commercially available networked systems are introduced to improve clinical work. Over 18 month we have gained clinical experience with a PHILIPS Multileaf Collimator (MLC) mounted on a SL 25 linear accelerator. For a limited period the MLC was used as a conventional blocking device. The standard MLC-shapes are controlled with a stand-alone computer system. In addition, a three-dimensional treatment planning system (3-D-TPS / TMS-Radix, Helax AB) based on convolution/superposition algorithms was recently installed. Treatment optimization is achieved using static field arrangements with complete volumetric computerized tomographic patient data for 3-D-TPS. Conformal adaptation of the 95%-isodose to the Planning Target Volume (PTV, ICRU 50) results in MLC-field-shaping concerning size, position and ...
Background and purpose: A series of phase I/II clinical trials are being initiated in several UK centres to explore the use of dose-escalated schedules for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Among them the IDEAL-CRT trial (ISRCTN12155469) will investigate the introduction of individualised 'isotoxic' treatment schedules based on the relative mean lung normalised total dose (rNTDmean), an estimator related to lung toxicity. Since treatment planning will be performed using different treatment planning systems (TPSs), for the qualityassurance of the trial we have carried out work to quantify the influence of dose calculation algorithms based on the determination of rNTDmean and on the choice of individualised prescription doses. Material and methods: Twenty-five patient plans with stage I, II and III NSCLC were calculated, with the same prescription dose, using the Adaptive Convolve (AC) and Collapsed Cone (CC) algorithms of the ...
The aim of this work was to develop several strategies and software-packages for the evaluation of in-vivo-data of the human brain, which were acquired with high-resolution 1H-MRSI at 1.5 and 3 T. Several studies involving phantoms, volunteers and patients were performed. Qualityassurance studies were conducted in order to evaluate the reproducibility of the applied MR-techniques at both field strengths. A qualitative comparison-study between MRSI-data from a 1.5 T clinical MR-scanner and a 3 T research MR-scanner showed the advantages of the more advanced MRSI sequences and higher field strength (3 T). A study involving patients with primary brain tumours (gliomas) was performed in cooperation with the Department of Neurosurgery (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg). The methods developed in the course of this study, such as the integration of MRS-data into a stereotactic-system, the segmentation of metabolic maps and the correlation with ...
Under the current design philosophy, reactor structures are to be designed to withstand large inelastic deformation caused by strong and severe ground motion. The design of the main structural elements and their connections are to be such that they always fail in ductile mode. This will ensure large energy absorption capacity of the structures under seismic excitation and avoid sudden and brittle failure of the structure. Over the years, a number of experimental investigations have been carried out on RC beam- column joints to study their behaviour and strength. However, these studies mostly pertain to small scale joints of moment resisting frame of residential buildings and commercial complexes. Information on full scale joints existing in NPP structures are scanty. Therefore, experimental programme was planned in the laboratory to construct identical large sized joints with the same reinforcement percentage and detail as that of the existing joints in NPP structures built in 1960's. ...
The absorbed dose delivered to the patient in brachytherapy is directly proportional to the source strength in terms of the reference air-kerma rate (RAKR). Verification of this quantity by the hospitals is widely recognized as an important part of a qualityassurance program. An external audit was performed on behalf of the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The aim was to investigate how accurately the source-strength in 192Ir brachytherapy is determined at Swedish hospitals. The SSI reference well-type ion chamber and calibrated equipment were used to measure the RAKR of an 192Ir source in each of the 14 Swedish afterloading units. Comparisons with values determined by vendors and hospitals were made. Agreement in values of RAKR as determined by SSI, hospitals and vendors were in all cases within the +-3% uncertainty (at a coverage factor of k=2), typically guaranteed by the vendors. ...
High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for treating a cervix carcinoma has become popular, because it eliminates many of the problems associated with conventional brachytherapy. In order to improve the clinical effectiveness with HDR brachytherapy, a dose calculation algorithm, optimization procedures, and image registrations need to be verified by comparing the dose distributions from a planning computer and those from a humanoid phantom. In this study, the humanoid phantom was fabricated in order to verify the absolute doses and the relative dose distributions. The measured doses from the humanoid phantom were then compared with the treatment planning system for the dose verification. The humanoid phantom needs to be designed such that the dose distributions can be quantitatively evaluated thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips with a dimension of 1/8 and film dosimetry with a spatial resolution of <1 mm used to measure the radiation dosages in the phantom. The humanoid phantom ...
A relational database capable of storing and manipulating the large volumes of data on air toxic metals has been developed for the Center for Air Toxic Metals at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) of the University of North Dakota. The database provides information to researchers, managers, and operations personnel to aid in their decision making and long-term planning of issues related to air toxic metals. A personal computer-based graphical user interface is used to access the data located on a UNIX workstation at the EERC. With security codes and software issued by the EERC and an Internet service provider in place, the database can be accessed externally through the Internet. Currently the database contains over 3000 analytical measurements from nine full-scale systems and several bench-scale operations. Data are available on gas, solid, and liquid stream samples as well as relevant engineering parameters, including process data. Data will be input on a continual ...
The pharmacological properties of medicinal plants have been related to the presence of organic compounds, however elements are also known to have an important participation in the active compounds constitution process. In this study, instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was applied to determine elements in leaves of Casearia obliqua medicinal plant collected at two different locations in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil, SP. Soil samples collected from where this plant was grown were also analyzed in order to verify if there is a correlation between the elements present in soils and plant leaves. Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, La, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc and Zn were determined in C. obliqua leaves and the elements As, Ca, Ce, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Lu, Nd, Rb, Sc, Sm, Tb, Th, U and Zn in soils. Soil samples collected from two different locations presented similar concentrations for most elements. Likewise, C. obliqua leaves collected from the two locations presented similar elemental ...
A family of industrial irradiators is being developed by AECL to cover an electron-beam energy range from 5 to 18 MeV at beam powers between 20 and 250 kW. The IMPELA family of irradiators is designed for push button, reliable operation. The major irradiator components are modular, allowing for later upgrades to meet increased demands in either electron or X-ray mode. Interface between the control system, irradiator availability and dose qualityassurance is in conformance with the most demanding specifications. The IMPELA irradiators use a klystron-driven, standing-wave, L-band accelerator structure with direct injection from a rugged, triode electron gun. Direct control of the accelerating field during the beam pulse ensures constant output beam energy, independent of beam power. The first member of the family, the IMPELA 10/50 (10 MeV, 50 kW), is in the final stages of assembly at Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories. The IMPELA 10/50 is ...
High energy physics facilities must monitor the radiation doses received by their personnel. This monitoring can only be effective if the radiation detection devices can be calibrated with a good degree of accuracy. Radiation fields are usually composed of several types of radiation, including gamma rays, beta radiation, neutrons, etc. The neutron detection instruments respond not only to the neutrons coming directly from the source but also those scattered from the floor, walls, and ceiling. The amount of neutron scattering varies from site to site depending on the construction materials and layout of the building. The purpose of this study was to determine the scattered neutron fraction in the central volume of the calibration mezzanine of the Radiation Physics Calibration Facility (RPCF) at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). At Fermilab, radiation workers dosimeters use CR39 for neutron detection, which are sent to an outside vendor for reading. As part of the ...
High energy physics facilities must monitor the radiation doses received by their personnel. This monitoring can only be effective if the radiation detection devices can be calibrated with a good degree of accuracy. Radiation fields are usually composed of several types of radiation, including gamma rays, beta radiation, neutrons, etc. The neutron detection instruments respond not only to the neutrons coming directly from the source but also those scattered from the floor, walls, and ceiling. The amount of neutron scattering varies from site to site depending on the construction materials and layout of the building. The purpose of this study was to determine the scattered neutron fraction in the central volume of the calibration mezzanine of the Radiation Physics Calibration Facility (RPCF) at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). At Fermilab, radiation workers dosimeters use CR39 for neutron detection, which are sent to an outside vendor for reading. As part of the ...
Purpose: We present an update analysis of the multiinstitutional Ewing's sarcoma study CESS 86. Methods and Materials: From January 1986 through June 1991, 177 patients with localized Ewing's sarcoma of bone, aged 25 years or less, were recruited. Chemotherapy consisted of four 9-week courses of vincristine, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, and adriamycin (VACA) in low-risk tumors (extremity tumors =# 100 cm"3). Local therapy was an individual decision in each patient and was either radical surgery (amputation, wide resection) or resection plus postoperative irradiation with 45 Gy or definitive radiotherapy with 60 Gy (45 Gy plus boost). Irradiated patients were randomized concerning the type of fractionation in either conventional fractionation (once daily 1.8-2.0 Gy, break of chemotherapy) or hyperfractionated split-course irradiation simultaneously with the VACA/VAIA chemotherapy (twice daily 1.6 Gy, break of 12 days after 22.4 Gy and 44.8 Gy, total dose and treatment time as for ...
There is a well-known story about the blind man examining the elephant: the part of the elephant examined determines his perception of the whole beast. Perhaps bioinformatics--the shotgun marriage between biology and mathematics, computer science, and engineering--is like an elephant that occupies a large chair in the scientific living room. Given the demand for and shortage of researchers with the computer skills to handle large volumes of biological data, where exactly does the bioinformatics elephant sit? There are probably many biologists who feel that a major product of this bioinformatics elephant is large piles of waste material. If you have tried to plow through Web sites and software packages in search of a specific tool for analyzing and collating large amounts of research data, you may well feel the same way. But there has been progress with major initiatives to develop more computing power, educate biologists about computers, increase funding, and set standards. For our ...
This article discusses issues in teaching secure coding in the context of both academic institutions and training organizations. The emphasis is on the importance of assurance. There is also some discussion of the role of checklists.
F4. Totai Cost by System. Two K-l's will be built to assure successful COTS Demos. ...... has started that learning curve.with the Falcon 1 first stage. ...
... HAL and VAL limits with the specified PMD of 10-7, the GPS range-rate error must be monitored to assure that the inertial navigation error is not ...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Defense (DoD), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly acquiring the next-generation weather and environmental satellite system; the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). NPOESS replaces the current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) managed by NOAA and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) managed by the DoD. The NPOESS satellites carry a suite of sensors that collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological, and solar-geophysical observations of the earth, atmosphere, and space. The NPOESS design allows centralized mission management and delivers high quality environmental products to military, civil and scientific users. The ground data processing segment for NPOESS is the Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS), developed by Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems. IDPS ...
Methods: Systemic irradiation of neuroaxis is an essential part in the management of medulloblastoma, stPNET and intracranial germ cell tumors. The introduction of qualityassurance programs in radiooncology assures a precise radiotherapy of target volumes and is a prerequisite to improve survival. Results: Hyperfractionated radiotherapy has the potential of increasing dose to tumor more safely without increasing the risk for late adverse effects. Pilot studies revealed excellent tumor control in medulloblastoma with acceptable acute toxicity and a long-term survival of up to 96%. In medulloblastoma stereotactic radiation techniques reveal an acceptable toxicity and promising results in tumor control in recurrent disease or as primary treatment. They are now part of future treatment protocols in case of persisting residual tumor. Radiotherapy alone in pure germinoma is continuously yielding high cure rates. In secreting ...
Full text of publication follows: Energy and environment are two major concerns in our modern society due to the coming shortage in fossil energy sources and the growing of greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge for the coming years is to discover new energy resources and to develop devices that are compatible with a sustainable development and generate few (or zero) emission. One of these devices is the fuel cell feed by hydrogen, whose application fields are very large. In particular, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is the most realistic device for automotive application. However, hydrogen storage remains one of the most important challenges regarding its development. Although different techniques are available for storing hydrogen, no ideal solution has been found yet. Compression needs elaborated tanks in shape for supporting high pressures, liquefaction requires an expensive hydrogen cooling and adapted tanks. Chemical ...
Full text of publication follows: Energy and environment are two major concerns in our modern society due to the coming shortage in fossil energy sources and the growing of greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge for the coming years is to discover new energy resources and to develop devices that are compatible with a sustainable development and generate few (or zero) emission. One of these devices is the fuel cell feed by hydrogen, whose application fields are very large. In particular, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is the most realistic device for automotive application. However, hydrogen storage remains one of the most important challenges regarding its development. Although different techniques are available for storing hydrogen, no ideal solution has been found yet. Compression needs elaborated tanks in shape for supporting high pressures, liquefaction requires an expensive hydrogen cooling and adapted tanks. Chemical ...
Selection of the appropriate radiation quality is an important aspect of optimisation for every clinical imaging task in radiology, since it affects both image quality and patient dose. Spreadsheet...Full Text Available
AimsIt is unclear as to which mediators are involved in mediating the response to nasal mannitol challenge, a novel osmotic stimulus.MethodsA...Full Text Available
BackgroundFor hundred of years, people in the region encompassed by the Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan borders (AIP region) have been challenged by conflict and political and civil instability,...Full Text Available
ObjectivesTo describe the prospects, achievements, challenges and opportunities for implementing intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) in Tanzania in...Full Text Available
This article presents a study identifying benefits and challenges of a novel hospital-to-hospital information technology (IT) outsourcing partnership (HHP). The partnership is an innovative response...Full Text Available
The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases has increased significantly in the last years, as has research concerning chemical characterization of these plants. In this study, inorganic constituents were determined in leaves and in extracts from three medicinal plant species of the Casearia genus (C. sylvestris, C. decandra and C. obliqua) collected in distinct regions of the Atlantic Forest, SP. The elemental compositions of the soils in which these plants were grown were also determined. Traditionally, these plants are used due to their antiinflammatory, antiacid, antiseptic and cicatrizing properties. The antiulcer and the antitumor activities of the Casearia genus and its capacity to neutralize snake and bee venoms, have also been scientifically confirmed. The analytical methodology used was neutron activation analysis. Long and short irradiation periods of the samples and the standards were carried out at IPEN's IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor. In the leaf K ...
For the step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique, the combination of high dose rate, multiple beam segments and low dose per segment can lead to significant differences between the planned dose and the dose delivered to the patient. In this technique, a dose delivery inaccuracy known as the 'overshoot' effect is caused by the dose servo control system. This typically occurs in the first and last beam segments and causes an over- and underdose, respectively. Some dose positional error in the segment sequence is also possible there. Commercial ionization chambers (RK-type) and radiographic Kodak films were used for the measurements. The reported results were obtained using the Pinnacle{sup 3}-V6.2 treatment planning system and a Varian Clinac 21 EX linear accelerator equipped with a 120-leaf Millennium MLC. The dose inaccuracy measurements were based on the comparison of the dose and profiles for reference fields and fields irradiated with ...
digital libraries, which was identified as a national challenge in the Information ... The linkages between the many digital libraries and information services are ...
... or the Noncommissioned Officer Efficiency Report (NCOER) for promotion ... Providing effective coaching, delegating, counseling, and role modeling ...
The subject of the 5th challenge proposed by the French Society of Operations Research and Decision Analysis (ROADEF) consists in scheduling technicians and interventions for telecommunications (http://www.g-scop.inpg.fr/ChallengeROADEF2007/ or http://www.roadef.org/). We detail the algorithm we proposed for this challenge which is a Greedy Randomized Adaptative Search Procedure (GRASP). Computational results led us to the 1st position in the Junior category and to the 4th position in All category of the Challenge ROADEF 2007.
The introduction of tolerance to radiation (''radiation-hardness'') into large electronic systems is one of the major tasks to which this Handbook will be put. The practices recommended here for inculcating radiation-tolerance in equipment require advanced physical modeling techniques, precise engineering procedures, and firm assurance procedures. The degree to which these procedures should be used in an equipment project can be measured by the severity of the raw radiation environment, the desired reliability of the system, and the requirement of that project for radiation-sensitive technologies. The balance of device/circuit design versus shielding will depend on whether the radiation is highly penetrating -- as in isotope handling or military environments -- or readily attenuated, as in space. In this chapter the authors have attempted to summarize the essential features of the radiation hardening of large assemblies of equipment and how effective control of ...
A myriad of challenges and shifting strategic priorities face today's military leaders. This special issue contains articles that comment on these challenges and provide new insights to advance discussions on these issues and spawn new research. This article summarizes contemporary challenges and opportunities faced by military leaders and provides an overview of the articles included in the special issue.
Clean Water Act You are here: Water Laws & Regulations Policy & Guidance Clean Water Act Water Quality and 401 Certification Water Quality and 401 Certification Water Quality...
Finding innovative ways to reduce waste streams generated at US Department of Energy (DOE) sites by 50% by the year 2000 is a challenge for DOE`s waste minimization efforts. A team composed of members from several DOE facilities used the quality tool known as benchmarking to improve waste minimization efforts. First the team examined office waste generation and handling processes at their sites. Then team members developed telephone and written questionnaires to help identify potential ``best-in-class`` industry partners willing to share information about their best waste minimization techniques and technologies. The team identified two benchmarking partners, NIKE, Inc., in Beaverton, Oregon, and Microsoft, Inc., in Redmond, Washington. Both companies have proactive, employee-driven environmental issues programs. Both companies report strong employee involvement, management commitment, and readily available markets for recyclable materials such ...
ICU telemedicine uses audiovisual conferencing technology to provide critical care from a remote location. Research is needed to best define the optimal use of ICU telemedicine, but efforts are hindered by methodological challenges and the lack of an organized delivery approach. We convened an interdisciplinary working group to develop a research agenda in ICU telemedicine, addressing both methodological and knowledge gaps in the field. To best inform clinical decision-making and health policy, future research should be organized around a conceptual framework that enables consistent descriptions of both the study setting and the telemedicine intervention. The framework should include standardized methods for assessing the preimplementation ICU environment and describing the telemedicine program. This framework will facilitate comparisons across studies and improve generalizability by permitting context-specific interpretation. Research based on this framework ...
BACKGROUND: The urgent need for patient safety education for healthcare students has been recognised by many accreditation bodies, but to date there has been sporadic attention to undergraduate/graduate medical programmes. Medical students themselves have identified quality and safety of care as an important area of instruction; as future doctors and healthcare leaders, they must be prepared to practise safe healthcare. Medical education has yet to fully embrace patient safety concepts and principles into existing medical curricula. Universities are continuing to produce graduate doctors lacking in the patient safety knowledge, skills and behaviours thought necessary to deliver safe care. A significant challenge is that patient safety is still a relatively new concept and area of study; thus, many medical educators are unfamiliar with the literature and unsure how to integrate patient safety learning into existing curriculum. DESIGN: To address ...
Consensus reached in the last few years that fourth generation light source will most likely be a X-ray or a UV coherent source based on single-pass high-gain free electron laser (FEL), such as Self Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE), or seeded high-gain harmonic-generation (HGHG) free electron lasers. High-gain (>10"7) required for single-pass FEL puts great constrain on the quality of electron beam, and demands detailed distribution information of electron beam in six-dimension. The typical accelerator system for single-pass FEL consists of a photocathode RF gun injection system, a linac and magnetic bunch compressors, and a long undulator. The major challenges in beam diagnostics for single-pass FEL are to characterize the pico-seconds high-brightness electron beam in six-dimension produced by photocathode RF gun injector, and improve the stability and reliability of the photocathode RF gun injection system. Characterization of short ...
BACKGROUND: The urgent need for patient safety education for healthcare students has been recognised by many accreditation bodies, but to date there has been sporadic attention to undergraduate/graduate medical programmes. Medical students themselves have identified quality and safety of care as an important area of instruction; as future doctors and healthcare leaders, they must be prepared to practise safe healthcare. Medical education has yet to fully embrace patient safety concepts and principles into existing medical curricula. Universities are continuing to produce graduate doctors lacking in the patient safety knowledge, skills and behaviours thought necessary to deliver safe care. A significant challenge is that patient safety is still a relatively new concept and area of study; thus, many medical educators are unfamiliar with the literature and unsure how to integrate patient safety learning into existing curriculum. DESIGN: To address ...
Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses are being investigated as an alternative strategy to attach prosthetic limbs to patients. Although the use of these implants has shown to be promising in clinical trials, the ability to maintain a skin seal around an osseointegrated implant interface is a major challenge to prevent superficial and deep periprosthetic infections. The specific aim of this study was to establish a translational load-bearing ovine model to assess postoperative limb compensation and gait symmetry following a percutaneous osseointegrated implant. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) the animals would return to pre-amputation limb loads within 12-months; (2) the animals would return to a symmetrical gait pattern (stride length and time in stance) within 12-months. The results demonstrated that one month following surgery, the sheep loaded their amputated limb to a mean value of nearly 80% of their pre-amputation loading condition; by 12-months, ...
Like other Central European countries, Poland faces the twin challenges of improving environmental quality while also fostering sustainable economic development. In this study we examine the costs of different standards for air pollution control, and the cost savings from using incentive-based policy instruments in lieu of more rigid command-and-control policies. The comparisons are based on the results of a simulation model of energy use and air pollution control for the Polish economy over 1990-2015. The model simulates least-cost energy supply decisions under different environmental policy assumptions, the corresponding emissions, and the cost of achieving the specified policy objectives. The model results suggest that incentive-based policies will have efficiency gains over command policies that are at least worthy of consideration and may be quite substantial. The size of the gains in practice depends in part on how much flexibility is ...
...Polymer Fuel Cells Challenge Publications News Events Login Register Search Content type All Web pages Case studies Publications News Video Home ...Buildings Carbon capture & storage Combined heat & power Electricity transmission & distribution Energy storage Fuel cells Geothermal Hydroelectric Hydrogen Industry Lighting Marine Metering Nuclear Solar Transport Wind ...Home Emerging technologies Current focus areas Polymer Fuel Cell Challenge Polymer Fuel Cells Challenge The objective of the Polymer Fuel Cells Challenge is to develop,...prove and commercialise novel polymer fuel cell technologies that have the potential to deliver a step-change in overall system cost. What are ...
An apparatus is described for measuring the overall decontamination factor of first and second filters, the first and second filters being located in a plenum having an upstream chamber, an intermediate chamber, and a downstream chamber. The first filter is located between the upstream and intermediate chambers and the second filter is located between the intermediate and downstream chambers. The apparatus comprises a. an aerosol generator for producing a challenge aerosol composed of individual particles, the aerosol generator being in fluid communication with the upstream chamber; b. an upstream collector for collecting the challenge aerosol before the challenge aerosol enters the first filter, the upstream collector being disposed in the upstream chamber; c. an intermediate collector for collecting the challenge aerosol that passes through the first filter, the intermediate collector being disposed ...
A growing number of applications that generate massive streams of data need intelligent data processing and online analysis. Real-time surveillance systems, telecommunication systems, sensor networks and other dynamic environments are such examples. The imminent need for turning such data into useful information and knowledge augments the development of systems, algorithms and frameworks that address streaming challenges. The storage, querying and mining of such data sets are highly computationally challenging tasks. Mining data streams is concerned with extracting knowledge structures represented in models and patterns in non stopping streams of information. Generally, two main challenges are designing fast mining methods for data streams and need to promptly detect changing concepts and data distribution because of highly dynamic nature of data streams. The goal of this article is to analyze and classify the application ...
Numerical calculations of static, switched, and radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) fields considering the geometry and EM properties of the human body are used increasingly in MRI to explain...Full Text Available
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on December 29, 1993, promulgated self-guarantee requirements that materials licensees may use to demonstrate financial assurance for decommissioning costs. However, nonprofit colleges and universities, nonprofit hospitals, and for-profit firms that do not issue bonds are currently precluded, by their unique accounting and financial reporting systems, or by other features of their business practices, from using the financial tests for self-guarantors adopted by the NRC. This Report evaluates several alternative financial tests that might serve as the basis for self-guarantee by these three categories of licensees.
The primary objective of this task was to perform a variability study of the high activity waste (HAW) acidic feed to determine the impact of feed variability on the quality of the final grout and on the mixability of the salt solution into the dry powders. The HAW acidic feeds were processed through the neutralization/pH process, targeting a final pH of 12. These fluids were then blended with the dry materials to make the final waste forms. A secondary objective was to determine if elemental substitution for cost prohibitive or toxic elements in the simulant affects the mixing response, thus providing a more economical simulant for use in full scale tests. Though not an objective, the HAW simulant used in the full scale tests was also tested and compared to the results from this task. A statistically designed test matrix was developed based on the maximum molarity inputs used to make the acidic solutions. The maximum molarity inputs were: 7.39 HNO{sub 3}, 0.11618 ...
Immunoassays are versatile analytical techniques that had a leading role in various clinical applications, during the last four decades. The studies carried out by Rosalyn Yalow, Solomon Berson and Roger Ekins in the 1960s gave a breakthrough in the development of this novel analytical method. Sensitivity up to femtomolar concentrations, high specificity and universal application to different classes of molecular species made immunoassay a very useful tool in analytical investigation. The expertise acquired by immunochemists in producing antibodies against any antigen and the ability of radiochemists in labeling the antigens with "1"2"5I without affecting the active site are the two main factors responsible for the above development. There are concerns about the safety and health of humans due to the high-level contamination of environment by pesticides, industrial compounds and metals, anabolic steroids in milk and meat products, and presence of mycotoxins in food and feed ...
The current status of at-risk and adjudicated youth with behavioral challenges provides a context for addressing needed future directions for research and practice in fields that impact this population. This context includes the myriad characteristics and complex needs of these youth, the programs and services currently available in communities and secure settings, and youth outcomes following incarceration. Recent and emerging national, state, and local initiatives and the benefits that have been realized or are anticipated from their application are presented. The challenges to achieving and sustaining these systems changes are then discussed. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and practice, based on the issues raised in this special issue and elsewhere. (Contains 1 endnote.)
Full text: Verification of the dose delivered to a patient during radiotherapy is an important qualityassurance procedure, however this is rarely performed due to the extra time involved. Electronic portal images (EPIs) are currently acquired at many centres during radiotherapy treatment for positioning verification. These could be utilised for dose verification provided 1) an accurate prediction of the dose transmitted through the patient to the EPID can be produced for the patients' radiotherapy beams, and, 2) the EPID image can be converted to an accurate measured dose. Ideally, the radiotherapy planning system (RTPS) would be used to produce the predicted dose as part of the planning procedure. The aim of this project is to investigate whether the convolution-superposition model of the Pinnacle RTPS can accurately calculate dose transmitted through a patient and deposited in a phantom at a large source to surface distance. The dose ...
Full text: Thermoluminescence (TL) is a phenomenon of light emission caused by heating a pre-irradiated material. When ionizing radiation hits a TL material, electrons are freed from some atoms and moved in the material, leaving behind 'holes' of positive charge. Subsequently when the TL material is heated, the electrons and the 'holes' re-combine, and release the extra energy in the form of light. The light intensity can be measured, and related to the amount of energy initially absorbed through exposure to the ionizing radiation. In nineteen sixties thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) became popular for dosimetric applications in view of their small size, sensitivity and accuracy. Consequently, in early seventies, several countries started adopting of TLD for personnel monitoring. The idea of introducing TLD to replace the then prevalent film dosimeter for personnel monitoring in India was mooted and successfully implemented by Dr. K G Vohra. Limitations of prevalent film dosimeters ...
David N. Spires and Rick W. Sturdevant, "From Advent to Milstar: The United States Air Force and the Challenges of Military Satellite Communications. Chapter 8 ...
Patients rely on their primary care physician to manage multiple, often chronic medical conditions that require prescription medications. Balancing the risk to benefit of treatments can be challenging...Full Text Available
Challenges of robotic cars, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the U.S. Defense Department. Carroll Cordes, recently retired USGS branch chief,...
Advances in molecular technologies challenge the different concepts of causality in biology, epidemiology and multistage mathematical models. The lack of integration of the different aspects of causality...Full Text Available
A diagnosis of dementia is devastating at any age but diagnosis in younger patients presents a particular challenge. The differential diagnosis is broad as late presentation of metabolic disease...Full Text Available
The currently available methods for the diagnosis of dry eye are still far from being perfect for a variety of reasons. This review attempts to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional...Full Text Available
Dogs challenged with toxic doses of methylsalicylate developed acute myocardiopathy. Metabolic manifestations of uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation by methylsalicylate (MS) were observed. Oxygen...Full Text Available
With advances in treatment, colorectal cancer is being transformed from a deadly disease to an illness that is increasingly curable. With this transformation has come increased interest in the...Full Text Available
Summary of recent advancesSince their first description more than twenty years ago, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae possessing extended-spectrum...Full Text Available
Spatial epidemiology is the description and analysis of geographic variations in disease with respect to demographic, environmental, behavioral, socioeconomic, genetic, and infectious risk factors....Full Text Available
This paper first discusses the challenge offered by natural and anthropogenic systems in all of their complexity and then indicates some areas of research in which specific scientific and technological needs are identifiable.
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
The early and precise diagnosis, the prognosis, and the clinical management of multiple sclerosis, remain a considerable challenge. In recent years, the development of novel and powerful proteomic...Full Text Available
Tumour hypoxia represents a significant challenge to the curability of human tumours leading to treatment resistance and enhanced tumour progression. Tumour hypoxia can be detected by non-invasive and...Full Text Available
Background. The coexistence of neoplasm and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) presents a real management challenge. This paper reviews the literature on the prevalence, diagnosis,...Full Text Available
Competitiveness of the UK furniture manufacturing industry.2010 ...is clear from the study that the UK furniture manufacturing industry has responded to the challenge of ...Competitiveness of the UK furniture manufacturing industry.2010
Dec 9, 2005 ... Classification of high resolution imagery is not as straightforward as more ... The challenges of classifying high resolution imagery stems ...
Aug 18, 2004 ... The Arabian Gulf region presents a challenge to meteorologists trying to simulate weather with computer models because sea-surface and land ...
Tumour hypoxia represents a significant challenge to the curability of human tumours leading to treatment resistance and enhanced tumour progression. Tumour hypoxia can be detected by non-invasive and...Full Text Available
Motivation: Inference of haplotypes from genotype data is crucial and challenging for many vitally important studies. The first, and most critical step, is the ascertainment of a biologically...Full Text Available
Environmental and security concerns are stimulating global interest in hydrogen power, renewable energy, and advanced transportation technologies, but no significant movement away from oil and a carbon-based world economy is expected soon. Over the longer-term, however, a transition from fossil fuels to a non-carbon-based economy will likely occur, affecting the type of environment future generations may encounter. Key challenges will face the world's energy industry over the next few decades to ensure a smooth transition-challenges which will require government and industry solutions beginning as early as today. This paper identifies four critical challenges in energy and the choices which will have to be made on how best to confront growing pollution caused by fossil fuels and how to facilitate an eventual revolutionary-like transition to a non-carbon-based global economy.
This presentation details how wind turbine gearboxes fail to meet 20-year design life and how the Gearbox Reliability Collaborative (GRC) is addressing the challenges.
... Deepwater Program is a 25-year, $24 billion plan to replace or modernize its fleet of vessels, aircraft, and information management capabilities. ...
The pleiotropic actions of neuromodulators on pre- and postsynaptic targets present challenges to disentangling the mechanisms underlying regulation of synaptic transmission. Within the striatum,...Full Text Available
During instrumentation of the root canal, it is important to develop a continuously tapered form and to maintain the original shape and position of the apical foramen. However, the presence of curvatures...Full Text Available
Central airway obstruction (CAO) is a serious presentation of lung cancer and associated chest diseases. It presents a real challenge to the anesthesiologist because usually the patient admitted to...Full Text Available
The challenges of lung cancer radiotherapy are intra/inter-fraction tumor/organ anatomy/motion changes and the need to spare surrounding critical structures. Evolving radiotherapy technologies, such...Full Text Available
Adaptive radiation therapy for liver cancer has the potential to reduce normal tissue complications and enable dose escalation, allowing the potential for tumor control in this challenging site....Full Text Available
for? Learn the Issues Science & Technology Laws & Regulations About EPA Contact Us Water: Water Quality Criteria You are here: Water Science & Technology Surface Water Standards &...
BackgroundThe aim of this study is to validate the questionnaire ECOS-16 (Assessment of health related quality of life in osteoporosis) for the evaluation of health related quality...Full Text Available
This report presents results from the soil inorganic analysis of the 44th set of environmental quality assessment samples, of the quality assessment program, that were received on or before June 3, 1996. The samples were analyzed for RCRA metals.
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
The status of the concept of controlling the quality of physicians is reviewed as are studies that have been done on methods to measure and improve quality. The conclusions are dismal given the rhetoric...Full Text Available
Our work has focused on the development and analysis of domain decomposition algorithms for a variety of problems arising in continuum mechanics modeling. In particular, we have extended and analyzed FETI-DP and BDDC algorithms; these iterative solvers were first introduced and studied by Charbel Farhat and his collaborators, see [11, 45, 12], and by Clark Dohrmann of SANDIA, Albuquerque, see [43, 2, 1], respectively. These two closely related families of methods are of particular interest since they are used more extensively than other iterative substructuring methods to solve very large and difficult problems. Thus, the FETI algorithms are part of the SALINAS system developed by the SANDIA National Laboratories for very large scale computations, and as already noted, BDDC was first developed by a SANDIA scientist, Dr. Clark Dohrmann. The FETI algorithms are also making inroads in commercial engineering software systems. We also note that the analysis of these algorithms poses very ...
The study of the intrinsic behavior of high transition temperature copper-oxide superconductors (HTSC) has proven to be challenging because of the extreme sensitivity of their transport properties on material quality. These compounds are characterized by a high degree of structural and electrical anisotropy, and a very short superconductive coherence length of the same order as the size of the crystalline unit cell (~5-30 A). As a result, microscopic defects such as oxygen vacancies, cationic disorder, and the presence of minute impurities have a significant effect on electrical transport in these materials. Therefore, much effort has been expended in synthesizing sizable samples that are homogeneous, well characterized, and emenable to the study of the anisotropic properties of the HTSC. We have demonstrated that thin films of HTSC compounds such as rm YBa_2Cu_3O_{7 -delta}, which is a 92 K superconductor, can be synthesized easily by a ...
Full text: As one of the Top 5 utilities in Europe, Rheinisch-Westfaelisches Elektrizitaetswerk AG, FWB: RW, RWE, operates a diversified generating capacity of about 45 GW; RWE Power alone generates over 30 GW. Besides a share of approximately 20% nuclear power, a large proportion of the generating base is in lignite and hard coal. RWE has an ambitious, Euro10 bn newbuild program of about 10 GW modern fossil fired plants and further expansion plans across Europe. By 2012, RWE intends to invest between Euro 15 and 20 bn outside Germany.The European Union has a challenging policy to increase the share of renewables, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gases by 2020. At the same time, ageing power plants need to be replaced. This requires an enormous investment program across Europe. Nuclear power therefore, as a proven technology with low lifecycle carbon emissions and reasonable lifecycle cost, is a crucial contributor to achieve Europe's 2020 goals. ...
Dust detection and control in real time, represent one of the most challenging problem in all those environments where fine and ultrafine airborne particulate solids products are present. The presence of such products can be linked to several factors, often directly related and influenced by the working-production actions performed. Independently from the causes generating dust, airborne contaminants are an occupational problem of increasing interest as they are related to a wide number of diseases. In particular, airborne dusts are well known to be associated with several classical occupational lung diseases, such as the pneumoconiosis, especially at high levels of exposure. Nowadays there is also an increasing interest in other dust related diseases, from the most serious as cancer and asthma, to those related with allergies or irritation and other illnesses, also occurring at lower levels of exposure. Among the different critical factors influencing health risk ...
Full text: The US commercial nuclear industry has just completed an outstanding decade of plant performance. Safety levels and electric production are at unprecedented high levels and continue to exceed even high industry goals. Nuclear energy continues to keep the highest priority on performance improvement programs and highly trained/qualified people that maintain its record setting safety and reliability of operations. While the industry has maintained a consistently high level of performance, the advent of deregulation and the consolidation of NPP ownership, as well as the current climate of concern about both rising energy costs and availability of power, has raised the standard for nuclear energy's level of competitiveness in today's market place. The resulting challenge is how to more effectively manage risk and improve performance even further in a generally high performing organization. Newer technology and more training by themselves are not the answer. ...
... tests, one often encounters, for instance, separated flows with large ... It is suspected that the flow-quality criteria given in AGARD Report No. ...
BACKGROUND: This prospective and retrospective study carried out over a period of one month (50 patients) looked at the quality of hospital records of urethral catheterisation with reference to the...Full Text Available
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
The following aspects will be discussed: The main function of the Division of Inspection Services and its role in the Marketing of agricultural products; the shelf life of agricultural products: short review of present methods with a practical example of losses incurred due to limited keeping quality; irradiation and heat treatment: advantages of inhibited microbiological activities and undesirable chemical changes from a quality control point of view; quality standards: the basic principles of quality control; consequences of effective post-harvest treatment: export of deciduous and citrus fruit; the magnitude of the problem of poor keeping quality and quality requirements; other fruit; quantities and export limitations and vegetables; quantity and quality requirements; local marketing: fruit and vegetables subjected to inspection; quantity ...
...Air Quality Monitoring Networks Products and Equipment Find and compare a variety of air quality monitoring networks products and equipment on the world's largest environmental industry portal. ...
The NuMI beam at Fermilab has delivered over 5 x 10{sup 20} 120 GeV protons to the neutrino production target since the start for MINOS [1] neutrino oscillation experiment operation in 2005. We report on proton beam commissioning and operation status, including successes and challenges with this beam.
Over the past two decades, quantum computing has become a popular and promising approach to trying to solve computationally difficult problems. Missing in many descriptions of quantum computing is just how probability enters into the process. Here, we discuss some simple examples of how uncertainty and probability enter, and how this and the ideas of quantum computing challenge our interpretations of quantum mechanics. It is found that this uncertainty can lead to intrinsic decoherence, and this raises challenges for error correction. (viewpoint)
ObjectivesObjectives Not AvailableDescriptionOne significant research challenge posed by the growing number of older people in the population concerns the mobility-related problems which increase with age, inhibit independence, and can be a prime cause of admission to expensive institutional settings. The scope for engineering advances, particularly in the field of rehabilitation and assistive technology, is immense. The challenge is to produce aids, devices and products that are attractive to older people themselves, since without such [continued...
Immune challenge induces behavioral changes including reduced ingestion of palatable food. Multiple pathways likely contribute to this effect, including viscerosensory pathways controlling hypothalamic...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe effects of single or combined histamine H1-receptor and leukotriene CysLT1-receptor antagonism on nasal adenosine monophosphate (AMP) challenge...Full Text Available
Describes the Indonesian system of education of Islamic schooling, secular education, and out-of-school education. The provision of 9-year universal basic education is planned by 2004. The national plan challenges the education system to facilitate the change in Indonesia's economic structure from an agriculturally based system to one more dependent on manufacturing and service industries. (SLD)
Monitoring programs are difficult to design even when they focus on specific problems. Ecosystems are complex, and it is often impossible to predetermine what aspects of system structure or dynamics will respond to a specific insult. It is equally difficult to interpret whether a response is a stabilizing compensatory mechanism or a real loss of capacity to maintain the ecosystem. The problems are compounded in a broad monitoring program designed to assess ecosystem health'' at regional and continental scales. It is challenging in the extreme to monitor ecosystem response, at any scale, to past insults as well as an unknown future array of impacts. The present paper will examine some of the fundamental issues and challenges raised by large-scale monitoring efforts. The challenges will serve as a framework and as an excuse to discuss several important topics in more detail. Following the discussion of ...
I. S. Kirbis, P. Maxwell, M. S. Flear, K. Miller and M. Ibrahim External quality control for immunocytochemistry on cytology samples: a review of UK NEQAS ICC (cytology module) results Objective:- To date, external quality control for immunocytochemistry on cytology samples is provided only by the United Kingdom national external quality assessment service for immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridisation (UK NEQAS ICC & ISH). For the purpose of this study a retrospective analysis of a comprehensive collection of quality-related data regarding immunocytochemistry on cytology samples collected through this service was analysed. Methods:- The quality of immunocytochemical reactions, using on-line collected data, was analysed for the last 23 UK NEQAS ICC cytology module external quality asses...
Purpose - Holding the number of outside directorships constant, this paper aims to test whether executive directors from superior performing firms are subsequently rewarded with better quality outside directorships. Design/methodology/approach - The quality of new outside directorship appointments is modelled using a two-step Heckman selection procedure to control for the probability of acquiring a new outside board seat. Outside directorship quality is estimated using an index formed from series of observable firm-specific characteristics proxying for the following three latent aspects of quality: prestige, reputational risk and monetary rewards. The index aggregates across these three dimensions to produce an overall quality score, with higher scores signifying higher quality directorshi...
Purpose: To compare the diagnostic quality and adverse events of the water-soluble, non-ionic, iso-osmolar, dimeric contrast media iodixanol and iotrolan in hysterosalpingography (HSG). Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty patients participated in a double-blind randomized parallel-group phase-III study. Questionnaires and patient interviews were used. Diagnostic quality was assessed using a visual analogue scale and the quality in specific regions was rated using a categorical scale. Results: Overall diagnostic quality was equal for the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in diagnostic quality in the specific regions of interest. No differences between the contrast media were found with regard to adverse events. Conclusion: Both contrast media provided images of high diagnostic quality in HSG. (orig.)
This paper, firstly, introduces the background in developing a high quality water supply system, in which the drinking water system is isolated inside a building. Results of questionnaire on the high quality service water are illustrated. The results of questionnaire have revealed that the high quality service water is extremely interested. Then, are described the target quality of high quality water, the constitution of high quality water supply system, the treatment process, the measures to secure safety and sanitary, and the method of maintenance. The high quality water is produced through the activated charcoal absorption treatment, membrane treatment, ozonation, cooling, mineral addition, and disinfection of city water. Furthermore, application examples of this system adopted to a department store and a bachelor apartment house are ...
Coal solids (SRC) and distillate oils are combined to afford single-phase blends of residual oils which have utility as fuel oils substitutes. The components are combined on the basis of their respective polarities, that is, on the basis of their heteroatom content, to assure complete solubilization of SRC. The resulting composition is a fuel oil blend which retains its stability and homogeneity over the long term.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT), which was opened for signature in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions in all environments. Republic of Korea has been working to monitor compliance with CTBT by deterring and detecting any nuclear explosions conducted anywhere on Earth. For the verification of CTBT, several techniques are implemented. Radionuclide monitoring is of particular importance since it is the only method which can provide absolute assurance that a nuclear detonation has occurred
The purpose of this invention is to assure operating reliability of a Mandrel head in tubes of various diameters. This goal is achieved in that it is equipped with movable expanding sectors, which are installed on a rigid conical plunger dye. It is also equipped with spring-loaded conical slides blocks which are installed on a shaft. The upper ends of the sectors of the sectorial head are attached by hinges to a rigid cone shaped plunger dye. The lower ends are installed with the possibility of interacting with the slide blocks.
This is a patent for a device to increase compaction of the loaded batch in a coking chamber that assures a balanced compaction of the batch from the upper to the bottom layer. The leveling rod has a device on the external end that causes the rod to shift vertically and bring pressure on the material and the pressing attachment. Opposite the loading hoppers of the coking chambers there are guides that ensure the rod will be sunk perpendicularly into the loaded material.
Comprehensive Structural Integrity is a reference work which covers all activities involved in the assurance of structural integrity. It provides engineers and scientists with an unparalleled depth of knowledge in the disciplines involved. The new online Volume 11 is dedicated to the mechanical characteristics of materials. This paper contains the chapter 11.02 of this volume and is structured as follows: Test techniques; Analysis; Fracture behavior; Fracture toughness tests for nonmetals.
A centering device for casing tubings is proposed. It includes a housing, collar made of copper linings, return springs and pusher with centering pins placed in it. In order to simplify the design of the centering device it is equipped with levers installed on the pusher rod and connected by hinges to one another. The centering device assures coaxial placement of tubes over the mouth of wells and installation of butt joints during welding of tubes.
The acceptances to be obtained during the first operational run, refer to measures proving the functional integrity of the turbine control system and assuring the compliance with the maximum allowable overspeed in case of lead changes or perturbations. The Guideline concerns essentially speed, power, and pressure controllers coupled to generators. It may be appropriately extended to steam turbines serving other purposes.
This paper develops a model of nonlinear pricing with competition. The novel element is that each consumer's willingness to pay for quality is private information and is allowed to differ across brands. The consumer's preferences are represented by a multidimensional type containing the marginal value of quality for different products. Buyers with high willingness to pay for quality also display strong preferences for particular brands, and require higher discounts in order to switch away from their favorite product. Therefore, competition is fiercer for buyers with lower tastes for quality, and hence more elastic demands. This is in sharp contrast to earlier models in which competition is fiercer for higher-taste, more valuable buyers. In equilibrium, firms either compete intensively for ...
Construction and commissioning period of NPP are reduced world over drastically by stringent schedule for financial and economic reasons. For meeting the schedule, commissioning of components and systems are started immediate after installation, while construction activities are continued in parallel at the same place. Parallel activities' and 'Time Constraint' have brought new challenges to 'Management of Fire and Industrial Safely' during commissioning. An innovative approach was used during such phase of commissioning of TAPP-3 and 4. This paper outlines challenges encountered during this phase and special approach and measures used to meet those challenges. This paper also outlines problems encountered during implementation of these measures and subsequent change in approach to ensure smooth and safe execution of activities. Primarily, challenges were conflicting requirements by various agencies to ...
Full text: The IRSN has been organizing enquiries with the French population about risk and risk perception for a long time. In 2002, a collaboration between the IRSN in France and the SCK.CEN in Belgium has been set-up to simultaneously (November 2002) organise this poll in both countries. In each country, a representative sample of the population (over 1000 participants per country) has been consulted by Computer Aided Personal Interviews of about 30 minutes with the professional help of commercial companies: BVA in France and Research International in Belgium. The enquiry yields a broad spectrum of interesting data; here only the results relevant for the emergency context will be presented. One should be aware that these data were collected in a 'normal' period; important differences in behaviour may occur given a serious crisis. A first finding is that more than half of the respondents are convinced that an accident as severe as the Chernobyl disaster may happen in their country as ...
Exponentially growing biological and bioinformatics data sets present a challenge and an opportunity for researchers to contribute to the understanding of the genetic basis of phenotypes. Due to breakthroughs in microarray technology, it is possible to simultaneously monitor the expressions of thousands of genes, and it is imperative that researchers have access to the clinical data to understand the genetics and proteomics of the diseased tissue. This technology could be a landmark in personalized medicine, which will provide storage for clinical and genetic data in electronic health records (EHRs). In this paper, we explore the computational and ethical challenges that emanate from the intersection of bioinformatics and healthcare informatics research. We describe the current situation of the EHR and its capabilities to store clinical and genetic data and then discuss the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Finally, we posit that the ...
The recent advances in RFID offer vast opportunities for research, development and innovation in agriculture. The aim of this paper is to give readers a comprehensive view of current applications and new possibilities, but also explain the limitations and challenges of this technology. RFID has been used for years in animal identification and tracking, being a common practice in many farms. Also it has been used in the food chain for traceability control. The implementation of sensors in tags, make possible to monitor the cold chain of perishable food products and the development of new applications in fields like environmental monitoring, irrigation, specialty crops and farm machinery. However, it is not all advantages. There are also challenges and limitations that should be faced in the...
Remote, offshore gas reserves have long been a challenging deepwater petroleum resource to tap. Natural gas in many offshore regions is plentiful, but lacks access to the market because of the logistical challenges and costs. Most large offshore gas discoveries are capped, and gas associated with oil production is re-injected into the reservoir or is flared. A more attractive option is to convert the gas into a liquid product on a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel. However, some conventional process technologies are not well suited for operation on floating vessels that are highly space and weight constrained and may challenge vessel stability during inclement weather. Microchannel process technology units under development offer intensified processes that are suit...
Many organizations are challenged with the tasks of identifying customer needs and expectations for their products, anticipating future product needs, communicating a future product vision to clients, and designing with today's technology to bring a future vision to successful realization. The design evolution of plant control centres is one aspect of CANDU development that faces such challenges. The Disney Corporation is an example of an organization that has been successful in consistently meeting these challenges for over fifty years; and some of the design practices proven in moviemaking, theme park and resort layout, and vacation experience organization may be helpful and effective when applied in other domains. This paper summarizes the findings from an examination of Disney Corporation design practices, and suggests how some practices could be used to simplify and enhance the design of future CANDU control ...
Greenman J, Thorn RMS, Saad S, Austin AJ. In vitro diffusion bed, 3-day repeat challenge `capacity' test for antimicrobial wound dressings. Int Wound J 2006;3:322-329. Abstract The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro wound infection model that allows the comparison of the bacterial kill rate of antimicrobial wound dressings over the course of 3 days, with renewed microbial challenges each day, under realistic wound-like conditions. A test bed model of a moderately exuding wound was constructed from a hydrogel containing releasable foetal calf serum (FCS), and cellulose discs dosed with test microbes (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) suspended in 50% FCS applied at the interface between the test dressing and the hydrogel test bed. Freshly prep...
The trend toward smaller dimensions in integrated circuit technology presents severe physical and engineering challenges for ion implantation. These challenges, together with the need for physically-based models at exceedingly small dimensions, are leading to a new level of understanding of fundamental defect science in silicon. Recently the DOE Council on Materials requested that our panel examine the current status and future research opportunities in the area of ion beams in semiconductor processing. Particularly interesting are the emerging approaches to defect and dopant distribution modeling, transient enhanced diffusion, high energy implantation and defect accumulation, and metal impurity gettering. These topics were explored both from the perspective of emerging science issues and technology challenges.
ALLEYNE G., HANCOCK C. & HUGHES P. (2011) Chronic and non-communicable diseases: a critical challenge for nurses globally. International Nursing Review58, 328-331 Background:- Chronic and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a growing and enormous challenge that faces countries across the world. Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected. Contributory factors:- Three risk factors - tobacco use, poor diet (including excessive alcohol intake) and lack of physical activity - contribute to four major chronic diseases - cardiovascular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and some cancers, which are responsible for over 50% of deaths worldwide. Potential solutions:- International governmental and non-governmental agencies are becoming increasingly concerned and ...
An apparatus for measuring the overall decontamination factors of first and second filters located in a plenum. The first filter separates the plenum's upstream and intermediate chambers. The second filter separates the plenum's intermediate and downstream chambers. The apparatus comprises an aerosol generator that generates a challenge aerosol. An upstream collector collects unfiltered aerosol which is piped to first and second dilution stages and then to a laser aerosol spectrometer. An intermediate collector collects challenge aerosol that penetrates the first filter. The filtered aerosol is piped to the first dilution stage, diluted, and then piped to the laser aerosol spectrometer which detects single particles. A downstream collector collects challenge aerosol that penetrates both filters. The twice-filtered aerosol is piped to the aerosol spectrometer. A pump and several valves control the movement ...
This paper aims to explore consumer preference for fresh vegetables labelled as organic in combination with health and environment related quality traits. The study decomposes organic farming into its main quality aspects and measures consumers' preference structure for organic, in general, and for specific organic quality traits in particular. By means of stated choice preference modelling, the following hypotheses are tested: consumers prefer health over environment related quality traits; the organic label plays a significant role in consumers' choice for organic products; organic farming is perceived as healthier and more environmentally friendly than conventional farming; purchase intention is mainly driven by health related quality traits; both health and environmental concerns influ...
This study was designed to identify the relationship between free time management and quality of life, exploring whether the amount of free time or the way people using their free time relates to their quality of life. Data were collected from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. Of the 500 questionnaires distribute, 403 usable questionnaires were received with an 81% response rate. The result has found a positive relationship between free time management and quality of life. Contrary to this, there was no significant relationship between time allocation and quality of life. Results might indicate that people who manage their free time well lead to better quality of life. Suggestions based on the observed relationship and directions for future researches were d...
Managing service quality is vital to retain customer satisfaction and augment revenues for any business organization. Often it is difficult to assess service quality due to lack of quantifiable measures and limited data. In this paper, we present a hybrid approach based on SERVQUAL and fuzzy TOPSIS for evaluating service quality of urban transportation systems. The proposed approach consists of three steps. The first step involves development of a SERVQUAL based questionnaire to collect data for measuring transportation service quality. The participants provide linguistic assessments to rate the service quality criteria and the alternatives. In step 2, the linguistic ratings are combined through fuzzy TOPSIS to generate an overall performance score for each alternative. The alternative wit...
BackgroundPuccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is a fungal pathogen causing stripe rust, one of the most important wheat diseases worldwide. The...Full Text Available
For an enzyme functioning predominantly in a seemingly housekeeping role of 5′ tRNA maturation, RNase P displays a remarkable diversity in subunit make-up across the three domains of...Full Text Available
Examines the effects of computer-based manufacturing technologies on employment opportunities and job skills. Describes the establishment of the Industrial Technology Institute in Michigan to develop and utilize advanced manufacturing technologies, and the institute's relationship to the state's community colleges. Reviews lessons learned from interinstitutional cooperation. Highlights future challenges. (DMM)
Hypercapnia is often used as vasodilatory challenge in clinical applications and basic research. In functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), elevated CO2 is applied to derive stimulus-induced...Full Text Available
SummaryAgeing is a complex, challenging phenomenon that will require multiple, interdisciplinary approaches to unravel its puzzles. To assist basic research on ageing, we developed...Full Text Available
The clinical management of adults with low-grade gliomas (LGGs) remains a challenge. There is no curative treatment, and management of individual patients is a matter of deciding optimal timing as well...Full Text Available
Clarifies the concept of universal basic education. Highlights the need for performance criteria and ways to measure literacy attainment. Identifies issues related to improving primary education, seeing adult literacy as its necessary complement. Underscores the substantial resources required to achieve universal basic education. (CH)
BackgroundAcute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) is a major cause of hospitalization for children in China, while the etiological diagnosis of ALRI remains a challenge. This study...Full Text Available
...challenges faced by the industrial sector by implementing a Research Agenda for Embedded Computing Systems. The Artemis JU will manage and co-ordinate open ...5 billion research programme on Embedded Computing Systems. The programme is open to organisations within the EU Member States as well as Associated ...
BackgroundThe variety of ways in which faces are categorized makes face recognition challenging for both synthetic and biological vision systems. Here we focus on two face processing...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe National Consortium for Multicultural Education for Health Professionals (Consortium) comprises educators representing 18 US medical schools, funded by the National...Full Text Available
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) represent a major public health problem in the country, cause patients enormous suffering, and cost the nation billions of dollars annually. Demographic, sociological,...Full Text Available
China’s methadone maintenance treatment program was initiated in 2004 as a small pilot project in just eight sites. It has since expanded into a nationwide program encompassing more than 680...Full Text Available
BackgroundAirway complications are among the most challenging problems after lung transplantation, and Self-Expandable Metallic Stents (SEMS) are used to treat airway complications...Full Text Available
BackgroundGlucocorticoids down-regulate cytokine synthesis and suppress inflammatory responses. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU486 may exacerbate the inflammatory...Full Text Available
RationalePrevious research has shown that rats exposed perinatally to phencyclidine (PCP) exhibited neuroanatomical abnormalities and altered cognition. In addition...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to determine if inflammatory tolerance and enhancement of innate immune function could be induced by the gram-positive cell wall component peptidoglycan (PGN)....Full Text Available
Israel has faced the challenge presented by epidemic poliomyelitis by using different immunization strategies. In the 1950s, inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) helped to reduce the total burden of...Full Text Available
Chest compression-only (CC-only) is now incorporated in the Norwegian protocol for dispatch guided CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) in cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac aetiology.We present...Full Text Available
Compliance mismatch is a significant challenge to long-term patency in small-diameter bypass grafts because it causes intimal hyperplasia and ultimately graft occlusion. Current engineered grafts...Full Text Available
Recurrent tumour after radical pancreaticoduodenectomy may cause obstruction of the small bowel loop draining the liver. Roux-loop obstruction presents a particular therapeutic challenge, since the...Full Text Available
Neonatal bacterial infection in rats alters the responses to a variety of subsequent challenges later in life. Here we explored the effects of neonatal bacterial infection on a subsequent drug...Full Text Available
Motivation: The identification of gene regulatory modules is an important yet challenging problem in computational biology. While many computational methods have been proposed to identify...Full Text Available
The European Union's proposed multinational market in carbon dioxide emissions faces many design challenges. Helpful lessons could be learnt from the US experience of trading nitrogen oxide allowances. 2 figs.
Hormone potency depends on receptor availability, regulated via gene expression and receptor trafficking. To ascertain how central leptin receptors are regulated, the effects of leptin challenge, high-fat...Full Text Available
Although management of warfarin is challenging for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), no prospective studies have compared response to warfarin among patients with minimal, moderate, and severe...Full Text Available
Computational prediction of microRNA targets remains a challenging problem. The existing rule-based, data-driven and expression profiling approaches to target prediction are mostly approached from the...Full Text Available
General trends in integrated circuit technology toward smaller device dimensions, lower thermal budgets, and simplified processing steps present severe physical and engineering challenges to ion implantation. These challenges, together with the need for physically based models at exceedingly small dimensions, are leading to a new level of understanding of fundamental defect science in Si. In this article, we review the current status and future trends in ion implantation of Si at low and high energies with particular emphasis on areas where recent advances have been made and where further understanding is needed. Particularly interesting are the emerging approaches to defect and dopant distribution modeling, transient enhanced diffusion, high energy implantation and defect accumulation, and metal impurity gettering. Developments in the use of ion beams for analysis indicate much progress has been made in one-dimensional analysis, but that ...
The structural properties of brain extracellular space (ECS) are summarised by the tortuosity (λ) and the volume fraction (α). To determine if these two parameters were independent,...Full Text Available
Immunotherapy has shown promise in a number of tumor types, but its exact role in sarcoma remains to be defined. Advanced bone and soft tissue sarcomas are challenging diseases to treat with an unmet...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene regulation is a key mechanism in higher eukaryotic cellular processes. One of the major challenges in gene regulation studies is to identify regulators affecting the...Full Text Available
The concept of "one-stop information shopping" is becoming a reality at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Our goal is to provide access from a single workstation to clinical, research, and library...Full Text Available
SummaryObjective:Formalizing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for a subsequent computer-supported processing is a challenging, but burdensome and...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVETo estimate the relationship between the rate of gestational weight gain before the 50-g, 1-hour oral glucose challenge test screening for gestational diabetes...Full Text Available
BackgroundSpecies with heteromorphic sex chromosomes face the challenge of large-scale imbalance in gene dose. Microarray-based studies in several independent male heterogametic...Full Text Available
Microarray data has a high dimension of variables but available datasets usually have only a small number of samples, thereby making the study of such datasets interesting and challenging. In the task...Full Text Available
Patients experiencing several cancers can be a challenge, as optimal treatment options for the different cancers might interfere with each other. In this case report, we present a woman diagnosed with...Full Text Available
Legal aspects of using natural gas as boiler fuel for electric utilities are reviewed through one utility's challenges to the Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use implementation. ASARCO vs. FPC, 1973, and City of Willcox vs. FPC are discussed. (PSB)
Several studies have demonstrated that telephone use presents a challenge for most cochlear implant (CI) users, and this is attributed mainly to the narrow bandwidth (300–3400 Hz) introduced...Full Text Available
Molecular life science is one of the fastest-growing fields of scientific and technical innovation, and biotechnology has profound effects on many aspects of daily life—often with deep, ethical...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene duplication is the primary force of new gene evolution. Deciphering whether a pair of duplicated genes has evolved divergent functions is often challenging. The zebrafish...Full Text Available
The prevalent surge in childhood and adolescent obesity within the past 3 decades poses a significant challenge for many pediatric clinicians who are charged with treating this condition. The...Full Text Available
Pancreatic cysts are challenging lesions to diagnose and to treat. Determining which of the five most common diagnoses—pancreatic pseudocyst, serous cystic neoplasm (SCN), solid pseudopapillary...Full Text Available
Human gingival fibroblasts were challenged with Treponema pectinovorum and Treponema denticola to test three specific hypotheses: (i) these treponemes induce different...Full Text Available
Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are increasingly recognized due to the expanding use and improved sensitivity of cross-sectional abdominal imaging. Major advances in the last decade have led to an...Full Text Available
Cyberspace and its associated operations present both opportunities and challenges for military and United States Government decision-makers and planners. The Pentagon has formally recognized cyberspace as a domain of warfare. Cyberspace is man-made, dyna...
All microRNA (miRNA) target—finder algorithms return lists of candidate target genes. How valid is that output in a biological setting? Transcriptome analysis has proven to be a useful approach...Full Text Available
Car-producers compete in launching hybrids and electric cars, but this does not mean the end for the good old combustion engine.The challenge is the introduction of more complexed costs and weight in the new technology. (AG)
To sensitize the public opinion and change the energy consumption habits, the ADEME (french Agency for the environment and the energy mastership) published a document on the climatic change problem and its consequences. A state of the art of the situation, the international agreements and solutions are provided. (A.L.B.)
The objectives for the financial sector with regard to climate change investments are to regard to sustainability policies, not just for itself, but also for borrowers and investment portfolios, and to assist in developing frameworks and products that will enable shareholders and clients to invest in commercial solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Functional imaging has revolutionized the neurosciences. In the pain field it has dramatically altered our understanding of how the brain undergoes significant functional, anatomical and chemical changes...Full Text Available
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most critical global health issues. With frequent association of viral liver disease, HCC is highly complex, harboring both cancer and chronic liver disease....Full Text Available
Delineating the differential effects of anxiety versus depression on patterns of information processing has proved challenging. The tripartite model of mood disorders (Clark...Full Text Available
The treatment of brain disorders is one of the greatest challenges in drug delivery because of a variety of main barriers in effective drug transport and maintaining therapeutic concentrations in the...Full Text Available
Radionuclide bone metastases therapy is a major achievement of nuclear medicine. Development of less radiotoxic and more effective radiopharmaceuticals is therefore a challenge for radiopharmacists and industry. This paper reviews the application of rhenium-188 HEDP as a reactor- or generator-produced nuclide for bone metastases therapy. (author)
New developments in the field of thoracic oncology have challenged the way pathologists approach the diagnosis of pulmonary carcinoma. Nonsmall cell carcinoma is no longer an adequate diagnostic category....Full Text Available
Accurate segmentation of tissue microarrays is a challenging topic because of some of the similarities exhibited by normal tissue and tumor regions. Processing speed is another consideration...Full Text Available
ObjectiveMaintaining weight loss is a major challenge in obesity treatment. Individuals often indicate that waning motivation prompts cessation of effective weight...Full Text Available
BackgroundFew studies have yet addressed the effects of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in house dust on human nasal mucosa.ObjectivesWe investigated...Full Text Available