We compared experimental wave aberrations in pseudophakic eyes with aspheric intraocular lenses (IOLs) to simulate aberrations from numerical ray tracing on customized computer eye models using corneal topography, angle ?, ocular biometry, IOL geometry, and IOL tilt and decentration measured on the same eyes. We found high correlations between real and simulated aberrations even for the eye with only the cornea, and these increased on average when the IOL geometry and position were included. Relevant individual aberrations were well predicted by the complete eye model. Corneal spherical aberration and horizontal coma were compensated by the IOL, and in 58.3% of the cases IOL tilt and decentration contributed to compensation of horizontal coma. We conclude that customized computer eye models are a good representation of real eyes with IOLs and allow understanding of the relative contribution of optical, ...
In this paper, it is suggested that the selection method of optimal parameter of power system stabilizer (PSS) with robustness in low frequency oscillation for power system using real variable elitism genetic algorithm (RVEGA). The optimal parameters were selected in the case of power system stabilizer with one lead compensator, and two lead compensator. Also, the frequency responses characteristics of PSS, the system eigenvalues criterion and the dynamic characteristics were considered in the normal load and the heavy load, which proved usefulness of RVEGA compare with Yu's compensator design theory. (author). 20 refs., 15 figs., 8 tabs.
With the compensator-series equipment put into operation in 1992 - giving a performance of 330 Mvar - it was made possible for high-performance electronics to use a continuously variable, fully loaded power transmission line and to regulate the energy flow and minimise overcurrent losses. As well as these technical qualities, this system could offer environmental advantages for European implementation. This would avoid the need to plan and construct new high voltage transmission lines in order to meet increased demand. (orig.)
PurposeTo describe etiologies and clinical characteristics of corneal opacities leading patients to seek cosmetic treatments.MethodsThe medical records...Full Text Available
Transparency is essential for normal corneal function. Recent studies suggest that corneal cells express high levels of so-called corneal crystallins, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and transketolase (TKT) that contribute to maintaining cellular transparency. Stromal injury leads to the appearance of repair phenotype keratocytes, the corneal fibroblast and myofibroblast. Previous studies on keratocytes from species such as bovine and rabbit indicate that the transformation from the normal to repair phenotype is accompanied by a loss of corneal crystallin expression, which may be associated with loss of cellular transparency. Here we investigated if a similar loss occurs with human keratocyte repair phenotypes. Human corneal epithelial cells were collected by scraping and keratocytes...
A 41-year-old white woman was referred to our Department to rule out the presence of a Fuch's corneal dystrophy. On slit-lamp biomicroscopy, small bilateral punctuate opacities appearing mostly in the...Full Text Available
Infection with the Ad5-SVR4 virus was used to introduce the large T antigen encoding region of the SV40 virus into bovine and human corneal endothelial cells. Expression of large T antigen occurred...Full Text Available
PurposeTo address the roles of the stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) α in the course of experimental corneal neovascularization (CNV).MethodsCNV...Full Text Available
Corneal biopsy specimens from 3 patients with Cogan's microcystic corneal dystrophy were examined by light and electron microscopy. Specimens were taken from corneas showing microcysts, geographic or...Full Text Available
PurposeOcular surface disease following penetrating keratoplasty has been shown to increase patient morbidity and adversely affect graft survival. Five cases of dense central subepithelial...Full Text Available
PurposeTo report the clinical, ophthalmic, and genetic characteristics for lattice corneal dystrophy type I (LCDI) in a Chilean family.MethodsSix...Full Text Available
Advances in the development of several electrooptic shutter devices utilizing the quadratic electrooptic effect of lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramic wafers are described. Aperture sizes utilized in these PLZT devices ranged from 25 ..mu..m to 0.25 m. Practical applications of the shutters discussed in this paper include eye protection in military and industrial applications, a goggle-type device with dual synchronously operated PLZT shutters for use in a stereoscopic three-dimensional TV display, an electrically controlled variable density filter for use with vidicon tubes, a large-aperture photographic shutter for image motion compensation cameras, and a page composer for use in a holographic memory system.
Because the state of a free-floating space robot model is uncertain and sudden changes in the model parameters might undermine the stability of the system, this paper proposes a control strategy based on a variable structure neural integrated controller. This scheme does not need a precise space robot model, making use of the radial basis function neural network ability approach to learn about an uncertain model. The network weights are adjusted online in real-time. During the early period of the control phase and parameter changes, the variable structure controller compensates for the uncertain model which the neural network could not learn well. It also creates global asymptotic stability for the whole closed-loop system. Simulation results show that the controller can handle bad changea...
Recurrence of microbial keratitis in the presence of protozoal infection is very rare and infrequently reported unless predisposing factors are present. The association of recurrent microbial keratitis...Full Text Available
This article discusses three largely unrecognized aspects related to fluid movement in ocular tissues; namely, a) the dynamic changes in water permeability observed in corneal and conjunctival...Full Text Available
PURPOSE: To determine the risk factors and clinical signs of Curvularia keratitis and to evaluate the management and outcome of this corneal phaeohyphomycosis. METHODS: We reviewed clinical and laboratory...Full Text Available
Purpose.To report the increased production of extracellular transforming growth factor β-induced protein (TGFBIp) by human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) after induction...Full Text Available
Purpose To investigate the influence of timolol maleate 0.5% gel-forming solution and brinzolamide 1% ophthalmic suspension on contrast sensitivity, ocular higher-order aberration (HOA), and corneal surface light scattering. Design Prospective, comparative study. Participants Forty normal volunteers were enrolled in this study. Methods We evaluated contrast sensitivity, ocular HOA, and corneal light scattering before and 2, 5, 10, and 15 minutes after instillation of antiglaucoma eyedrops. Contrast sensitivity function was assessed with the CSV-1000RN chart (Vector Vision Co., Greenville, OH). Higher-order aberration was measured for a 4-mm pupil using the Hartmann-Shack aberrometer (KR-9000PW; Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). Corneal surface light scattering was quantitatively evaluated by using th...
Purpose.The cornea is protected by apical hydrophilic transmembrane mucins and tears. In pathologic states the mucin barrier is disrupted, creating potential for meibomian lipids...Full Text Available
We report the first case of human infection by Phaeoisaria clematidis. This fungus caused a corneal ulcer in a Brazilian man who had previously suffered an eye injury. Diagnosis was...Full Text Available
Excess caveolin-1 has been reported to play a role in age-dependent hyporesponsiveness to growth factors in vitro. Therefore, we hypothesized that caveolin-1–dependent hyporesponsiveness...Full Text Available
This report describes the test of a dynamic phase compensation unit for a wind turbine with directly connected induction generators. The compensation unit is based on thyristor switched capacitors, where conventional wind turbine compensations use mechanical contactors to switch the capacitors. The influence on power quality analysed, and influence on component lifetime is discussed. Besides, simulation models in Matlab/Simulink are presented, including a flicker meter model. (au)
We aim to examine the spectrum of bacteria causing corneal infections and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. This will serve as a guideline for empiric therapy of corneal infections. We conducted the study over a period of 18 months from March 2001 through December 2002 in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Corneal specimens taken from 200 patients were inoculated directly onto different types of media. The isolates were identified and then tested against the appropriate topical or systemic antibiotics. Sixty-seven (33.5%) of the total specimens were culture positive and 133 (66.5%) were culture negative. Fourteen (7%) of these showed organisms in the Gram stained smears and correlated well with the culture reports. Of the 67 positive cultures, 53 (79.1%) were Gram-positive bacteria mostly coagulase-negative Staphylococci 29 (43.3%) followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. ...
BackgroundIntrafractional motion results in local over- and under-dosage in particle therapy with a scanned beam. Scanned beam delivery offers the possibility to compensate target...Full Text Available
A computer-aided design procedure has been developed for the series compensation of an extra high voltage line with a compensating network connected at one or the other end or both ends. Higher degree polynomial equations are derived in terms of compensating elements to compute the network parameters for optimum received power with constrained capacitor terminal voltage, safe line current, Ferranti voltage and transient stability. It is shown that series capacitors located at both ends provide the most effective means from the viewpoint of power transmission capability in either direction, transmission efficiency and series capacitor rating in comparison with a capacitor located at one or the other end.
runs are necessary, provision shall be made for expansion joints, motion of the units, or similar compensation to ensure that no excessive strains are ...
An improved method to design suitable compensating schemes for extra high voltage transmission lines is presented. The technique is general and effective and will greatly facilitate the design of the optimal compensation scheme for extra high voltage transmission lines. The technique is illustrated for a typical 500 kV system. The equations developed here for voltage maxima and minima along the transmission line eliminate the need for point-to-point computation of the voltage profile. The controversy existing in the literature over the problem of making a choice between pi and tee configurations has been removed and it is established with a mathematical proof that the tee configuration requires compensating elements of lower ratings.
The visual outcomes of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare cause of corneal infection, can be devastating. This paper reports two contact lens wearers with severe pain and photophobia who presented to the emergency room. Biomicroscopy revealed radial keratoneuritis in both individuals. Tissue culture on a nonnutrient agar plate with Escherichia coli overlay resulted in a heavy growth of Acanthamoeba. The inpatient treatment included 0.02% polyhexamethylene biguanide, chlorhexidine, neomycin/polymyxin B/bacitracin (Neosporin), and oral fluconazole, which successfully controlled the corneal infection and improvement in the best corrected visual acuity in both patients. Infection did not recur during the 12-month follow-up period. Acanthamoeba keratitis can present as radial keratoneuritis, mimicking other common corneal infections resulting in diagnostic and treatment delays. Early diagnosis and prudent treatment of Acanthamoeba ...
In combined cycle turbine power stations, soft material compensators are used which, if the full pressure fails, also withstand a small external pressure. Innovative forms of construction which guarantee useful life, are presented in relation to the design. Damaging effects, which limit the life of these special soft material compensators, are discussed. (orig.)
The beam-beam interaction in the Tevatron produce the betatron tune spread in each bunch and a bunch-to-bunch tune spread. The tune spread sets limits on bunch intensity and luminosity. The beam-beam effects for antiprotons are usually more severe since the proton bunch population is higher. The beam-beam effects for antiprotons can in principle be compensated with the use of an electron beam with a corresponding charge density. The status of studies of possibilities of the beam-beam compensation is reviewed in this paper.
For a soft-contact-lens (SCL) wearer, corneal health and comfort are strongly influenced by water transport through the polymeric materials used in lens fabrication. In particular, evaporative water loss at the anterior lens surface is a potential cause of contact-lens dehydration and of post-lens tear-film depletion, which in turn, may lead to discomfort, dryness syndrome, and/or lens adhesion.We present a solution-diffusion model for transport of water through soft-contact-lens materials to mimic evaporative dehydration from a contact lens during blinking and to access possible SCL adhesion to the corneal surface under a variety of environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed and relative humidity). To describe the water-transport process, we use an extended version of the Maxwell-Stefan m...
Abstract Purpose: We investigated the effects of various rinsing and healing protocols on corneal wound repair and inflammation following alkali burn in rabbits. Methods: We conducted in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo studies. First, different rinse solutions were tested in vitro after incubation of ocular cells with methanol or NaOH. Cell viability was then assessed using the neutral red test (cytofluorometry). Second, NaOH was applied to rabbit corneas and associations of rinse solutions (NaCl 0.9% or controlled ionization marine solutions) with N-acetylcysteine or vegetable oils (from Calophyllum inophyllum and Aleurites moluccana) were tested in vivo. The regeneration of the corneal epithelium and the infiltration of inflammatory cells were evaluated using in vivo confocal microscopy and e...
Corneal laser refractive surgery is increasingly being performed on patients with the aim of improving unaided vision. Most candidates for surgery have excellent spectacle- or contact lens-corrected vision. Although microbial keratitis following refractive surgery is a rare complication, and usually has a good visual outcome, it can be sight-threatening. The spectrum of pathogens differs to other causes of microbial keratitis, such as contact lens-associated keratitis, and a different management approach is required. Postoperatively, patients are prescribed topical steroids and broad-spectrum topical antibiotics, typically fluoroquinolones. These do not cover unusual organisms, such as fungi, Nocardia, Acanthamoeba and some atypical mycobacteria. In post-laser-assisted in situ keratomileus...
The Recycler ring magnet will be made of Strontium ferrite permanent magnets. A strontium ferrite permanent magnet without compensation has a temperature coefficient of -0.2 % in dB/dT. To compensate this effect, we are utilizing 30 % Ni 70 % Fe alloy, a temperature compensation ferromagnetic material with a low Curie point. To search for optimum commercially available material and optimum condition, we made a couple of simple model magnets, and tested with several different compensating material. The test results are reported and its optimal conditions are shown. Several different configurations were tested including a possible 2 kG magnet configuration.
An analyzer-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging (ABI) setup has been mounted at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) for multiple imaging radiography (MIR) purposes. The algorithm employed for treating the MIR data collected at LNLS is described, and its reliability in extracting the distinct types of contrast that can be obtained with MIR is demonstrated by analyzing a test sample (thin polyamide wire). As a practical application, the possibility of studying ophthalmic tissues, corneal sequestra in this case, via MIR is investigated.
BackgroundHerpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) infections can cause a number of diseases ranging from simple cold sores to dangerous keratitis and lethal encephalitis. The interaction...Full Text Available
PurposeTo describe clinical data and to characterize mutations in the transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI) gene in patients from three unrelated Chilean...Full Text Available
This paper describes the main aspects and results of the planning studies undertaken to evaluate the technical benefits of using Thyristor Controlled Series Compensation (TCSC), in a large 500 kV transmission system (Brazilian North-Northeast system). TCSC controllers design and simplified models for digital non-linear time domain simulations are discussed. The proposed controllers are tuned and used to support the comparative analysis between controlled and fixed series compensation. The relevant conclusions concerning this comparison are highlighted. (author) 2 refs., 14 figs., 3 tabs.
A probabilistic method for assessing the profitability of reactive power compensation devices such as capacitors, static VAR compensators and generators, which improve network security, was described. Since network development is limited by environmental constraints, power networks are operated close to their limits. Because of this fact transmission network planning increasingly relies on techno-economic models to improve network security and profitability. The proposed method consists of analyzing large numbers of constrained power system states, extracted from power system simulation exercises. The paper describes details of the method and provides an example of a numerical application on a part of the French power transmission system. 10 refs., 8 figs.
... The constancy of the X-ray intensity ratio for each element in Table 8 as the X-ray tube settings were changed shows the excellent compensating ...
This paper summarizes the main features of four current REDD proposals: Compensated Reduction, Papua New Guinea et al; Joint Research Center; and Brazil. ... ...
Biophysical Journal 8 (2):252-302. Acknowledgements: We wish to thank Kenneth Cheung, for writing the program to run the experiment and Joelle Schmidt- ...
This paper presents a new method to compensate the nonlinearities for matrix converter drives. The nonlinearities of matrix converter drives such as commutation delay, turn-on and turn-off time of the switching devices, and on-state switching device voltage drop is corrected by a new matrix converter model using the direction of current. The proposed method does not need any additional hardware or complicated software and it is easy to realize by applying the algorithm to the conventional vector control. The proposed compensation method is applied for high-performance induction motor drives using a 3-kW matrix converter system without a speed sensor. Experimental results show the proposed method provides good compensating characteristics.
For charged particle irradiations, the response of an imaging plate (IP) changes around the Bragg peak. Therefore, an appropriate compensation is necessary for the evaluation of dose distribution formed by charged particles such as protons. In this paper, the response of IPs to clinical proton beams is investigated. An experimentally-obtained depth-dose distribution (an ordinary Bragg curve) by a silicon semiconductor detector (SSD) is employed to evaluate the compensation factors as a function of proton penetrating depth, i.e. residual range. A typical dose distribution in a water phantom formed by an L-shaped bolus is measured by IPs and corrected by using the information of those compensation factors; the residual proton range is successfully calculated by the pencil beam algorithm at an arbitrary point. The results show a good agreement with the measurements by the SSD within the rms error of 3.0%.
In Experiment I, lever pressing by squirrel monkeys was maintained under a sequence of variable-interval, multiple variable-interval variable-interval, and multiple variable-interval extinction schedules...Full Text Available
A new simple analytical approach is developed for optimum size of series capacitor compensation. The method gives quick and accurate results. Need for formulating a big quadratic or voluminous fourth order equation and the solution of the above with the aid of computers is avoided. Graphical plotting also is not required. 8 refs.
A model-based method has been previously developed to estimate and compensate for the crosstalk and downscatter contamination in simultaneous 123I∕99mTc dual-isotope SPECT...Full Text Available
Nicotiana glutinosa compensated for a mutated tumor-morphology-shooty (tms) (auxin biosynthesis) locus of Agrobacterlum tumefaciens strain A66 and...Full Text Available
Dynamic stability improvement of a longitudinal power system using a power system stabilizer (PSS) and a static VAR compensator (SVC) is reported in this paper. An analytical approach is developed for the determination of PSS parameters. Results from time domain simulations indicate that the PSS and the SVC are very effective in damping system oscillations.
Central penetrating excisional wounds were made in the corneas of 12 rabbits and 10 trout. The scar tissue and the surrounding cornea were compared using a new method for assessing inorganic elements in the cornea: the scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis of x-ray (EDAX). Semiquantitative determination of inorganic elements within the range of atomic numbers 9-93 in the periodic system was performed, comparing the relative concentration of those elements in the scar tissue to the surrounding cornea. Results showed that calcium was the only element higher in the healing wound than in the surrounding cornea.
Purpose. To report a comparative prospective long-term functional analysis after Riboflavin UV A corneal cross-linking (CXL) in three different age groups of patients affected by progressive keratoconus (KC). Methods. Functional analysis comprised paediatric patients (?18 years) included 152 eyes (29.5%); intermediate group (19-26 years) 286 eyes (55.4%), and adults (?27 years) 78 eyes (15.1%). CXL was performed according to the Siena protocol by using the Vega CBM (Caporossi-Baiocchi-Mazzotta) X linker (CSO, Florence, Italy) at Siena University by the same authors. Pre- and post-op examinations included UCVA, BSCVA, corneal topography, and surface aberrometry (CSO Eye Top, Florence, Italy), at 48 months followup. Results. At 48 months followup paediatrics, intermediate, and adult patients showed a mean gain in UCVA of +0.2, +0.14 and +0.12 Snellen lines. BSCVA gained by a mean of +0.21, +0.2, and +0.1 Snellen lines. K(max) was reduced by a ...
We have used polarised neutrons to measure the integrated magnetic cross-section of a dilute alloy of Ce in Y a Kondo system, T{sub K}{approx}40 K. Previous polarised neutron measurements of the field-induced magnetic form factor found no anomalies that could be attributed to the formation of a spin compensation cloud around the Ce ion. The present measurements, focused on the diffuse low-Q range, represent information over a very wide length scale in real space. Again, they show no changes in the Q-dependence of the form-factor at low temperatures that could be attributed to the formation of a spin compensation cloud. An alternative interpretation of the phenomenon based on the dynamical magnetic susceptibility of Y-Ce is proposed.
We have used polarised neutrons to measure the integrated magnetic cross-section of a dilute alloy of Ce in Y a Kondo system, T_K#approx#40 K. Previous polarised neutron measurements of the field-induced magnetic form factor found no anomalies that could be attributed to the formation of a spin compensation cloud around the Ce ion. The present measurements, focused on the diffuse low-Q range, represent information over a very wide length scale in real space. Again, they show no changes in the Q-dependence of the form-factor at low temperatures that could be attributed to the formation of a spin compensation cloud. An alternative interpretation of the phenomenon based on the dynamical magnetic susceptibility of Y-Ce is proposed.
This paper presents a new method to improve sensorless performance of matrix converter drives using a parameter estimation scheme. To improve low-speed sensorless performance, the non-Iinearities of a matrix converter drive such as commutation delays, turn-on and turn-off times of switching devices, and on-state switching device voltage drop is modelled using PQR transformation and compensated using a reference current control scheme. To eliminate the input current distortion due to the input voltage unbalance, a simple method using PQR transformation is also presented. The proposed compensation method is applied for high performance induction motor drives using a 3 kW matrix converter system without a speed sensor. Experimental results are shown to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed strategy.
We consider chemical reaction networks taken with mass action kinetics. The steady states of such a system are solutions to a system of polynomial equations. Even for small systems the task of finding the solutions is daunting. We develop an algebraic framework and procedure for linear elimination of variables. The procedure reduces the variables in the system to a set of "core" variables by eliminating variables corresponding to a set of non-interacting species. The steady states are parameterized algebraically by the core variables, and a graphical condition is given for when a steady state with positive core variables necessarily have all variables positive. Further, we characterize graphically the sets of eliminated variables that are constrained by a conservation law and show that this conservation law takes a ...
BackgroundThe rhizomes of Cynodon dactylon are used for the treatment of heart failure in folk medicine. In the present study, we investigated the effects of hydroalcoholic...Full Text Available
The physicochemical nature of a silicoaluminophosphate with the faujasite structure has been studied. The molecular sieve framework contains a homogeneous distribution of silicon, aluminum, and phosphorus and is negatively charged. Combustion in air of the charge-compensating organic cations produces hydroxyl groups which exhibit Broensted acidity.
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
The membrane properties of isolated cultured microglia have been extensively studied but it is important to understand their properties in situ, where they protect the brain against...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:The value of other health care professionals is increasingly being recognized to compensate for the shortage of physicians in Canada. Chronic cough is one of the most...Full Text Available
Effective connectivity in brain networks can be studied using Granger causality analysis which is based on temporal precedence, while functional connectivity is usually derived using zero-lag...Full Text Available
A multispecialty panel of physicians evaluated a case series of 53 composite-materials workers in a large aircraft manufacturing facility who filed workers' compensation claims for illness labeled by...Full Text Available
The offline adaptive radiotherapy (ART) has been used to effectively correct and compensate the prostate motion and reduce the required margin. The efficacy depends on the characteristics of...Full Text Available
This paper has the objective of presenting the philosophy of Static Var Compensator (SVC) Control as well the necessary adjustments in the project of control system to guarantee suitable performance under different operating conditions. The verification on the performance of the SVC control has been done by Transient Network Analyzer (TNA/CEPEL) studies, commissioning tests and a factory tests. The SVC is the type of Thyristor Controlled Reactor (TCR) and Thyristor Switched Capacitor (TSC). (author) 3 refs., 12 figs.
The author discusses in detail the following topics: Compensation for domestic nuclear damage and for transfrontier nuclear damage - rule of formal equality of parties which belongs to the basic rule of civil law considering the position of domestic and foreign victims of a grave accident-juridical consequences of the preponderant role played by the state in the promotion, development and supervision of the nuclear industry-rationale for applying the concept of global limitation of liability in the law on nuclear liability and compensation - financial consequences of uncompensated nuclear damage, borne by the victims directly affected or spread over the whole community of the affected state? (HP)
PurposeTo evaluate the effect of vitrectomy timing on outcomes for patients with crystalline retained lens fragments receiving vitrectomy 3+ days after cataract surgery. DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of retrospective interventional cases series. MethodsSearches of MEDLINE (English, 1/1/85 through 7/30/2010) and article reference lists. Articles were screened for patients with crystalline retained lens fragments after surgery for age-related cataracts, discussion of vitrectomy timing, and, for the meta-analysis, patient totals for at least 1 outcome and multiple time periods, 10+ patients, and mean follow-up ?3 months. Outcomes included visual acuity, retinal detachment, increased intraocular pressure, intraocular infection/inflammation, cystoid macular edema, and corneal...
KMeyeDB () is a database of human gene mutations that cause eye diseases. We have substantially enriched the amount of data in the database, which now contains information about the mutations of 167 human genes causing eye-related diseases including retinitis pigmentosa, cone-rod dystrophy, night blindness, Oguchi disease, Stargardt disease, macular degeneration, Leber congenital amaurosis, corneal dystrophy, cataract, glaucoma, retinoblastoma, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and Usher syndrome. KMeyeDB is operated using the database software MutationView, which deals with various characters of mutations, gene structure, protein functional domains, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, as well as clinical data for each case. Users can access the database using an ordinary Internet browser wi...
Background: The environment preferred by Acanthamoeba trophozoites and the mechanism by which the amebae enters the cornea are not yet fully understood. A better understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease may help with prevention and treatment. Purpose: To define the preferred environments for Acanthamoeba survival and proliferation in vitro by examining the effect of tonicity, nutrient concentration, and free chlorine content on Acanthamoeba. Materials and methods: Human corneal isolates of Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites were cultured at 22^oC (room temperature) in PYG (peptone-yeast extract-glucose) medium. The effect of tonicity on amebae was determined by incubating trophozoites in sodium chloride solutions in concentrations ranging from 0% to 1...
A 253.7-nm ultraviolet light with an intensity of 1,100 microW/cm2 was tested for its germicidal activity against contact lenses and storage solutions contaminated with various corneal pathogens. The exposure time necessary to reduce a concentration of organisms from 10(6)/ml to less than 10/ml was 30 seconds for Staphylococcus aureus, 60 seconds for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 84 seconds for Candida albicans. The time necessary to sterilize a suspension of 10(4)/ml Acanthamoeba polyphaga was less than three minutes with this technique. Four brands of soft contact lenses were exposed to ultraviolet light for over eight hours without changing their appearance, comfort, or refraction.
This paper presented a technique to compensate for distorted secondary currents. Since current distortion can cause operating time delays in protective relays, attempts are made to minimize current transformer (CT) saturation by choosing a CT with a voltage rating that is at least twice that required for the maximum steady-state symmetrical fault current. However, the possibility of saturation still exists because of the DC component of an asymmetrical fault current and the remanent flux in a CT core. An advanced algorithm for the compensation of the distorted signal due to CT saturation was proposed. The secondary current can be expressed as the linear combination of sinusoidal and exponential signals, if no saturation occurs. In this study, the algorithm first utilized the third difference function for detecting the start and end of saturation in real-time. The AR model-based FIR filter and the least mean square curve fitting method were then ...
Attention is given to the folowing topics: population I and II variable stars; LP variables, the sun, and mass determination; and predegenerate and degenerate variables. Particular papers are presented on alternative evolutionary approaches to the absolute magnitude of the RR Lyrae variables; the evolution of the Cepheid stars; nonradial pulsations in rapidly rotating Delta Scuti stars; dynamical models of dust shells around Mira variables; and pulsations of central stars of planetary nebulae.
The SPring-8 linac has been improved to realize stable top-up injection into the SPring-8 and the NewSUBARU storage rings. The beam energy instability of 0.02% rms in the long term was achieved by means of reducing RF variations, providing beam energy compensation, reinforcement of monitor systems and introduction of beam feedback controls: Variations in the RF power and phase have been reduced by improving the voltage regulation system for the klystron modulator, and by stabilizing the temperature drift of the atmosphere and cooling water in order to reduce the phase variation. A new synchronous oscillator synchronizes a beam trigger pulse and a 2856 MHz reference signal, reducing variation in the beam charge. A beam energy compression system (ECS) was installed to compensate for accidental energy variation and reduce the energy spread. Beam feedback controls compensate for residual long-term variations of beam trajectory ...
Reactive power plays an important role in supporting the real power transfer by maintaining voltage stability and system reliability. It is a critical element for a transmission operator to ensure the reliability of an electric system while minimizing the cost associated with it. The traditional objectives of reactive power dispatch are focused on the technical side of reactive support such as minimization of transmission losses. Reactive power cost compensation to a generator is based on the incurred cost of its reactive power contribution less the cost of its obligation to support the active power delivery. In this paper an efficient Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based reactive power optimization approach is presented. The optimal reactive power dispatch problem is a nonlinear optimization problem with several constraints. The objective of the proposed PSO is to minimize the total support cost from generators and reactive compensators. It ...
Purpose: To eliminate the water level deviation due to the recycling flowrate, as well as enable a stable control to a reference value even upon changes in the recycling flowrate caused by the variation in the opening degree of a minimum flow valve. Constitution: Reactor recycling system comprises a feedwater pump, a flowrate control valve, a reactor water level detector, and a minimum flow line and a minimum flow valve for preventing the overheating of the feedwater pump at a low flowrate. A flowrate compensator is further disposed, in which a recycling flowrate signal is subtracted from a pump flow rate signal and the result is fedback as a compensated pump flowrate signal. This enables the control system to operate at a rapid response for suppressing the effect of the recycling flowrate as external disturbance, whereby the water level in the reactor can be controlled stably to the reference level and the possibility deviating from an ...
In this study, the authors evaluated how much price changes in food and energy - two basic living expenditures competing for consumers' budgets - would affect consumer welfare. We first estimated a US complete demand system to quantify the interdependent demand relationships among 11 categories of consumption expenditures. Among the estimates, the own price elasticities of both food and energy are relatively inelastic, a finding that explains the dynamics of the recent soaring food and energy prices. The estimated demand elasticities were then incorporated into the measurement of Hicksian compensating variation to analyse the consumer welfare effects of price changes in food and energy. The results indicated that an increase in food and energy prices would increase compensated expenditures...
Following the United Kingdom's nuclear tests at Maralinga in Australia in the 1960's, the Australian government signed away its rights to claim compensation for decontamination costs in a 1968 agreement. Controversy now rages as the Australian government is claiming pound33 million for this purpose from the United Kingdom to compensate the Maralinga Tjarutja for the loss of access to their traditional lands. They claim that the UK clean-up operation was inadequate and that much plutonium was spread over the land, rather than contained in pits. Measurements of contamination at the site were wrong by a factor of ten according to a 1984 visit when Australian scientists were horrified to realize that an Aboriginal child living near Taranaki could inhale more than 460 millisieverts a year. As ministers from both countries meet in June 1993 the debate is likely to be heated and hotly defended. (UK).
In this thesis a study is made of the of voltage characteristics and reactive power control in the transmission network of the Electric Power Systems (EPS) with static compensators of VARs (SCVs). The necessity of voltage and reactive power control and the application of SCVs as a solution means for three representative operation stages of the EPS, considering balanced operation conditions and fundamental frequency is analyzed: Operation in the presence of incremental voltage changes, quasi-stationary operation or steady state and behavior at the occurrence of big disturbances. The application of SCVs to systems of integral transmission is in general a closed loop control system, reason why the analysis of the interaction of the system EPS-SCV is considered as an essential part of the voltage and reactive power control study. Firstly, the response analysis of the control loop is made for incremental voltage changes, representing the power system by means of its ...
A common property of aging in all animals is that chronologically and genetically identical individuals age at different rates. To unveil mechanisms that influence aging variability, we identified markers...Full Text Available
Variability in motor performance decreases with practice but is never entirely eliminated, due in part to inherent motor noise. The present study develops a method that quantifies how performers...Full Text Available
BackgroundDue to the increased accuracy of Copy Number Variable region (CNV) break point mapping, it is now possible to say with a reasonable degree of confidence whether a gene...Full Text Available
Operation of an X-ray spectrometer based on a spherical variable-line-spacing (VLS) grating is analyzed using dedicated ray-tracing software allowing fast optimization of the grating parameters and...Full Text Available
Background/AimsTo explore different definitions of intra-individual variability (IIV) to summarize performance on commonly utilized cognitive tests (Mini Mental State Exam; Clock...Full Text Available
This work reports the design of and experimentation with a topographically patterned cell culture substrate of variable local density and anisotropy as a facile and efficient platform to guide...Full Text Available
BackgroundVariable platelet response to clopidogrel has been widely observed. Studies have shown that the mean aggregation response to clopidogrel can be changed...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn cancer research, most clinical variables have already been investigated and are now well established. The use of transcriptomic variables has raised two problems: restricting...Full Text Available
A common approach used to fuse simultaneously recorded EEG and fMRI is to correlate trial-by-trial variability in the EEG, or variability of components derived therefrom, with the blood oxygenation...Full Text Available
PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for residual refractive error after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) for keratoconus. SettingPrivate ophthalmic clinic. DesignCase series. MethodConsecutive patients who had PRK augmented with topical mitomycin-C (MMC) after PKP for keratoconus were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into a a low cylinder group (refractive cylinder 6.00 D). Visual acuity, refraction, and keratometry were analyzed preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. ResultsThe study comprised 47 eyes (41 patients). The spherical equivalent (SE) decreased from -4.24 D +- 3.23 (SD) preoperatively to -0.71 +- 1.03 D 12 months postoperatively in the low cylinder group and from -4.19 +- 3.54 D to -2.45 +- 3.42 D, respectively, ...
Financial DisclosurePhacoemulsification and implantation of a hydrophilic acrylic toric intraocular lens (IOL) (T-flex 623T) with customized cylindrical power was performed in 1 eye in 3 consecutive patients with cataract and high postkeratoplasty astigmatism (range 6.75 to 8.75 diopters [D]). Twelve months postoperatively, the uncorrected distance visual acuity improved from 20/200 to 20/30 in Case 1, from 20/400 to 20/40 in Case 2, and from 20/200 to 20/25 in Case 3 and the corrected distance visual acuity was 20/25 or better in all 3 eyes. The spheroequivalent was within +-0.50 D of the intended value and the refractive astigmatism was less than 1.00 D. The corneal grafts were transparent, and the endothelial cell loss range was 6% to 12%. Rotation of the toric IOL was less than 5 degre...
Clinical circumstances often demand flexibility in electrodiagnostic procedures. We present a clinical case that required alteration of our routine full-field electroretinography technique. The patient presented with reports of allergy to Xylocaine (lidocaine) and refused the use of any type of topical anesthetic drops. This conflicted with our routine ERG method that combines the use of the Henkes Lovac hard contact lens and the topical anesthetic Alcaine (proparacaine hydrochloride). We acquired a successful electroretinogram without topical anesthesia by using a "piggy-back" system involving the interposition of a soft hydrophilic contact lens between the cornea and the recording hard lens. The procedure yielded excellent ERG recordings and was well tolerated. This non-routine technique was also compared to our standard ERG technique using a normal volunteer. It appears that this proposed "piggy-back" technique is a useful alternative to routine ERG procedure in cases of ...
Mitotic delay is described as a classical response to radiation; however, circadian rhythmicity in cell division in vivo has not been considered by many authors. The present study investigated the relation between fluctuations reported as mitotic delay and recovery in vivo and circadian oscillations in mitotic index in mouse corneal epithelium. One aspect involved single doses (approximately 600 rad) given to mice at different circadian stages. The normal circadian rhythm in cell division was never obliterated. Inhibition of mitosis was evident but unpredictable, ranging from 6 to 15 hr after irradiation. Recovery was evident only during the daily increase in mitotic index of controls. The classical interpretation of recovery from mitotic delay may be in an in vitro phenomenon not reflecting in vivo responses, which are apparently strongly circadian stage dependent. The second portion of the study demonstrated a dose-response effect on length of mitotic delay and, ...
Efficient and precise ablation of soft tissue is needed for non-invasive dermatological and corneal surgeries. Previous research has revealed that smooth and efficient cutting of certain soft tissues and gelatin is possible using a Free Electron Laser (FEL) with a wavelength of #lambda#=6.45 #mu#m, tuned to the amide-II band of protein. Gelatin ablation experiments have been carried out using a mid-infrared FEL within the waveband #lambda#=5.6-6.7 #mu#m by changing the primary absorbers such as water (#lambda#=6.1 #mu#m) and protein (#lambda#=6.45 #mu#m). The gelatin with 80 wt% water was efficiently ablated by FEL irradiation with the waveband #lambda#=#approx#5.95-6.19 #mu#m. On the other hand, using irradiation within #lambda#=#approx#6.4-6.6 #mu#m, many small bubbles were observed in the irradiated volume, and the gelatin was not ablated but significantly melted. Thus, it was found that the most effective wavelength was #approx#6.1 #mu#m, not #approx#6.45 ...
To quantify the number of cases and clinical courses of Acanthamoeba keratitis treated at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) between December 1982 and May 2005, and to review their clinical course and response to medical and surgical therapy. Retrospective review of medical records of all patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosed by the KKESH Microbiology or Pathology or Pathology Laboratory since the opening of the hospital. During a period of over 22 years, only six cases of confirmed. Acanthamoeba keratitis were diagnosedand treated at KKESH. In two cases the diagnosis was made by corneal biopsy, while four cases required examination of a histopathology specimen obtained at the time of therapeutic keratoplasty to establish the diagnosis. One eye was cured by medical therapy, while five eyes required one (4eyes) or two (1 eye) therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) to achieve a clinical cure. Three eyes achieved good visual acuity (20/40, ...
Optical sections of the cornea are obtained by illumination with a collimated beam expanded in a fan shape by a small rotary cylindrical lens. The light diffused from the cornea is observed by two cameras and processed in order to yield the surfaces' profiles. The optical system used to project a thin rotating line on the cornea consists of a white light source provided with optical fiber bundle output which is first conditioned by a set of lenses so that it would produce a spot on the cornea. A small cylinder lens is used to expand the beam in one direction so that a thin line illuminates the cornea, rather than a spot. The cylinder lens is provided with motor driven rotation about an axis normal to its own in order to rotate the line on the cornea such that the projected line scans the whole cornea; the illuminator is completed with a slit aperture. The cornea is not perfectly transparent, scattering some of the light that traverses it; this fact is used for its observation by two ...
A decoupled characteristic between the damping of a specific swing mode and the stabilizer gain of the corresponding machine in multimachine power systems is identified. Using this decoupled characteristic a power system stabilizer (PSS) synthesis approach which is based on the phase compensation concept is verified on a 9-machine system and the dynamic performance of this system is significantly improved. This method is proved to be effective, simple and it can provide useful guidance for the PSS field tuning.
Line conditioners control voltage isolated in external conductors. Changes of Stern-Delta connections involve voltage drop in a nonloaded external conductor and are therefore compensated. The payback period of a line conditioner lasts normally between one to three years, according to the investment cost for the alternative medium-sized voltage to be constructed. (GL)
The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) is required by Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 regulations to develop a conceptual understanding of potential contaminant releases from the Hanford Site based on an evaluation of existing data and known historical practices. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are one environmental contaminant potentially released through leaks, spills, or disposal. This document presents a summary of selected relevant existing information, including environmental studies and Hanford Site analytical data.
Overloaded transmission lines are only part of the problem. The ability of the network to carry power is also limited by the supply of reactive power and by frequency stability. Reactive power problems must be corrected in minutes, frequency stability problems in seconds. There is no way that market forces can handle these problems. Reactive power must be supplied to all long transmission and distribution lines to compensate for the loss of reactive volt-amperes - and resulting voltage drop - in the reactance along the line`s length. 7 figs.
The authors study the nonuniformity of a-Si:H films obtained by the method of vacuum condensation, with the help of x-ray small-angle scattering (SLS) and transmission electron microscopy. Films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon are greatest interest, because the electronic properties of this material can be controlled by doping. As a result of the compensation of the ruptured bonds, and possibly, effects of melting, the properties of such films are analogous to those of singlecrystalline silicon. XLS enables a quantitative determination of the prameters of the regions of low electron density (RLD) in such objects.
Monte Carlo simulation of beam modifiers such as physical wedges and compensating filters has been performed with a rectilinear voxel geometry module. A modified version of the EGS4/DOSXYZ code has been developed for this purpose. The new implementations have been validated against the BEAM Monte Carlo code using its standard component modules (CMs) in several geometrical conditions. No significant disagreements were found within the statistical errors of 0.5% for photons and 2% for electrons. The clinical applicability and flexibility of the new version of the code has been assessed through an extensive verification versus dosimetric data. Both Varian multi-leaf collimator (MLC) wedges and standard wedges have been simulated and compared against experiments for 6 MV photon beams and different field sizes. Good agreement was found between calculated and measured depth doses and lateral dose profiles along both wedged and unwedged directions for different depths and ...
It was shown that the incorporation of "1"4C-linoleic acid in cerebrosides of normal and psoriatic human skin is different. In psoriatic epidermis and corium the turnover of this fatty acid is significantly elevated. It is suggested that in psoriasis the epidermal cell is not able to build up a regular carbohydrate sequences of lipids because the false carbohydrate chain activates the degradation of glycolipids and in compensating for the increased degradation raises the synthesis rate of glycolipids. (orig./MG).
According to the invention, a zinc foil is arranged between the negative electrode of a zinc/air battery (round cell) and the expansion space compensating for the reactive increase in volume of the zinc powder. This zinc foil functioning as a stop diaphragm particularly ensures, from the very onset, that the zinc filling has a density and compactness necessary for good electronic conductance.
Within the Westeuropean network of the electric current supply a continuing compensation is necessary with respect to the permanent alterations of capacity and frequency. Pumped-storage plants are of considerable significance to meet these requests. The Schluchseewerk AG, Freiburg/Breisgau, has among others five pumped-storage plants in the southern part of the Black Forest. The conception and the operation of them are described. (orig.).
HMGA2 is a DNA minor-groove binding protein. We previously demonstrated that HMGA2 binds to AT-rich DNA with very high binding affinity where the binding of HMGA2 to poly(dA-dT)2 is enthalpy-driven...Full Text Available
This paper describes the effects of motion of beam components (quads, rf cavities and dipoles) on the beam and considers the properties of a compensation system from the perspective of users. The system departs from standard practice in considering active perturbation of the electron beam to verify beam corrections. The effects of local closed orbit perturbations to direct undulator beams at different experimental setups are also considered.
A preliminary design for a nuclear engine is presented. The engine is based on the nuclear heating of a gas composed of H{sub 2} and {sup 242m}Am as a nuclear fuel. This engine has an initial volume of 0.135 m{sup 3} and at 64 MPa the critical mass is 0.228 kg. The simplicity {sup 242m}Am of the engine design might compensate for the use of rare nuclear fuel, such as {sup 242m}Am.
Recent developments in the analysis of Mira atmosphere, the determination of the pulsation mode, the problem of mass loss, and the evolution of the Mira variables are covered. Model atmospheres for Mira variables, including the opacities of the molecules expected in very late M-type atmospheres are discussed. The pulsation constant for Omicron Ceti is evaluated using T(eff) = 2900 + or - 200 K, and it is concluded that Miras are fundamental mode pulsators. The importance of molecular opacity to the driving of mass loss is evaluated, and it is pointed out that the radiation pressure on molecules is not a major factor in driving mass loss from Mira. Mass loss is considered as a factor in the calculations of the periods for Mira variables. 30 refs.
A theory of the asymptotic functions for the case of many variables is presented. It is shown that the class F(R"N) of these generalized functions is closed in respect to the linear algebraic and analytic operations, multiplication as well as a set of linear and polynomial changes of the variables. The existence in F(R"N) of analogues (consistent with the linear operations) of the Schwartz distributions with point support is proved. In terms of these analogues, some formulae for singular products and changes of variables of the Dirac #delta#-function and its derivatives #delta#"("i")(x), x is an element of R"N, are given. (author). 14 refs.
Success in improving hydropower project efficiency has opened more global markets for variable-speed generator technology. Manufacturers continue to test the markets as the technology evolves. The potential of variable-speed application becomes evident considering that more than 150 pumped storage plants, with a combined capacity exceeding 100,000 MW, are in operation globally.
Based on proposed models for the tidal spin-up and magnetic braking of stars with a convective outer envelope, it is suggested that the rotation of secondaries in cataclysmic variables is not necessarily synchronized with the orbital revolution. This may provide an explanation for the observed large range in the mass transfer rate (at the same orbital period) of cataclysmic variables above the period gap. (author).
In this paper, we derive the moderate deviation principle for stationary sequences of bounded random variables with values in a Hilbert space. The conditions obtained are expressed in terms of martingale-type conditions. The main tools are martingale approximations and a new Hoeffding inequality for non adpated sequences of Hilbert-valued random variables. Applications to Cramer-Von Mises statistics, functions of linear processes and stable Markov chains are given.
This paper examines how robust economic, political, and demographic variables are related to water and air pollution. Employing Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates (BACE) for a cross section of 47 countries, 34 variables and 3 proxies for air and water pollution over a period from 1980 to 2000 we confirm the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis and highlight the relevance of variables that are not directly related to production.
In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the treatment of quantum mechanics in terms of joint distribution functions, i.e. functions of momentum and position coordinates p and q. The author considers j.d.f. in the sense of classical probability theory of a stochastic variable. The j.d.f. is then interpreted as the probability that the variables p and q have certain values, the variables being considered as a property possessed by the object system. This formalism is used to provide a unified description of bradyons and tachyons. (Auth.).
The authors summarize EUVE's contribution to the study of the boundary layer emission of high accretion-rate nonmagnetic cataclysmic variables, especially the dwarf novae SS Cyg, U Gem, VW Hyi, and OY Car in outburst. They discuss the optical and EUV light curves of dwarf nova outbursts, the quasi-coherent oscillations of the EUV flux of SS Cyg, the EUV spectra of dwarf novae, and the future of EUV observations of cataclysmic variables.
Respiration and related physiologic variables in different tissues of Barytelphusa guerini and the respiration of this freshwater crab as a whole are closely synchronized in phase and in frequency along the circadian scale, in the face of large differences in circadian amplitude. A very close timing of most of the 36 variables examined in 2 separate circadian profiles and a modulation of some of these variables in added profiles as a function of lunar stage are clearly demonstrable, statistically significant and illustrative of time relations at 2 interacting frequencies. PMID:6745009
A methodology and hypothetical case study are presented for incorporation of uncertainty and variability into calculations of human health risk appropriate for regional, or basin-scale, groundwater management problems. Uncertainty in well water concentration is introduced through complex contaminant migration patterns in the subsurface. Variability is considered in parameters related to individual behavior patterns and biological effects and to groundwater extraction and distribution networks. A joint uncertainty and variability (JUV) analysis is used to generate a two-dimensional distribution or risk surface that spans both transport uncertainty as well as individual variability. Cuts in this distributional surface (fractiles of variability and percentiles of uncertainty) are presented and discussed. Comparisons with alternative approaches based upon deterministic transport models ...
A thermal-resistant radiation sensing system using optical fiber has been developed. The system is for monitoring progress of chemical decontamination and able to measure the gamma-ray level in a hot solution of decontamination chemicals in situ. Our sensor head makes use of thermal-resistant NaI (T1) and it is connected to an optical fiber bundle. Scintillation photons pass from the NaI (T1) into the end of the bundle. This part of the system can withstand temperatures of over 100degC. At the far end of the optical fiber bundle, the scintillation photons are converted into fluorescent photons using a wavelength-shifting fiber. These photons are transferred to a distant photomultiplier tube through two thin transparent optical fibers. Furthermore, we propose a self-compensation technique for the dependence of scintillator sensitivity on. This compensation method is based on the correlation between temperature, sensitivity, and scintillation ...
The Time Projection Chamber (TPC) magnet at LBL and its compensation solenoids are adiabatically stable superconducting solenoid magnets. The cryogenic system developed for the TPC magnet is discussed. This system uses forced two-phase tubular cooling with the two cryogens in the system. The liquid helium and liquid nitrogen are delivered through the cooled load by forced tubular flow. The only reservoirs of liquid cryogen exist in the control dewar (for liquid helium) and the conditioner dewar (for liquid nitrogen). The operation o these systems during virtually all phases of system operation are described. Photographs and diagrams of various system components are shown, and cryogenic system data are presented in the following sections: (1) heat leaks into the TPC coil package and the compensation solenoids; (2) heat leaks to various components of the TPC magnet cryogenics system besides the magnets and control dewar; (3) the control dewar and ...
Ga{sub 0.6}In{sub 0.4}P/(Al{sub 0.8}Ga{sub 0.2}){sub 0.4}In{sub 0.6}P strain-compensated multiple quantum wells (SCMQW) and Ga{sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P/(Al{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}){sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}P unstrained MQW were grown by MOVPE to investigate the shift of photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength and the carrier lifetime caused by strain effect in SCMQW. The PL peaks of SCMQW and unstrained MQW were 608 and 628 nm, respectively. From the rocking curve of SCMQW, it indicated that the active layers of SCMQW were not zero net strain. The residual strain caused the emission intensity of SCMQW to be about four times weaker than that of unstrained MQW. The carrier lifetimes of SCMQW and unstrained MQW were measured to be 3 and 6.02 ns, respectively. It was conjectured that the residual strain in SCMQW induced a decrease in the carrier lifetime by a factor of two with respect to that of unstrained MQW.
Ga_0_._6In_0_._4P/(Al_0_._8Ga_0_._2)_0_._4In_0_._6P strain-compensated multiple quantum wells (SCMQW) and Ga_0_._5In_0_._5P/(Al_0_._4Ga_0_._6)_0_._5In_0_._5P unstrained MQW were grown by MOVPE to investigate the shift of photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength and the carrier lifetime caused by strain effect in SCMQW. The PL peaks of SCMQW and unstrained MQW were 608 and 628 nm, respectively. From the rocking curve of SCMQW, it indicated that the active layers of SCMQW were not zero net strain. The residual strain caused the emission intensity of SCMQW to be about four times weaker than that of unstrained MQW. The carrier lifetimes of SCMQW and unstrained MQW were measured to be 3 and 6.02 ns, respectively. It was conjectured that the residual strain in SCMQW induced a decrease in the carrier lifetime by a factor of two with respect to that of unstrained MQW.
Magnetic fields can be compensated by opposing fields. This principle can be applied for reducing the magnetic fields emanating from high-voltage transmission lines or found in residential or commercial buildings. The article shows a number of concrete options for reducing magnetic fields in the vicinity of high-voltage lines through appropriate conductor configuration on the one hand, and a novel method using Helmholtz coils for compensating those fields in buildings. (orig.) [Deutsch] Magnetische Felder koennen durch Gegenfelder kompensiert werden. Dieses Prinzip laesst sich sowohl auf Hochspannungsleitungen als auch auf Wohn- und Arbeitsraeume uebertragen. Der Artikel zeigt konkrete Moeglichkeiten, wie einerseits Magnetfelder von Hochspannungsleitungen durch eine geeignete Konfiguration der Leiter reduziert werden koennen, und beschreibt andererseits eine neue Methode zur Reduktion solcher Felder in Wohn- und Arbeitsraeumen mittels ...
We present an x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) study performed on both Ho{sub 6}Fe{sub 23} and Y{sub 6}Fe{sub 23} compounds as a function of the temperature. The combined analysis of both Fe K-edge and Ho L{sub 2,3}-edge XMCD spectra recorded through the magnetic compensation transition allows us to disentangle the thermal dependence of both Fe and Ho magnetic moments in Ho{sub 6}Fe{sub 23}. In addition, contributions from Ho ions to the Fe K-edge XMCD signals and, conversely, from Fe ions to the Ho L{sub 2,3}-edge XMCD spectra have been clearly identified. These extra contributions, arising from the strong Fe(3d)-Ho(5d) hybridization, have been isolated from the spectra and correlated with the magnetic state of both Ho and Fe ions surrounding the absorbing site. The influence of these contributions to the values of the orbital and spin moments derived by using sum rule analysis is also shown.
This is a multi-color 230-page textbook covering analog electronics at the upper-division level. Text material is intended for a full-year sequence at 2-3 credits per term. Topics include: amplifier thermal considerations; class A IC output stage; class B complementary amplifier; class A and Class B single-ended amplifiers; feedback amplifiers; gain margin and phase margin; compensation; oscillators (Wien-bridge, Hartley, Colpitts, Pierce); piezoelectric crystals, single-pole circuits; single-pole pulse response; single-pole rectangular wave response; comparators; Schmitt triggers; 555 timers; multivibrators; RC attenuators; compensated attenuators; principles of dc-dc conversion; capacitor-based converters; buck converter; boost converter; buck-boost converter. The text is in Adobe Acrobat 4.0 format, complete with Acrobat index. Large font size allows the text to be used with overhead transparencies, on screen with an Acrobat Reader, or in ...
There is growing interest in the generation and characterization of femtosecond and subfemtosecond pulses from linac-based free-electron lasers (FELs). In this report, following the method of Ricci and Smith (Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 3, 032801 (2000)), we investigate the measurement of the longitudinal bunch profile of an ultrashort electron bunch produced by these FELs. We show that this method can be applied in a straightforward manner at x-ray FEL facilities such as the Linac Coherent Light Source by slightly adjusting the second bunch compressor followed by running the bunch on an rf zero-crossing phase of the final linac. We find that the linac wakefield strongly perturbs the measurement, and through analysis show that it can be compensated in a simple way. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method and wakefield compensation through numerical simulations, including effects of coherent synchrotron radiation and longitudinal space ...
This symposium about electric operational and expansion planning presents several articles that approaches issues such as, monitoring the power system stability, electrical load modelling, reliability in power systems, optimization in power systems, integrated resources planning in power systems, reactive control through static compensators, power flow analysis, system modelling, etc
The design of the lead/lag network in a conventional power system stabilizer (PSS) is intended to provide the correct compensation in order to obtain an electrical torque component in phase with the speed variation. It is shown that, for a multimachine system, the conventional design analysis and synthesis tend to oversimplify the system representation and hence the interaction effects. A more rigorous approach is preferred considering four torque (or power) components instead of the conventional single component. Based on modal analysis, the significance of these other components is revealed, the more comprehensive treatment using a generalized multimachine representation is justified and a reliable means for optimizing the PSS parameters is explained.
Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis for nondestructive determination of Fe, Zn, Pb, and Br in air samples collected on nitrocellulose membrane filter Synpor 4 is described. A "2"3"8Pu source for the excitation and a semiconductor Si/Li detector for the detection of characteristic and L-fluorescent radiation of the above elements were used. A correction method based upon the measurements of simple or multiple Compton scattering for compensation of varying mass per unit area values in sample deposits was theoretically proposed and experimentally tested. The results obtained both with and without the correction were compared and good agreement with those given by atomic absorption spectrometry was observed. (author).
Surveys for interior wetland birds at mine-associated emergent wetlands on coal surface mines in southern Illinois detected one state threatened and two state endangered species. Breeding by least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) and common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) was confirmed. Regional assessment of potential wetland bird habitat south of Illinois Interstate 64 identified a total of 8,109 ha of emergent stable water wetlands; 10% were associated with mining. Mine-associated wetlands with persistent hydrology and large expanses of emergent vegetation provide habitat that could potentially compensate for loss of natural wetlands in Illinois.
The control valve for a large steam turbine must be operated linearly to be run by an automatic control system in a power plant. It is, however, found that the flow increase is much greater for a given valve position change near the closed end of travel than it is near the open end. Accordingly, the desired linearization will be achieved if the valve is opened less near the closed end of travel and greater near the open end. The previous way for linearization was to utilize the cams, which is called the mechanical hydraulic control (MHC). The MHC was afterward improved by producing the nonlinear electric compensation to the nonlinear system of control valves, viz. the electro hydraulic control (EHC)
The control valve for a large steam turbine must be operated linearly to be run by an automatic control system in a power plant. It is, however, found that the flow increase is much greater for a given valve position change near the closed end of travel than it is near the open end. Accordingly, the desired linearization will be achieved if the valve is opened less near the closed end of travel and greater near the open end. The previous way for linearization was to utilize the cams, which is called the mechanical hydraulic control (MHC). The MHC was afterward improved by producing the nonlinear electric compensation to the nonlinear system of control valves, viz. the electro hydraulic control (EHC)
An improved ion funnel design is disclosed that decreases the axial RF (parasite) fields at the ion funnel exit. This is achieved by addition of one or more compensation electrodes after the conductance limit electrode. Various RF voltage profiles may be applied to the various electrodes minimizing the parasite axial potential wells. The smallest RF aperture that serves as the conductance limiting electrode is further reduced over standard designs. Overall, the ion funnel improves transmission ranges of both low m/z and high m/z ions, reducing RF activation of ions and decreasing the gas load to subsequent differential pumping stages.
An accelerator has limited dynamic range: a chain of accelerators is required to reach high energy. A combination of septa and kicker magnets is frequently used to inject and extract beam from each stage. The kicker magnets typically produce rectangular field pulses with fast rise- and/or fall-times, however the field strength is relatively low. To compensate for their relatively low field strength, the kicker magnets are generally combined with electromagnetic septa. The septa provide relatively strong field strength but are either DC or slow pulsed. This paper discusses injection and extraction systems with particular emphasis on the hardware required for the septa.
A collection of 14 papers from a June 1981 seminar assess the costs of damage caused by water pollution. The seminar focused on the economic rather than the legal standpoint by evaluating the cost of the clean-up operations themselves and other costs, such as direct or indirect economic losses, and converting into money terms the damage to the environment, the loss of recreational facilities, and biomass losses. The papers are grouped into four sections which look at the scale of risk, the clean-up costs for specific oil spills, other costs inflicted on coastal zones, and legal aspects of compensation. Separate abstracts were prepared for each of the 16 papers selected for the Energy Data Base.
Formulae are derived for estimation of the effect of gamma beam divergence on the value of systematic and statistical components of the errors of density measurement in production of structural materials and products also in the process of exploitation of building structures and constructions. Engineering technique for choice of the distance between radiation source and object under test is developed for absorption radioisotope densimeter operating by the scheme of geometry of divergent beam with amplitude compensation of backscattered radiation effect. The assessment of radioisotope densimeter efficiency providing the error of density measurement prescribed at design stage
A large negative ion source for JT-60U produces high current ion beam from a wide extraction area of 45 cm x 110 cm. On the other hand, a cross-sectional area of the negative ion based neutral beam (NNB) injection port on JT-60U is narrow, about 50 cm x 60 cm. In order to inject the neutral beam at a high geometric efficiency, i.e. to suppress beam loss in the beamline, it is necessary to steer the beam for both compensation of undesirable beam deflection in extractor and focusing of the beam. For the JT-60U, two methods are provided for the required beam steering. Among them the results of beam steering experiment by aperture displacement and the design study are summarized in the present report. The experiment was carried out with 400 keV negative ion source, which has the three stage accelerator of similar structure as the JT-60U ion source, at Negative Ion Acceleration Test Stand (NIAS). High energy negative ion beams of the same perveance as that of 500 keV ...
The laser grooved buried grid (LGBG) cell was developed at the University of New South Wales, Australia. The enormous advantage of the Saturn technology is the simple formation of a selective emitter via two step diffusion, which is optimised on the surface for the charge carrier generation and under the metal grid for contact formation. The reflection losses due to shading are simultaneously minimised by the installation of the contacts at right angles in the wafer surface. Due to the increased infeed compensation, particularly the compensation covering the costs, the economic importance of the energy yield of a PV plant is growing. Ultimately, it is not just the installed output (KWp) that matters to the customer, but increasingly the specific yield (kWh/kWp). An increased energy yield with optimally matched components with the Saturn technology means high annual compensation, which in turn shortens the amortisation ...
Dimensional variability studies and published dimensional variability standards have been used by the foundry industry for years as an indicator of the casting process` ability to produce uniform parts. These studies are an extremely useful tool in the continuous ``dimensional dialogue`` between foundries and customers. The nature of these studies, and of the current tolerancing systems used by casting designers, leaves room for some misinterpretation and misuse of these study results. This paper contains two important discussions. The first part explains exactly what these studies represent. Following this is a brief explanation on dimensional and geometric tolerances and how they communicate dimensional requirements.
This research investigates the impact of national culture and several institutional factors on the safety performance of society and establishes statistically significant relationships between those variables. As expected, the research results reveal that some cultural variables such as uncertainty avoidance, gender orientation and institutional variables such as the degree of law avoidance can directly influence the safety performance of the society. The findings also support the inverted u-curve (Safety Kuznet curve) hypothesis indicating even if we expect a negative trend at the beginning stage of industrialization, we can expect a positive trend in safety performance as their income level continues to improve beyond a certain point.
In this talk, we explore the feasibility of quantum computation using continuous-variable systems by means of local measurements only. In the first part of the talk, we will identify crucial limitations that arise when starting from Gaussian cluster states. This is done by resorting to a Gaussian projected entangled pair picture as well as to notions of continuous-variable quantum repeater networks. In the second part, we look at instances in which these limitations can be overcome, and how suitable encodings of qubits in oscillators and feasible non-Gaussian resource states give rise to universal schemes for quantum computing.
Creep properties of modified 9 Cr-1 Mo steel, an alloy significantly improved in elevated-temperature strength over 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo and other similar alloys, are presented here. Data are primarily on material in the normalized and tempered condition. Effects of variables such as isothermal annealing treatment, cold work, normalizing temperature, tempering temperature, notch, and biaxial stress state have also been examined. Data analysis and comparisons have shown that modified 9 Cr-1 Mo alloy is very insensitive in response to several material variables, heat treatments, and specimen design variables.
Background and ObjectivePulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions is associated with variable and unpredictable efficacy. Thus, alternative treatment...Full Text Available
The proteolytic activities of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM); a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) families play important...Full Text Available
The fatigue life variability of the #alpha#+#beta# titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo increased with decreasing stress level. The variability in life was found to be due to segregation of lives due to two failure mechanisms. A bimodal cumulative distribution model was shown to accurately describe the combined failure modes. The nominal failure processes for the two regimes were similar, with crack nucleation occurring in equiaxed #alpha#p particles, irrespective of life or stress level. However the variability in life was not controlled by the size of the crack-nucleating #alpha#p, but rather by the ability of the material to distribute deformation and avoid early crack nucleation.
the southern Arabian Gulf region left its signature on the heterogeneous aerosol .... Arabian Gulf region, since large differences in ? may be caused by ...
... Variable, Alimentos mal enlatados, especialmente verduras enlatadas en el hogar; pescado fermentado, papas asadas en papel de aluminio, ajo envasado. ...
Brains are usually described as input/output systems: they transform sensory input into motor output. However, the motor output of brains (behavior) is notoriously variable, even under identical sensory...Full Text Available
A central composite design was employed to optimize the extraction of pectin with citric acid. The independent variables were citric acid concentration (0.086-2.91% w/v) and extraction time (17-102min). The combined effect of these variables on the degree of esterification was investigated. Results have shown that the generated regression models adequately explained the data variation and significantly represented the actual relationship between the independent variables and the responses. Besides that, the citric acid concentration was the most important factor to affect the degree of esterification, as it exerted a significant influence on the dependent variable. Lower citric acid concentration increased the pectin degree of esterification. The surface response showed the relationships b...
In this paper we present a complete solution to the problem of multifractal analysis of multiple ergodic averages in the case of symbolic dynamics for functions of two variables depending on the first coordinate.
Worldwide century-long forest hydrologic research has documented that deforestation and forestation (i.e. reforestation and afforestation) can have variable ...
Jul 25, 2011 ... Koji Mukai's Bibliography. Invited Reviews. Mukai, K. 1994, "ASCA PV Phase Observations of Cataclysmic Variables," in "New Horizon of X-ray ...
According to classical concepts of physiologic control, healthy systems are self-regulated to reduce variability and maintain physiologic constancy. Contrary to the predictions of homeostasis, however,...Full Text Available
Background and AimsAnnonaceae are one of the largest families of Magnoliales. This study investigates the comparative floral development of 15 species to understand the basis for...Full Text Available
Statistically based experimental designs were applied to screen and optimize the bioleaching of spent hydrocracking catalyst by Penicillium simplicissimum. Eleven factors were examined for their significance on bioleaching using a Plackett-Burman factorial design. Four significant variables (pulp density, sucrose, NaNO"3, and yeast extract concentrations) were selected for the optimization studies. The combined effect of these variables on metal bioleaching was studied using a central composite design (CCD). Second-order polynomials were established to identify the relationship between the recovery percent of the metals and the four significant variables. The optimal values of the variables for maximum metals bioleaching were as follows: pulp density (4.0%, w/v), sucrose (90g/L), NaNO"3 (2...
Knowledge on environmental variability and how it is affected by disturbances is crucial for understanding patterns of biodiversity and determining adequate conservation strategies. The aim of this study is to assess environmental variability in patches undergoing post-fire vegetation recovery, identifying trends of change and their relevant drivers. We particularly evaluate: the value of three spectral indices derived from Landsat satellite data [Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Wetness Component of the Tasseled Cap Transformation (TCW)] for describing secondary succession; the effectiveness of three metrics (diversity, evenness and richness) as indicators of patch variability; and how thematic resolution can affect the perception of environme...
Wildlife Refuge, CA Rare and endangered endemic plants Diana Anderson Northern Arizona University Geomorphology Kathryn Thomas USGS, Flagstaff, AZ Vegetation dynamics John...
Climate variability greatly affects animals through direct and indirect effects. Animals with slow reproductive adaptation to ecological changes such as large mammals are likely to have evolved mechanisms to anticipate early such impacts of climate variability on the environment. One of the adaptive mechanisms between reproductive costs and benefits in mammals affects parental investment through biases in sex ratio. Deer might be likely to show an early detection of climate variability because conception takes place in early autumn, but the main raising cost in deer concerns lactation, which takes place at the end of the following spring. The aim of this paper is to assess whether there is a relationship between global indices of climate variability such as El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (EN...
The study of genetic variability within natural populations of pathogens may provide insight into their evolution and pathogenesis. We used a Mycobacterium tuberculosis high-density...Full Text Available
The study has analysed the effects of various factors on hydroelectric power generation potential to include climate change/variability, water demand, and installation of proposed hydroelectric power schemes in the Zambezi River Basin. An assessment of historical (1970?2000) power potential in relation to climate change/variability at existing hydro electric power schemes(Cahora Bassa, Kariba, Kafue Gorge and Itezhi-Tezhi) in the Zambezi River Basin was conducted. The correlation of hydroelectric power potential with climate change/variability aimed at observing the link and extent of influence of the latter on the former was investigated. In order to predict the future outlook of hydro electric power potential, General Circulation Models (GCM) were used to generate projected precipitation...
measure meteorological variables and bulk water temper- ature. The locations of the buoys are given in Table 1. TB2 and TB3 were moved slightly farther south ...
We construct the Baxter Q-operator and the representation of the Separated Variables (SoV) for the homogeneous open SL(2,R) spin chain. Applying the diagrammatical approach, we calculate Sklyanin's integration measure in the separated variables and obtain the solution to the spectral problem for the model in terms of the eigenvalues of the Q-operator. We show that the transition kernel to the SoV representation is factorized into the product of certain operators each depending on a single separated variable. As a consequence, it has a universal pyramid-like form that has been already observed for various quantum integrable models such as periodic Toda chain, closed SL(2,R) and SL(2,C) spin chains.
We obtain an elegant and useful description of the dynamics of Szekeres dust models (in their full generality) by means of "quasi--local" scalar variables constructed by suitable integral distributions that can be interpreted as weighed proper volume averages of the local covariant scalars. In terms of these variables, the field equations and basic physical and geometric quantities are formally identical to their corresponding expressions in the spherically symmetric LTB dust models. Since we can map every Szekeres model to a unique LTB model, rigorous results valid for the latter models can be readily generalized to a non--spherical Szekeres geometry. The new variables lead naturally to an initial value formulation in which all scalars are expressed as scaling laws in terms of their values at an arbitrary initial space slice. These variables also yield a significant simplification of numerical work, ...
CORAL-I was an experimental, zero-power, fast-spectrum, high-enriched metal uranium reactor that operated from 1968 until 1988 at the former Junta de Energia Nuclear (JEN), CIEMAT at present. The critical measurements performed at the startup of the reactor are being evaluated as part of the International Critical Safety Benchmark Evaluation Program (ICSBEP) and proposed to be included in its 2001 edition. Additionally, the measurement of the mass reactivity coefficient is compared with MCNP4B calculations. This measurement allows one to perform the approach to critical without the need of a previous control rod calibration, thus enhancing the safety of such an approach. This technique can also be applied to other reactor types. CORAL-I (Ref. 1) is a 90% enriched metal uranium reactor domestically designed and manufactured in the experimental facilities of JEN, now CIEMAT, in Madrid, Spain. The enriched uranium was supplied by the International Atomic Energy Agency as metal ingots and ...
Synthesis of silver nanoparticles based on a polyol process and variable frequency microwave (VFM) was investigated. Comparing to a thermal method, the reaction by VFM radiation was much faster. The effects of silver nitrate concentration, poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) concentration, reaction time and reaction temperature were studied. It was found that the higher concentration of silver nitrate, longer reaction time and higher temperature increased the particle size while the higher concentration of PVP decreased the particle size.
A physical model of free-electron laser (FEL) amplifier with variable-parameter wiggler magnets for one-dimensional numerical simulation is presented and a numerical example is given. The wiggler parameters, efficiency of energy conversion between electron beam and laser field, laser intensity, phase-space distributions and energy spectrum of electrons are computed. The period of synchronous oscillation and saturation value of laser intensity agree with estimated one.
In the case of large capacity steam turbines the conventional nozzle group control is, for mechanical and thermodynamic reasons, diminishing more and more in importance in favour of variable pressure control. A design for constant-pressure operation as an alternative to nozzle group control is described; this demonstrates a series of important advantages compared with the latter. (orig.).
This book contains the Proceedings of the Conference on Climate and Water under the following groupings: Impacts of climatic variability and change-resulting from the changes in hydrological variables; Aquatic environment; Terrestrial environment; Coastal zones and navigation; Urban and industrial water supply and drainage; Energy production; Intropogenic changes of climate and water management problems; Flood potential; Irrigation and land drainage.
This book contains the Proceedings of the Conference on Climate and Water under the following groupings: Impacts of climatic variability and change-resulting from the changes in hydrological variables; Aquatic environment; Terrestrial environment; Coastal zones and navigation; Urban and industrial water supply and drainage; Energy production; Intropogenic changes of climate and water management problems; Flood potential; Irrigation and land drainage.
Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) entry into target cell is initiated by the ionic interactions between positively charged viral envelop glycoproteins and a negatively charged cell surface heparan sulfate (HS). This first step involves the induction of HS-rich filopodia-like structures on the cell surface that facilitate viral transport during cell entry. Targeting this initial first step in HSV-1 pathogenesis, we generated different zinc oxide (ZnO) micro-nano structures (MNSs) that were capped with multiple nanoscopic spikes mimicking cell induced filopodia. These MNSs were predicted to target the virus to compete for its binding to cellular HS through their partially negatively charged oxygen vacancies on their nanoscopic spikes, to affect viral entry and subsequent spread. Our results demonstrate that the partially negatively charged ZnO-MNSs efficiently trap the virions via a novel virostatic mechanism rendering them unable to enter into human corneal ...
Citation information: Rosenfield M. Computer vision syndrome: a review of ocular causes and potential treatments. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2011, 31, 502-515. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2011.00834.x ABSTRACT: Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is the combination of eye and vision problems associated with the use of computers. In modern western society the use of computers for both vocational and avocational activities is almost universal. However, CVS may have a significant impact not only on visual comfort but also occupational productivity since between 64% and 90% of computer users experience visual symptoms which may include eyestrain, headaches, ocular discomfort, dry eye, diplopia and blurred vision either at near or when looking into the distance after prolonged computer use. This paper reviews the principal ocular causes for this condition, namely oculomotor anomalies and dry eye. Accommodation and vergence responses to electronic screens appear to be similar to those found when viewing ...
Two major developments have given impetus to wider adoption of variable-speed turbine/generators in hydroelectric plants, both essentially environmental: (1) the need for stream-bed stability below river dams, and (2) the need to minimize fish damage. Also, the need to stabilize pumped-storage and generating efficiencies to match extreme changes in head levels has been a driving force. Variable-speed operation in hydro applications is relatively new to North America. In other parts of the world, it has been used in pumped-storage plants since 1971. In the US, and increasing potential exists for variable-speed hydro, considering the 30 pumped-storage plants already in operation and several river plants struggling with high head fluctuations--including four at stations operated by the Bonneville Power Administration. Several modifications to hydro-plant hardware and operating procedures are actively being considered at ...
The effect of fetal distress on the neonatal brain was investigated by neonatal CT brain scan, FHR monitoring and mode of delivery. This study involved 11 cases of full term vertex delivery in which FHR was recorded by fetal direct ECG during the second stage labor. All infants weighed 2,500 g or more. FHR monitoring was evaluated by Hon's classification. Neonatal brain edema was evaluated by cranial CT histgraphic analysis (Nakada's method). 1) Subdural hemorrhage was noted in 6 of 7 infants delivered by vacuum extraction or fundal pressure (Kristeller's method). 2) Intracranial hemorrhage was demonstrated in all of 3 infants with 5-min. Apgar score 7 or less. 3) Two cases with prolonged bradycardia and no variability had intraventricular or intracerebral hemorrhage which resulted in severe central nervous system damage. 4) The degree of neonatal brain edema correlated with 5-min. Apgar score. 5) One case with prolonged bradycardia and ...
The effect of fetal distress on the neonatal brain was investigated by neonatal CT brain scan, FHR monitoring and mode of delivery. This study involved 11 cases of full term vertex delivery in which FHR was recorded by fetal direct ECG during the second stage labor. All infants weighed 2,500 g or more. FHR monitoring was evaluated by Hon's classification. Neonatal brain edema was evaluated by cranial CT histgraphic analysis (Nakada's method). 1) Subdural hemorrhage was noted in 6 of 7 infants delivered by vacuum extraction or fundal pressure (Kristeller's method). 2) Intracranial hemorrhage was demonstrated in all of 3 infants with 5-min. Apgar score 7 or less. 3) Two cases with prolonged bradycardia and no variability had intraventricular or intracerebral hemorrhage which resulted in severe central nervous system damage. 4) The degree of neonatal brain edema correlated with 5-min. Apgar score. 5) One case with prolonged bradycardia and no ...
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 quality assurance 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 ...
To assess the variability and systematic differences in polyp measurements on optical colonoscopy and CT colonography. Gastroenterologists measured 51 polyps by visual estimation, forceps comparison and linear probe. CT colonography observers randomly assessed polyp size two-dimensionally (abdominal and intermediate window) and three-dimensionally (manually and semi-automatically). Linear mixed models were used to assess the variability and systematic differences between CT colonography and optical colonoscopy techniques. The variability of forceps and linear probe measurements was comparable and both showed less variability than measurement by visual assessment. Measurements by linear probe were 0.7 mm smaller than measurements by visual assessment or by forceps. The variability of all CT colonography techniques was lower than for measurements by forceps or visual assessment and ...
MR images of steady and pulsatile disturbed flow, obtained with use of flow-compensated spin-echo (SE) and cine pulse sequences, revealed excellent flow visualization in three dimensions. Phantoms, built from molds of actual blood vessels, reproduced laminar, disturbed, or turbulent flow. Video recording (VR), performed under conditions equivalent to those of the MR experiments, showed separation zones identical to those seen on SE images. Pulsatile flow studies showed complex patterns of vortical flow on cine images and VR. Varying pulse sequence details changed contrast but not flow patterns. The validation of MR observations by VR has implications for clinical cine imaging and low abnormal signals observed on MR angiograms.
A computer method that calculates tracheal cross-sectional area by compensating for partial volume averaging was developed and validated in a study with phantoms. The program was then used to determine the tracheal cross-sectional area of 30 normal children who ranged in age from four months to 18 years. CT-derived cross sections were correlated with age, height, weight, and body-surface area, and they were compared with findings of published clinical and post-mortem studies. CT cross-sectional areas ranged from 20 to 275 mm/sup 2/, varied by as much as 22% at the three different tracheal levels studied, and appeared to correlate most closely with body height. CT-derived tracheal cross-sectional areas are quite similar to those in published reports of postmortem and clinical studies. Measurements of tracheal cross section by CT may prove useful in quantitating tracheal compromise by intrinsic or extrinsic causes.
The possibilities of using both selective heavy ion induced X-ray emission and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), for the identification of impurities present at low concentrations in cadmium telluride are examined. The relative concentrations of the impurities along CdTe crystals have been determined by exciting the X-ray emission of the elements in several slices with Ar and Kr ions and by comparing the relative characteristic X-ray emission yields. As a consequence of the quasimolecular inner shell ionization mechanism in heavy ion-atom collisions, Ar and Kr ions allow a strong excitation of the main impurities seen by SIMS namely Si, Cl and Ge, As, with only a minor contribution of Cd and Te. From the changes of the concentrations of the various impurities along the crystal, informations about segregation coefficients and compensation can be obtained.
The aim of this report was to assess the usefulness of cerebral blood flow (CBF) scanning utilising the SPECT technique in forensic medicine cases in the area of civil law cases. CBF SPECT scanning was performed in four patients utilising "9"9"mTc-ECD and a triple-head gammacamera. In the analysis both the asymmetry index and cerebellar normalisation were applied. Reference values were obtained by studying 30 healthy volunteers. In those cases CBF SPECT scanning played an important role in forensic argument. It influenced the sentence and the amount of financial compensation. CBF SPECT scanning may provide valuable information in forensic medicine argument in civil law cases, but only when taken together with psychometric tests and other neuroimaging methods (CT, MRI). The value of CBF SPECT scanning alone may be limited in judicial proceedings. (author)
This work describes a three-step pre-treatment route for processing spent commercial Ni Mo/Al_2O_3 catalysts. Extraction of soluble coke with n-hexane and/or leaching of foulant elements with oxalic acid were performed before burning insoluble coke under air. Oxidized catalysts were leached with 9 mol L"-"1 sulfuric acid. Iron was the only foulant element partially leached by oxalic acid. The amount of insoluble matter in sulfuric acid was drastically reduced when iron and/or soluble coke were previously removed. Losses of active phase metals (Ni, Mo) during leaching with oxalic acid were compensated by the increase of their recovery in the sulfuric acid leachate. (author)
The measurements performed at CERN on prototypes and first pre-series main dipole magnets confirm the need of an active control of the Large Hadron Collider to compensate the dynamic field changes during the proton beam injection and acceleration. This control requires in turn an accurate forecast of the magnetic field in the accelerator. We plan to predict the field on the basis of two elements: theoretical field models tailored through the accumulated knowledge of the main magnets during series tests, and an on-line measurement system running on few reference magnets tracking the LHC current cycle. Data coming from this "Multipoles Factory" will result from the fusion of the two sources. Based on this system we foresee to deliver calibration information for pre-defined accelerator cycles as well as real time information for the active control. In this paper we report the conceptual design of the system, and we discuss the features and performance of the models ...
The influence of 3d-transition metal impurities on the superconducting properties of the A-15 compounds V_3Si and V_3Ga have been investigated. In the case of V_3Si, the Fe impurities replacing V were found to have a local moment. A compensation effect was found in this case, resulting in a 20KOe increase in the upper critical field at dilute concentrations of Fe. It was demonstrated that long range order V_3Ga possessed higher transition temperature and upper critical field than found hitherto. Investigations on Nb_3Ge/sub 1-x/Ga/sub x/ films obtained by chemical vapor deposition has clearly shown the relation between the transition temperature and structural characteristics. The influence of generalized defects on the superconducting properties in A-15 type Nb_3X compounds has been discussed.
In patients subjected to bone marrow transplantation the aggressive measures necessarily preceding this treatment lead to drastic metabolic changes which, in turn, are a cause of marked disturbances of homeostasis. The general preparatory measures in the form of cytoreduction by cytostatic drugs are broadened for leukaemic patients to include wholebody irradiation. During the study described here investigations were carried out into the resulting strain on the metabolism. One of the most essential changes observed in those patients was a nitrogen loss of up to approx. 20 g/day that occurred during the immunosuppressive phase. This was accompanied by markedly pronounced variations in fluid elimination, which partly were of an iatrogenic nature. An immediate and sufficient substitution of amino acids in connection with complete parenteral nutrition rapidly acted to compensate for the nitrogen losses, even though these could not be totally reversed to achieve a ...
This paper presents a new and simple method for sensorless control of matrix converter drives using a power flowing to the motor. The proposed control algorithm is based on controlling the instantaneous real and imaginary powers into the induction motor. To improve low-speed sensorless performance, the nonlinearities of a matrix converter drive such as commutation delays, turn-ON and turn-OFF times of switching devices, and on-state switching device voltage drop are modeled using a PQ power transformation and compensated using a reference power control scheme. The proposed sensorless control method is applied for the induction motor drive using a 3 kW matrix converter system. Experimental results are shown to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed strategy. Udgivelsesdato: September
It is concluded that the Department paid out over $16 million in the past two years for FTS service charges on telephone calls bearing no relationship to official Departmental business. When one adds in the costs of compensation paid to Departmental and contractor employees for the worktime spent making unauthorized FTS calls, the total costs to the Department due to FTS abuse exceeded $28 million for the fiscal years 1983 and 1984. These cost figures, moreover, fail to account for the effect of an annual loss of an estimated 40,000 man-days on the Department's productivity. It is recommended that the Assistant Secretary review the system to identify possible restrictions on usage of the lines by employees and to consider additional recording and accounting procedures to track FTS usage, especially when the lines are used for calls to telephones outside the FTS network.
The #alpha# radiation dose to the lungs of people who live in buildings constructed of some granites, low density concretes, and gypsum boards is higher than for residents of most other types of dwellings due to the air-borne progeny of radon. There is evidence that sealing the interior surfaces with epoxy paint, for example, can reduce the #alpha# dose to the lung significantly without a compensating increase in whole-body exposure to the #gamma#-rays from radon progeny. Based on the incidence rates for lung cancer in uranium miners, a concentration of radon of the order of 1 to 5 pCi/l. appears to be a reasonable limit for 'lifetime' exposure indoors for 'typical' home ventilation conditions. (author).
A decentralized power system stabilizer output feedback design approach is considered, which is compatible with expanding the construction of multi-machine systems. We presume that the interconnected power system is constructed by connecting closed-loop subsystems one after another. We take the proper stable factorization approach for calculating the local compensators. We apply the result to the new subsystem at each connection stage with unfixed power system stabilizer parameters. We then determine the parameters appropriately, before connection, so that the expanded system is stable after connection. A numerical example is worked out to illustrate the proposed design technique. 14 refs, 5 figs, 3 tabs
A phase transition of gas-liquid type with an upper critical point is examined which arises in a model of charges of one sign on compensating background (OCP). The phase transition parameters are dependent on the detailed assumptions about the compressibility of the background, but the occurrence of this transition is independent on the background equation of state. In the electron-gas model ('jellium'), this transition appears to rule out Wigner crystallization. A variational principle in statistical mechanics is used to derive so-called Double-OCP model for a superposition of two one-component plasma models for charges of opposite sign. The free energy of this model sets an upper bound to that of a real plasma. Situations are discussed where this transition should manifest itself in anomalies in the approximate description of a non-ideal plasma.
PROCAMPO (Program for Direct Assistance in Agriculture or Programa de Apoyos Directos al Campo) is an income transfer payment to Mexican farmers that compensates them for subsidies received by foreign competitors. Corn (Zea mays) has received the largest amount of PROCAMPO payments and is the primary component of Mexico?s food and feed supply. Results of a spatial and temporal model show that without PROCAMPO, Mexican annual average corn production would have been lower and corn imports would have been 40.5% higher in 2005?2007. Increased producer and consumer surplus and savings from reduced imports reveal that the benefits of PROCAMPO were higher than the program?s costs. Greater PROCAMPO support would decrease Mexican corn imports and increase domestic corn production. It is recommended...
Since August 1984, the MITRE Corporation has been supporting the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the Naval Medical Command (NAVMEDCOM) in their joint efforts to enhance the Navy Occupational Health Information Management System (NOHIMS). The goal of the enhancement effort was to create a comprehensive occupational health and safety system for Navy industrial facilities by expanding upon the original NOHIMS functions and adding modules for hazard deficiency abatement, hazardous-material control, injury claims and compensation, and safety and health training. To meet this goal, MITRE developed an enhanced industrial subsystem, referred to as the Occupational Safety and Health Record Keeping System (OSHRKS), using a prototyping approach and a public-domain data base-management software package, the Veterans Administration's (VA's) FileManager (FileMan).
Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis for nondestructive determination of Fe, Zn, Pb, and Br in air samples collected on nitrocellulose membrane filter Synpor 4 is described. A /sup 238/Pu source for the excitation and a semiconductor Si/Li detector for the detection of characteristic and L-fluorescent radiation of the above elements were used. A correction method based upon the measurements of simple or multiple Compton scattering for compensation of varying mass per unit area values in sample deposits was theoretically proposed and experimentally tested. The results obtained both with and without the correction were compared and good agreement with those given by atomic absorption spectrometry was observed.
The control valve for a large steam turbine must be operated linearly to be run by an automatic control system in a power plant. It is, however, found that the flow increase is much greater for a given valve position change near the closed end of travel than it is near the open end. Accordingly, the desired linearization will be achieved if the valve is opened less near the closed end of travel and greater near the open end. The previous way for linearization was to utilize the cams, which is called the mechanical hydraulic control (MHC). The MHC was afterward improved by producing the nonlinear electric compensation to the nonlinear system of control valves, viz. the electro hydraulic control (EHC). This paper addresses the principle of linearization.
The control valve for a large steam turbine must be operated linearly to be run by an automatic control system in a power plant. It is, however, found that the flow increase is much greater for a given valve position change near the closed end of travel than it is near the open end. Accordingly, the desired linearization will be achieved if the valve is opened less near the closed end of travel and greater near the open end. The previous way for linearization was to utilize the cams, which is called the mechanical hydraulic control (MHC). The MHC was afterward improved by producing the nonlinear electric compensation to the nonlinear system of control valves, viz. the electro hydraulic control (EHC). This paper addresses the principle of linearization.
This paper proposes two interference mitigation strategies that adjust the maximum transmit power of femtocell users to suppress the cross-tier interference at a macrocell base station (BS). The open-loop and the closed-loop control suppress the cross-tier interference less than a fixed threshold and an adaptive threshold based on the noise and interference (NI) level at the macrocell BS, respectively. Simulation results show that both schemes effectively compensate the uplink throughput degradation of the macrocell BS due to the cross-tier interference and that the closed-loop control provides better femtocell throughput than the open-loop control at a minimal cost of macrocell throughput.
Independent component analysis (ICA), an efficient higher order statistics (HOS) based blind source separation technique, has been successfully applied in various fields. In this paper, we provide an overview of the applications of ICA in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication systems, and introduce some of the important issues surrounding them. First, we present an ICA based blind equalization scheme for MIMO orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, with linear precoding for ambiguity elimination. Second, we discuss three peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction schemes, which do not introduce any spectral overhead. Third, we investigate the application of ICA to blind compensation for inphase/quadrature (I/Q) imbalance in MIMO OFDM systems. Fin...
Mowing a meadow is an example of an equalizing process that reduces differences among species by removing aboveground biomass approximately 5?cm above ground. This regular disturbance that affects all plants prevents competitive exclusion of small species and thus allows coexistence of numerous species differing in shoot size. In this paper we search for the mechanism behind this by comparing the shoot biomass of 41 common species in dry and wet species-rich meadows in mown and recently abandoned plots in June (before mowing) and in October. We asked the following questions: i) Do the plants differ in proportion of biomass lost by mowing? ii) Are the mown plants able to compensate for biomass lost by mowing? iii) Is the compensatory ability of mown plants related to their size? iv) Is the ...
To more accurately measure fluorescent signals from microarrays, we calibrated our acquisition and analysis systems by using groundtruth samples comprised of known quantities of red and green gene-specific DNA probes hybridized to cDNA targets. We imaged the slides with a full-field, white light CCD imager and analyzed them with our custom analysis software. Here we compare, for multiple genes, results obtained with and without preprocessing (alignment, color crosstalk compensation, dark field subtraction, and integration time). We also evaluate the accuracy of various image processing and analysis techniques (background subtraction, segmentation, quantitation and normalization). This methodology calibrates and validates our system for accurate quantitative measurement of microarrays. Specifically, we show that preprocessing the images produces results significantly closer to the known ground-truth for these samples.
The Gravity Probe-B (GP-B) spacecraft, designed to test predictions of general relativity, will fly in the mid 1990s. It will carry four electrostatically suspended gyroscopes in a cryogenic environment and will have a drag-free control system to minimize disturbances on the gyroscopes. The Stanford Test of Equivalence Principle (STEP) spacecraft, to fly later, will carry a set of test masses under very similar conditions. The possibility of using differential measurements of the GP-B gyroscopes suspension forces and the STEP tests mass displacement readout to form single-axis gravity gradiometers is explored. It is shown that the noise in the suspension systems is sufficiently small in the relevant frequency range, and that enough information is collected to compensate for the spacecrafts' attitude motion. Finally, using Breakwell's flat-earth approximation, these experiments are compared to other geodesy experiments and predict the contribution ...
When testing multiple hypothesis in a survey --e.g. many different source locations, template waveforms, and so on-- the final result consists in a set of confidence intervals, each one at a desired confidence level. But the probability that at least one of these intervals does not cover the true value increases with the number of trials. With a sufficiently large array of confidence intervals, one can be sure that at least one is missing the true value. In particular, the probability of false claim of detection becomes not negligible. In order to compensate for this, one should increase the confidence level, at the price of a reduced detection power. False discovery rate control is a relatively new statistical procedure that bounds the number of mistakes made when performing multiple hypothesis tests. We shall review this method, discussing exercise applications to the field of gravitational wave surveys.
A negative public reaction is expected to oppose plans of the British energy industry to take valuable sites for industrial and commercial projects on the ground that government demand forecasts are too high and that they downplay conservation. The United Kingdom (UK) Department of Energy points out that public inquiry always accompanies energy installations and defends the projections made by producers even though each study emphasizes the demand for its own form of energy. At issue are plans to open 150 opencast coal mines a year to compensate for diminishing oil and gas supplies, onshore drilling by oil and gas exploration teams on nearly 50,000 km/sup 2/, and sites required for onshore pipelines, synthetic natural gas facilities, pumped storage plants, and nuclear power stations and waste management. The sites under discussion raise aesthetic and ecological concerns. (DCK)
Comparative indices are given for the efficiency of phase control of remote-controlled self-compensating high-voltage transmission lines, including a consideration of the power transfer effect between high-voltage line circuits. A description is given of certain circuit variations for performing the technical means of regulating phase shift, and their characteristics which make it possible to evaluate the effect of the phase regulators on the electrical transmission system are also given. An examination is made of problems concerned with the design of lines, relay protection, computation of transfer processes and dynamic stability as well as the computation of over-voltage when shutting off short circuits during amplified electromagnetic ties between line circuits.
This paper presents a new application in dynamic voltage control based on an older method of voltage regulation. The resulting method is suitable for adoption inn multi-unit pumped storage plants. Inherent operation characteristics of pumped storage plants in the pumping mode can created visible load rejection overvoltages on the transmission and the nearby distribution networks and cause customer complaints. This paper proposes a method in which the on-line units' excitation system impedance compensators are utilized to reduce the magnitude of these overvoltages. This paper presents the theoretical background, computer simulation results, and the field test results at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Helms Pumped Storage Plant. This paper should be of interest in the areas of power system planning as well as power system operation.
The two-sonde neutron-logging device RKS-2 registers the ratios of the indications of two sondes and is scaled in units representing the total water content of pure limestone when saturated with fresh water. When analyzing the results of the measurements in real wells, it is necessary to calculate the effect of well- and strata conditions on the results of porosity determination. The results of simulated measurements are presented, on the basis of which correction factors are immediately determined for the calculation of the effect of the diameter of the well, and the effect of the mud cake on the well wall. A nomogram is constructed and substantiated; its purpose is the calculation of the effect of the following on the RKS-2 indication: the diameter of the well, the mud cake on the well wall, the density of the drilling solution, temperature, pressure in the well, and the lithology of the rock.
In order to suppress resonance vibrations of a rotor-shaft of rotating machinery, a rotor-shaft system elastically supported by ball bearings which are installed in electromagnetic actuators are proposed and the design method of some compensatory circuits in the controller to control the electromagnetic actuators in the system are explained. These actuators are controlled by the analog PID (proportional, integral, and derivative) controller. The compensation for nonlinearity of electromagnetic force, the negative stiffness of electromagnet, and the time lag of the coil current are discussed and the effective control circuits are proposed. The rotor-shaft system is replaced by the equivalent two-degree-of-freedom system and both impulse and frequency responses are numerically simulated for several parameters of PD-controller gain. By applying the principle of dynamic absorbers, optimum parameters are calculated. The gains of the control circuit are adjusted to give ...
The coupled neutron-gamma cross section libraries BUGLE-80 and SAILOR are compared, with focus on gamma production and transport and its sensitivity to the thermal component of the neutron flux. In addition, the importance of the prompt versus delayed components of the gamma source is addressed. Although BUGLE-80 shows some discrepancies in the core region, the two libraries demonstrate similar capability in the vicinity of the pressure vessel and beyond. The delayed fission product gammas from the core have little impact on the local gamma fluxes beyond the pressure vessel. Although thermal neutron capture is the dominant component of the gamma source, there is little sensitivity of the gamma source to uncertainties in the thermal neutron cross sections, due to compensating effects which tend to keep the thermal neutron capture rate relatively constant.
Linear and nonlinear state feedback controllers are proposed to control the bifurcation of a phenomenon in power system, this phenomenon of electro-mechanical interaction between the series resonant circuits and torsional mechanical frequencies of the turbine-generator sections, which known as subsynchronous resonance (SSR). The first system of the IEEE second benchmark model is considered. The dynamics of the two axes damper windings, automatic voltage regulator and power system stabilizer are included. The linear controller gives better initial disturbance response than that of the nonlinear, but in a small narrow region of compensation factors. The nonlinear controller not only can be easily implemented, but also it stabilizes the operating point for all values of the bifurcation parameter.
The neutron transmutation doping (NTD) method was applied to the initially p-type silicon in order to extend the NTD applications at HANARO. The relationship between the irradiation neutron fluence and the final resistivity of the initially p-type silicon material was investigated. The proportional constant between the neutron fluence and the resistivity was determined to be 2.3473x10{sup 19} n {omega} cm{sup -1}. The deviation of the final resistivity from the target for almost all the irradiation results of the initially p-type silicon ingots was at a range from -5% to 2%. In addition, the burn-up effect of the boron impurities, the residual {sup 32}P activity and the effect of the compensation characteristics for the initially p-type silicon were studied. Conclusively, the practical methodology to perform the neutron transmutation doping of the initially p-type silicon ingot was established.
The neutron transmutation doping (NTD) method was applied to the initially p-type silicon in order to extend the NTD applications at HANARO. The relationship between the irradiation neutron fluence and the final resistivity of the initially p-type silicon material was investigated. The proportional constant between the neutron fluence and the resistivity was determined to be 2.3473x1019 n ? cm-1. The deviation of the final resistivity from the target for almost all the irradiation results of the initially p-type silicon ingots was at a range from -5% to 2%. In addition, the burn-up effect of the boron impurities, the residual 32P activity and the effect of the compensation characteristics for the initially p-type silicon were studied. Conclusively, the practical methodology to perform the neutron transmutation doping of the initially p-type silicon ingot was established.
The neutron transmutation doping (NTD) method was applied to the initially p-type silicon in order to extend the NTD applications at HANARO. The relationship between the irradiation neutron fluence and the final resistivity of the initially p-type silicon material was investigated. The proportional constant between the neutron fluence and the resistivity was determined to be 2.3473x1019ncm-1. The deviation of the final resistivity from the target for almost all the irradiation results of the initially p-type silicon ingots was at a range from -5% to 2%. In addition, the burn-up effect of the boron impurities, the residual 32P activity and the effect of the compensation characteristics for the initially p-type silicon were studied. Conclusively, the practical methodology to perform the neut...
In this work, long-term operation of a pilot scale mixed anaerobic reactor processing crude glycerol and rapeseed meal is discussed. These materials are generated as by-products of biodiesel production. Mixed reactor was operated under mesophilic conditions for the period of 654 days. Total cumulative production of biogas reached 379 m3 (at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature). Maximum volumetric loading achieved during the operation was 2.17 kg m?3 d?1 for the crude glycerol dose of 2 L. When dosing crude glycerol as a single substrate, average specific production of biogas of 0.76 m3 per L of the g-phase was achieved. The lack of nutrients in the g-phase had to be compensated by an addition of ammonium nitrogen in the form of urea into the reactor. Long term processing of crude ...
A new algorithm for the design of decentralized output feedback stabilizers for large-scale electric power systems is presented in this paper. In the proposed approach, the generators which are most effective for stabilizer applications are first identified by using participation factors. Then an efficient algorithm based on decentralized pole assignment is proposed for the determination of the parameters of the power system stabilizers which, due to the difficulty associated with the communication among the geographically dispersed generating stations in a large power system, are essentially decentralized compensators using local generator outputs as their feedback signals. The proposed method is computationally efficient and can be applied to any large-scale system. The simplicity and effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated by an example of stabilizer design for a practical power system.
Readout integrated circuits (ROICs) for focal plane arrays (FPAs) have become increasingly complex to meet the needs of modern infrared systems. BAE Systems has pioneered a number of advanced signal processing architectures for FPA ROICs. Demonstrated signal processing capabilities of BAE Systems FPAs include analog-to-digital conversion, offset subtraction, individual pixel automatic gain compensation, transient noise suppression, on-FPA defect deselection, reconfigurable pixels, spatial neural network processing and subframe noise averaging. BAE Systems FPA advanced signal processing is not just for demonstrations, but is used in many of their deliverable FPAs, improving real system performance.
We have generated approximately 100 watts of frequency doubled light from the output of an electro-optically Q-switched, diode-pumped Nd:YAG slab laser oscillator operating at an average power of 200 watts (2.5 kHz repetition rate, 80 mJ/pulse, 25 ns pulsewidth). The Q-switch was a compensated z-axis propagation LiNbO{sub 3} electro-optic modulator, and the frequency conversion crystal was a thin slab of KTP. In addition, Q-switched operation at an average power of approximately 250 watts with 26 ns pulsewidths has been demonstrated.
In this article, we studied the effects of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity on an unsteady two-dimensional laminar flow of a viscous incompressible conducting fluid past a semi-infinite vertical porous moving plate taking into account the effect of a magnetic field in the presence of variable suction. The fluid viscosity is assumed to vary as an inverse linear function of temperature but the thermal conductivity is assumed to vary as a linear function of temperature. It is assumed that the porous plate moves with a constant velocity in the direction of fluid flow, and the free stream velocity follows the exponentially increasing small perturbation law. The governing equations for the flow are transformed into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by perturbation ...
Diet overlap and niche breadth are well-known species traits from trophic ecology that can assist in explaining how species interact and coexist as well as the ecological mechanisms that influence biodiversity. In the present study, we analyzed the relationships between these trophic variables and indicators of resource availability with some attributes of fish assemblages (species richness, Shannon diversity index, evenness, density and individual body size). The physical and chemical characteristics of the biotopes (topography, water quality and conservation of slopes) were examined to identify possible patterns. Monthly sampling using electrofishing was conducted in 2003 along five streams located in the Cuiab? River watershed. The relationships between environmental variables and attri...
An automotive powertrain includes a conventional piston engine, a continuously variable ratio transmission, an engine speed sensor and a feedback control system. The control system adjusts both the transmission ratio and the throttle valve in the engine carburetor or fuel metering system in response to the position of the accelerator pedal and in response to the crankshaft speed as measured by the engine sensor. The transmission provides extreme overdrive gear ratios which allow the engine to be operated at wide open throttle even during moderate cruising, and, in addition, the engine carburetor or fuel metering system is calibrated to deliver to the engine a stoichiometric air-fuel mixture which is combined, before combustion, with a special proportion of recirculated exhaust gas. As a result of extensive wide open throttle engine operation with the above mentioned intake charge composition, combustion variables are optimized to produce ...
Abstract In this paper, a new predictive model that can forecast the performance of a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is presented. The new model includes four primary variables (rotor velocity, wind velocity, air density, and turbine power output) as well as five geometrical variables (rotor radius, turbine height, turbine width, stator spacing, and stator angle). These variables are reduced to include the power coefficient (Cp) and tip speed ratio (TSR). A power coefficient correlation for a novel VAWT (called a Zephyr Vertical axis Wind Turbine (ZVWT)) is developed. The turbine is an adaptation of the Savonius design. The new correlation can predict the turbine's performance for altered stator geometry and varying operating conditions. Numerical simulations with a rotating reference f...
This paper analyses Italian interregional migration flows. The approach taken is to decompose labour mobility flows into short distance and long distance migration and to model the effects of economic variables, social capital and quality of life variables, and amenity variables, on the mobility behaviour of individuals. We estimate these different types of migration flows using a negative binomial model, augmented with instruments to control for potential endogeneity issues. Our findings demonstrate that long distance migration reflects a disequilibrium model of migration whereas short distance migration largely reflects an equilibrium model of migration. As such, attempts to model interregional migration in general will be mis-specified as the simultaneously-operating underlying mobility...
The unavoidable irreversible losses of power in a heat engine are found to be of quantum origin. Following thermodynamic tradition a model quantum heat engine operating by the Otto cycle is analyzed. The working medium of the model is composed of an ensemble of harmonic oscillators. A link is established between the quantum observables and thermodynamical variables based on the concept of canonical invariance. These quantum variables are sufficient to determine the state of the system and with it all thermodynamical variables. Conditions for optimal work, power and entropy production show that maximum power is a compromise between the quasistatic limit of adiabatic following on the compression and expansion branches and a sudden limit of very short time allocation to these branches. At high temperatures and quasistatic operating conditions the efficiency at maximum power coincides with the endoreversible result. The optimal ...
Various SST indices in the Indo-Pacific region have been proposed in the literature in light of a long-range seasonal forecasting of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM). However, the dynamics associated with these different indices have never been compared in detail. To this end, the present work re-examines the variabilities of ISM rainfall, onset and withdrawal dates at interannual timescales and explores their relationships with El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and various modes of coupled variability in the Indian Ocean. Based on recent findings in the literature, five SST indices are considered here: Ni?o3.4 SST index in December?January both preceding [Nino(?1)] and following the ISM [Nino(0)], South East Indian Ocean (SEIO) SST in February?March, the Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) mode in ...
The primary objective of batch data as trajectory alignment (or synchronization) is to standardize the data sampling per batch according to the evolution of the process, and secondarily to homogenize the samples per run. The use of an indicator variable performs both objectives well. Two examples from the pharmaceutical sector are discussed to illustrate the different ways to deal with uneven samples across batches and across variables in the same batch. Since trajectory alignment requires large time investment, a simple triage approach is proposed to assess the need to analyze the dynamics of a given process and hence perform alignment. The presented examples are representative of a broad variety of batch processes that are operated by recipe in the pharmaceutical sector. In our experienc...
Abstract Mammalian teeth exhibit incremental structures representing successive forming fronts of enamel at varying time scales, including a short daily increment called a cross striation and a long period called a stria of Retzius, the latter of which, in humans, occurs on average every 8-9 days. The number of daily increments between striae is called the repeat interval, which is the same period as that required to form one increment of bone, i.e. the lamella, the fundamental - if not archetypal - unit of bone. Lamellae of known formation time nevertheless vary in width, and thus their measures provide time-calibrated growth rate variability. We measured growth rate variability for as many as 6 years of continuously forming primary incremental lamellar bone from midshaft femur histologic...
An interesting line of research is the investigation of the laws of random variables known as Dirichlet means. However, there is not much information on interrelationships between different Dirichlet means. Here, we introduce two distributional operations, one of which consists of multiplying a mean functional by an independent beta random variable, the other being an operation involving an exponential change of measure. These operations identify relationships between different means and their densities. This allows one to use the often considerable analytic work on obtaining results for one Dirichlet mean to obtain results for an entire family of otherwise seemingly unrelated Dirichlet means. Additionally, it allows one to obtain explicit densities for the related class of random variables that have generalized gamma convolution distributions and the finite-dimensional distribution of their associated L\\'{e}vy processes. ...
Purpose Nonpoint sources (NPS) pollution has been an important cause for water quality impairment worldwide. To take the temporal variations of both NPS pollution and in-stream attenuation into consideration, an inverse modeling approach and the load duration curve (LDC) method were combined for variable nutrient total maximum daily load (TMDL) development. Methods Water quality and hydrological parameters were monitored monthly along the ChangLe River system in 2004?2008. The catchment NPS export load (EL) and TMDL for total nitrogen (TN) were estimated by the inverse format of an existing stream nutrient transport equation. The LDC method was used to describe the variability of EL, TMDL, requiring load (RLR) and percent (the ratio between the RLR and the EL, RPR) reduction, and then to s...
The central engine of Gamma Ray Bursts is hidden from direct probing with photons mainly due to the high densities involved. Inferences on their properties are thus made from their cosmological setting, energetics, low-energy counterparts and variability. If GRBs are powered by hypercritical accretion onto compact objects, on small spatial scales the flow will exhibit fluctuations, which could in principle be reflected in the power output of the central engine and ultimately in the high energy prompt emission. Here we address this issue by characterizing the variability in neutrino cooled accretion flows through local shearing box simulations with magnetic fields, and then convolving them on a global scale with large scale dynamical simulations of accretion disks. The resulting signature is characteristic, and sensitive to the details of the cooling mechanism, providing in principle a discriminant for GRB central engine properties.
Multi-millennial climate changes were relatively minor over the mid-late Holocene in the British Isles, because orbitally forced insolation changes were smaller than those at higher latitudes. Centennial climate variability is thus likely to have exerted a greater influence on the environment and human society of the region. Proxy-climate records from the British Isles covering the last 4500years are assembled and re-evaluated with the aim of identifying centennial climate variability reflected by multi-proxy indicators. The proxies include bog oak populations, peatland surface wetness, flooding episodes from fluvial deposits, speleothem annual band width and oxygen isotopes, chironomids from lake sediments and sand and dune deposition. Most proxies reflect water balance rather than temper...
This paper presents a study on Manasbal lake, which is one of the high altitude lakes in the Kashmir Valley, India. Eighteen water samples were analysed for major ions and trace elements to assess the variability of water quality of the lake for various purposes. Geostatistics, the theory of regionalized variables, was then used to enhance the dataset and estimate some missing spatial values. Results indicated that the concentration of major ions in the water samples in winter was higher than in summer. The scatter diagrams suggested the dominance of alkaline earths over the alkali elements. Three types of water were identified in the lake that are referred to as Ca?HCO3, Mg?HCO3 and hybrid types. The lake water was found to be controlled by rock?water interaction with carbonate lithology ...
This paper focuses on a factorial-based design strategy. The approach provides an efficient and statistically reliable means for assessing the influence of multivariable effects. It is applied to the detection and evaluation of damage in impacted composite sandwich panels. The experimental results obtained from this test strategy are utilized to form an empirical response function. The resulting polynomial relates damage area to residual compression strength at values of independent variables for which testing did not occur. The response function also identifies nonlinear interaction effects of key variabes that cannot be easily ascertained by traditional single-variable test strategies. Independent variables evaluated include core thickness, number of face sheet plys and impact energy. The methodology presented allows the designer to predict with more confidence the damage tolerance of a composite material component, and ...
A variable gene delivery system has been developed based on conjugating chitosan to biotin through a functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer, which can be used to further bind different molecules on the outer layer of a polymer/DNA complex by streptavidin (SA)-biotin linkage. In this study, TAT-conjugated SA was used as the model molecule to prove the conjugation function of the prepared complex. In addition, low-molecular-weight poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) was added into the polymer/DNA complex to increase the transfection efficiency. The results of the luciferase assay show that the transfection efficiency of the prepared complex was significantly correlated with the amount of PEI and was further enhanced when TAT was conjugated to the complex by SA-biotin linkage. Considered to have negligible cytotoxic effects, the variable gene delivery complex prepared in this study would be of considerable potential as carriers for in vitro ...
Experiments based on a 23 central composite full factorial design were carried out in 200-ml stainless-steel containers to study the pretreatment, with dilute sulfuric acid, of a sugarcane bagasse sample obtained from a local sugar?alcohol mill. The independent variables selected for study were temperature, varied from 112.5?C to 157.5?C, residence time, varied from 5.0 to 35.0 min, and sulfuric acid concentration, varied from 0.0% to 3.0% (w/v). Bagasse loading of 15% (w/w) was used in all experiments. Statistical analysis of the experimental results showed that all three independent variables significantly influenced the response variables, namely the bagasse solubilization, efficiency of xylose recovery in the hemicellulosic hydrolysate, efficiency of cellulose enzymatic saccharificatio...
We analyzed the effect of short-term water deficits at different periods of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaf development on the spatial and temporal patterns of tissue expansion...Full Text Available
Effector proteins expressed in the esophageal gland cells of cyst nematodes are delivered into plant cells through a hollow, protrusible stylet. Although evidence indicates that effector proteins function...Full Text Available
BackgroundTransposons, i.e. transposable elements (TEs), are the major internal spontaneous mutation agents for the variability of eukaryotic genomes. To address the general issue...Full Text Available
Expressions for the spatial moments and macrodispersion tensor for sorbing solutes in heterogeneous formations were presented using a probabilistic model of a fluid residence time coupled with the particle position analysis. The fluid residence time was defined as a fraction of the actual time during which the particle stayed in the mobile fluid phase of the aquifer. The fluid residence time is a random variable whose variability comes as a result of the non-equilibrium sorption properties. The sorbing solute was assumed to be governed with first-order linear kinetics. The closed-form expressions were based on the stationarity in the kinetic process and on the first-order approximation in the hydraulic conductivity field and in the fluid residence time. The non-equilibrium effects were presented as a function of the spatial variability in hydraulic conductivity and temporal variability in the fluid ...
The paralysis-by-analysis phenomenon, i.e., attending to the execution of one's movement impairs performance, has gathered a lot of attention over recent years (see Wulf, 2007,...Full Text Available
Activation-induced deaminase (AID) initiates somatic hypermutation, gene conversion and class switch recombination by deaminating variable and switch region DNA cytidines to uridines. AID is predominantly...Full Text Available
Intraindividual variability of measurements of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), nicotine, cotinine, and r-1,t-2,3,c-4-tetrahydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophenanthrene...Full Text Available
A previous report of high levels of members of the domain Archaea in Antarctic coastal waters prompted us to investigate the ecology of Antarctic planktonic prokaryotes. rRNA hybridization...Full Text Available
BackgroundSynonymous sites are freer to vary because of redundancy in genetic code. Messenger RNA secondary structure restricts this freedom, as revealed by previous findings in...Full Text Available
Dependent variables in research on problem behavior typically are based on measures of response repetition, but these measures may be problematic when behavior poses high risk or when its occurrence...Full Text Available
IntroductionHealth information on the Internet undergoes no quality control at the stage of production, thus its quality is highly variable, making it difficult...Full Text Available
Information from the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) is used to identify which variables measured in 1981 successfully predict the severity of disease in 1989 and the eight year change in severity...Full Text Available
Dissecting the genes involved in complex traits can be confounded by multiple factors, including extensive epistatic interactions among genes, the involvement of epigenetic regulators, and the variable...Full Text Available
BackgroundAn earlier study showed that a week of yoga practice was useful in stress management after a natural calamity. Due to heavy rain and a rift on the banks of the Kosi river,...Full Text Available
The highly variable and intermittent pollutant concentrations and flowrates associated with wet-weather events in combined sewersheds necessitates the use of storage-treatment systems to control pollution.An optimized combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) control system requires a manage...
Using the POLISH instrument, I am unable to reproduce the large-amplitude polarimetric observations of Berdyugina et al. (2008) to the >99.99% confidence level. I observe no significant polarimetric variability in the HD 189733 system, and the upper limit to variability from the exoplanet is Delta_P < 7.9 x 10^(-5) with 99% confidence in the 400 nm to 675 nm wavelength range. Berdyugina et al. (2008) report polarized, scattered light from the atmosphere of the HD 189733b hot Jupiter with an amplitude of two parts in 10^4. Such a large amplitude is over an order of magnitude larger than expected given a geometric albedo similar to other hot Jupiters. However, my non-detection of polarimetric variability phase-locked to the orbital period of the exoplanet, and the lack of any significant variability, shows that the polarimetric modulation reported by Berdyugina et al. (2008) cannot be due to the ...
The effect of spatial auditory information on a listener's ability to detect, identify, and monitor multiple simultaneous speech signals was evaluated using virtual audio technology. Factorial combinations of three variables - the number of localized spee...
The sequence-dependent structural variability and conformational dynamics of DNA play pivotal roles in many biological milieus, such as in the site-specific binding of transcription factors to target...Full Text Available
The sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) domain data obtained by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with 18S rDNA and fingerprinting (M13) for clinical...Full Text Available
Despite the demonstrated clinical efficacy of CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) for lymphoma therapy, the in vivo mechanisms of tumor depletion remain controversial and variable. To identify the molecular...Full Text Available
Study objectiveThe study aim was to improve our understanding of the relationships between contextual socioeconomic characteristics and coronary heart disease (CHD)...Full Text Available
Simulations with a regional chemical transport model show that anthropogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) lead to a dramatic diurnal...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo develop consistent variable names and a common database structure for the data elements in the International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Data Sets.Full Text Available
Random forest (RF) analysis of genetic data does not require specification of the mode of inheritance, and provides measures of variable importance that incorporate interaction effects. In this paper...Full Text Available
Although humans vary in their response to chemicals, comprehensive measures of susceptibility have generally not been incorporated into human risk assessment. The U.S. EPA dose-response-based risk assessments...Full Text Available
In this review we attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary history of hominin life history from extant and fossil evidence. We utilize demographic life history theory and distinguish life history variables,...Full Text Available
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ecologically important root symbionts of most terrestrial plants. Ecological studies of AMF have concentrated on differences between species; largely assuming...Full Text Available
High speed experimental tests provided data on six parametric cylindrical roller bearings. Four bearing variables were evaluated and the results were correlated with the analytical model developed under Naval Air Propulsion Center Contract N00140-76-C-038...
An approach to the calculation of the quantity of heat consumed in the process of coal formation is presented. The variability of this parameter in a coalification series is analyzed using coals from the Kuznetsk and Tunguska Basins as an example.
The systems for which the algebra of gauge transformations in the lagrangian formalism is closed, are considered. The hamiltonian BRST charge and the BRST-invariant hamiltonian are found explicitly. Their expansions in powers of the ghost variables contain, in general, an infinite number of terms. (orig.).
Glossitis among U.S. military working dogs in South Vietnam was characterized by variable redness and loss of papillae on the anterodorsal third of the tongue; salivation, drooling, and inappetence were the principal clinical signs. Symptomatic treatment ...
The torque-velocity relationship is known to be affected by ageing, decreasing its protective role in the prevention of falls. Interindividual variability in this torque-velocity relationship is partly...Full Text Available
Despite their status as the most speciose group of terrestrial vertebrates, birds exhibit the smallest and least variable genome sizes among tetrapods. It has been suggested that this is because powered...Full Text Available
Exercise is essential for health, yet the amount, duration, and intensity that individuals engage in are strikingly variable, even under prescription. Our focus was to identify the locations and effects...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
The aim of the present study focuses on experimentally demonstrating the efficacy of using angularly-variable fiber geometry to achieve the desired tissue-layer selection and probing depths with the further objective of enhancing the sensitivity and specificity of spectral diagnosis in stratified architectures that resemble human cervical epithelia. The morphological and biochemical features of epithelial tissue vary in accordance with tissue depths; consequently, the accuracy of spectroscopic diagnosis of epithelial dysplasia may be enhanced by probing the optical properties of this tissue. When correlated to cellular dysplasia, layer-specific changes in tissue optical properties may be deciphered by reflectance spectroscopy coupled with angularly-variable fiber geometry. This study addresses the utility of using such angularly-variable fiber geometry for resolving spatially-specific spectral signatures of tissue ...
We investigated the effects of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge on the ecology of bacterial communities in the sediment of a small, low-gradient stream in South Australia. The quantification...Full Text Available
... 1984; Martin-Mora et al., 1995), and parasitism (Rothschild and Rothschild, 1939; Pesigan et al., 1958; Moose, 1963; Pan, ... effects of digeneans are variable; they may enhance (Rothschild and Rothschild...
Understanding the pathogenesis of obesity is now more important than ever, given the remarkable world-wide epidemic. This paper explores the potential role of core temperature in energy balance, and...Full Text Available
Energy confinement in W7-AS has been analyzed in terms of dimensionally exact form free functions employing Bayesian probability theory. The confinement function was set up as a linear combination of dimensionally exact power law terms as already proposed very early by Connor and Taylor. Generation of this expansion basis is dictated by the basic plasma model which one assumes. Based upon data accumulated in W7-AS, which contains the energy content for a wide variety of variable settings, predictions for single variable scans are made. The scaling functions for density and power scans, respectively, are in quantitative agreement with data collected in W7-AS. The result of a single variable scan is therefore already hidden in the data obtained for arbitrary variable choices and can be extracted from the latter by a proper data analysis. Furthermore, the optimal model for the description of the global ...
Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) is a recently developed technique suitable for describing scaling behavior of variability in physiological signals. The purpose of this study is to explore...Full Text Available
Certain structural and environmental factors other than technical combination of resources and firm size are hypothesized to affect medical practice output. Four groups of variables related to physician...Full Text Available
BackgroundStudies conducted in developed countries using economic models show that individual- and household- level variables are important determinants of health insurance ownership....Full Text Available
In recent years the modelling of interannual climate variability has been studied, the atmospheric energy and water cycles, and climate simulations with the ECHAM3 model. In addition, the climate simulations of several models have been compared with special emphasis in the area of northern Europe
BackgroundInadequate platelet inhibition despite aspirin and clopidogrel therapy during and after a percutaneous coronary intervention is associated with an impaired clinical outcome....Full Text Available
In this report, the main emphasis is given to (1) the problems associated with the basic calibration of the spectroradiometer and (2) the year-to-year variability of the calibrations of the solar UV network radiometers. Also, the results from intercomparisons of the Brewer and OL 742 spectroradiometers are included
PurposeTo analyze the contributions of cytochrome P4501B1 (CYP1B1) mutations to primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) in Spanish patients.MethodsWe...Full Text Available
An elliptic equation in a rectangle with coefficients depending on a fast variable and with its period being a small parameter is considered. An asymptotic expansion of the solution up to an arbitrary degree of the small parameter is constructed and substantiated by applying the two-scale expansion method.
After discrimination training on a multiple variable-interval extinction schedule of food reinforcement, pigeons were placed on the uncued or mixed version of the same schedule and allowed to make...Full Text Available
Visual assessment of the degree of renal artery stenosis on renal arteriography has a large inter- and intraobserver variability. This degree is usually estimated by the ratio between the most narrowed...Full Text Available
BackgroundMost analyses of spatial clustering of disease have been based on either residence at the time of diagnosis or current residence. An underlying assumption in these analyses...Full Text Available
Antiplatelet resistance has been proposed as a possible mechanism to explain recurrent cardiovascular events in patients who have coronary artery disease and who are undergoing dual antiplatelet therapy....Full Text Available
In the case wherein nonlinear seismic response analyses are carried out, the response values vary due to the variations in materials and modeling. In this paper, nonlinear analyses of several random variables are carried out using: i. a conventional method; ii. a two-point estimation method (i. and ii. are simplified methods); and iii. Monte Carlo simulation (detailed method) to examine the variability of the response in the excessive nonlinear range for seismic responses of shear walls. The analyses are performed to a PWR-3 loop type reactor building which is one of the most typical reactor buildings in Japan. The variations are considered in specified compressive strength of concrete, concrete damping factor, shear wave velocity of soil and shapes of shear stress-strain relation curves of shear walls. As the results by the two simplified methods closely matched the Monte Carlo simulation results, the appropriateness for applying the ...
BackgroundTraditionally in pediatric HIV, the CD4+ T-lymphocyte percent is used in monitoring disease progression due to the variability in absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte...Full Text Available
The distribution of 20 variable regions resulting from insertion-deletion events in the genomes of the tubercle bacilli has been evaluated in a total of 100 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis,...Full Text Available
PurposeTo detail the highly variable ocular phenotypes of a French family affected with an autosomal dominantly inherited vitreoretinopathy and to identify the disease gene.MethodsSixteen...Full Text Available
BackgroundWith the explosion in data generated using microarray technology by different investigators working on similar experiments, it is of interest to combine results across...Full Text Available
Structural variants which cause changes in copy numbers constitute an important component of genomic variability. They account for 0.7% of genomic differences in two individual genomes, of which...Full Text Available
A study trip to a biomass gasification plant in Germany took place from 13-15 November 2000. The goal of the trip was to obtain information on German developments, experience, and possibilities in the field of biomass gasification. The participants were representatives of Dutch parties in the energy sector: waste sector, manufacturers, producers, policy makers and consultants. The most important feature was the visit to plants that were in operation. Due in particular to the new EEG (Emeuerbare-Energien-Gesetz/Renewable Energy) legislation, German policy makers have created an initial market for sustainable energy with a degree of success. The key feature is that EEG makes projects 'bankable' by guaranteeing a return delivery compensation. An EEG-type scheme designed to accelerate the development of sustainable energy could be an interesting instrument also for the Netherlands. The plan was to visit four plants and have a number of presentations in a period of ...
Basic research of the structure and electronic properties of a-Si:H is reported with particular emphasis on the role of defects. The main findings are as follows: (1) low defect density material can be deposited at a high rate using SiH/sub 4/ diluted in He or Ne. Using Ar or Kr results in a high defect density and columnar material; (2) an electrical bias during deposition modifies the band gap, hydrogen concentration and structure; (3) the clustering of hydrogen in the regions between the columns is confirmed; (4) hydrogen diffusion is observed by NMR; (5) the oxidation of an a-Si:H surface results in approx. 3 x 10/sup 11/ cm/sup -2/ dangling bonds at the interface; (6) auger recombination of photoexcited carriers is a significant non-radiative mechanism at low temperatures; (7) non-radiative recombination by diffusion and capture at dangling bonds is observed at temperatures above 50 to 100/sup 0/K; (8) the defect density in doped and compensated a-Si:H is ...
Radio frequency (RF) sheaths are suspected of limiting the performance of present-day ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRFs) antennas over long pulses and should be minimized in future fusion devices. Within the simplest models, RF-sheath effects are quantified by the integral VRF = ? E|| ? dl where the parallel RF field E|| is linked with the slow wave. On 'long open field lines' with large toroidal extension on both sides of the antenna it was shown that VRF is excited by parallel RF currents j|| flowing on the antenna structure. In this paper, the validity of this simple sheath theory is tested experimentally on the Tore Supra (TS) ITER-like antenna prototype (ILP), together with antenna simulation and post-processing codes developed to compute VRF. The predicted poloidal localization of high-|VRF| zones is confronted to that inferred from experimental data analysis. Surface temperature distribution on ILP front face, as well as ILP-induced modifications of RF coupling and hot ...
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, ...
The aim of this paper is to investigate the fluid dynamic behaviour of a commercial hydraulic proportional valve in order to evaluate and justify its global performances and, in particular, to analyze the effects of some additional design features on the reduction of the force required to maintain the valve open. The proposed analysis has been performed by applying the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, Fluent, to the solution of the three dimensional turbulent flow field through a circumferential sector of the entire valve for different spool strokes. The reliability of the employed modelization is demonstrated by the comparison between the computed flow rate curve and the corresponding experimental data provided by the manufacturer. With regard to the metering edge design, it is shown that the cylindrical hole provided on the top of the hemi-spherical notch to improve metering at small valve openings has no influence on the flow force balance. The presented results ...
A variable-dispersion electron spectrometer is being installed for use by the Stanford Superconducting Accelerator in conjunction with its Free Electron Laser program. The system has been designed to operate with electron beam energies from 20 MeV to 200 MeV, with a maximum energy resolution of 0.01% FWHM. The maximum energy acceptance is approximately #+-# 5%, as determined by the bending magnet aperture. Resolution is controlled by adjusting the focal conditions at the entrance to a 90 degree bending magnet, while the dispersion is controlled by changing the magnitude and polarity of the field in a quadrupole magnet which immediately follows the bending magnet. 4 refs., 5 figs.
This report describes the design, fabrication, installation and testing of a small variable-speed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). This VAWT is unique in its installation using hand tools only; unconventional and simple support system; and variable speed operation under microprocessor control. Initial testing confirmed that the turbine can be controlled by commanded alternator field modulation. Further studies will be directed toward determination of an optimum control algorithm.
Divergence between aircraft engine emission regulations proposed by EPA and ICAO is discussed. Every engine, upon entering service, requires a certificate as to its compliance with emission standards. It is shown that despite the large variability in the measurements, it is possible to devise a certification procedure requiring the testing of one engine only. Statistical modeling of such a test at the 5% significance level is described. Values of the parameter standard deviation/mean recommended as certification standards for various pollutants are given. Features of a rational certification scheme to be formulated are outlined.
We construct representation of the Separated Variables (SoV) for the quantum SL(2,R) Heisenberg closed spin chain and obtain the integral representation for the eigenfunctions of the model. We calculate explicitly the Sklyanin measure defining the scalar product in the SoV representation and demonstrate that the language of Feynman diagrams is extremely useful in establishing various properties of the model. The kernel of the unitary transformation to the SoV representation is described by the same "pyramid diagram" as appeared before in the SoV representation for the SL(2,C) spin magnet. We argue that this kernel is given by the product of the Baxter Q-operators projected onto a special reference state.
For reliable operation and the optimization of production, industrial fermentation processes require appropriate tools for monitoring the process in real time. This work presents the structure and operation of a soft sensor for the on-line monitoring of biomass and product concentration during salinomycin and bacitracin fermentation in an industrial, 80-m^3 batch reactor; moreover it provides a tool for evaluation of batch production verified in industrial application. The process estimation algorithm consists of decoupled growth and product models, which ensures an unbiased convergence of the estimator and the robustness of the model. The production of secondary metabolites is described with a non-structured model upgraded with a variable forgetting factor that demonstrated a successful e...
The idle speed of an internal combustion engine is controlled in response to a variable ignition timing control signal from a microcomputer. The microcomputer derives this control signal as a function of the magnitude of engine speed variation which occurs during engine idle periods to cause the ignition timing to vary quickly in response to a transitory engine load variation. An auxiliary air delivery system may be advantageously incorporated in the idle speed control system to cooperate with the ignition timing control in response to the engine speed variation.
The marine ram-type blowout preventer deployed from an offshore drilling rig has one serious disadvantage, its inaccessibility. A development to promote reliability of the subsea ram-type preventer and reduce the excess running and pulling to charge out rams, is the variable bare ram (VBR). Unlike the standard ram, the VBR has the ability to pack off a range of pipe sizes. Interest in VBR's has been revived and research and development in this equipment goes on at each of three manufacturer's facilities in Houston.
We discuss the inclusive production of D{sup *{+-}} mesons in {gamma}p collisions at DESY HERA, based on a calculation at next-to-leading order in the general-mass variable-flavor-number scheme. In this approach, MS subtraction is applied in such a way that large logarithmic corrections are resummed in universal parton distribution and fragmentation functions and finite mass terms are taken into account. We present detailed numerical results for a comparison with data obtained at HERA and discuss various sources of theoretical uncertainties. (orig.)
We consider the spin-up of the white dwarf in non-magnetic cataclysmic variables (CVs) during secular evolution. If this is unresisted, CVs are quenched as boundary-layer emitters once the binary period has decreased by #approx# 1 hr. Angular momentum loss in nova explosions may, however, prevent the star reaching breakup. If the explosions remove (1 + #epsilon#) x the mass accreted between outbursts, values 0.5 < #approx# #epsilon# < #approx# 1 allow CVs to be modest boundary-layer emitters for most of their lifetimes. Spectral effects will limit their detection as soft X-ray sources. (author).
Energy productivity and energy intensity within the industrial sector of the economy are examined. Results suggest that relative prices and other economic factors can explain much of the variation in both energy productivity and energy intensity for manufacturing and mining and for the industrial sector as a whole. Cyclical factors, seasonal factors and trend variables are also useful in explaining variation in these data, both for annual and monthly time series. Of the variables examined, it appears that the relative price of energy is a highly significant factor in accounting for the difference between actual industrial energy intensity and that which might have been expected had pre-1973 trends continued.
The effects of variable hardness, pH, alkalinity, humics, and suspended clay on the chemical speciation of copper and its toxicity to fathead minnow larvae in Lake Superior water were investigated. Two proposed methods (toxicity factors and chemical speciation) for predicting LC50 values in specific natural waters from laboratory toxicity data and the average site specific values of general water quality parameters were evaluated. The accuracy of the cupric ion-selective electrode in determining CU/sup +2/ activities in ambient and chemically altered Lake Superior water was also determined.
We present a protocol for quantum key distribution using discrete modulation of coherent states of light. Information is encoded in the variable phase of coherent states which can be chosen from a regular discrete set ranging from binary to continuous modulation similar to phase-shift keying in classical communication. Information is decoded by simultaneous homodyne measurement of both quadratures and requires no active choice of basis. The protocol utilizes either direct or reverse reconciliation both with and without postselection. We analyze the security of the protocol and show how to enhance it by the optimal choice of all variable parameters of the quantum signal.
In this project we determined primary production and optical variability in the shelf and slope waters off of Cape Hatteras, N.C. These processes were addressed in conjunction with other Ocean Margins Program investigators, during the Spring Transition period and during Summer. We found that there were significant differences in measured parameters between Spring and Summer, enabling us to develop seasonally specific carbon production and ecosystem models as well as seasonal and regional algorithm improvements for use in remote sensing applications.
A fermionic - based on Grassmann--Berezin calculus of anticommuting variables - topological quantum field theory (TQFT) is considered, mainly in three dimensions. It is defined for piecewise-linear manifolds and, for a given triangulation, deals only with a finite number of variables. Despite its simple nature, it can distiguish between lens spaces L(7,1) and L(7,2). And despite its origin from a kind of Reidemeister torsion, it does this without using nontrivial representations of the fundamental group. Also, symbolic calculations are presented giving strong evidence of existence of similar theory in four dimensions.
Pippenger (2011) recently proposed a solution to the longstanding forward-bias puzzle. He argues that the puzzling estimates obtained using the standard equation for the efficient markets hypothesis are due to omitted variable bias. He identifies the missing variables as the future change in the forward exchange rate and the future interest differential. When these are added to the standard equation, he finds a one-to-one relationship between the future change in the spot rate and the forward premium. However, we argue that his equation can only test covered interest parity and offers no insight into the forward-bias puzzle.
A reliability approach for probabilistic modeling of one-dimensional non-reactive and reactive transport in porous media provides two important quantitative results: (1) an estimate of the probability that dimensionless concentration equals or exceeds some specified level and, (2) the sensitivity of the probabilistic outcome to likely changes in each uncertain variable. The reliability approach is particularly attractive because it can incorporate various marginal probability density functions (PDF) for any of the uncertain variables. In this work uncertain variables include: groundwater flow velocity, diffusion coefficient, dispersivity, distribution coefficient, porosity and bulk density. The primary objective is to examine how the probabilistic outcome is influenced by choice of marginal PDF, correlation and magnitude of uncertainty for the variables. Because little information exists concerning the ...
In the last decade, interest has increased in coastal and freshwater wetland restoration and creation at all levels of government, in the scientific community, and in the private sector. US Environmental Protection Agency personnel agreed that there was a pressing need to determine how well created and restored wetlands compensate for losses permitted under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. An effort was made to capture information not published elsewhere and incorporate it with published literature to produce a unique resource. The status report is the first major publication resulting from research initiated on wetland creation and restoration. Conceived as a mechanism for identifying the adequacy of the available information, this status report will help set priorities for the research program and provide Agency personnel with an analytical framework for making Section 404 permit decisions based on the status of the science of wetland creation and restoration. ...
Electrical heating of subsea flowlines is an effective way to prevent wax and hydrate information, especially for long transportation distances and in low-temperature deep water. Systems are available for use in conjunction with bundles, pipe-in-pipe, and wet-thermal-insulation systems. These systems provide environmentally friendly fluid-temperature control without chemicals or flaring for pipeline depressurizing. Enhanced production is achieved because no time is lost by unnecessary depressurizing, pigging, heating-medium circulation, or removal of hydrate and wax blockages. The seabed temperature at 100-m and greater water depths may range from 7 to {minus}1.5 C, causing a rapid cooling of the hot well streams being transported in subsea flowlines. Under these supercooling conditions, vulnerable crude oils and multiphase compositions will deposit wax and asphalts; also the gas/water phase may freeze solid with hydrate particles. The paper discusses thermal-insulated flowlines, ...
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 quality assurance checks. The samples to be analyzed contain very low concentrations of radioisotopes. The main reason that ...
In this two chapter report, instrumentation used to collect seismic data is described. This data acquisition system has two parts: (1) portable anolog seismic recorders and related ``hand-held-testers`` (HHT) and (2) portable digitizing units. During the anolog recording process, ground motion is sensed by a 2-Hz vertical-component seismometer. The voltage output from the seismometer is split without amplification and sent to three parallel amplifier circuit boards. Each circuit board amplifiers the seismic signal in three stages and then frequency modulates the signal. Amplification at the last two stages can be set by the user. An internal precision clock signal is also frequency modulated. The three data carrier frequencies, the clock carrier frequency, and a tape-speed compensation carrier frequency are summed and recorded on a recorded on a cassette tape. During the digitizing process, the cassette tapes are played back and the signals are demultiplexed and ...
Power system stabilizers (PSSs) are used to enhance damping of power system oscillations through excitation control of synchronous generator. The objective of the PSS is to generate a stabilizing signal, which produces a damping torque component on the generator shaft. Conventional PSSs are designed with the phase compensation technique in the frequency domain and include the lead-lag blocks whose parameters are determined according to a linearized power system model. The performance of conventional PSSs (CPSSs) depends upon the generator operating point and the system parameters, but a reasonable level of robustness can be achieved depending on the tuning method. This paper presents a new three-dimensional PSS (3D PSS), which uses rotor speed deviation, rotor acceleration and load angle deviation as input signals. The 3D PSS attempts to return the generator to the state-space origin, based on the generator's trajectory in state-space and the achievement ...
Upper and lower thermal limits and temperature dependent growth were determined for a number of organisms (or populations) representing various functional groups of stream ecosystems (microconsumers, producers, and macroconsumers, shredders, collectors, scrapers, and predators). Although temperature functions as an overall control parameter, organic substrate (microconsumers) and inorganic nutrients (microconsumers and producers), light (producers) and food quality (macroconsumers) can modify thermal responses. Stream microorganisms typically grow below their thermal optima, community composition being determined by those that can manage the maximum growth at a given temperature utilizing a given organic substrate. Producers in first to third order streams are generally light limited (although nutrient availability is also important). Food quality, primarily a function of microbial biomass in the case of detritivores. can compensate for temperature dependent growth ...
A computer controlled digital system, Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR) is capable of providing more stable output image than conventional screen/film system. So FCR would be an ideal system for the detection of pneumoconiosis due to the constant high quality of the output films. We tried to find the optimum image processing to compensate the small size (1/2 in length of a full-size radiograph) of the output image of digital radiography. The best result for FCR was given with gamma 0.85 and 0.30 enhancement of response at spatial frequency of 0.085 cycle/mm. On the other hand, the digitally processed FCR size ILO standard films, the characteristics of which is different from FCR output films, proved to be most preferable when the image processing is made with gamma 0.85 and 0.25 enhancement at spacial frequency of 0.17 cycle/mm. If the above mentioned image processings are adopted, FCR can be used for the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis with the same accuracy as the ...
A computer controlled digital system, Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR) is capable of providing more stable output image than conventional screen/film system. So FCR would be an ideal system for the detection of pneumoconiosis due to the constant high quality of the output films. We tried to find the optimum image processing to compensate the small size (1/2 in length of a full-size radiograph) of the output image of digital radiography. The best result for FCR was given with gamma 0.85 and 0.30 enhancement of response at spatial frequency of 0.085 cycle/mm. On the other hand, the digitally processed FCR size ILO standard films, the characteristics of which is different from FCR output films, proved to be most preferable when the image processing is made with gamma 0.85 and 0.25 enhancement at spacial frequency of 0.17 cycle/mm. If the above mentioned image processings are adopted, FCR can be used for the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis with the same accuracy as the ...
The objective of the Coastal Habitat Injury Assessment study was to document and quantify injury to biota of the shallow subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal zones throughout the shoreline affected by oil or cleanup activity associated with the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The results of these studies were to be used to support the Trustee`s Type B Natural Resource Damage Assessment under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). A probability based stratified random sample of shoreline segments was selected with probability proportional to size from each of 15 strata (5 habitat types crossed with 3 levels of potential oil impact) based on those data available in July, 1989. Three study regions were used: Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet/Kenai Peninsula, and Kodiak/Alaska Peninsula. A Geographic Information System was utilized to combine oiling and habitat data and to select the probability sample of study sites. ...
The paper discusses the safety problems connected with the conversion to dense storage of RBMK-1000 spent fuel in reactor cooling pools and independent storage facilities. Recourse to dense storage has been made for a number of reasons, among which are the absence of spent fuel shipments from the nuclear power plant site, prolongation of storage time and a partial change in storage conditions. Increasing the storage density per unit volume of the storage facility and turning to new technical procedures (as against the basic design) call for further investigation of safety problems. The safety assessment of the dense storage mode includes: (1) Selecting a list of initiating events for design basis and unforeseeable accidents; (2) Assessing dense storage safety under normal as well as design basis accident conditions; (3) Safety analysis and development of measures to compensate for unforeseen accidents. Based on the studies performed, suggestions have been advanced ...
This report is an overview of Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) research on how hydroelectric generation affects aquatic biota and environments. The major accomplishments of this research are described, and additional work needed to permit optimal use of available data is identified. The research goals are to: (1) identify impacts of hydroelectric generation, (2) provide guidance in allocating scarce water resources, and (3) develop techniques to avoid or reduce the impacts on aquatic communities or to compensate for unavoidable impacts. Through laboratory and field experiments, an understanding is being developed of the generic impacts of hydrogeneration. Because PNL is located near the Columbia River, which is extensively developed for hydroelectric generation, it is used as a natural laboratory for studying a large-scale operating system. Although the impacts studied result from a particular system of dams and operating procedures and occur within a ...
Crystalline MnMoO{sub 4} was synthesized using a conventional solid reaction method and investigated for its physical and electrochemical properties as an anode material for Li secondary battery. The reversible amount of Li insertion/removal of MnMoO{sub 4} anode during the first cycle was about 800 mA h/g, accompanied by irreversible structural transformation into amorphous material. The amorphization during the first Li insertion was investigated by structural analysis using XRD of electrode. The charge compensation during Li insertion/removal was examined by measurement of X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Despite its irreversible structural transformation to amorphous during the first lithiation, subsequent cycles showed a reasonable cyclability. This paper presents the electrochemical properties of MnMoO{sub 4} and discusses the mechanism underlying the Li insertion/removal process.
An engineering tool incorporating a scanning infrared radiometer, an image digitizer, a microcomputer, and the software to drive the system was developed to allow remote mapping of the temperature distribution in solar cavity receivers. Using enclosure analysis, the infrared image processing program extracts the irradiance map from the radiosity map of the cavity to yield an emissive power map. Using the calibration curve of the radiometer and the emissivity of the surface of the cavity, the emissive power map is transformed into a temperature map. The system was tested by comparing its calculated temperatures to temperatures measured by thermocouples at several locations on the surfaces of heated model cavity receivers. The average relative error for the cavities ranged from 4.6%--34.9%, with the relative error on the base usually less than half that on the wall. Some work was also carried out to compensate the detected radiosity field for the system transfer ...
New measurements of the spin structure functions of the proton and deuteron g{sub 1}{sup p}(x, Q{sup 2}) and g{sub 1}{sup d}(x, Q{sup 2}) in the nucleon resonance region are compared with extrapolations of target-mass-corrected next-to-leading-order (NLO) QCD fits to higher energy data. Averaged over the entire resonance region (W < 2 GeV), the data and QCD fits are in good agreement in both magnitude and Q{sup 2} dependence for Q{sup 2} > 1.7 GeV{sup 2}/c{sup 2}. This ''global'' duality appears to result from cancellations among the prominent ''local'' resonance regions: in particular strong {sigma}{sub 3/2} contributions in the {Delta}(1232) region appear to be compensated by strong {sigma}{sub 1/2} contributions in the resonance region centered on 1.5 GeV. These results are encouraging for the extension of NLO QCD fits to lower W and Q{sup 2} than have been used previously.
High pressure xenon ionization chamber detectors are possible alternatives to traditional thallium doped sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)) and hyperpure germanium as gamma spectrometers in certain applications. Xenon detectors incorporating a Frisch grid exhibit energy resolutions comparable to cadmium/zinc/telluride (CZT) (e.g. 2% (at) 662keV) but with far greater sensitive volumes. The Frisch grid reduces the position dependence of the anode pulse risetimes, but it also increases the detector vibration sensitivity, anode capacitance, voltage requirements and mechanical complexity. We have been investigating the possibility of eliminating the grid electrode in high-pressure xenon detectors and preserving the high energy resolution using electronic risetime compensation methods. A two-electrode cylindrical high pressure xenon gamma detector coupled to time-to-amplitude conversion electronics was used to characterize the pulse rise time of deposited gamma photons. Time ...
The hydromechanical effect of hydroelectric stations on zooplankton is customarily regarded as a constantly acting and comparatively harmless factor, since its destruction is inevitable when water masses are passed through hydroelectric stations, but its capacity for restoration is high (i.e., destruction of the zooplankton of the forebay is compensated by its production in the after bay). It is not known how correct such an opinion is, or what is the true balance of losses and reproduction of zooplankton in the forebays and after bays of hydroelectric stations. However, hydroelectric plants of a new type, pumped-storage plants, have been constructed in recent years and others are planned for the Dnieper reservoirs. The operational principle and purpose of these plants is that they employ special vertical turbine-electric pumps that pump water at night from the reservoirs into pumped-storage facilities at high levels, and then release this water during daytime ...
A preliminary assessment of the future refining impacts of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 has been performed with the Navy Mobility Fuels Forecasting Systems. The assessment suggests that gasoline reformulation costs in domestic coastal and near-coastal refining regions in the year 2000 could be 3.5 to 5.6 cents per gallon (in terms of 1989 currency). For heating value equivalent to one gallon of conventional gasoline, the regional total added costs (including reformulation costs) for reformulated gasoline could be 5.9 to 8.0 cents. In blending reformulated gasolines, the reduction of butane for lower Reid vapor pressure and the reduction of reformate for lower aromatics are generally compensated by increased percentages of alkylate and/or straight run naphthas. Relatively larger refinery process capacity additions are required for butane isomerization, alkylation, aromatics recovery, and distillate hydrotreating. 21 refs., 3 figs., 18 tabs.
A portable X-ray image system is described comprising: (a) a base assembly including panels and hinges joining the panels together along edges, and compression stops for biasing the hinges to compensate for the weight of payload when mounted on the base assembly, the compression stops being located for interaction with the hinges for biasing the panels to exhibit upward bowing when laid upon a flat surface prior to loading, and to provide resiliency for facilitating the base assembly assuming a substantially flat configuration when a predetermined payload is placed upon the base assembly; (b) an X-ray member; (c) apparatus for detachably mounting a table member to the base assembly to hold the table member at a location above the base; (d) an X-ray source; (e) means for sensing X-rays to form an image; (f) means for mounting the X-ray source and the X-ray sensing means on opposite sides relative to the table member and supported by the base assembly; (g) releasable ...
This report has reviewed the construction of a cooling tower for the K reactor at the DOE Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. It has been found that the cooling tower would prevent further destruction of cypress and tupelo trees, would maintain a more consistent flow from site streams, and would allow earlier recovery of stream corridors inside a portion of the site. About 630 acres of wetlands have already been affected by the hot water discharged by the K reactor during the past 35 years. GAO believes that about 10 to 12 acres of additional damage would be prevented by the tower for every year the reactor is operated, and if current plans for re-start and retirement of the reactor are followed, less than 100 acres would be preserved. As requested, GAO also identified an example of a project that could be funded as compensation to the public for the damage the K reactor would do if Congress exempted it from the Clean Water Act and allowed it to continue ...
A lysimeter approach (under natural climatologic conditions) was used to evaluate the effect of four metal immobilizing soil treatments [compost (C), compost + cyclonic ashes (C + CA), compost + cyclonic ashes + steel shots (C + CA + SS)) and cyclonic ashes + steel shots (CA + SS)] on metal leaching through an industrially contaminated soil. All treatments decreased Zn and Cd leaching. Strongest reductions occurred after CA + SS and C + CA + SS treatments (Zn: -99.0% and -99.2% respectively; Cd: -97.2% and -98.3% respectively). Copper and Pb leaching increased after C (17 and >30 times for Cu and Pb respectively) and C + CA treatment (4.4 and >3.7 times for Cu and Pb respectively). C + CA + SS or CA + SS addition did not increase Cu leaching; the effect on Pb leaching was not completely clear. Our results demonstrate that attention should be paid to Cu and Pb leaching when organic matter additions are considered for phytostabilization of metal contaminated soils. - When applied ...
A free standing outdoor telephone booth is provided with a photovoltaic (PV) array, one or more rechargeable storage batteries and electrical control circuit which includes a temperature compensated control for limiting the supply of electrical energy from the PV array to the rechargeable battery to avoid over charging the battery, an ambient light (solar insolation) sensing circuit for controlling the electrical lamp load, to turn the lamp ON during dark ambient and OFF during light ambient conditions. In addition, the total discharge limit of the storage battery is controlled to a safe operating limit and a means is disclosed to power a fluorescent lamp at energy conserving intensities with energy derived from the rechargeable storage battery. The lamp control circuitry is preferably constituted by a high frequency power inverter with regulated output power to energize a low wattage fluorescent lamp and to dim the fluorescent lamp when the telephone is not in ...
Photoluminescence properties and local electronic structures of rare earth (Eu^3^+ and Ce^3^+) activated Sr3AlO4F have been studied. X-ray powder diffraction data indicated that the activator ions of Eu^3^+ and Ce^3^+ can be incorporated into the Sr3AlO4F lattice and formed limited solid solutions of Sr3-2xLnxNaxAlO4F (Ln=Eu, Ce) with Na^+ as a charge compensator ion. The local structure around Sr sites was initially explored using Eu-activated Sr3AlO4F as a structural probe. Sr3AlO4F:Eu^3^+ exhibits orange-red emission ranging from 520 to 740nm with a maximum peak at about 619nm mainly originating from the ^5D0->^7FJ (J=0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions, indicating that Eu exists mainly in the trivalent state due to a strong oxidative lattice in Sr3AlO4F. Sr3AlO4F:Ce^3^+ shows an unusual long-wa...
Weak lensing measurements are entering a precision era to statistically map the distribution of matter in the universe. The most common measurement has been of the variance of the projected surface density of matter, which corresponds to the induced correlation in alignments of background galaxies. This measurement of the fluctuations is insensitive to the total mass content, like using waves on the ocean to measure its depths. But when the depth is shallow as happens near a beach, waves become skewed. Similarly, a measurement of skewness in the projected matter distribution directly measures the total matter content of the universe. While skewness has already been convincingly detected, its constraint on cosmology is still weak. We address optimal analyses for the CFHT Legacy Survey in the presence of noise. We show that a compensated Gaussian filter with a width of 2.5 arc minutes optimizes the cosmological constraint, yielding $\\Delta \\Omega_m/\\Omega_m\\sim ...
Natural resource valuation has always had a fundamental role in the practice of cost-benefit analysis of health, safety, and environmental issues. Today, this role is becoming all the more apparent in the conduct of natural resource damage assessments (NRDA) and cost-benefit analyses of environmental restoration (ER) and waste management (WM) activities. As such, environmental professionals are more interested in how natural resource values are affected by ER and WM activities. This professional interest extends to the use of NRDA values as measures of liability and legal causes of action under such environmental status as the Clean Water Act (CWA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA, as amended); and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990. Also, environmental professionals are paying closer attention to NRDA values in cost-benefit analyses of risk and pollution-abatement standards, and in meeting environmental ...
Multi-beamlet focusing of an intense negative ion beam has been performed using the beamlet steering by the aperture displacement. The apertures of the grounded grid were displaced as all beamlets of 270 (18 x 15) in the area of 25 cm x 26 cm would be steered to a common point (a focal point) in both the two-stage and the single-stage accelerators. The multi-beamlets were successfully focused and the e-folding half width of 10 cm was achieved 11.2 m downstream from the ion source in both the accelerators. The corresponding gross divergence angle is 9 mrad. The negative ion beamlets are deflected by the magnetic field for the electron deflection at the extraction grid and the deflection direction oppositely changes line by line, resulting in the beam split in the deflection direction. This beamlet deflection was well compensated also using the beamlet steering by the aperture displacement of the grounded grid. The beam acceleration properties related with the beam ...
Developing markets in the Pacific Basin depend heavily on the production and export of consumer goods. The generation of hazardous waste as a by-product of industrial production can be linked to adverse health outcomes, such as childhood leukemia, in ways that are presently unknown. In California, exposures resulting from hazardous waste disposal are of concern in the etiology of childhood cancer. Approximately 63% of the 57 hazardous waste sites that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) included in the national priority list under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) statute were in the six-county San Francisco Bay area. This area includes California`s Silicon Valley, where a disproportionate majority of these sites are located. Although only one study links hazardous waste disposal to childhood leukemia evidence is accumulating that in utero and maternal pesticide exposures as well as chemical exposures ...
In closed systems, the O2 compensation point (?O) was previously defined as the upper limit of O2 level, at a given CO2 level, above which plants cannot have positive carbon balance and survive. Studies with 18O2 measure the actual O2 uptake by photorespiration due to the dual function of Rubisco, the enzyme that fixes CO2 and takes O2 as an alternative substrate. One-step modelling of CO2 and O2 uptakes allows calculating a plant specificity factor (Sp) as the sum of the biochemical specificity of Rubisco and a biophysical specificity, function of the resistance to CO2 transfer from the atmosphere to Rubisco. The crossing points (Cx, Ox) are defined as CO2 and O2 concentrations for which O2 and CO2 uptakes are equal. It is observed that: (1) under the preindustrial atmosphere, photorespir...
In response to the need for a comprehensive and consistent approach to the complex issue of mixed waste management, a generalized methodology for remediation of a mixed waste site has been developed. The methodology is based on requirements set forth in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and incorporates ``lessons learned`` from process design, remediation methodologies, and remediation projects. The methodology is applied to the treatment of 32,000 drums of mixed waste sludge at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site. Process technology options are developed and evaluated, first with regard to meeting system requirements and then with regard to CERCLA performance criteria. The following process technology options are investigated: (1) no action, (2) separation of hazardous and radioactive species, (3) dewatering, (4) drying, and (5) solidification/stabilization. The first two ...
In VHTGR (Very High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor), the radiation plays an important role in heat transfer through the cavity in RCCS (Reactor Cavity Cooling System). We performed the series of experiments to measure the emissivity using the infrared thermometer with wavelength range of 8#approx#14 #mu#m. As the first step, the transmittance of Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) window was measured to estimate the emissivity that can compensate the attenuation effect of window. The kind of gas with various concentrations in the cavity will be released during postulated accidents to the coolant type, so it is essential to estimate the effects of gas on the measurement of emissivity. In this manner we measured the emissivity with the air, the helium and the steam inside chamber. The results represent that the concentration of the air and the helium do not affect the emissivity significantly while the steam decreases the measured emissivity relatively. It means that the air and ...
On June 19, 1998, after the first annual outage, Wolsung Unit 2 was shutdown at a controlled rate due to the continuous instability of Liquid Zone Control level. Investigation revealed that the Liquid Zone Control level instability was caused by water condensed inside the helium lines, generated from the moistened helium flow, especially, inside the helium balance header feed and bleed valve lines. It was found that improper installation of the diaphragm type isolation valves and the drain valve tap could easily contain the water inside the lines and be destined to form water traps causing the balance header pressure oscillation. After the lines were dried, Liquid Zone Control level instability was almost vanished, and approached the allowable equilibrium state. As the reactor power was increased, however, the zone level instability increased again. In order to compensate for the excessive, the Bulk Power Control Gain (Kp) was reduced to provide a more stable ...
This work concerns the study of the nuclear superdeformation phenomenon in the rare earth region (A {approx} 150). The superdeformed (SD) states in Gadolinium and Dysprosium isotopes were produced via heavy-ion induced reactions and studied with the (EUROGAM EUROpean GAmma-ray Microscope) gamma multidetector array. Precise level attenuation method (DSAM). From the derived quadrupole moments, we find large differences in deformation between the yrast bands in neighbour nuclei explained in terms of the case of nuclei corresponding to an axis ratio of 2:1, the shell gaps are not fixed at a specific particle number and deformation. Furthermore the present results indicate that the deformations associated with identical bands are different supporting the picture that mass and deformation changes tend to compensate in SB bands with the same moments of inertia. (author). 114 refs.
The Love Canal episode began the long battle on hazardous wastes in the United States. Obviously, the potential danger of hazardous wastes is one of the hottest issues among environmental professionals as well as the public. The problems of hazardous wastes in economically booming Taiwan are also alarming. Several farmlands in northern Taiwan were contaminated heavily by industrial effluents containing heavy metals (cadmium and lead) in the early 1980s. Regardless of the many studies that have been conducted about these polluted farmlands, there has not been any remediation - just a passive abandonment of farming activities with minimal compensation. This paper addresses a heavy-metal-contaminated fanning area. A pollution profile across time is delineated using information from the abundance of reports, and the contamination is modeled mathematically. The past, the present, and future exposures are also modeled. The results are presented in terms of societal ...
The PLL (Phase Locked Loop) has two modes: search mode and locking mode. The mode is determined by how far apart the internal frequency is from the external frequency. When the internal - and exter nal frequencies are close, the PLL is in locking mode. While locking on the external frequency, the PLL can largely be expressed as a linear term superimposed with a small "noise" term. We can t herefore calculate a transfer function that will completely describe the performance of the PLL apart from the precision, which is determined by the noise term. Two ideas are presented on how to re duce the noise term. The first idea is to compensate the noise term with an equal value of opposite sign. This completely removes the noise when the PLL locks on a steady frequency. Unfortunately it can not be used for the LEP Q-meter which is plagued by the presence of satellite frequencies. For other equipment with cleaner spectra, the method can improve their precision dramatically. ...
This document describes the geology and hydrogeology at the former Advanced Coal Liquefaction Research and Development (ACLR&D) facility in Wilsonville, Alabama. The work was conducted by personnel from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Grand Junction office (ORNL/GJ) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC). Characterization information was requested by PETC to provide baseline environmental information for use in evaluating needs and in subsequent decision-making for further actions associated with the closeout of facility operations. The hydrogeologic conceptual model presented in this report provides significant insight regarding the potential for contaminant migration from the ACLR&D facility and may be useful during other characterization work in the region. The ACLR&D facility is no longer operational and has been dismantled. The site was characterized in three phases: the first two phases were an environmental assessment ...
The application of fossil fuels and the simultaneous dependency on fuel imports can only be decreased through consequent utilisation of efficient hydro power which is the most efficient way to avoid CO{sub 2} emissions. Only some decades ago hydro power plants were buildings erected according to met technical demands. In the 1990s rethinking started and the new designs took into account ecology and architecture. Maintenance and/or improvement of ecological efficiency play a decisive role. Experts of ecology and environmental protection of different faculties are involved right from the beginning when planning starts in order to obtain a maximum of nature compatibility and to develop efficient ecological accompanying and compensating measures. Landscape is being recultivated sustainably during construction activities in order to offer biota optimum conditions of living. Devices supporting fish migration are state of the art and designed in such a way that even small ...
Photorefractives, in general, are among the most promising materials solutions to real time optical correlation. Applications include military target recognition and civilian robotic vision. Crystals of sillenite structure photorefractives, Bi12XO20, where X equals Si, Ge, or Ti, have been grown by melt techniques and in the case of bismuth silicon oxide (BSO) and bismuth titanium oxide (BTO) by the hydrothermal method of high-temperature/high-pressure solution growth. The two growth methods are discussed and crystals grown by the two methods are compared in this paper. Optical absorption and TSC studies show that hydrothermal BSO is essentially free of the native antisite Bi defect which usually acts as a donor. These studies also show that the trap density is greatly reduced in hydrothermal material. Preliminary experiments show that hydrothermal BTO crystals have improved properties over melt grown samples. Al and P act as donors and acceptors respectively and can be used to ...
High-purity and doped GaAs films have been grown by Liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) for development of a blocked impurity band (BIB) detector for far-infrared radiation. The film growth process developed has resulted in the capability to grow GaAs with a net active impurity concentration below 1 x 10{sup 13} cm{sup -3}, ideal for the blocking layer of the BIB detector. The growth of n-type LPE GaAs films with donor concentrations below the metal-insulator transition, as required for the absorbing layer of a BIB detector, has been achieved. The control of the donor concentration, however, was found to be insufficient for detector production. The growth by LPE of a high-purity film onto a commercially grown vapor-phase epitaxial (VPE) n-type GaAs doped absorbing layer resulted in a BIB device that showed a significant reduction in the low-temperature dark current compared to the absorbing layer only. Extended optical response was not detected, most likely due to the high ...
Ion implantation has been applied to magnesium-doped Al[sub 0.5]In[sub 0.5]P to produce high resistivity regions for the first time. Hydrogen, oxygen, and argon ions were implanted at a base dose ranging from 5[times]10[sup 12] to 5[times]10[sup 14] cm[sup [minus]2] and annealed from 400 to 900 [degree]C. Hydrogen did not appreciably compensate the In[sub 0.5]Al[sub 0.5]P layer while oxygen and argon produced sheet resistances up to 1[times]10[sup 9] [Omega]/[open square]. After annealing at 800 [degree]C, regions with high dose oxygen implants maintained a sheet resistance above 1[times]10[sup 7] [Omega]/[open square], while regions with high dose argon implants recovered most of the unimplanted conductivity.
Transduction method developed by the research coordinator and Prof. Muroga is one of the most popular methods to design large-scale integrated circuits, and thus used by major design tool companies in USA and Japan. The major objectives of the research is to improve capability and utilize its reusable property by combining with CAD databases. Major results of the project is as follows, (1) Improvement of Transduction method : Efficiency, capability and the maximum circuit size are improved. Error compensation method is also improved. (2) Applications to new logic elements : Transduction method is modified to cope with wired logic and FPGAs. (3) CAD databases : One of the major advantages of Transduction methods is 'reusability' of already designed circuits. It is suitable to combine with CAD databases. We design CAD databases suitable for cooperative design using Transduction method. (4) Program development : Programs for Windows95 and developed ...
The geometrical and chemical effects of cerium (Ce) addition to Ni-Cr anode electrode in molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) were investigated by measuring the fractal dimensions and wettability of four types of anode electrode with Ce added up to 5 wt.%. In addition, their cell performances were investigated through a single cell operation test and their results were explained based on the wettability of the anode electrodes. The addition of Ce to the anode electrode increased the fractal dimensions and wettabilities of the electrodes. Despite the even larger electrical resistivity of Ce compared to that of Ni and Cr, the electrical resistances of the Ce-added anode electrodes were slightly increased with increasing level of Ce addition. This might be ascribed to the greater wettability of the Ce-added anode electrode that enhanced the cell performance. Therefore, the greater wettability of the Ce-added anode electrode might compensate for its relatively larger ...
The umbrella magnetic structure of the terbium iron garnet (TbIG) has been studied using neutron diffraction experiments peformed in the 4.2 to 650 K temperature range which covers both the Neel temperature (Tsub(N) = 550 +- 10 K) and the compensation temperature (Tsub(comp) = 244 +- 2 K). When T > Tsub(N), the observed peak intensities originate from nuclear contribution only. When Tsub(comp) < T < Tsub(N), the results have been interpreted in the Neel theory of ferrimagnetism. Below Tsub(comp), three salient features have been observed: there appears superstructure lines forbiden by the cubic space group Ia3d, whereas the other superstructure peaks are found absent contrary to other heavy rare earth garnets; the strongest reflexion (110) vanishes near Tsub(comp). The magnetic modes associated to the rhombohedral symmetry space group R(-3)c have been calculated; the two inequivalent magnetic sites C_1 and C'_1 of the Tb"3"+ ion have been described. The ...
A brief survey is given of some recent results on doping of 4H- and 6H-SiC by ion implantation. The doses and energies used are between 10{sup 9} and 10{sup 15} cm{sup -2} and 100 keV and 5 MeV, respectively, and B and Al ions (p-type dopants) are predominantly studied. After low dose implantation ({<=}10{sup 10} cm{sup -2}) a strong compensation is observed in n-type samples and this holds irrespective of implantation temperature up to 600 C. However, at higher doses (10{sup 14}-10{sup 15} Al/cm{sup 2}) the rate of defect recombination (annihilation) increases substantially during hot implants ({>=}200 C), and in these samples one type of structural defect dominates after post-implant annealing at 1700-2000 C. The defect is identified as a dislocation loop composed of clustered interstitial atoms inserted on the basal plane in the hexagonal crystal structure. Finally, transient enhanced diffusion (TED) of ion-implanted boron in 4H-samples is ...
Corrosion control on gas pipelines plays an important role on the assessment of pipeline integrity and reliability. In many countries a great extension of buried pipelines is used on transport and distribution systems. This extension will be certainly increased in a near future due to the increasing consumption of natural gas. Inadequate corrosion control can drive to pipeline failures, bringing up the possibility of accidents in populated or environmental protected areas, bringing together severe economical, legal and environmental consequences. Corrosion is frequently considered as a natural and inevitable phenomenon. Based upon this assumption, some recommendations are included on design standards of gas pipelines in order to compensate its detrimental effect. The aim of this work is to present a review of the correlation between external corrosion process and the guidelines established during the project phase of gas pipelines. It is intended to contribute for ...
Solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) record radiation in the form of tracks. In the case of high track density, however, it is not always possible to distinguish each track separately. The track density might then be underestimated unless the loss of track number due to overlapping is compensated. An elaborated 'erosion' or curve fitting process is applied usually, for the separation of the overlapping tracks, to automatic track counting systems. This paper shows a much simpler correction method which was developed by the analogy of the correction equation for the dead time of GM counters. From a set of about 10 data obtained from high track density detectors, the equation for SSNTD can be determined by a least square fitting. Once the equation is found, true track density could be derived easily without any help of complex image processing or calculation, such as the erosion or curve fitting. This method also provides the privilege of ...
We compute the complete two-loop O(alpha) Wilson coefficients relevant for radiative decays of the B meson in the SM. This is a necessary step in the calculation of the O(alpha alpha_s^n ln^n m_b/M_W) corrections and improves on our previous analysis of electroweak effects in B -> X_s gamma. We describe in detail several interesting technical aspects of the calculation and include all dominant QED matrix elements. In our final result, we neglect only terms originated from the unknown O(alpha alpha_s) evolution of the Wilson coefficients and some suppressed two-loop matrix elements. Due to the compensation among different effects, we find that non-trivial electroweak corrections decrease the branching ratio by about 3.8% for a light Higgs boson, in agreement with our previous analysis. As in [1], the corresponding SM prediction for the branching ratio with E_gamma > 1.6 GeV is (3.60 +- 0.30) x 10^-4.
The Hanford Site, Richland, Washington, contains over 1,500 identified waste sites and numerous groundwater plumes that will be characterized and remediated over the next 30 years. As a result of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) at the 200-BP-1 operable unit. The 200-BP-1 RI/FS is the first Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) investigation on the Hanford Site that involves highly radioactive and chemically contaminated soils. The initial phase of site characterization was designed to assess the nature and extent of contamination associated with the source waste sites within the 200-BP-1 operable unit. Characterization activities consisted of drilling and sampling, chemical and physical analysis of samples, and development of a conceptual vadose zone model. These data were then used. to develop ...
Behavioral economics has captured the interest of scholars and the general public by demonstrating ways in which individuals make decisions that appear irrational. While increasing attention is being focused on the implications of this research for the design of risk-reducing policies, less attention has been paid to how it affects the economic valuation of policy consequences. This article considers the latter issue, reviewing the behavioral economics literature and discussing its implications for the conduct of benefit-cost analysis, particularly in the context of environmental, health, and safety regulations. We explore three concerns: using estimates of willingness to pay or willingness to accept compensation for valuation, considering the psychological aspects of risk when valuing mortality-risk reductions, and discounting future consequences. In each case, we take the perspective that analysts should avoid making judgments about whether values are "rational" ...
The theory and application of the optimal control of linear systems to stabilize or improve the system stability is well known. For an optimal linear regulator design, the arbitrariness involved in the parameters of the cost function always affects the final control law and the closed-loop system poles which decide the system dynamic characteristics. A new approach, 'The inverse problem approach' has been developed to overcome this difficulty. The system so designed will have preassigned closed-loop poles and the resulting closed-loop system performance can be ensured. In this paper the inverse problem approach for optimal regulator design is applied to the power system stabilizer (PSS) design for single-machine infinite-bus systems. The results show that, as far as the linearized model is concerned, systems designed by the inverse problem approach have better closed-loop performance than those designed by the classical PSS design approach and a simple way of using a ...
Apparent molar volumes V{sub phi} and apparent molar heat capacities C{sub p,phi} were determined for aqueous solutions of nickel(II) nitrate, copper(II) nitrate, and zinc(II) nitrate at molalities m=(0.01 to 0.5) mol {center_dot} kg{sup -1}, and at the pressure p=0.35 MPa. Solution densities obtained using a vibrating-tube densimeter at T=(278.15 to 368.15) K were used to calculate V{sub phi} values. Heat capacity measurements obtained with a twin fixed-cell, differential-output, power-compensating, temperature-scanning calorimeter at T=(278.15 to 393.15) K were used to calculate values of C{sub p,phi}. Our results were then fitted to functions of m and T and compared to literature values.
Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by a widespread microangiopathy, autoimmunity and fibrosis of the skin and of various internal organs. Microangiopathy is characterized by a reduced capillary density and an irregular chaotic architecture that lead to chronic tissue hypoxia. Despite the hypoxic conditions, there is no evidence for a sufficient compensative angiogenesis in SSc. Furthermore, vasculogenesis is also impaired. An imbalance between angiogenic and angiostatic factors might explain the pathogenetic mechanisms of SSc vasculopathy. As far as angiogenic factors are concerned, within the most important are vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-?), fibroblast growth factor -2 (FGF-2), angiopoietin 1 (Ang-1), stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1/CXCL12), endothelin-1 (ET-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein -1 (MCP-1), ...
Acceptance testing of mammographic imaging systems technical is the first approach in order to guarantee that mammograms will be achieved with the minimum radiation dose compatible with an image quality suitable for diagnose purposes. The aim of this study is to assess the practical applicability of different protocols in acceptance test of digital mammographic systems. This study has been carried out on the results of the acceptance tests of five flat panel digital mammographic systems. Parameters established in the systems technical specifications and those evaluated in the consulted protocols were tested. Due to the fact that the legislation in our country does not demand to consider a specific protocol, the results obtained were also compared considering different existing protocols. Results show discrepancies between manufacturers limiting values and those established in the protocols. Some parameters, such as the automatic exposure control compensation and ...
A divergence correction is conventionally applied to zero-offset data in an effort to preserved amplitude information. The conventional divergence correction compensates for the geometrical spreading of a point source in a horizontally layered medium where velocity varies with depth only. The dip-dependent divergence correction extends the conventional correction for improved amplitude processing of dipping beds. The dip-dependent divergence correction is computed by dynamic ray tracing, and applied to stacked data using a dip decomposition technique. This correction decreases amplitudes relative to the conventional correction for steep dips and late times. In a data example from the Gulf of Mexico, the conventional correction over- amplified the reflection off a salt dome flank by a factor of 1.6. High amplitudes near salt flanks are also associated with the presence of hydrocarbons. Applying the dip-dependent divergence correction ensures that bright ...
A divergence correction is conventionally applied to zero-offset data in an effort to preserved amplitude information. The conventional divergence correction compensates for the geometrical spreading of a point source in a horizontally layered medium where velocity varies with depth only. The dip-dependent divergence correction extends the conventional correction for improved amplitude processing of dipping beds. The dip-dependent divergence correction is computed by dynamic ray tracing, and applied to stacked data using a dip decomposition technique. This correction decreases amplitudes relative to the conventional correction for steep dips and late times. In a data example from the Gulf of Mexico, the conventional correction over- amplified the reflection off a salt dome flank by a factor of 1.6. High amplitudes near salt flanks are also associated with the presence of hydrocarbons. Applying the dip-dependent divergence correction ensures that ``bright spots`` ...
A study trip to a biomass gasification plant in Germany took place from 13-15 November 2000. The goal of the trip was to obtain information on German developments, experience, and possibilities in the field of biomass gasification. The participants were representatives of Dutch parties in the energy sector: waste sector, manufacturers, producers, policy makers and consultants. The most important feature was the visit to plants that were in operation. Due in particular to the new EEG (Emeuerbare-Energien-Gesetz/Renewable Energy) legislation, German policy makers have created an initial market for sustainable energy with a degree of success. The key feature is that EEG makes projects 'bankable' by guaranteeing a return delivery compensation. An EEG-type scheme designed to accelerate the development of sustainable energy could be an interesting instrument also for the Netherlands. The plan was to visit four plants and have a number of presentations ...
Fisheries co-managers of U.S. v Oregon supported and directed the construction and operation of acclimation and release facilities for Snake River fall Chinook from Lyons Ferry Hatchery at three sites above Lower Granite Dam. In 1996, Congress instructed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE) to construct, under the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP), final rearing and acclimation facilities for fall Chinook in the Snake River basin to complement their activities and efforts in compensating for fish lost due to construction of the lower Snake River dams. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) played a key role in securing funding and selecting acclimation sites, then assumed responsibility for operation and maintenance of the facilities. In 1997, Bonneville Power Administrative (BPA) was directed to fund operations and maintenance (O&M) for the facilities. Two acclimation facilities, Captain John Rapids and Pittsburg Landing, are located ...
We study the high-energy emission of the Galactic black hole candidate GX 339-4 using INTEGRAL/SPI and simultaneous RXTE/PCA data. By the end of January 2007, when it reached its peak luminosity in hard X-rays, the source was in a bright hard state. The SPI data from this period show a good signal to noise ratio, allowing a detailed study of the spectral energy distribution up to several hundred keV. As a main result, we report on the detection of a variable hard spectral feature (>150 keV) which represents a significant excess with respect to the cutoff power law shape of the spectrum. The SPI data suggest that the intensity of this feature is positively correlated with the 25 - 50 keV luminosity of the source and the associated variability time scale is shorter than 7 hours. The simultaneous PCA data, however, show no significant change in the spectral shape, indicating that the source is not undergoing a canonical state transition. We ...
In May 1985, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit was issued for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, a nuclear weapons components production facility located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., for the US Department of Energy. As a condition of the permit, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed to demonstrate that the effluent limitations established for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant protect the classified uses of the receiving stream (East Fork Poplar Creek), in particular, the growth and propagation of fish and aquatic life, as designated by the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment. A second purpose for the BMAP is to document the ecological effects resulting from implementation of a water pollution control program that will include construction of nine new wastewater treatment facilities over the next 4 years. Because of the complex nature of the effluent discharged to East Fork Poplar Creek and ...
We present 14 years of contemporaneous photometric and spectroscopic observations of 28 solar analog stars, taken with the Tennessee State University Automatic Photometric Telescopes at Fairborn Observatory and the Solar-Stellar Spectrograph at Lowell Observatory. These are the best observed and most nearly Sun-like of the targets in our magnitude-limited (V #<=# 7.5) sample. The correlations between luminosity and activity reveal the expected inverse activity-brightness correlations for active stars. Strong direct correlations between activity and brightness are not prevalent for the less active solar age stars, but are precision limited. The Sun does not appear to have unusually low photometric variability when compared with the most Sun-like inactive solar analogs. We present evidence that the activity index R'_H_K is not a good discriminant of Maunder Minimum candidate stars. On the basis of a star that appears to have transitioned from a ...
Identifying stable isotope variation and mineralogical changes in fractured rock may help establish the history of climatic and geomorphological processes that might affect the isolation properties of a waste repository site. This study examines the use of the stable isotope ratios of oxygen ({sup 18}O/{sup 16}O) and carbon ({sup 13}C/{sup 12}C) in authigenic minerals as hydrogeochemical tools tracing low-temperature rock-water interaction in variably-saturated fractured stuff. Isotopic compositions of fracture-filling and rock matrix minerals in the Apache Leap tuff, near Superior, Arizona were concordant with geothermal temperatures and in equilibrium with water isotopically similar to present-day meteoric water and groundwater. Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of fracture-filling, in unsaturated fractured tuff, displayed an isotopic gradient believed to result from near-surface isotopic enrichment due to evaporation rather than the effects of rock-water ...
The present investigation was conducted at Ismaillia Research Station-Agricultural Research Center, Ismaillia Governorate, during the two successive seasons of 2000 and 2001. Two varieties of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) namely Giza 4 and Giza 5 were treated with gamma ray doses; 10,15, 20, 25 Kr in order to induce genetic variability and to study the importance of the relative contribution of peanut yield components by employing some statistical procedures, i.e. simple correlation, multiple linear regression and stepwise regression analysis. The results showed that, there was significant positive correlation between seed yield/plant and no. of pods/plant, 100 seed weight, shelling percentage and pod yield/plant, and there was significant positive correlation between pod yield/plant and no of seed/plant,100 pod weight and 100 seed weight. The multiple linear regression analysis clearly showed that the relative contribution (R"2%) of the yield components, no. of ...
Starting from the original collective Hamiltonian of Bohr and separating the beta and gamma variables as in the X(5) model of Iachello, an exactly soluble model corresponding to a harmonic oscillator potential in the beta-variable (to be called X(5)-$\\beta^2$) is constructed. Furthermore, it is proved that the potentials of the form $\\beta^{2n}$ (with n being integer) provide a ``bridge'' between this new X(5)-$\\beta^2$ model (occuring for n=1) and the X(5) model (corresponding to an infinite well potential in the beta-variable, materialized for n going to infinity. Parameter-free (up to overall scale factors) predictions for spectra and B(E2) transition rates are given for the potentials $\\beta^2$, $\\beta^4$, $\\beta^6$, $\\beta^8$, corresponding to E(4)/E(2) ratios of 2.646, 2.769, 2.824, and 2.852 respectively, compared to the E(4)/E(2) ratios of 2.000 for U(5) and 2.904 for X(5). Hints about nuclei showing this ...
The far infrared free electron laser (FEL) has been being developed since 1990 using the L-band electron linac at the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University. The first lasing was obtained in 1994 at wavelengths from 32 to 40 #mu#m. The FEL is now being modified suitable for user experiments. The wiggler with a fixed magnet gap used in the original FEL has been remodeled to make the magnet gap variable. In order to optimize the variable range of the gap, the gain and the diffraction loss were calculated. The peak gain is calculated to be 270% and the diffraction loss to be 22% at 150 #mu#m. The wavelength is expected to be variable from 25 up to at least 150 #mu#m. The two bending magnets in the optical resonator have been remodeled and the vacuum chambers with larger vertical sizes for them have been newly made so that the diffraction loss in these parts becomes smaller than that in the vacuum ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between histomorphometric variables of cancellous bone structure and ultimate compressive strength (UCS) in the second lumbar vertebra (L2) and to determine whether structural variables in the iliac crest are predictive of the same variables and of UCS in L2. At autopsy, 7.5 mm diameter cores were removed from the iliac crest and from L2 of 29 subjects who had died suddenly without bone disease. Cancellous bone volume (BV/TV, %) was significantly lower in L2 than in iliac crest due to lower trabecular number (Tb.N, per mm) and thickness (Tb.Th, microns). There were significant correlations between iliac crest and L2 for BV/TV, Tb.N and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp, microns), but not for Tb.Th. BV/TV was negatively correlated, and Tb.Sp was positively correlated with age at both sites. Tb.Th was not significantly correlated with age in the iliac crest, but a ...
We present an optimal control approach for the solidification process of a melt in a container. The process is described by a two phase Stefan problem with the free boundary (interface between the two phases) modelled as a graph. We control the evolution of the free boundary using the temperature on the container wall. The control goal consists in tracking a prescribed evolution of the free boundary. We achieve this goal by minimizing a appropriate cost functional. The resulting minimization problem is solved numerically by a steepest descent method with step size control, where the gradient of the cost functional is expressed in terms of the adjoint variables. Several numerical examples are presented which illustrate the performance of the method. The novelty of the approach presented consists in using a sharp interface model for the control of the free boundary. This guarantees direct access to the free boundary as optimization variable in ...
This study examines the sensitivity of the travel time distribution predicted by a reference case model to (1) scale of representation of the model parameters, (2) size of the model domain, (3) correlation range of log-transmissivity, and (4) cross correlations between transmissivity and effective thickness. The basis for the reference model is the preliminary stochastic travel time model previously documented by the Basalt Waste Isolation Project. Results of this study show the following. The variability of the predicted travel times can be adequately represented when the ratio between the size of the zones used to represent the model parameters and the log-transmissivity correlation range is less than about one-fifth. The size of the model domain and the types of boundary conditions can have a strong impact on the distribution of travel times. Longer log-transmissivity correlation ranges cause larger variability in the predicted travel times. ...
These summary descriptive data of ethnically similar cohorts of indigenous and migrant Japanese males have shown similarities or slight differences in characteristics wholly or largely genetically determined, such as blood groups, stature, and skeletal size. Differences have been noted in characteristics largely environmental or behavioral, such as diet and cigarette smoking habit, as well as in characteristics determined by a varying mixture of genetic and environmental influences, such as weight, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipid and uric acid levels. Detailed analyses of the distributions of laboratory variables, of dietary data obtained by different methods, and of correlations among laboratory, dietary, physical, and demographic variables are currently in progress. Also part of the study plan are determinations of disease prevalence from evaluation of examination, laboratory, and electrocardiographic findings, of disease ...
Automated, variable volume unloaders provide the ability to smoothly load/unload reciprocating compressors to maintain ideal operations in ever-changing environments. Potential advantages provided by this load control system include: maximizing unit capacity, optimizing power economy, maintaining low exhaust emissions, and maintaining process suction and discharge pressures. Obstacles foreseen include: reliability, stability, serviceability and automation integration. Results desired include: increased productivity for the compressor and its operators, increased up time, and more stable process control. This presentation covers: system design features with descriptions of how different types of the devices were developed, initial test data, and how they can be effectively operated; three actual-case studies detailing the reasons why automated, hydraulically controlled, variable volume, head-end unloaders were chosen over other types of ...
The aim of this paper is to present and evaluate control strategies for adjustment and preservation of air quality, thermal and visual comfort for buildings' occupants while, simultaneously, energy consumption reduction is achieved. Fuzzy PID, fuzzy PD and adaptive fuzzy PD control methods are applied. The inputs to any controller are: the PMV index affecting thermal comfort, the CO{sub 2} concentration affecting indoor air quality and the illuminance level affecting visual comfort. The adaptive fuzzy PD controller adapts the inputs and outputs scaling factors and is based on a second order reference model. More specifically, the scaling factors are modified according to a sigmoid type function, in such a way that the measured variable to be as closer as possible to the reference model. The adaptive fuzzy PD controller is compared to a non-adaptive fuzzy PD and to an ON-OFF one. The comparison criteria are the energy required and the controlled ...
It is currently unclear if the potential for West Nile virus transmission by mosquito vectors in the eastern United States is related to landscape or climate factors or both. We compared abundance of vector species between urban and suburban neighborhoods of Henrico County, VA, in relation to the following factors: temperature, precipitation, canopy cover, building footprint, and proximity to drainage infrastructure. Mosquitoes were collected throughout the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons and tested for West Nile virus (WNV) in pools of 10-50. Test results of mosquito pools were compared to average site abundance from 37 sites in Henrico County, VA; abundance was then examined in relation to ecological variables. Urban infrastructure was positively correlated with the abundance of Culex pipiens L./Cx. restuans, and our findings implicate combined sewer overflow systems as large contributors to Culex vector populations. No measure of urbanization examined in our study ...
AGILE pointed observations performed from July 9, 2007 to October 30, 2009 are a recent, high quality gamma-ray data archive for monitoring studies of medium to high brightness gamma-ray sources in the 30 MeV -50 GeV energy range. We present a variability study of the 1AGL sources over the complete AGILE pointed Observation Blocks (OBs) dataset. The first AGILE Gamma-Ray Imaging Detector (GRID) catalog (Pittori et al. 2009) included a significance-limited (4 sigma) sample of 47 sources (1AGL), detected with a conservative analysis over a first-year non-uniform sky coverage dataset. In this analysis we used data of an improved full Field of View (FOV) event filter, on a much larger (about 27.5 months) observation dataset, analyzing each OB separatedly. This data processing resulted in an improved source list as compared to the 1AGL one. We present here some results on the variability of some of these sources.
The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis states that pollution levels increase as a country develops, but begin to decrease as rising incomes pass beyond a turning point. In EKC analyses, the relationship between environmental degradation and income is usually expressed as a quadratic function with the turning point occurring at a maximum pollution level. Other explanatory variables have been included in these models, but income regularly has had the most significant effect on indicators of environmental quality. One variable consistently omitted in these relationships is the price of energy. This paper analyzes previous models to illustrate the importance of prices in these models and then includes prices in an econometric EKC framework testing energy/income and CO{sub 2}/income relationships. These long-run price/income models find that income is no longer the most relevant indicator of environmental quality or energy demand. Indeed, ...
The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis states that pollution levels increase as a country develops, but begin to decrease as rising incomes pass beyond a turning point. In EKC analyses, the relationship between environmental degradation and income is usually expressed as a quadratic function with the turning point occurring at a maximum pollution level. Other explanatory variables have been included in these models, but income regularly has had the most significant effect on indicators of environmental quality. One variable consistently omitted in these relationships is the price of energy. This paper analyzes previous models to illustrate the importance of prices in these models and then includes prices in an econometric EKC framework testing energy/income and CO_2/income relationships. These long-run price/income models find that income is no longer the most relevant indicator of environmental quality or energy demand. Indeed, we ...
This report describes the LIFECC computer program developed for the purpose of calculating the cost of energy produced by wind systems according to the principles of life cycle costing (LCC). Following a brief explanation of the LCC concept and its advantages, input variables to the program and their importance to various program users, including manufacturers and designers, utilities, various institutions and consumers, are explained. A detailed user's guide to the program is then provided, together with a sensitivity analysis which discusses the impact of key variables on wind system cost of energy and the importance of cash flow to the wind system purchaser. Sample cases of program output and an LIFECC program listing are provided.
As is well documented, subprime mortgage markets carried significant default risk. This paper investigates the relationship between default risk premium, stock market conditions and macroeconomic variables during the financial crisis. Using iTraxx Japan Credit Default Swap (CDS) index spreads covering the period from March 2006 to November 2009, we employ a time-varying dynamic factor model with Markov regime switching to generate regime probabilities for default risk. We analyze the sensitivity of default risk premium changes to stock market conditions and macroeconomic variables by using two-state Markov switching models: a crisis regime sparked by rising loan defaults in the sub-prime mortgage market, and a non-crisis regime. We found strong evidence that the relationship between defaul...
This paper presents a semi-active vibration control of a scaled two-span bridge structure. Magneto-rheological fluid dampers are utilized as the semi-active energy absorbing deices and a bridge vibration control system is developed. Closed-loop control system based on fuzzy logic is used to suppress the bridge deck motion under random excitations. The sufficient condition for the closed-loop stability of the fuzzy control system is derived from the variable structure system theory. It is demonstrated that this stable fuzzy control system can significantly reduce the relative deck displacement using about 55 percent less power compared to passive-on state, while the absolute deck acceleration is relatively unaffected.
The broad use of Six Sigma in the improvement of all types of processes has provided new insight for how to design, analyze, and interpret formulation studies and mixture experiments. Experience has shown that, consistent with the Pareto principle, there are typically three to six key variables that have major effects on the performance of the process. Identifying these key variables increases your ability to control and optimize the process. Applying this concept to formulation studies suggests that we should be searching for those critical few components that are driving the performance of the product formulation. This thinking changes how we approach both the design and analysis phases of product formulation studies, including the reassessment of formulations in use today. A review of t...
Our investigation concerns the class of Josephson-like systems, sharing the same nonlinear Hamiltonian. Among the latter a Josephson junction with an external biasing circuit is considered. We diagonalize the fully nonlinear Hamiltonian (in the superconductive regime of the junction) in the Fock space of the TBHA (two-boson Heisenberg algebra) and prove that such algebra leads quite naturally to the theoretical realization of codewords and logical operators: the codewords are defined as the even and odd coherent states of the TBHA, while the logical operators are expressed in terms of operators in the same algebra. Our theoretical construction corresponds to a continuous variable quantum computation scheme; the continuous variables are identified in terms of the physical operators of the junction. The link between this scheme and the technique of fermionization of bosonic systems is also discussed.
This research will be helpful for people to display the 2-dimensiona projective models of 4-variable actual problems in many fields, in order to investigate deeply those actual problems. By using the theory of N-dimensional finite rotation group of the regular polytopes, the author established the 2-dimensional projective model of 4-dimensional rectangular coordinate system, and deduced a transformation matrix, and adopt it to display successfully the 2-dimensional overall shapes of two most complicated regular polytopes 120-Cell and 600-Cell. In the meantime, the author calculated all the vertex coordinates and determine the joint relationships between adjacent vertices of the regular polytopes 120-Cell and 600-Cell. Also, this provided a pattern for displaying the 2-dimensional projective model of 4-variable actual problem.
Although incompressible fluid flows can be regarded as a particular case of a general problem, numerical methods and the mathematical formulation aimed to solve compressible and incompressible flows have their own peculiarities, in such a way, that it is generally not possible to attain both regimes with a single approach. In this work, we start from a typically compressible formulation, slightly modified to make use of pressure variables and, through augmenting the stabilising parameters, we end up with a simplified model which is able to deal with a wide range of flow regimes, from supersonic to low speed gas flows. The resulting methodology is flexible enough to allow for the simulation of liquid flows as well. Examples using conservative and pressure variables are shown and the results are compared to those published in the literature, in order to validate the method. (author)
Early technical history of electric supply to electric railways is briefly reviewed as an introduction to the following seven papers included in this special issue on technologies for saving energy in railway operation. Continuous power supply played a significant role in the early history of railway technologies. The variable voltage variable frequency (VVVF) power electronic technology had also a substantial impact on railway traction systems after 1980s. VVVF technology made it possible to have more efficient drives, downsize rolling stocks, and develop regenerative brakes. Because detailed discussions on each technical development are presented in the following papers, the general remarks of those technologies made in this introduction provide logical links to the ideas presented in th...
Viddi, F. A., Hucke-Gaete, R., Torres-Florez, J. P., and Ribeiro, S. 2010. Spatial and seasonal variability in cetacean distribution in the fjords of northern Patagonia, Chile. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 959-970. Compared with other Chilean coastal areas, little is known about the diversity and distribution of cetaceans in northern Patagonian fjords. Between December 2000 and November 2001, surveys on platforms of opportunity were undertaken in southern Chile to evaluate species richness and the spatial and seasonal distribution of cetaceans. Nine species were recorded, blue, humpback, and minke whales, Peales dolphin, Chilean dolphin, killer whale, false killer whale, bottlenose dolphin, and Cuviers beaked whale. The pattern of cetacean distribution displayed significant season...
The literature regarding the free vibration analysis of Bernoulli?Euler and Timoshenko beams under various supporting conditions is plenty, but the free vibration analysis of Reddy?Bickford beams with variable cross-section on elastic soil with/without axial force effect using the Differential Transform Method (DTM) has not been investigated by any of the studies in open literature so far. In this study, the free vibration analysis of axially loaded and semi-rigid connected Reddy?Bickford beam with variable cross-section on elastic soil is carried out by using DTM. The model has six degrees of freedom at the two ends, one transverse displacement and two rotations, and the end forces are a shear force and two end moments in this study. The governing differential equations of motion of the r...
Possible factors regulating phytoplankton variability in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf were analyzed on the basis of satellite observations and meteorological data (1997-2009), including remotely-sensed chlorophyll a concentration (CHL), sea surface temperature, wind, solar radiation, precipitation, and aerosols. Shallow waters of northwestern Gulf influenced by Shatt Al-Arab River discharge were more productive than open Gulf waters, although seasonal CHL patterns in this and other shallow regions looked unrealistic likely because the CHL signal was obscured by bottom reflection. Therefore our further analyses focused on the open Gulf waters, which show a subtropical seasonal CHL cycle with maximum in winter and minimum in spring-summer. This cycle, however, was decoupled from the seasonal e...
It is not clear whether males in all mammalian species adjust their copulatory behavior when faced with risk of sperm competition (RSC). Previous work on meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, indicated that males increase their sperm expenditure but not the number of ejaculations in the presence of odors of a conspecific male. The present study follows up on this work and asks whether male meadow voles modify any aspect of their copulatory behavior when they face a RSC. We examined 46 variables of copulatory behavior and found that the presence of odors from a conspecific male did not affect any of these variables. Thus, male meadow voles, unlike some other species of mammals, do not adjust their copulatory behavior when exposed to cues associated with an elevated RSC.
Many of the world's coral reefs suffered high coral mortality during the 1998 ENSO, with the highest mortality in the western Indian Ocean (WIO). A meta-analysis of field data on change in coral cover across the 1998 ENSO event was conducted for 36 major reef areas in the WIO, and relationship of the change with the historical sea-surface temperature (SST) variability investigated. WIO reefs were categorized into three major SST groups of differing coral cover change. Cover change was negatively associated with standard deviation (SD) SST until about SD 2.3, with increasing flatness of the SST frequency distributions. It increased with further increase in SD as the SST distributions became strongly bimodal in the Arabian/Persian Gulf area. The study indicates that environmental resistance/...
In a fluoroscopic imaging system, image quality and patient dose are both affected by the optical system linking the image intensifier with the video camera. The effect on patient exposure of increasing the optical iris aperture size over that required for other procedures performed on the same imaging system was investigated for the air-contrast barium enema examination. Using a large-area transmission ionisation chamber to monitor the Roentgen-area-product of entrance exposure, a decrease in fluoroscopic radiation of greater than 50% was clinically documented for a fluoroscopic system utilising kVp and mA variable automatic brightness control. For this iris change, the video image was of acceptable quality for positioning and monitoring the patient, and no deleterious effect was detected in the conduct of the air-contrast exam. The availability of a variable-sized operator-selectable iris diaphragm would permit this dose-reduction approach to ...
Abstract In this first systematic attempt to characterize the intranight optical variability (INOV) of TeV-detected blazars, we have monitored a well-defined set of nine TeV blazars on total 26 nights during 2004-10. In this R- or V-band-monitoring programme only one blazar was monitored per night and the minimum duration was close to 4-h, the average being 5.3 h per night. Using the CCD for strictly simultaneous photometry of the blazar and nearby reference stars (N-star photometry), an INOV detection threshold of -1-2-per cent was achieved in the densely sampled differential light curves derived from our data. We have further expanded the sample by including another 13 TeV blazars, taking advantage of the availability in the literature of INOV data, including those published earlier in o...
Native to Southeast Asia, Hygrophila polysperma is an invasive aquatic weed of lotic habitats in the southern United States and Mexico. An increase in the number of water bodies invaded by hygrophila since 1990 suggests that current methods employed to control this weed are inadequate. Classical biological control may be a viable option for long term regulation of hygrophila in the invaded range. In this study, we used the Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Model (MaxEnt) to prioritize climatically suitable native habitats in India and Bangladesh for conducting exploratory surveys to collect biological control agents. In total, 164 point occurrences from the United States and Mexico and 20 predictor variables, including 19 bioclimatic variables and altitude, were used to predict the nati...
A dense Pd-Ag membrane reactor (MR) with 100% hydrogen selectivity packed with either Rh/La2O3 or Rh/La2O3-SiO2 as catalysts was used to carry out the dry reforming of methane. The membrane reactor simulation was performed using a well-known reactor model. For this purpose, we employed the equations derived from complete kinetic studies of the dry reforming of methane reaction in connection with both catalysts. In addition, we developed the kinetic equation for the reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS). The combination of detailed kinetic studies with the measured permeation flux for the Pd-Ag membrane allowed a complete comparison between experimental and simulated operation variables. The variables studied for both catalysts were methane conversion and hydrogen permeation as a function...
One of the most common types of functions in mathematics, physics, and engineering is a sum of products, sometimes called a partition function. After "normalization," a sum of products has a natural graphical representation, called a normal factor graph (NFG), in which vertices represent factors, edges represent internal variables, and half-edges represent the external variables of the partition function. In physics, so-called trace diagrams share similar features. We believe that the conceptual framework of representing sums of products as partition functions of NFGs is an important and intuitive paradigm that, surprisingly, does not seem to have been introduced explicitly in the previous factor graph literature. Of particular interest are NFG modifications that leave the partition function invariant. A simple subclass of such NFG modifications offers a unifying view of the Fourier transform, tree-based reparameterization, loop calculus, and ...
The disrupted magnetic braking theory for the period gap of cataclysmic variable systems is used to study the binary evolution of low-mass main-sequence-like stars with white dwarf companions. The model is able to reproduce the observed location and width of the gap provided that the average mass transfer rates above the upper edge of the gap are greater than about 1.9 x 10 to the -9th solar masses/yr. For the case of angular momentum loss by magnetic braking, the slope of the mass transfer rate with respect to orbital period is shown to range from 3.4 to 3.7. For the evolutionary sequences considered, the He-3 abundance at the surface of the secondary exceeds 0.0015 after the complete mixing phase, resulting in modifications in the nuclear burning development of nova explosions. 31 refs.
Variability in production is one of the largest factors that negatively impacts construction project performance. A common construction practice to protect production systems from variability is the use of buffers (Bf). Construction practitioners and researchers have proposed buffering approaches for different production situations, but these approaches have faced practical limitations in their application. A multiobjective analytic model (MAM) is proposed to develop a graphical solution for the design of Work-In-Process (WIP) Bf in order to overcome these practical limitations to Bf application, being demonstrated through the scheduling of repetitive building projects. Multiobjective analytic modeling is based on Simulation?Optimization (SO) modeling and Pareto Fronts concepts. Simulation...
Summary Many important moral decisions, particularly at the policy level, require the evaluation of choices involving outcomes of variable magnitude and probability. Many economic decisions involve the same problem. It is not known whether and to what extent these structurally isomorphic decisions rely on common neural mechanisms. Subjects undergoing fMRI evaluated the moral acceptability of sacrificing a single life to save a larger group of variable size and probability of dying without action. Paralleling research on economic decision making, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum were specifically sensitive to the "expected moral value" of actions, i.e., the expected number of lives lost/saved. Likewise, the right anterior insula was specifically sensitive to outcome p...
Estimates of climate change impacts are plague with uncertainties from many physical, biological, and social-economic processes. Among the urgent research priorities, more comprehensive assessments of impacts that better represent the uncertainties are needed. Here, we develop a new super-ensemble-based probabilistic projection approach to account for the uncertainties from CO2 emission scenarios, climate change scenarios, and biophysical processes in impact assessment model. We demonstrate the approach in addressing the probabilistic changes of maize production in the North China Plain in future. The new process-based general crop model, MCWLA [Tao, F., Yokozawa, M. Zhang, Z., 2009. Modelling the impacts of weather and climate variability on crop productivity over a large area: a new proc...
In undirected graphical models, learning the graph structure and learning the functions that relate the predictive variables (features) to the responses given the structure are two topics that have been widely investigated in machine learning and statistics. Learning graphical models in two stages will have problems because graph structure may change after considering the features. The main contribution of this paper is the proposed method that learns the graph structure and functions on the graph at the same time. General graphical models with binary outcomes conditioned on predictive variables are proved to be equivalent to multivariate Bernoulli model. The reparameterization of the potential functions in graphical model by conditional log odds ratios in multivariate Bernoulli model offers advantage in the representation of the conditional independence structure in the model. Additionally, we impose a structure penalty on groups of ...
Short-duration measurements have been widely used to screen for exposures to elevated radon concentrations in individual houses or at state or regional levels. However, a number of factors, including spatial and temporal variability in radon concentrations, must be considered before comparison to concentration guidelines can be made. Daily variations in radon concentration can lead to inherent measurement uncertainties ranging from 20 to 100+ percent. Differences in radon concentration due to seasonal effects and/or sampling location are also variable, and do not appear to be regionally consistent. Winter/summer concentration ratios, for example, have been observed to vary by as much as a factor of 10 in basements and by a factor of 5 in first floors. In this paper the implications of these uncertainties on the use of short-term sampling for inferring long-term exposures are discussed.
A variable-compression ratio, direct-injection diesel engine (VCR) has been designed and assembled at Southwest Research Institute with the intention of examining the current procedures for rating the ignition quality of diesel fuels and the meaning of ignition delay as an indicator of ignition and combustion quality. Using a slightly modified ASTM D 613 procedure, the engine has been used to rate the ignition quality of 43 different test fuels. The ratings obtained in the VCR engine are compared to the corresponding rating obtained using the standard cetane rating procedure. Some of the problems associated with the standard procedure became apparent during these experiments. The experimental results are discussed in terms of the problems and the advantages of a proposed VCR-based rating procedure.
Abstract The Eiffel Tower edifice is situated in the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field at a mean depth of 1690-m on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). At this 11-m-high hydrothermal structure, different faunal assemblages, varying in visibly dominant species (mussels and shrimp), in mussel size and in density of mussel coverage, were sampled biologically and chemically. Temperature and sulphide (-S) were measured on the different types of mussel-based assemblages and on a shrimp-dominated assemblage. Temperature was used as a proxy for calculating total concentrations of CH4. Based on the physico-chemical measurements, two microhabitats were identified, corresponding to (i) a more variable habitat featuring the greatest fluctuations in environmental variables and (ii) a second, more stable, ...
The problem of electrical parameters identification in complex systems, and in particular in electric railway traction systems, is considered. Parameters are determined by an indirect approach: only the terminal variables (voltages and currents and, impedance and admittance, which can be readily calculated) are measured and the per-unit-length electrical parameters are determined using a multiconductor transmission line model of the track section under test. It will be shown that some parameters cannot be measured directly, that they are not constant with frequency and that they may depend on other external conditions. An indirect method for parameters identification is proposed through an adaptive algorithm (AA), so that the calculated terminal variables match the measured ones. The AA is...
In this study, usage of a variable speed refrigeration system in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system is investigated to increase energy storage efficiency. Four different compressor speed control cases are compared to obtain a constant heat transfer fluid (HTF) temperature at the inlet of the energy storage tank. These control cases are (i) control with evaporation temperature, (ii) control with ethylene glycol temperature at the outlet section of evaporator, (iii) control with suction pressure of the compressor and (iv) on/off control. By means of the experimental analysis the best control strategy is obtained as control with Case (ii), in terms of stability of inlet temperature of heat transfer fluid, variations of energy efficiency of LHTES and coefficient of performance (...
In this study, ethanol organosolv pretreatment was investigated and optimized for the pretreatment of empty palm fruit bunch using (1) response surface methodology based on three-variable central composite design and (2) the combined severity parameters. The reaction parameters studied were sulfuric acid concentration (0.5-2.0%), reaction temperature (160-200^oC) and residence time (45-90min). Both models provide valuable and complementary informations: using combined severity parameters, very good predictions were obtained concerning xylan and lignin extraction whereas central composite design is the best model for glucose production. The optimal values of the variables were as the followings: sulfuric acid 2.0% w/w, 160^oC, 78min and the experimental values (96.0%) concerning glucose and...
The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of heat loss characterized by a percentage of the fuel's energy, friction and variable specific heats of working fluid on the performance of an air standard Otto cycle with a restriction of maximum cycle temperature. A more realistic and precise relationship between the fuel's chemical energy and the heat leakage that is based on a pair of inequalities is derived through the resulting temperature. The variations in power output and thermal efficiency with compression ratio, and the relations between the power output and the thermal efficiency of the cycle are presented. The results show that the power output as well as the efficiency where maximum power output occurs will increase with increase of the maximum cycle temperature. The temp...
An adaptive contingency selection process is set up which produces outage lists in order to guarantee on-line network security control. The quality index system used so far did not detect and reveal all critical variables due to observation problems in the mapping of two functions. The new process uses the results of the outage simulation computing of the system status just past for the drawing up of an up-to-date outage list. A linear correcting function transform the G{sub 2}-values of the standard quality index method - which still incorporate the observation problem effect - into improved values G. Studies which use data from realstic high-voltage networks prove that the detection of critical variables is far superior to ordinary methods. (orig.).
In this paper we examine the relationship between covariance and unitarity for quantum gravity in Ashtekar variables. A usual description would discard half of the original Lorentz group, in exchange for the resulting simplifications of general relativity. We start by quantizing a trivial SL(2,C) gauge theory resulting in a nonunitary covariant theory. By the addition of a total time derivative we transform this into a unitary theory of the Ashtekar description of gravity with complete accountability of the degrees of freedom. We find that covariance on the spacetime level bears a direct relationship to covariance on the level ofthe quantum fields themselves. This procedure can in principle be applied to any totally constrained system, and bears a resemblance to the Gupta--Bleuler method. Finally, we make some observation regarding the loop representation of the SL(2,C) connection.
One of the goals of the DARPA Virtual Soldier Project is to aid the field medic in the triage of a casualty. In Phase I, we are currently collecting 12 baseline experimental physiological variables and a cardiac gated Computed Tomography (CT) imagery for use in an prototyping a futuristic electronic medical record, the "Holomer". We are using physiological models and Kalman filtering to aid in diagnosis and predict outcomes in relation to cardiac injury. The physiological modeling introduces another few hundred variables. Reducing the complexity of the above into easy-to-read text to aid in the triage by the field medic is the challenge with multiple display solutions. A description of the possible techniques follows. PMID:15718701
A multivariate bioprocess control approach, capable of tracking a pre-set process trajectory correlated to the biomass or product concentration in the bioprocess is described. The trajectory was either a latent variable derived from multivariate statistical process monitoring (MSPC) based on partial least squares (PLS) modeling, or the absolute value of the process variable. In the control algorithm the substrate feed pump rate was calculated from on-line analyzer data. The only parameters needed were the substrate feed concentration and the substrate yield of the growth-limiting substrate. On-line near-infrared spectroscopy data were used to demonstrate the performance of the control algorithm on an Escherichia coli fed-batch cultivation for tryptophan production. The controller showed good ability to track a defined biomass trajectory during varying process dynamics. The robustness of the control was high, despite significant external ...
Biodynamic parameters of the ragworm Nereis diversicolor from southern Spain and south England were experimentally derived to assess the inter-population variability of physiological parameters of the bioaccumulation of Ag, Cd and Zn from water and sediment. Although there were some limited variations, these were not consistent with the local metal bioavailability nor with temperature changes. Incorporating the biodynamic parameters into a defined biodynamic model, confirmed that sediment is the predominant source of Cd and Zn accumulated by the worms, accounting in each case for 99% of the overall accumulated metals, whereas the contribution of dissolved Ag to the total accumulated by the worm increased from about 27 to about 53% with increasing dissolved Ag concentration. Standardised va...
Three geothermal direct heat applications were examined to derive a set of cost estimates from which one could determine the effect of changes in system parameters (temperature, flow, load, etc.) on the cost of heat. For each application, a set of resource characteristics and system inputs were chosen to best represent a site specific baseline condition. The baseline estimated cost of heat was calculated along with other cost estimates representing optimistic and pessimistic conditions, bracketing the range any input variable might reasonably take. Regression equations based upon these cost estimates were developed for each application to quantitatively relate changes in cost to changes in the input variables. These three equations and their accompanying nomographs serve as easily understandable planning tools for direct heat geothermal energy projects.
Energy harvesting systems stimulate the development of power management for low power consumption applications. Improving the converter efficiency of power management circuits has become a significant issue in energy harvesting system design. This paper presents a variable step-down conversion ratio switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter to advance the converter efficiency of charge on the stored capacitor in a wireless monitoring system of orthopedic implants. The converter is designed to work at 1 MHz switching frequency and achieves 15 to 2 V conversion. Measurement results show that the converter efficiency can reach 42% including all circuit power consumption, which is much higher than previous work. (semiconductor integrated circuits)
Abstract Objective:- This study explored 12-month outcome and its associations to social adjustment-related variables in patients with first-episode non-affective psychosis in Finland and Spain. Methods:- Forty-nine Finnish and 37 Spanish patients were evaluated at admission on various characteristics of social adjustment. Outcome was measured for 68 (79%) patients by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Global Assessment Scale, and Grip on Life. Results:- One-fourth of the patients experienced psychotic symptoms at follow-up. Sixty per-cent of the patients showed good global functioning and Grip on Life. In both patient groups, poor earlier global functioning, weak social network, poor Grip on Life, and psychological dependence on family of origin were associated with poor outcome. In the ...
The diffusion of alkali vapours in the anode compartment of a DIR-MCFC produces the deactivation of the internal reforming catalyst. Sets of ceramic porous membranes purposed to limit the diffusion have been manufactured by different techniques and the influence of the preparation technique and of the preparative variables on the morphological characteristics of the membranes structures has been studied.
This work has analyzed the key variables of indentation tip radius, contact radius, delamination radius, residual stress and superlayer/film/interlayer properties on nanoindentation measurements of adhesion. The goal to connect practical works of adhesion for very thin films to true works of adhesion has been achieved. A review of this work titled ''Interfacial toughness measurements of thin metal films,'' which has been submitted to Acta Materialia, is included.
Results of an investigation made to develop methods of making iron castings having wall thicknesses as small as 2.5 mm in green sand molds are presented. It was found that thin wall ductile and compacted graphite iron castings can be made and have properties consistent with heavier castings. Green sand molding variables that affect casting dimensions were also identified.
This article describes the state-of-the-art HVAC system at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel. Thermal comfort and indoor air quality are emphasized. The system uses a hybrid gas absorption/electric centrifugal chilled water plant, variable flow pumping, water-side economizers to provide free cooling, central air handling units with air-side economizers and flow monitoring equipment.
This paper propose to show the technical and economic aspects of the implementation of small power distribution systems in small rural properties in some locations of Argentina. This paper presents a concrete methodology, with a rational cost composition and introduces project variables. 4 figs.
Given a random variable $F$ regular enough in the sense of the Malliavin calculus, we are able to measure the distance between its law and almost any continuous probability law on the real line. The bounds are given in terms of the Malliavin derivative of $F$. Our approach is based on the theory of It\\^o diffusions and the stochastic calculus of variations. Several examples are considered in order to illustrate our general results.
This book comprises an up-to-date description of the astrophysical characteristics of the sun, including modern techniques used in solar research. Provides an historical background of solar research and techniques and covers the necessary astrophysics for solar studies, energy generation in the interior, the convection zone, the non- thermally heated layers, and solar wind are described in detail. Also considers the sun in relation to other stars, including information on its variable outputs of light, charged particles, and fields.
Cellulose raw materials costs must be considered in order to obtain a minimized hexose cost. In recognition of this fact, it may be economically advantageous to operate at less than maximum hexose concentration in the reactor and to recycle unreacted cellulose. The objective of this article is to optimize a cellulose-recycle reactor system for producing hexose at minimum cost. A sensitivity analysis of the important variables in the mathematical model of this system is also discussed.
After a brief survey of the known level measurement methods the particularities of the radiometric measurement of the still utilisable residual volume of a bulk material in a large bin are discussed. At constant angle of repose the measurement in a suitably positioned plane of measurement suffices, at variable angle of repose two planes of measurement are required. The probable working ranges for a 1300-t lime bin are estimated.
Resistance exercise has been widely reported to have positive rehabilitation effects for patients with neuromuscular and orthopaedic conditions. This paper presents an optimal design of magneto-rheological fluid dampers for variable resistance exercise devices. Adaptive controls for regulating the resistive force or torque of the device as well as the joint motion are presented. The device provides both isometric and isokinetic strength training for various human joints.
Wax appearance temperature (WAT) of three petroleum waxes in different solvent systems under varying thermal conditions has been determined. It is observed that this temperature mainly is a function of the concentration of the wax and the solubility parameter ([delta]) of the solvent taken. This dependence of WAT has been quantified in terms of these variables in the form of mathematical equation and nomographs. (orig.)
One of the main goals in the operation of a cupola furnace is to keep the molten iron properties within prescribed bounds while maintaining the most economical operation for the cupola. In this paper the authors present a procedure to obtain the nominal values for the manipulated process variables. The nominal values are calculated by solving a constrained nonlinear programming optimization problem. Two different optimization problems are discussed and examples for using the procedure are presented.
Plasma confinement by permanent magnets has been studied. An analytic formula for the field of a single bar magnet has been obtained. Generalization to various configurations of multidipole fields has also been found. Any two-dimensional field may now be completely described by a simple function of complex variables in closed form. Vector potential has also been obtained by integrating over a prescribed Riemann surface. The confinement of plasma by multidipole fields then becomes obvious through conservation principles.
This paper outlines the development of an organizational model which will be used to determine the influence of supervisory and management functions in a nuclear power plant (NPP) on risk. A theoretical conceptualization, derived from the empirical literature, is used to describe the organizational structure of NPPs. The parameters and variables associated with this dynamic, process-oriented model are detailed. Applications of the model and preliminary insights derived from this conceptualization are discussed.
A mathematical model is proposed for three-phase filtering which is a particular case of a more general model of filtering multiple component mixtures and makes it possible to describe three-phase filtering flows under conditions where the pressure of saturation is variable in time and in space. In the proposed model, the system of unknown functions is selected so that it makes it possible to trace fairly simply the pressure of saturation and to compute the corresponding equation coefficients.
A mathematical and physical model was constructed describing the hydrodynamics of the two-phase mixture in the horizontal steam generator. The HP 9830 A desk-top calculator was used for the computations. The output variable of the solution was the level shape. A quantitative and qualitative comparison was made of the results of computations and experimental data. (author).
The Variable Dynamic Testbed Vehicle (VDTV) is presently being developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It is being designed to have a steer-by-wire front steering system and an independent rear steering system. These steering systems enable the VDTV to emulate the directional control characteristics of a broad range of passenger vehicles.
We report the of the existence of RV Tauri stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This class of variable star has hitherto been unidentified in the Magellanic Clouds. In light and color curve behavior the RV Tauri stars appear to be an extension of the Type II Cepheids to longer periods. A single period-luminosity-color relationship is seen to describe both the Type II Cepheids and the RV Tauri stars in the LMC.
The long-range correlation properties in the hourly time variability of geochemical signals measured in a 70 m depth well at Triponzo (Umbria region), are investigated by the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). DFA is a data processing method that allows for the detection of scaling behaviors in observational time series even in the presence of non-stationarities. The procedure adopted has allowed for the unambiguous identification of possible correlations among the recorded signals and local earthquakes.
The feasibility of using a thermoplastic-powder metallurgy technique for the fabrication of porous niobium rods was investigated. Some early problems were overcome to successfully extrude the polymer coated niobium powder into long lengths. The effects of certain process variables were investigated. Residual porosity and extrusion pressure were found to be regulated by the polymer fraction. The procedures for taking the extruded polystyrene--niobium rods through the heat treatments to the final, tin infiltrated stage are explained.
It is shown that a sufficient condition for a model describing the motion of a particle on a coset space to possess a Fundamental Poisson bracket Relation, and consequently charges in involution, is that it must be a symmetric space. The conditions, a Hamiltonian, or any functions of the canonical variables, has to satisfy in order to commute with these charges, are studied. It is show that, for the case of the noncompact symmetric spaces, these conditions lead to an algebraic structure which lays an important role in the construction of conserved quantities.
The hierarchy of integrable nonlinear equations associated with the quadratic bundle is considered. The expressions for the solution of linearization of these equations and their conservation law in the terms of solutions of corresponding Lax pairs are found. It is shown for the first member of the hierarchy that the conservation law is connected with the solution of linearized equation due to the Noether's theorem. The local hierarchy and three nonlocal ones of the infinitesimal symmetries and conservation laws explicitly expressed through the variables of the nonlinear equations are derived. (author)
Multiple linear regression, principal component analysis, partial least squares, polynomial regression and artificial neural networks are popular techniques for process modeling. An industrial case study illustrates some of these technologies, with an emphasis on artificial neural networks. Experience with this and other projects indicates that while neural network models, combined with partial least squares when necessary, are an excellent tool for modeling, linear techniques may also be appropriate in some cases. Regardless of the specific method used, software analyzers are an attractive lower-cost alterative to hardware options in some monitoring applications. From a fundamental point of view, the result of chemical analysis can be considered as the dependent variable(s) of a process system having a number of independent variables. The independent variables are the causes and the chemical analysis is the effect. If the ...
Biomedical science researchers often express frustration that health physics practices vary widely between individual institutions. A survey examining both internal and external dose assessment practices was devised and mailed to fifty institutions supporting biomedical science research. The results indicate that health physics dose assessment practices and policies are highly variable. Factors which may contribute to the degree of variation are discussed. 2 tabs.
BackgroundThe beta-defensin gene cluster (DEFB) at chromosome 8p23.1 is one of the most copy number (CN) variable regions of the human genome. Whereas individual DEFB CNs have been...Full Text Available
Analyzing the risk of a safeguards system, in particular the security of a computer network based on the notion of fuzzy sets and linguistic variables, addresses concerns such as complexity and inherent imprecision in estimating the possibility of loss or compromise. Automated risk analysis allows the risk to be determined for an entire system based on estimates for lowest level components and the component weight. In addition, for each component (asset) we select the most effective combination of protection mechanisms against a given set of threats.
The theoretical evolution of a horizontal branch star of Population II is followed through the helium burning in the core phase and is compared with the results given by other investigators. The m- fluence of different physics and interpolation schemes in the opacity tables is discussed. Some thoughts are given on the explanation of the erratic period variations observed in some of the RR Lyrae variables in the globular clusters. (auth)
BackgroundStudies of chronic health effects due to exposures to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) are often limited by sparse...Full Text Available
We propose a scheme able to generate stationary continuous variable entanglement between an optical and a microwave cavity mode by means of their common interaction with a micro-mechanical resonator. We show that when both cavities are intensely driven one can generate bipartite entanglement between any pair of the tripartite system, and that, due to entanglement sharing, optical-microwave entanglement is efficiently generated at the expense of microwave-mechanical and opto-mechanical entanglement.
Energy conservative building design has triggered greater interests in developing flexible and sophisticated air conditioning systems capable of achieving enhanced energy-savings potential without sacrificing the desired thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ). This research work greatly aimed at achieving enhanced energy conservation, good thermal comfort and better IAQ for space conditioning with the application of combined variable refrigerant volume (VRV) and variable air volume (VAV) air conditioning (A/C) systems. Experimental investigation on the proposed combined air conditioning system with the application of intelligent fuzzy logic controller was performed for summer and winter climatic conditions to substantiate the energy-savings capability. The proposed system experimentally analyzed under fixed ventilation, demand controlled ventilation (DCV) and combined DCV and economizer cycle (EC) ventilation techniques effectively ...
Protocol changes and options contained within US Environmental Protection Agency whole effluent toxicity tests represent variables that have the potential to affect bioassay performance and interpretation of results. Variables evaluated in this study include: the change in allowable age in the Pimephales promelas acute bioassay from up to 90 d to a maximum of 14 d, age-specific acute responses of P. promelas among the allowable ages of 1 to 14 d, change in the chronic growth endpoint definition from final mass to biomass, differences between hemacytometer and fluorometer measurements in the Selenastrum capricornutum protocol, and options for statistical interpretation of species sensitivity in multiple test/species screening bioassays. Clear age-related sensitivity and precision differences were observed in acute responses of P. promelas. Results obtained using the younger age classes were typically more variable in studies ...
Electrochemical cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) experiments were performed on several candidate high-performance waste package container materials to evaluate their susceptibility to localized corrosion in aqueous environments relevant to the potential underground high-level nuclear waste repository. This paper presents the results of this study showing the effects of chloride ion (Cl) concentrations, pH, temperature, and electrochemical potential scan rate on the pitting corrosion behavior of these materials.
We propose a continuum description for the axial separation of granular materials in a long rotating drum. The model, operating with two local variables, concentration difference and the dynamic angle of repose, describes both initial transient traveling wave dynamics and long-term segregation of the binary mixture. Segregation proceeds through ultraslow logarithmic coarsening. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
ABSTRACTThe immune response to Neisseria gonorrhoeae is poorly understood, but its extensive antigenic variability and resistance to complement are thought to allow it...Full Text Available
An unusual S1-nuclease sensitive microsatellite (STMS) has been found in the single copy, rat polymeric immunoglobulin receptor gene (PIGR) terminal exon. In Fisher rats, elements within or beyond the...Full Text Available
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic disease characterized by a high variability of disease severity and outcome that points to the role of environmental factors and modulating genes that shape the course...Full Text Available
DescriptionThe main objective of the project is to develop a range of underpinning plant resources together with information about the level of genetic variability they represent, in a form suitable for use in crop improvement research in vegetable brassicas, lettuce and onion. The proposed research addresses Defra's requirement for a crop improvement programme to underpin research programmes aimed at Pest and Disease Control, Plant Nutrition and Quality in field vegetables at HRI. We will produc [continued...
A non-recursive model is proposed and empirically tested with data of opponents of nuclear power. In explaining conventional and unconventional participation the theory of collective action is applied and modified in two respects: the perceived influence on the elimination of collective evils are taken into account; the selective incentives considered are non-material ones. These modifications proved to be valid: the collective good variables and non-material incentives were important determinants for the two forms of participation. Another result was that there is a reciprocal causal relationship between conventional and unconventional participation.
This demonstration project uses modern simulation techniques to illustrate the important technologies and design variables that an auto-designer would consider in production a high efficiency, low emissions vehicle. Simulation and modeling techniques use the idea of capturing the relationships between real components of the systems with mathematical equations. These equations are then solved on a computer to simulate the behavior or performance of the system under various conditions. In the current demonstration project, we focus on many variations of a hydrogen-powered vehicle.
The possible existence of preferential B-site disorder in A-15 compounds recently claimed on the basis of x-ray powder diffraction data but questioned from the viewpoint of known phase diagrams is examined for some Nb-based compounds of this type. It is concluded that x-ray powder data do not allow the determination of both order and compositional variables as suggested, and the latter must therefore be determined by some other method. (author).
Canonical gravity in real Ashtekar-Barbero variables is generalized to allow for fermionic matter. The resulting torsion changes several expressions in Holst's original vacuum analysis, which are explicitly displayed here. This in turn requires adaptations to the known canonical (loop) quantization of gravity coupled to fermions, which is discussed on the basis of the classical analysis.
RP-1 is a long-established hydrocarbon fuel that continues to be widely used as the kerosene component in rocket propulsion systems. The desire in recent years to use rocket motors many times, rather than a single time, has led to reformulations of RP-1. ...
The catalytic liquefaction of a Chinese bituminous coal was simulated by artificial neural network. Three liquefaction variables, catalyst loading, reaction temperature and reaction time were used as inputs and tetrohydrofuran (THF) conversion and toluene (T) conversion were used as outputs. The artificial neural network, trained by the experimental data, could represent the liquefaction process, with a mean squared deviation of less than 0.025. 7 refs.,1 fig., 3 tabs.
The report gives results of a pilot-plant study of the ammonia absorption/ammonium bisulfate regeneration process for removing SO2 from the stack gas of coal-fired power plants. Data were developed on the effects of such operating variable in the absorption of SO2 by ammoniacal l...
1. The aim of the paper is to investigate the relative importance of three sets of sources of competitive advantages on business performance in a specific industry context, ie the European meat processing industry. The three sets of competitive sources are Firm Specific Advantages (FSAs), Localizational Specific Advantages (LSAs) and Relationship Specific Advantages (RSAs). Based on a literature study, each set of competitive advantages is briefly described in terms of their theoretical antecedents. Seven hypotheses are formulated regarding the direct as well as the indirect relationships between the FSAs, LSAs and RSAs and business performance. Also, the direction of causality between the various sets of explanatory variables is considered. The hypotheses are combined in a structural modelling of firm competition. 2. Data and measurements are derived from a survey in the European meat processing industry in which 133 meat processors from 10 EU countries agreed to ...
In 1980 the multilevel multichannel R-matrix code SAMMY was released for use in analysis of neutron data at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator. Since that time, SAMMY has undergone significant modifications: (1) User-friendly options have been incorporated to streamline common operations and to protect a run from common user errors, (2) The Reich-Moore formalism has been extended to include an optional logarithmic parameterization of the external R-matrix, for which any or all parameters may be varied, (3) the ability to vary sample thickness, effective temperature, matching radius, and/or resolution-broadening parameters has been incorporated, (4) to avoid loss of information (i.e. computer round-off errors) between runs, the ''covariance file'' now includes precise values for al variables, (5) Unused but correlated variables may be included in the analysis. Because of these and earlier changes, the 1980 SAMMY manual is now hopelessly ...
Extracting useful information from high-dimensional data is an important focus of today's statistical research and practice. Penalized loss function minimization has been shown to be effective for this task both theoretically and empirically. With the virtues of both regularization and sparsity, the $L_1$-penalized squared error minimization method Lasso has been popular in regression models and beyond. In this paper, we combine different norms including $L_1$ to form an intelligent penalty in order to add side information to the fitting of a regression or classification model to obtain reasonable estimates. Specifically, we introduce the Composite Absolute Penalties (CAP) family, which allows given grouping and hierarchical relationships between the predictors to be expressed. CAP penalties are built by defining groups and combining the properties of norm penalties at the across-group and within-group levels. Grouped selection occurs for nonoverlapping groups. Hierarchical ...
This dissertation reports on the application of numerical optimization techniques as applied to fuel cell simulation and design. Due to the "multi-physics" inherent in a fuel cell, which results in a highly coupled and non-linear behavior, an experimental program to analyze and improve the performance of fuel cells is extremely difficult. This program applies new optimization techniques with computational methods from the field of aerospace engineering to the fuel cell design problem. After an overview of fuel cell history, importance, and classification, a mathematical model of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is presented. The governing equations are discretized and solved with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques including unstructured meshes, non-linear solution methods, numerical derivatives with complex variables, and sensitivity analysis with adjoint methods. Following the validation of the fuel cell model in 2-D and 3-D, the results of the sensitivity ...
A mixture of crushed rock and bentonite is being considered as backfill and sealant for high-level nuclear waste repositories. Many variables affect the hydraulic conductivity of such a mixture, including the size and shape of the rock particles, method of mixing, water content and density of the clay, and the weight ratio of rock to clay. Mixtures of crushed basalt and bentonite have been tested to determine the relative effects of these variables. Two types of permeameters are used, 20 cm diameter stainless steel permeameters and 10 cm diameter clear PVC permeameters. Plugs are installed as a single lift or in many lifts; the water content of the clay ranged from air-dry (in most cases) to as high as 200%. Preliminary results show that a mixture of 75% crushed basalt and 25% bentonite has a hydraulic conductivity between 1 x 10/sup -9/ cm/s and 2.5 x 10/sup -8/ cm/s. In some cases, preferential flow paths have developed (possibly as a result ...
A butterfly valve is a type of flow control device, typically used to regulate a fluid flowing. Currently, FEA is often used to predict the safety in the design of valve disc. Also, the study about the affection of butterfly valve's disc to the valve flow characteristics by using CFD has been done by many researchers. Along with the development of computer technique, design and analysis of computer experiments has becoming more and more important in engineering design and optimization. Hereinto Kriging model is one popular analysis approach for the purpose of creating a cheap ``meta-model'' as a surrogate to a computationally expensive simulation model. In this paper, the numerical analysis considered the strength, pressure loss coefficient and weight of valve disc simultaneously is investigated to improve the shape of a traditional butterfly valve disc. Firstly, an initial model of butterfly valve is made to evaluate the performance of the valve disc by using CFD and FEM. Then several ...
The scalar mixing time scale, a key quantity in many turbulent combustion models, is investigated for reactive scalars in premixed combustion. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of three-dimensional, turbulent Bunsen flames with reduced methane-air chemistry have been analyzed in the thin reaction zones regime. Previous conclusions from single step chemistry DNS studies are confirmed regarding the role of dilatation and turbulence-chemistry interactions on the progress variable dissipation rate. Compared to the progress variable, the mixing rates of intermediate species is found to be several times greater. The variation of species mixing rates are explained with reference to the structure of one-dimensional premixed laminar flames. According to this analysis, mixing rates are governed by the strong gradients which are imposed by flamelet structures at high Damkoehler numbers. This suggests a modeling approach to estimate the mixing rate of ...
This report introduces a microprocessor system composed of a Z-80 single-board computer controlling a gas-carburizing process. The system has 7 analogical input and output signals 24 switch signal-input and 12 switch signal-output signals, which are applicable for temperature, carbon potential, and mechanical-movement control of multipurpose sealed furnaces, or for mutiple-zone temperature, carbon potential, and mechanical-movement control of continuous gas carburizing furnaces; or for distributed control of pit-type carburizing furnaces. The setpoints of variables, such as treating time, temperature, carbon potential of carburizing period, carbon potential of diffusion period, depth of carburizing layer, P.I.D. etc., are entered by keyboard and stored into memories, and actual values are displayed by digital tubes. Furthermore, the fault of thermocouple, oxygen probe, or infrared CO/sub 2/ analyzer; carbon potential, or temperature exceeding the setting value; ...
In models with dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking, this breaking is normally communicated to quarks and leptons by a set of vector bosons with masses generated via sequential breaking of a larger gauge symmetry. In reasonably ultraviolet-complete theories of this type, the number of stages of breaking of the larger gauge symmetry is usually equal to the observed number of quark and lepton generations, $N_{gen.}=3$. Here we investigate the general question of how the construction and properties of these models depend on $N_{gen.}$, regarded as a variable. We build and analyze models with illustrative values of $N_{gen.}$ different from 3 (namely, $N_{gen.}=1,2,4$) that exhibit the necessary sequential symmetry breaking down to a strongly coupled sector that dynamically breaks electroweak symmetry. Our results for variable $N_{gen.}$ show that one can robustly obtain, for this latter sector, a theory with a gauge coupling that is large but ...
The genetically significant dose (GSD) is an index variable which exclusively allows to describe the genetic risk in the progeny of a population due to the application of ionizing radiation and radioactive substances in one part of this population. It may result in wrong interpretation of population exposure at increasing incidence of examinations in a population involving ionizing radiation and radioactive drugs at simultaneously increasing application of alternative methods in children and adolescents owing to the fact that it indicates a downward trend although somatic exposure of this population has increased. Therefore, it is recommended to state both the GSD and the level of somatic radiation exposure of the population taken from the individual sources for the comparison and assessment of radiation exposure from various sources in future. Although the somatically significant dose constitutes the suitable variable complementary to GSD in ...
The application of neural networks, alone or in conjunction with other advanced technologies (expert systems, fuzzy logic, and/or genetic algorithms), to some of the problems of complex engineering systems has the potential to enhance the safety, reliability, and operability of these systems. Typically, the measured variables from the systems are analog variables that must be sampled and normalized to expected peak values before they are introduced into neural networks. Often data must be processed to put it into a form more acceptable to the neural network (e.g., a fast Fourier transformation of the time-series data to produce a spectral plot of the data). Specific applications described include: (1) Diagnostics: State of the Plant (2) Hybrid System for Transient Identification, (3) Sensor Validation, (4) Plant-Wide Monitoring, (5) Monitoring of Performance and Efficiency, and (6) Analysis of Vibrations. Although specific examples described ...
The application of neural networks, alone or in conjunction with other advanced technologies (expert systems, fuzzy logic, and/or genetic algorithms), to some of the problems of complex engineering systems has the potential to enhance the safety, reliability, and operability of these systems. Typically, the measured variables from the systems are analog variables that must be sampled and normalized to expected peak values before they are introduced into neural networks. Often data must be processed to put it into a form more acceptable to the neural network (e.g., a fast Fourier transformation of the time-series data to produce a spectral plot of the data). Specific applications described include: (1) Diagnostics: State of the Plant (2) Hybrid System for Transient Identification, (3) Sensor Validation, (4) Plant-Wide Monitoring, (5) Monitoring of Performance and Efficiency, and (6) Analysis of Vibrations. Although specific examples described ...
This paper describes the derivation of a new equation that can be used to model the permeability behavior of a fractured, sorptive-elastic media, such as coal, under variable stress conditions commonly used during measurement of permeability data in the laboratory. The model is derived for cubic geometry under biaxial or hydrostatic confining pressures. The model is also designed to handle changes in permeability caused by adsorption and desorption of gases from the matrix blocks. The model equations can be used to calculate permeability changes caused by the production of methane from coal as well as the injection of gases, such as carbon dioxide, for sequestration in coal. Sensitivity analysis of the model found that each of the input variables can have a significant impact on the outcome of the permeability forecast as a function of changing pore pressure; thus, accurate input data are essential. The permeability model can also be used as a ...
The Convective and Orographically-induced Precipitation Study (COPS) has the aim to advance the quality of forecasts of orographically-induced precipitation in complex terrain. COPS is a Research and Development Project of the World Weather Research Program and considered to be one of the largest field campaigns on quantitative precipitation forecasting that has been performed so far. A network of state-of-the-art active and passive remote sensing systems was combined with in total 10 airborne platforms, Meteosat rapid scans and dense networks of standard meteorological instruments during the three months long field phase (June-August, 2007) in south-western Germany/eastern France to observe atmospheric variables in the three spatial dimensions and in time. By the University of Hohenheim, two novel ground-based mobile scanning lidar systems were deployed: a scanning rotational Raman lidar which provides combined measurements of the field of atmospheric temperature ...