Medline Plus

[music] Narrator: New treatments can limit the disability caused by a stroke, but you need to know the signs and act in time. Here are the signs to ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveTo assess the perceived effectiveness of cigarette health warnings in China, compared with picture and text-only warnings from other countries.Method1169...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Preventing recurrence of surface mining accidents in the coal industry remains a top priority requiring constant vigilance and a substantial commitment from all involved in open pit mining operations. Open pit wall failures, loose rocks rolling down slopes, ground water and stockpiling procedures are common sources of risks in open cut coal operations. This video aims to equip workers with the necessary skills and knowledge to assess and react to the geomechanics hazards in open pit coal operations. Workers need to have the competencies to manage geomechanics hazards to facilitate their own and their workmates' safety. No matter how good the operating systems are, the first line of defence against accidents is the experience, skill and knowledge-based judgment of each individual mine worker. The video covers: Open pit coal mine risk management and geomechanical issues; Terminology, mining cycle, and explanation of pit slope hazards; and Understanding of pit slope failures and ...

Wastenet

...Publications Consultations Application forms Vacancies Contact us About us Air Climate change Flooding Live flood warnings Flood map How to use it About the ...map View the map FAQs Contact us & Feedback Flooding: who does what? Flood warning - what we do Floodline Warnings Direct Flood ...risk Being prepared FAQs Floodline kids Flooding publications External links Business & Flood Risk Seminar Contact us Land Planning Radioactive substances Waste Water ... You are here: Home Page Flooding Flood map View the map View the map: terms and conditions Important information about ...

Science.gov (United States)

... For short-warning crises in other regions, Marine Expeditionary Units, the 82nd Airborne Division, Special Operations Forces, and Air Force/Navy ...

CERN Multimedia

"Physics in America is at a crossroads and in crisis, just as humanity stands on the verge of great discoveries about the nature of matter and the universe, a panel from the National Academy of sciences concludes in a new report."

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Purpose. Formation of a tracheoinnominate artery fistula (TIF) and consecutive hemorrhage is a rare and life-threatening complication with high mortality. Warning symptoms can...Full Text Available

CERN Multimedia

"Physics in the United States is in a crisis that the country may lose the leadership in basic particle research in coming years, a report of the National Research Council warned." (1 page)

Science.gov (United States)

...persons from danger of runaway haulage equipment. (f) An audible warning...within 300 feet of preceding haulage equipment, except trailing locomotives...provided for all rubber-tired haulage equipment where such equipment is...

Science.gov (United States)

This is a point shapefile showing Traffic sign locations at Colorado National Monument. The coordinates for this dataset were collected using a Trimble Geo-Explorer 2 GPS reciever....

Wastenet

... OnlineFirst PDF Synthesis of low-temperature, fast, single-firing body for porcelain stoneware tiles... Wei et al. Waste Manag Res.2009; 0: 0734242X09351734v1 To view this item, select one of the options below: ISWA Member Sign In ISWA Members, please sign in at ISWA to access the journal online. Sign In Already an individual subscriber? If so, please sign in to ...

CERN Document Server

We present a new modular traffic signs recognition system, successfully applied to both American and European speed limit signs. Our sign detection step is based only on shape-detection (rectangles or circles). This enables it to work on grayscale images, contrary to most European competitors, which eases robustness to illumination conditions (notably night operation). Speed sign candidates are classified (or rejected) by segmenting potential digits inside them (which is rather original and has several advantages), and then applying a neural digit recognition. The global detection rate is ~90% for both (standard) U.S. and E.U. speed signs, with a misclassification rate 150 minutes of video. The system processes in real-time ~20 frames/s on a standard high-end laptop.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ContextMusic and surgery.ObjectiveTo determine the effect of live classical piano music on vital signs of patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery.DesignRetrospective...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundFabry patients have symptoms and signs compatible with autonomic dysfunction. These symptoms and signs are considered to be due to impairment of the peripheral nervous...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Overall Numbers Small, But Study Finds SSRI Exposure, Autism Link Additional Drug Safety, Efficacy Data Needed for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder SGA Safety and Efficacy in Children and Adolescents Aripiprazole Safety and Tolerability for Irritability in Autism No Lisdexamfetamine Effect on Sleep Disturbances in Children With ADHD Sickle Cell Disease With Comorbid Depression Homeopathy in Psychiatry Manic Symptoms Induced by Marijuana in a Healthy Adolescent New Warnings Safety Labeling Changes

CERN Document Server

Experimental results show that certain message passing algorithms, namely, Survey Propagation, are very effective in finding satisfying assignments for random satisfiable 3CNF formulas which are considered hard for other SAT heuristics. Unfortunately, rigorous understanding of this phenomena is still lacking. In this paper we make a modest step towards providing rigorous explanation for the effectiveness of message passing algorithms. We analyze the performance of Warning Propagation, a popular message passing algorithm that is simpler than Survey Propagation. We show that for 3CNF formulas drawn from a certain distribution over random satisfiable 3CNF formulas, commonly referred to as the planted-assignment distribution, running Warning Propagation in the standard way (run message passing until convergence, simplify the formula according to the resulting assignment, and satisfy the remaining subformula, if necessary, using a simple "off the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Event-based biosurveillance is a scientific discipline in which diverse streams of data, available from the Internet, are characterized prospectively to provide information on infectious disease events. Biosurveillance complements traditional public health surveillance to provide both early warning of infectious disease events as well as situational awareness. The Global Health Security Action Group (GHSAG) of the Global Health Security Initiative is developing a biosurveillance capability that integrates and leverages component systems from member nations. This work discusses these biosurveillance systems and identifies needed future studies.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Much as it is accepted for pollution control reasons air pollution abatement still is the subject of heated debates. Pollutant emissions can considerably be reduced with the help of electric power supplies. In order not to prejudice electric power users tariffs have to be adapted to the prices of other energy sources available on the market. There is a general need for energy conservation, resource conservation and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Thermal insulation is among the remedial measures. Fundamental air pollution abatement measures will have to be avoiding smog warnings which are known to considerably interfere with both economic and private activities.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To assess the prevalence, significance and practical value of two recently described CT signs of instable aneurysm: the crescent sign and the periluminal halo (a low-attenuating internal layer of the thrombus around the patent lumen). Material and methods: Among the CT examination performed in the last 5 years, they retrospectively selected the nonruptured aneurysms with a diameter exceeding 4 cm (no. = 93 average diameter 5.1 cm, unenhanced images in 28 cases and enhanced in 84) and the ruptured aneurysms (no. = 16, average diameter 6.7 cm, unenhanced images in 9 cases and enhanced in 9). They studied the prevalence of the crescent and halo sing, their relationship with the aneurysm diameter, and the effect of contrast enhancement. Results: The crescent sign was identified with a statistically significant prevalence in ruptured ( 37.5 % or cases) over asymptomatic aneurysms (5.5 %); the halo had the same frequency ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background: Healthcare providers and their IT staff, working in an effort to balance appropriate accessibility with stricter security mandates, are considering the use of a single network sign-on approach for authentication and password management. Single sign-on (SSO) promises to improve usability of authentication for multiple-system users, increase compliance, and help curb system maintenance costs. However, complexities are introduced when SSO is placed within a collaborative environment. These complexities include unanticipated workflow implications that introduce greater security vulnerability for the individual user. Objectives and methodology: In this work, we examine the challenges of implementing a single sign-on authentication technology in a hospital environment. The aim of the...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

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

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Experience gained with a wide variety of missile injuries of the brain is presented. Clinical signs and intracranial pressure (ICP) studied in the early post-injury period have been correlated with...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Water transport in the ionomeric membrane, typically Nafion{reg_sign}, has profound influence on the performance of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell, in terms of internal resistance and overall water balance. In this work, high resolution neutron imaging of the Nafion{reg_sign} membrane is presented in order to measure water content and through-plane gradients in situ under disparate temperature and humidification conditions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

45{number_sign} steel, which has good mechanical strength and is relatively cheap, is a common constituent in industrial components, such as precision gears, piston columns of oil pumps, and so on. However, since the working environment of these industrial parts is sometimes quite harsh and unforgiving, they are vulnerable to wear and corrosion. Replacing 45{number_sign} steel with stainless or alloy steel increases the cost significant, and a better alternative is to improve its surface properties and lifetime using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). The authors have devised a variety of treatment processes using PIII, including radio-frequency (RF) plasma nitriding, RF plasma nitriding and nitrogen PIII, Ti deposition in conjunction with nitrogen PIII (IBED), as well as Cr deposition followed by nitrogen PIII (IBED). To assess the efficacy of the processes, the microhardness and mass loss due to wear were measured for both the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study has been carried out in the framework of a collaboration between the laboratory of processes automation (LAP, Caen (France)), and Air Com, a monitoring network for the prevention of atmospheric pollution in Basse-Normandie. It aims at obtaining a medium and long term forecast of the ozone level above the Caen city. The expected goal is to foresee the pollution peaks exceeding the warning thresholds, but the rareness of such events make them more difficult to predict. In order to solve this kind of problem, a neural modeling method combined with a noise injection technique has been implemented in order to obtain a sufficiently performing model over the whole domain of operation. (J.S.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To secure the reactor operation safety by the provision of a fluid pressure detecting section for control rod driving fluid and a control rod interlock at the midway of the flow pass for supplying driving fluid to the control rod drives. Constitution: Between a driving line and a direction control valve are provided a pressure detecting portion, an alarm generating device, and a control rod inhibition interlock. The driving fluid from a driving fluid source is discharged by way of a pump and a manual valve into the reactor in which the control rods and reactor fuels are contained. In addition, when the direction control valve is switched and the control rods are inserted and extracted by the control rod drives, the pressure in the driving line is always detected by the pressure detection section, whereby if abnormal pressure is resulted, the alarm generating device is actuated to warn the abnormality and the control rod inhibition interlock is actuated to ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The difficulty in information communication and sharing are major problems for forest fire monitoring and early warning in China. As authors, we applied web service technology to a personal digital assistant (PDA) forest fire monitoring system and propose the framework of a monitoring system based on service-oriented architecture (SOA). At the same time, we describe the composition and function of web services from a server side and a client side. The method for developing a web service invocation engine on the PDA is introduced in detail. Finally, an example of a fire danger rating and fire weather services system are established, based on the Beijing Forest Fire Control System. The results show that the PDA forest fire monitoring system based on web services can effectively take advantag...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Borrelial infection may manifest with a wide range of clinical signs, and in many cases, microbiological findings are essential for a proper diagnosis. This study included 48 patients with a working...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundTobacco smokers are more susceptible to periodontitis than non-smokers but exhibit reduced signs of clinical inflammation. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. We have...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Serratia odorifera biogroup 1 was isolated from the blood and urine of an alcoholic male with cirrhosis and signs of septic shock. The organism is rarely reported to occur in clinical specimens. This...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Available data are presented which support the supposition that metals and alloys with a negative low-temperature Hall coefficient are apparently not superconducting. (author).

Medline Plus

... also include a healthy diet that included abundant antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and lycopene. ... exfoliants, the higher-level moisturizers as well as antioxidants as my night product. A very rich moisturizer ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

SynopsisEarly detection of late onset neonatal sepsis, prior to obvious and potentially catastrophic clinical signs, is an important goal in neonatal medicine. Sepsis causes a...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Vestibular schwannomas, also called acoustic neuromas, are benign tumors of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Patients with these tumours almost always present with signs of hearing loss, and many also experience...Full Text Available

Medline Plus

September 14, 2010 ADHD: Signs, Symptoms, Research NIMH researchers talk about the symptoms of ADHD as well as the latest research. Download this video. Watch on YouTube. Transcript Announcer: ADHD- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder- is one of the ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Context: Mild primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is characterized by asymptomatic hypercalcemia, most commonly in the absence of classical signs and symptoms. Hence, there is need to characterize...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has put a high priority on the use of existing dynamic message signs (DMS) to provide travel time estimates to the public. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has three DMS in the Portland metropolitan ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors present differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and in situ Moessbauer spectroscopy results for Metglas ribbons, to which different heat treatments were made. The Curie temperature of the amorphous phase is determined and the evolution of the magnetic field of this phase is studied as a function of temperature

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

One hundred and seventy-nine patients completed a questionnaire focusing on adverse reactions to dental local anesthetics as manifested by 16 signs and symptoms. Twenty-six percent of the participants...Full Text Available

CERN Document Server

We consider the alternating sign matrices of the odd order that have some kind of central symmetry. Namely, we deal with matrices invariant under the half-turn, quarter-turn and flips in both diagonals. In all these cases, there are two natural structures in the centre of the matrix. For example, for the matrices invariant under the half-turn the central element is equal $\\pm 1$. It was recently found that $A^+_{HT}(2m+1)/A^-_{HT}(2m+1)$=(m+1)/m. We conjecture that similar very simple relations are valid in the two remaining cases.

Science.gov (United States)

The surveillance systems have been widely used in automatic teller machines (ATMs), banks, convenient stores, etc. For example, when a customer uses the ATM, the surveillance systems will record his/her face information. The information will help us understand and trace who withdrew money. However, when criminals use the ATM to withdraw illegal money, they usually block their faces with something (in Taiwan, criminals usually use safety helmets or masks to block their faces). That will degrade the purpose of the surveillance system. In previous work, we already proposed a technology for safety helmet detection. In this paper, we propose a mask detection technology based upon automatic face recognition methods. We use the Gabor filters to generate facial features and utilize geometric analysis algorithms for mask detection. The technology can give an early warning to save-guards when any "customer" or "intruder" blocks his/her face information with a mask. Besides, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A transient stability program was developed for the Taiwan Power Company, which has a high proportion of nuclear generation in its power system. This program offers a new territory to investigate nuclear plant effects on the power system transient stability. This program also provides a high speed tool for the Taipower system operational planning. A generalized procedure of synchronous machine modeling for a large-scale stability study is presented. The merits and weaknesses of machine modeling can be comprehended through each item of this procedure. Three types of nonlinear synchronous machine modeling implemented into this stability program are derived by following this procedure. A robust subroutine was derived to perform the fourth order Runge-Kutta integration method, making the software programming neat and systematical. For simulating the nuclear plant influence on the system, this program implemented an additional four functions: load-limit operation simulated by a low-value ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Until now, monitoring of power transformers focussed mainly large generator and network transformers. Siemens goes a step ahead and provides a system especially developed and designed for small and medium power transformers, e.g. for the 100 kV level. This low cost version could be achieved by restriction to really necessary measuring quantities. This allows to realize also for small and medium power transformers an online monitoring including an estimation of aging and as an option an early warning to avoid unexpected failures. (orig.) [German] Die Ueberwachung (Monitoring) von Leistungstransformatoren war bisher vor allem fuer Maschinentransformatoren und grosse Netzkuppeltransformatoren in der Diskussion. Siemens geht einen Schritt weiter und stellt nun auch ein System bereit, das speziell fuer kleine und mittlere Leistungstransformatoren, z.B. der 110-kV-Spannungsebene, konzipiert ist. Diese kostenguenstige Variante wurde durch Beschraenkung auf die aus ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In response to the decisions adopted at the Third Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Kyoto conference for the prevention of global warming) of 1997, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and the like are being announced of their completion or placed on the market one after another as low pollution vehicles with CO2 emission to cause global warming reduced. Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., is engaged in the development of a DC-DC converter for hybrid vehicles in cooperation with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. The product is characterized in (1) that it is small in size and light in weight because a step-down converter and an emergency step-up converter are integrated; (2) that it enjoys a high efficiency rate of 89%; (3) that its service life is long thanks to its design free of aluminum electrolytic capacitors; and (4) that it is provided with various reliability improving features, such as protective systems and ...

CERN Document Server

CERN signed a Co-operation Agreement with the Government of Pakistan in 1994, which was followed in 1997 by a Protocol signed with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) concerning CMS magnet supports. CERN and PAEC then signed in 1998 a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration in the construction of the CMS detector. The participation by Pakistani scientists and engineers in the CERN programme is channelled through the National Centre of Physics (NCP) established at the Quaid-i-Azzam University in Islamabad, under the terms of a 1999 Protocol to the 1994 Co-operation Agreement. The engineering and detector construction work performed under these Agreements has been of high quality, and the Pakistani participation is valued highly by the CMS collaboration. In continuation of this co-operation, Pakistan, represented by PAEC as funding agency, has now proposed to make in-kind contributions to the LHC Project, such ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We investigate optimal horizons for targeting inflation in response to different shocks and their properties. Our analysis is based on a well specified macroeconometric model of Norway. We find that optimal horizons are highly shock-specific and do not increase with concern for output and/or interest rate fluctuations beyond some shock-specific levels. Optimal horizons increase with the degree of persistence in shocks while they are not affected by the size of a shock unless the central bank is averse to interest rate volatility. In the face of multiple shocks, however, sizes as well as signs of shocks become important for optimal horizons even when the central bank is not averse to interest rate volatility. This is because shocks of different signs and sizes may amplify or outweigh each o...

CERN Document Server

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.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Given the important role of parent-youth communication in adolescent well-being and quality of life, we sought to examine the relationship between specific communication variables and youth perceived quality of life in general and as a deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) individual. A convenience sample of 230 youth (mean age = 14.1, standard deviation = 2.2; 24% used sign only, 40% speech only, and 36% sign + speech) was surveyed on communication-related issues, generic and DHH-specific quality of life, and depression symptoms. Higher youth perception of their ability to understand parents' communication was significantly correlated with perceived quality of life as well as lower reported depressive symptoms and lower perceived stigma. Youth who use speech as their single mode of communication ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Experiences with the model parameter identification of the excitation system (EXS) and the power system stabilizer (PSS) for Mingtan{number_sign}6 pumped storage generation unit of Taiwan Power System are presented in this paper. The input-output data corresponding to each block of the EXS and PSS were obtained when the finalization tests of this unit were performed. The generalized least squares (GLS) approach is introduced and employed to identify the desired parameters of the noisy excitation system and PSS models. In this method, the reduction technique of biased estimates due to the non-white (correlated) identification residual is also applied to improve the accuracy of identification. The results of the parameter estimation are satisfactory. The GLS parameter identification method using the measured data at finalization tests is then suggested from the viewpoint of economy and engineering.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

As Darwin portended but failed to develop, and of which Gould made much, the forensic evidence of evolution points toward Punctuated Equilibrium rather than Phyletic Gradualism; however Gould?s empirical postulation has long suffered from its lack of a testable theoretical basis. This is rectified by the work of Jaroslav Flegr and the Frozen Plasticity Theory, a hypothesis with striking application within semiotic theory and hence to questions of epistemology and ontology. The consequences of applying FPT within Biosemiotics is this: when any particular sign carries a great range of interpretation (semiotic polymorphism) combined with a high degree of mutually supportive referencing (semiotic pleiotropy), that sign is less likely to exhibit plasticity?less able to find new expressions capa...

Science.gov (United States)

The most common causes of omental sac collections (OSC) are necrotic pancreatitis (90%) and pancreatic trauma (10%). Acute OSC is a form of local peritonitis in acute pancreatitis, subacute OSC are caused by internal pancreatic fistulas. The clinical and radiological signs, enzymatic activity of the exudate, morphological features of peritonitis were investigated. Treatment of acute OSC included conservative measures, of subacute OSC-surgical procedures. PMID:9163152

Science.gov (United States)

A 56-year-old man admitted to our hospital for cardiac tamponade due to dilated cardiomyopathy did not respond to treatment by usual medical means or surgery. Pericardio-peritoneal drainage was conducted using a subcostal approach. Seven months later, the patient remains well and free of signs of pericardial tamponade. This method has proved to be safe and effective in patients with persistent massive pericardial effusion. PMID:10496067

CERN Document Server

"Nine of CERN 's 20 Member States today a signed new Protocol on privileges and immunities. This brings the Organization into line with other European intergovernmental organizations, such as the European Space Agency and the European Southern Observatory, which already enjoy international status in all of their Member States" (2

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Biased above threshold (VT), pulsed photocurrent (u) measurements on windowed silicon Pd gate MOS capacitors are shifted (DV) negatively by H2/N2, whereas Au gates shift positively under NO2/air. Below VT, the shifts are reversed by adjustments of interface state population. Minor temperature increases may coax the device from inversion to depletion, inducing sign reversal of the chemical response.

CERN Multimedia

China and CERN renew co-operation agreement for a further five years. During a visit to CERN on 17 February, Liu Yanhua, the vice-minister of science and technology of the People's Republic of China, signed a new co-operation agreement with the laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

The blinded study of CBUE (cytobacteriological urine examination) test strips was carried out in 100 patients (65 women, 35 men), mean age 85.52 +/- 6.28 years, admitted for a short stay in a geriatrics department. Urinary infection was present in 19% of the cases. Typical clinical signs (pollakiuria, dysuria, hematuria, burning upon voiding) were rare, less than 10%. General signs, such as deterioration of general status (65% of the cases) and loss of autonomy (53% of the cases), on the other hand, were predominant and their relatively unspecific nature required a reliable screening test for urinary infection. Good results of sensitivity (89.5%), specificity (98.7%), and the leukocytes/nitrites values, confirmed the validity of the urine test strip in hospitalized elderly patients. In addition, the negative predictive value of the combination leukocytes and nitrites (90.8%) would have prevented 71 samples from being sent to the laboratory for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) may be elusive. A 6-year-old boy had microcytic hypochromic anemia and a hemolytic component. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages were not found in the gastric aspirate. He had no pulmonary signs or symptoms. Extensive hematologic and roentgenologic investigations failed to reveal the cause of the anemia. Quantitative serial scintigraphic scanning showed significant (35%) pulmonary sequestration of autologous erythrocytes labeled with sodium chromate Cr51. The half-life of the RBCs was moderately decreased (half-life, 15 days; normal, 25 to 35 days). An open-lung biopsy spece Cr51. The half-life of the RBCs was moderately decreased (half-life, 15 days; normal, 25 to 35 days). An open-lung biopsy specimen confirmed the diagnosis of IPH. A diagnosis of IPH should be considered when children have iron deficiency anemia and pulmonary signs or symptoms. Organ sequestration studies may be helpful in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Household demand for better environmental quality is the key factor in the long-term global applicability of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. We argue that, for given consumer preferences, the threshold income level at which the EKC turns downwards or the equilibrium income elasticity changes sign from positive to negative depends on the ability to spatially separate production and consumption. We test our hypothesis by estimating the equilibrium income elasticities of five pollutants, using 1990 data for the United States. We find that the change in sign occurs at lower income levels for pollutants for which spatial separation is relatively easy as compared to pollutants for which spatial separation is difficult. Our results suggest that even high-income households in the United States have not yet reached the income level at which their demand for better environmental quality is high enough to cause the income-pollution ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A 2-year follow-up regarding healing complications, such as redisplacement, nonunion, and segmental collapse of the femoral head, was performed in 306 patients operated on for femoral neck fracture and examined with /sup 99m/Technetium-MDP scintimetry within 2 weeks postoperatively. Scintimetric evaluation was performed by selecting regions of interest over the femoral head on the fracture side and the intact side and by comparing the uptake. A femoral head ratio fractured/intact side thus was obtained. Of 199 patients with an intact femoral head uptake (ratio less than or equal to 1.0), 181 showed no signs of healing complications at 2 years, whereas 18 had developed healing complications. Of 107 cases with a deficient femoral-head uptake (ratio < 1.0), 96 had developed healing complications within 2 years from the operation, while 11 cases had no signs of radiographic complications. We conclude that /sup 99m/Tc-MDP scintimetry performed ...

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english In order to evaluate the presence of specific IgG antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with clinical manifestations associated with Lyme borreliosis in Cali, Colombia, 20 serum samples from patients with dermatologic signs, one cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample from a patient with chronic neurologic and arthritic manifestations, and twelve serum samples from individuals without clinical signs associated with Lyme borreliosis were analyzed by IgG Western blot. The (more) results were interpreted following the recommendations of the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) for IgG Western blots. Four samples fulfilled the CDC criteria: two serum specimens from patients with morphea (localized scleroderma), the CSF from the patient with neurologic and arthritic manifestations, and one of the controls. Interpretation of positive serology for Lyme disease in non-endemic countries must be cautious. However these ...

CERN Document Server

We explore as clearly as possible the features of neutrino oscillation which are relevant for measurements of the CP violating Kobayashi-Maskawa phase delta and the sign of \\Delta m^2_{13}. We focus on the so called low-energy option and discuss principles for optimizing experimental parameters to measure these two quantities simultaneously. Toward the goal, we first formulate a method for obtaining a bird-eye view of the phenomenon of neutrino oscillation by introducing a new powerful tool called the ``CP trajectory diagram in bi-probability space''. It allows us to represent pictorially the three effects separately in a single diagram; effect from genuine CP violation due to the sin delta term, effect from the CP conserving cos delta term, and the fake CP violating effect due to earth matter. By using the CP trajectory diagram we observe that there is a two-fold ambiguity in the determination of delta which is related with the sign of Delta ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thirty-six patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), who were febrile but without localizing signs, underwent indium-111 leukocyte scintigraphy 24 hours after injection of labeled white blood cells (WBCs) and were restudied 48 hours after injection of gallium-67 citrate. Fifty-six abnormalities were identified as possible sources of the fever; 27 were confirmed with biopsy. Of these 27, 15 were identified only on In-111 WBC scans (including colitis, sinusitis, and focal bacterial pneumonia); six, only on Ga-67 scans (predominantly Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and lymphadenopathy); and six, on both studies (predominantly pulmonary lesions). In-111 WBC scanning revealed 21 of 27 abnormalities (78%) and gallium scanning, 12 of 27 (44%). If only one scintigraphic study has been performed, particularly with Ga-67, a significant number of lesions would not have been detected. The authors believe radionuclide evaluation of the febrile AIDS patient without ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To determine clinical predictors and accuracy of {sup 123}I-FP-CIT SPECT imaging in the differentiation of drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Several clinical features and {sup 123}I-FP-CIT SPECT images in 32 patients with DIP, 25 patients with PD unmasked by antidopaminergic drugs (PDu) and 22 patients with PD without a previous history of antidopaminergic treatment (PDc) were retrospectively evaluated. DIP and PD shared all clinical features except symmetry of parkinsonian signs which was more frequently observed in patients with DIP (46.9%) than in patients with PDu (16.0%, p<0.05) or PDc (4.5%, p<0.01). Qualitatively {sup 123}I-FP-CIT SPECT images were normal in 29 patients with DIP (90.6%) and abnormal in all patients with PD, and this imaging technique showed high levels of accuracy. DIP and PD are difficult to differentiate based on clinical signs. The precision of clinical diagnosis ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radiation necrosis of normal CNS tissue represents one of the main risk factors of brain irradiation, occurring more frequently and earlier at higher total doses and higher doses per fraction. At present, it is believed that the necrosis results due to increasing capillary permeability caused by cytokine release leading to extracellular edema. This process is sustained by endothelial dysfunction, tissue hypoxia, and subsequent necrosis. Consequently, blocking the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at an early stage could be an option to reduce the development of radiation necrosis by decreasing the vascular permeability. This might help to reverse the pathological mechanisms, improve the symptoms and prevent further progression. A patient with radiation-induced necrosis was treated with an anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab), in whom neurologic signs and symptoms improved in accordance with a decrease in T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signals. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Most environmental policies provide for special emergency measures to be taken during phases of high pollution, such as smog alarm regulations. These measures serve several purposes and can have various impacts. First of all, they act as a warning to those parts of the population immediately threatened by health hazards (Warnfunktion). They may be directed at short-term pollution reduction via pollution abatement measures proscribed during smog alarm situations (unmittelbare Steuerungsfunktion). In addition, the announcement of emergency measures may signal that pollution levels in general have been too high, indicating that the environmental policies normally pursued do not sufficiently or effectively protect human beings and the environment from harm (Signalfunktion). Emergency measures often contain special regulations obliging industrial polluters to switch to costly, less polluting production processes, or to stop production altogether. This may act as an ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To use such sites very effectively, pile foundations will be used for soil stabilization and for important structures for the prevention of subsidence. Negative friction that may ensue from the differential settlement of the soil has to be prevented. Measures against gas will include gas collecting and exhausting facilities in the lower parts of structures, natural and forced exhaust systems, and gas detection/warning units. For revegetation, plants strong against bad soil should be selected, they should be protected from generated gas with protecting sheets or the like, and a thick layer of vegetation-capable soil needs to be laid. Replacement, compaction, and solidification are the fundamentals of soil improvement at wastes final treatment locations and of soil-related pollution prevention in the vicinity of the newly produced sites. Across the country, the service life expectancy is approximately 7-8 years for general wastes and approximately 2.3 years for ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CNPT-3 is the laboratory designation of a strain of bacteria that reproduces best at deep-sea pressures. It was isolated from a sample collected at a 5800 m depth of the Pacific Ocean. This isolation was achieved from a sample that had been retrieved without warning. This year we demonstrated that there are similarly behaving bacteria that can be isolated from samples even when retrieved with decompression. The purpose of this project was to define the temperatures and pressures over which CNPT-3 can exist and function. (1) At 2"0C CNPT-3 is eurybathic from about 1000 to 6500 m, as judged from an only slightly pressure dependent generation time. (2) CNPT-3 is unquestionably barophilic at 2"0C, with doubling times of 9 hours at 580 bars and over 18 hours at 1 bar. (3) At 10"0C, reproduction is adversely affected at 1 bar to the extent that CNPT-3 becomes obligately barophilic at 10"0C. Yet reproduction is enhanced above 280 bars and occurs with a regeneration time ...

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We searched for signs of an instability on the interface between the two phases of a binary-liquid mixture, isobutyric acid and water, after the mixture was quenched further into the two-phase region. Such an instability would be the liquid-liquid analog of the Mullins-Sekerka instability seen in quenched alloys. Never is any dramatic growth observed, but under conditions of small dimensionless quench depth (theta<1.5 x 10/sup -3/), the intensity of light scattered from the interface grows for small values of the momentum transfer k.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Reticulate pattern is one of the most important dermatological signs of a pathological process involving the superficial vascular networks. Vascular malformations, such as cutis marmorata congenita telangiectasia and benign forms of livedo reticularis, and sinister conditions, such as meningococcal meningitis or Sneddon's syndrome, can all present with a reticulate pattern. The clinical presentation and morphology is determined by the nature and extent of the underlying pathology and the involvement of a particular vascular network. This review has been divided into four instalments. In the present paper, we discuss the anatomy and physiology of the complex network of vascular structures that support the function of the skin and subcutis.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Because of limitation on neutron-incident data, it is difficult to obtain global optical model potential for neutrons. In contrast, there are some global optical model potentials for proton in detail. It is interesting to convert the proton-incident global optical potentials into neutron-incident ones. In this study we introduce (N-Z)/A dependent symmetry potential terms into the global proton-incident optical potentials, and then obtain neutron-incident ones. The neutron potentials reproduce total cross sections in an acceptable degree. However, a comparison with potentials proposed by other authors brings about a confused situation in the sign of the symmetry terms. (author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Open descendants extend conformal field theory to unoriented surfaces with boundaries. The construction rests on two types of generalizations of the fusion algebra. The first is needed even in the relatively simple case of diagonal models. It leads to a new tensor that satisfies the fusion algebra, but whose entries are signed integers. The second is needed when dealing with non-diagonal models, where Cardy's ansatz does not apply. It leads to a new tensor with positive integer entries, that satisfies a set of polynomial equations and encodes the classification of the allowed boundary operators. (orig.).

CERN Document Server

Using an exactly soluble one-dimensional atomic model we explore the idea that the recently observed high-order nonlinearity in optical filaments is due to virtual transitions involving the continuum states. We show that the model's behavior is qualitatively comparable with the experimentally observed cross-over from self-focusing to de-focusing at high intensities, and only occurs at intensities which result in significant ionization. Based on these observations, we conjecture that this continuum electron nonlinear refraction exhibits strong memory effects, and most importantly, the change of its sign is effectively masked by the de-focusing due to free electrons.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The book is a German translation of an American textbook with the original title ''MRI Survival Guide'' and is intended to serve as an introductory guide for beginners or a reference book for quick information. Readers will find information on the fundamentals of the technology and methodology of MRI as well as all details of relevance to practice in a precise and easy-to-grasp arrangement, covering all anatomic areas of interest, illustrations and descriptions of characteristic signs of pathologic processes, high-quality and unusually large-sized diagnostic pictures, a modern didactic concept for quick orientation, including surveys, tables, and reproductions for visualisation of contents. (orig./CB)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A 60-year-old male was bitten by a venomous snake (Vipera ammodytes) and gradually developed signs of an allergic reaction including generalized itching, generalized rash, and chest discomfort. This was followed by severe retrosternal pain with electrocardiographic evidence of an inferior myocardial ischemia progressing to acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac enzymes and troponin, serum tryptase, and histamine were elevated. Coronary arteriography showed normal coronary arteries. This is a characteristic type I variant of Kounis syndrome, which is the concurrence of acute coronary syndromes with conditions associated with mast cell activation including allergic or hypersensitivity reactions as well as anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reactions. This is the first report to show that viper bite...

CERN Document Server

Information from the CHIS Board and Personnel Division:A new contract to manage our health insurance has been signed with AUSTRIA and it will come into force on 1 January 2000.The changeover to the new contract will not affect those covered by thescheme since there will be no change in the list of services reimbursed or in the reimbursement procedure.However, you are requested (as far as possible) to submit separate claims fortreatment (not bills) received before 1 January 2000 as opposed to treatment received after 1 January 2000. This will help AUSTRIA with its accounting.

CERN Document Server

It is shown that the direct Fourier synthesization of light beams allows one to create polarity-asymmetric waves, which are able, in the process of nonlinear interaction with a medium, to break its inversion symmetry. As a result, these "polar" waves may show the effect of optical rectification in nonlinear centrosymmetric media by generating light-induced dc electric polarization. At the same time, the waves of this type, due to their unusual symmetry properties, can be used for detecting the direction and sign of a dc electric field applied to the medium. The prospects of application of polar waves to data recording and processing are discussed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The results of dielectric measurements in a wide frequency range have been used to find that solid solution samples on the basis of PbSc_1_/_2Sb_1_/_2O_3 have blurred phase transitions. The Curie-Weiss law is performed for different compositions in the temperature range 10-150 K above Curie point. The change of value and sign of the difference between Curie and Curie-Weiss temperatures is connected with the change of phase transition blurring degree.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Three cases of primitive suprasellar germinomas are reported: the tumors show typical clinical signs (diabetes insipidus, disfunctions), but CT findings are not so specific. It is very important to reach a correct diagnosis based on clinical and radiological findings, because of very high radiosensibility of the tumor. The accuracy of preoparative diagnosis has been enhanced by CT in addition to conventional neuroradiological examinations. Due to the possible risk of meningeal spreading following biopsy, some authors prefer to avoid biopsy and to treat directly the patient by radiotherapy; a rapid reduction of the tumor size at the dose of 30 Gy suggest a possible germinoma.

Wastenet

... Focuses on distillation and packed towers, and presents the methods and fundamentals of plant design along with supplemental mechanical and related data, nomographs, data charts and heuristics. AU$223.45 ex-GST Terms and Conditions Browse Product Pages My EA Books Customer sign in User name Password Forgot your password? Register Mailing Lists New Books - Promotions click here to subscribe Shopping basket 50 Products AU$5,482.58 Standard Post Australia AU$10.00 Total amount AU$5,492.58 Display shopping basket Check out Copyright ©Engineers Media 2008 Terms &...

CERN Document Server

We fabricated a double negative acoustic metamaterial which consisted of Helmholtz resonators and membranes. Experimental data on the transmission and dispersion relation are presented. The system exhibits three frequencies where the acoustic state makes sharp transitions from density negative ({\\rho} -NG) to double negative (DNG), modulus negative (B-NG), and double positive (DPS) in sequence with the frequency. We observed a wide range of negative refractive index from -0.06 to -3.7 relative to air, which will allow for new acoustic transformation techniques.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We perform a complete analytical reduction of general one-loop Feynman integrals with five and six external legs for tensors up to rank R=3 and 4, respectively. An elegant formalism with extensive use of signed minors is developed for the cancellation of inverse Gram determinants. The 6-point tensor functions of rank R are expressed in terms of 5-point tensor functions of rank R-1, and the latter are reduced to scalar four-, three-, and two-point functions. The resulting compact formulae allow both for a study of analytical properties and for efficient numerical programming. They are implemented in Fortran and Mathematica. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors carried out a retrospective study on 4 years' work on a series of patients with proved active tuberculosis examined in the Departments of Bronchopneumology and Infectious Disease of the Arezzo Civil Hospital. The population was heterogenerous from the immunologic viewpoint. This paper compared the effectiveness of Computed Tomography (CT) with that of conventional chest radiography (CR) in the diagnosis and prognosis of tuberculosis. All patients underwent chest CR in double projection and conventional CT studies of the chest; 16 patients were also submitted to high resolution CT (HRCT). Consolidation was the most frequent parenchymal lesion in immunocompetent patients; it was often associated with cavitation, with no clear topographic prevalence in the upper lobes. Pleural effusion, as the only sign of disease and with empyema features, was found in 10 immunocompetent patients. No predominant pattern was found in the other two groups, even though ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A CIEP analysis of the recent development of demand and supply for crude oil indicates that the mismatch in supply and demand growth could cause tighter oil markets than we already experience today. In the World Energy Outlook 2007, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned of a possible 'energy crunch'. But what was anticipated to happen in the first part of the next decade has been fast-forwarded to today, more than 5 years earlier, and could shake the very foundation of our energy systems if no action is undertaken. Without exaggeration, the recent developments in the international oil market are ground-breaking: a little over a year ago, in January 2007, the West Texas Intermediate crude oil price (WTI) traded for USD50 dollar a barrel. Within a year, the price doubled to USD100 per barrel in January 2008 and pushed through to over USD135 in June 2008, against the backdrop of the fresh market supposition about reaching a whopping USD200 per barrel in 2009. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The project aim is to model the hybrid plant at Vaesthamnsverket in Helsingborg using artificial neural networks (ANN) and integrating the ANN models, for online condition monitoring and thermoeconomic optimization, at Vaesthamnsverket. The definition of a hybrid plant is that it uses more than one fuel, in this case a natural gas fuelled gas turbine with heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and a biomass fuelled steam boiler with steam turbine. The project is a continuation of previous projects where ANN training was done with operational data from the plant. The ANN models have, if required, been updated to better suit the purpose of this project. The thermoeconomic optimization takes into account current electricity prices, taxes, fuel prices etc. and calculates the current production cost along with the 'predicted' production cost. The tool also has a built in feature of predicting when a compressor wash is economically beneficial. The user interface is developed ...

Science.gov (United States)

Clinical and hormonal indices of androgenic activity were compared in 118 males chronically intoxicated with alcohol. The population was divided into two groups with respect to their clinical and hormonal androgenic indices: 76 patients with (Group 1), and 46 patients without (Group 2) androgenic insufficiency. Distinct signs and syndromes of alcohol addiction were shown to correlate with the extent of cross-regulation impairment within hypothalamo-hypophyseo-gonadal system. This was particularly derived from comparison of clinical picture of chronic alcohol intoxication and hormone activity in the groups. Conventional therapy failed to restore the neuroendocrine indices that was apparently due to inhibition of cross-regulation links in the hypothalamo-hypophyseo-gonadal system at several stages of alcohol addiction. PMID:3223149

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A new high strength titanium alloy has been developed primarily intended for fastener applications. While Ti-6Al-4V is used extensively as a fastener alloy in the aerospace industry, its shear strength allowable is limited to 655 MPa (95 ksi). For higher shear strength requirements, various steels or nickel-based alloys are used (up to 860 MPa (125 ksi)), but with the attendant density penalty. This new alloy is intended to provide the 860 MPa shear strength at roughly a 40% weight savings. After screening various alloy systems, the optimum chemistry has been selected as follows: Ti-6.0V-6.2Mo-5.7Fe-3Al. In light of its 125 ksi shear strength goal, the alloy has been designated TIMETAL reg-sign 125.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background Limited data is available for investigating the long-term safety and effects of intracoronary progenitor cell therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Objective To assess the clinical course, NT-proBNP and MRI data as objective markers of cardiac function of the TOPCARE-AMI patients at 5-year follow-up. Design The TOPCARE-AMI trial was the first randomized study investigating the effects of intracoronary infusion of circulating (CPC) or bone marrow-derived progenitor cells (BMC) in 59 patients with successfully reperfused AMI. Results Five-year follow-up data were completed in 55 patients, 3 patients were lost to follow-up. None of the patients showed any signs of intramyocardial calcification or tumors at 5?years. One patient died during the initial hospitali...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) has been widely used in the diagnosis of primary carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, it has had limited clinical application in diagnosing persistent or recurrent CTS. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of this imaging modality in patients who had previously undergone open carpal tunnel release without relief of symptoms, and assess the correlation of MRI with intra-operative findings upon re-exploration. MRI studies were performed on 17 wrists (16 patients) presenting with recurrent/persistent symptoms and signs of CTS in whom repeat nerve conduction studies were also performed. Surgical re-exploration was undertaken on 16 wrists in which a 100% correlation was noted between MRI and intra-operative findings of an incompletely released or re-grown tran...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The aims of this study were to quantify the severity and extent of subclinical interstitial lung disease as depicted on HRCT and to study the relationship between the patterns of lung disease quantified by HRCT and the functional parameters and bronchoalveolar lavage findings in patients with rheumatic diseases. The results confirm that HRCT is a sensitive tool in detecting interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatic diseases with no signs and symptoms of pulmonary involvement. The relationship between the different HRCT patterns and bronchoalveolar lavage cell profiles can identify patients at higher risk of developing irreversible lung fibrosis. A long-term, prospective follow-up study is needed to determine whether these patients will develop over pulmonary disease.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

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

Wastenet

... The drop in pay, with mounting medical bills and a curve ball in their personal life, led Mr. Flake and his wife, Amy, to exhaust their savings. As they shifted spending to credit cards their debt mounted, and conversations about retirement ... In October 2008, they learned that a relative of hers with an 8-month-old son was going to prison. If the Flakes could not take the baby, he would be placed in foster care. The Flakes did some soul searching and decided to seek custody of ...) 1 2 Next Page »A version of this article appeared in print on March 24, 2011, on page F4 of the New York edition. Sign In to E-Mail Print Single Page Reprints Connect with The New York Times on Facebook. Get Free E-mail Alerts on These Topics Retirement Personal ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Electric Fuel Limited (EFL) refuelable zinc-air battery system is currently being tested in a number of electric vehicle demonstration projects, the largest of which is a field test of zinc-air postal vans sponsored chiefly by Deutsche Post AG (the German Post Office). The zinc-air battery is not recharged electrically, but rather is refueled through a series of mechanical and electrochemical steps that will require a special infrastructure in commercial application. As part of the German Post Office field test program, Electric Fuel designed and constructed a pilot zinc anode regeneration plant in Bremen, Germany. This plant is capable of servicing up to 100 commercial vans per week, which is adequate for the field test vehicle fleet. This paper will describe the design and operation of each of the areas and devices within the plant.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Aim- Conventional outcomes such as survival, tumour recurrence and complication rates after surgery for rectal cancer have been rigorously assessed, but the importance of maintaining quality of life (QOL) after surgery for rectal cancer has received less attention. The aim of the current study was to analyse QOL and the occurrence of pelvic dysfunction after the surgical treatment of rectal cancer. Method- Between May 2005 and May 2008, 150 patients with rectal cancer underwent abdominoperineal resection (APR) or anterior resection (AR). Seventy-four answered two preoperative questionnaires. At a follow up of 1-year, 65 were alive without sign of recurrence and answered the same questionnaires: (a) validated RAND 36-item health survey QOL questionnaire; and (b) self-administered d...

Science.gov (United States)

Serious complications due to coronary artery fistulae have been described. Most authors recommend early intervention at the time of diagnosis. We present a case of a fistula originating from a dilated left coronary artery and draining into the right atrium, which was diagnosed prenatally by color Doppler echocardiography. During pregnancy, the echocardiographic findings remained unchanged, and there were no signs of heart failure. After birth, the fistula was confirmed by angiography. Additionally, a persistent left superior vena cava draining into the coronary sinus and a very small ventricular septal defect were detected. The fistula was closed successfully by transcatheter coil embolization. At 17 months old the child was in good clinical condition. Prenatal diagnosis of coronary artery fistulae may be possible and may improve perinatal management and outcome. PMID:12047543

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper employs a new approach in order to investigate the underlying relationship between stock markets and exchange rates. Current approaches suggest that the relative equity market performance of two countries is linked to their exchange rate. In contrast, this study proposes an alternative approach where one global variable - global equity market returns - is believed to have an effect on exchange rates, with the relative interest rate level of a currency determining the sign of the relationship. Our empirical findings suggest that exchange rates and global stock market returns are strongly linked. The value of currencies with higher interest rates is positively related with global equity returns, whereas the value of currencies with lower interest rates is negatively related with g...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A numerical analysis method for melting/solidification phenomena has been developed to evaluate a feasibility of several candidate techniques in the nuclear fuel cycle. Our method is based on the eXtended Finite Element Method (X-FEM) which has been used for moving boundary problems. Key technique of the X-FEM is to incorporate signed distance function into finite element interpolation to represent a discontinuous gradient of the temperature at a moving solid-liquid interface. Construction of the finite element equation, the technique of quadrature and the method to solve the equation are reported here. The numerical solutions of the one-dimensional Stefan problem, solidification in a two-dimensional square corner and melting of pure gallium are compared to the exact solutions or to the experimental data. Through these analyses, validity of the newly developed numerical analysis method has been demonstrated. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The US Plowshare programme, designed to develop peaceful uses of nuclear explosives, was vigorous between 1957 to 1973 and was of concern during US and USSR nuclear treaty negotiations within that period. In order to accommodate possible future applications, the Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE) Treaty was signed in 1976. The US programme explored the phenomenology of nuclear explosions and tested their use in industrial applications. Due to waning industrial interest and public concern over environmental issues, the US program was terminated in 1977. The Soviet counterpart to the Plowshare programme, which has involved roughly 100 experiments throughout the USSR, continued until the self-imposed moratorium in 1985. As any peaceful use of nuclear explosives has the potential of furthering weapons research, the US takes the position that all such experiments would have to be banned in a comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper, a Kramers-Kronig (KK) analysis of infrared (IR) reflectance spectrum of quaternary In_0_._0_1Al_0_._0_6Ga_0_._9_3N film grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is reported. The infrared measurement is performed in the reflection mode at an incident angle of 15 degree sign by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy at T = 300 K. The Kramers-Kronig analysis of the reflectivity data has been used to obtain the real and imaginary parts of the index of refraction (n and k), and the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric response function (#epsilon#' and #epsilon#') of the materials. Finally, the transverse optical and longitudinal optical phonons for quaternary In_xAl_yGa_1_-_x_-_yN were obtained.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Mycoplasma infections of small ruminants are known to exist in the Mediterranean region, Asia, Africa and cause significant economic impacts but little is known of the Mycoplasma spp. in sheep and goats in the Middle East. During the period of 2002-2003, 104 flocks of local sheep and goats (17 sheep, 27 goat and 60 mixed flocks) were surveyed for the occurrence of mycoplasma infections in Northern Jordan. The clinical signs seen in the studied flocks were, to varying degrees, mastitis in sheep and goats, arthritis, mainly in kids, and pneumonia in both sheep and goats of most age groups. Small ruminant farms were sampled and pooled milk samples and nasal swabs were collected for culture and isolation of mycoplasma. Mycoplasmas were isolated from 17 (26%) of the 62 milk samples and 12 (3.9%...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Within the framework of the Bianchi type-IX homogeneous space, we set up a system of coupled equations for the cosmic scale factors, scalar field, and radiative energy density. At the tree level, the equations are written in a self-consistent, Hartree-Fock form. For phi/sup 4/ theory, the system of nine first-order differential equations is solved numerically for a varying ratio of the energy of anisotropy to the vacuum energy. As the vacuum energy increases, there appears to be less reheating, since the energy of anisotropy is more efficiently converted into isotropic expansion. If the energy of anisotropy is large enough, the inflationary phase is prevented. In this case, a series of cosmological phase transitions will take place each time the square of the effective mass changes its sign.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The evolution of strain in the Pd-Si system during the growth of Pd{sub 2}Si thin films on Si (100) substrate has been followed in situ using a double optical beam technique. As was observed for the Pt-Si system, the reaction to form Pd{sub 2}Si yields a compressive intrinsic surface film stress as well as for the silicon-rich suicides as proposed by Angilello et al. [Thin Film Interfaces and Interactions, edited by J. Baglin and J. Poate (The Electrochemical Society, Pennington, NJ, 1980)]. A transmission electron microscopy analysis has revealed grain growth during the formation of Pd{sub 2}Si which cannot account for the compressive film stresses. The formation of silicide at the interfaces rather than the overall change in volume agrees with the sign of the stresses formed. 29 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper discusses the link between R&D and productivity across the European industrial and service sectors. The empirical analysis is based on both the European sectoral OECD data and on a unique micro-longitudinal database consisting of 532 top European R&D investors. The main conclusions are as follows. First, the R&D stock has a significant positive impact on labor productivity; this general result is largely consistent with previous literature in terms of the sign, the significance, and the magnitude of the estimated coefficients. More interestingly, both at sectoral and firm levels the R&D coefficient increases monotonically (both in significance and magnitude) when we move from the low-tech to the medium- and high-tech sectors. This outcome means that corporate R&D investment is m...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The dynamics of state of the crystallite-containing magma is studied within the framework of the gas-dynamic model of bubble cavitation. The effect of crystallites on flow evolution is considered for two cases: where the crystallites are cavitation nuclei (homogeneous-heterogeneous nucleation model) and where large clusters of crystallites are formed in the magma in the period between eruptions. In the first case, decompression jumps are demonstrated to arise as early as in the wave precursor; the intensity of these jumps turns out to be sufficient to form a series of discrete zones of nucleation ahead of the front of the main decompression wave. Results of experimental modeling of an explosive eruption with ejection of crystallite clusters (magmatic ?bombs??) suggest that a cocurrent flow...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A marine propulsion system is a very complicated system composed of many mechanical components. As a result, the vibration signal of a gearbox in the system is strongly coupled with the vibration signatures of other components including a diesel engine and main shaft. It is therefore imperative to assess the coupling effect on diagnostic reliability in the process of gear fault diagnosis. For this reason, a fault detection and diagnosis method based on bispectrum analysis and artificial neural networks (ANNs) was proposed for the gearbox with consideration given to the impact of the other components in marine propulsion systems. To monitor the gear conditions, the bispectrum analysis was first employed to detect gear faults. The amplitude-frequency plots containing gear characteristic sign...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

There are no specific diagnostic tests or a gold standard method for measuring disease activity and outcome in spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Many different methods have been developed to assess the signs and symptoms in SpA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of scintigraphy, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Bath Ankilosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) in the evaluation of disease activity in early axial SpA diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirty early MRI-positive axial SpA patients (23 males, 7 females) with a median age of 35 (18?55) years and a median duration of inflammatory low back pain of 24 (8?60) months were included in the study. In the patients with sacroiliitis, the sensitivity, specificity, and pos...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Depicts procedures employed to improve work safety at a mine of the Antratsit association in the Ukrainian SSR, where 1K-101 and 2K-52 cutter loaders are used to extract coal at a depth of 750 m. Some 15-20% of accidents is caused by carelessness or clumsiness. To increase awareness among miners, illuminated signs with slogans relating to work safety have been installed at 15 m intervals in roadways leading to workplaces. A satirical wall newspaper lampoons those who infringe safety regulations. Mining teams with good safety records pass on their experience to others. Public inspectors and public inspections (competitions) also play an important part in ensuring that conditions remain up to standard.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This project seeks to produce sufficient information on the physical and chemical nature of Coolside waste to design and construct physically stable and environmentally safe landfills. Unconfined compressive strength and permeability tests are reported on samples remolded near 90, 95, and 100% of low energy, standard, and modified dry densities. Unconfined compressive strength tests were also performed on some of the samples after permeability tests were completed. Swell tests were initiated on samples from Coolside pilot plant run {number_sign}2 and on a FBC hydrated ash remolded near 95% of standard density and optimum moisture content.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract A 3-month, open-label, single-center study was conducted to determine whether a uniquely formulated and physiologically balanced topical treatment serum containing multiple growth factors, cytokines, peptides, antioxidants and depigmenting agents could improve the visible signs of facial photodamage. Thirty-seven females, aged 32-55 years, with mild to severe, fine and coarse peri-ocular wrinkles were enrolled and completed the study. Subjects applied the treatment serum to the face twice daily for 3 months in conjunction with a basic skincare regimen. Clinical evaluations of photodamage were performed at baseline and months 1, 2 and 3. Cutometer measurements and subject self-assessment questionnaires were also conducted during the study. Clinical evaluations showed statistically ...

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The information given in the present report about the Chernobyl accident and its radiological consequences indicates a serious crisis of the international radiation community. The following signs of this crises can be discerned: The international radiation community did not recognize the real reasons of the accident for a long time. It could not make a correct assessment of the damage to the thyroid of the affected populations of Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine. Up to present time it rejects the reliable data on hereditary malformations. It is not able to accept reliable data on the increase in the incidence in all categories of people affected by the Chernobyl accident. The international radiation community supported the Soviet authorities in their attempts to play down the radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident for a long time. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Twenty-three patients with intracranial meningiomas were examined by means of magnetic resonance tomography (MRT). In 13 patients the paramagnetic contrast medium gadolinium DTPA was used. Meningiomas show only slight changes in signal intensity compared with brain in the spin-echo mode, the greatest contrast being found on photon density images (TR 1600 ms, TE 35 ms). In T1 images more than 50% of the patients showed a low signal margin between tumour and brain. Hyperostosis of the calvarium is easily recognised, but MRT is unreliable for showing tumour calcification. After intravenous injection of gadolinium DTPA, there was marked homogeneous uptake in the meningiomas. These signs are useful for the diagnosis of a meningioma by MRT. (orig.).

Science.gov (United States)

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common severe gastrointestinal emergency that affects premature newborns. This disease often has a rapid onset with few, if any, antecedent signs that can be used to reliably predict its occurrence. Its rapid onset and progression to death, as well as its severe morbidity when the infant survives, begs for early diagnostic tools that may be used in determining those infants who would be at greatest risk for development of the disease and for whom early preventative measures could be targeted. Although studies have suggested efficacy of several techniques such as breath hydrogen, inflammatory mediators in blood, urine or stool, and genetic markers, these all have drawbacks limiting their use. The application of newly developed "omic" approaches may provide biomarkers for early diagnosis and targeted prevention of this disease. PMID:19190533

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The set of nonlinear equations describing the standard model kinematics of the top quark antiquark production system in the dilepton decay channel has at most a fourfold ambiguity due to two not fully reconstructed neutrinos. Its most precise solution is of major importance for measurements of top quark properties like the top quark mass and tt spin correlations. Simple algebraic operations allow one to transform the nonlinear equations into a system of two polynomial equations with two unknowns. These two polynomials of multidegree eight can in turn be analytically reduced to one polynomial with one unknown by means of resultants. The obtained univariate polynomial is of degree 16. The number of its real solutions is determined analytically by means of Sturm's theorem, which is as well used to isolate each real solution into a unique pairwise disjoint interval. The solutions are polished by seeking the sign change of the polynomial in a given interval through ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The aim of this study was to observe both the clinical signs and symptoms of wounds at risk of infection, that is critically colonised (biofilm infected) and antimicrobial-performance of an ionic silver alginate/carboxymethylcellulose (SACMC) dressing, in comparison with a non silver calcium alginate fibre (AF) dressing, on chronic venous leg and pressure ulcers. Thirty-six patients with venous or pressure ulcers, considered clinically to be critically colonised (biofilm infected), were randomly chosen to receive either an SACMC dressing or a non silver calcium AF dressing. The efficacy of each wound dressing was evaluated over a 4-week period. The primary study endpoints were prevention of infection and progression to wound healing. The SACMC group showed a statistically significant (P = ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thermal fatigue is one of the key factors governing the lifetime of the divertor plate. Tungsten is a promising candidate to cover the surface of the divertor plate in the design of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER). The W/Cr-bronze divertor small scale mock-ups were manufactured by hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) technique. Thermal fatigue tests of W/Cr-bronze divertor mock-ups have been carried out by an electron beam facility. The mock-ups were tested under a cyclic surface heat flux of 9 MW m"-"2 for 1000 cycles. The electron beam was loaded on the mock-up surface for 20 s and unloaded for 20 s, alternately. The flow rate of water coolant was 0.1 L s"-"1. The 0.3 mm diameter NiCr-NiSi thermocouples were used to monitor the temperature distribution of the mock-up. It was found that the maximum temperature of the tungsten surface was about 400 degree sign C. The saturated temperature at the joint of tungsten and Cr-bronze was 160 degree ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To study the utility of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) in case of suspected appendicitis. To determine the diagnostic yield in terms of different clinical contexts and patient characteristics. to assess the costs and benefits of introducing these techniques and propose a protocol for their use. Negative appendectomies, complications and length of hospital stay in a group of 152 patients with suspected appendicitis who underwent ultrasound and CT were compared with those of 180 patients who underwent appendectomy during the same time period, but had not been selected for the first group: these patients costs for each group were calculated. In the first group, the diagnostic value of the clinical signs was also evaluated. The reliability of the clinical signs was limited, while the results with ultrasound and CT were excellent. The incidence of negative appendectomy was 9.6% in the study group and 12.2% in the control group. Moreover, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friede and Goldman Ltd. of New Orleans, Louisiana has a successful drilling rig, the L-780 jack-up series. The triangular-shaped drilling vessel measures 180 x 176 ft. and is equipped with three 352 ft legs including spud cans. It is designed to work in up to 250 ft waters and drill to 20,000 ft depths. The unit is scheduled to begin initial drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico for Arco. Design features are included for the unit. Davie Shipbuilding Ltd. has entered the Mexican offshore market with the signing of a $40,000,000 Canadian contract for a jack-up to work in 300 ft water depths. Baker Marine Corporation has contracted with the People's Republic of China for construction of two self-elevating jack-ups. The units will be built for Magnum Marine, headquartered in Houston. Details for the two rigs are given. Santa Fe International Corporation has ordered a new jack-up rig to work initially in the Gulf of Suez. The newly ordered unit, Rig 136, ...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the interobserver agreement of ultrasonographic assessment of finger and toe joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by 2 investigators with different medical backgrounds. METHODS: Ultrasonography and clinical examination were performed on 150 small joints of 30 patients with active RA. A General Electric LOGIQ 500 ultrasound unit with a 7-13-MHz linear array transducer was used. In each patient, 5 preselected small joints (second and third metacarpophalangeal, second proximal interphalangeal, first and second metatarsophalangeal) were examined independently on the same day by 2 ultrasound investigators (an experienced musculoskeletal radiologist and a rheumatologist with limited ultrasound training). Joint effusion, synovial thickening, bone erosions, and power Doppler signal were evaluated in accordance with an introduced 4-grade semiquantitative scoring system, on which the investigators had reached consensus prior to the study. RESULTS: Exact ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

COGNIS TERRAMET{reg_sign} soil leaching and Bescorp soil washing systems have been successfully combined to remediate an ammunition test burn area at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP), New Brighton, MN. This cleanup is the first in the country to combine these two technologies, and this approach offers a permanent remedial solution. In Fall 1993, 1,600 tons of soil were remediated with an additional 10,000+ tons treated in 1994. The cleaned soil remained on-site, and the heavy metal contaminants were removed, recovered, and recycled. Eight heavy metals were removed from the contaminated soil achieving the very stringent cleanup criteria of <175 ppm for residual lead and achieving background concentrations for seven other heavy metals (antimony, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, and silver). In addition, both live and spent ordnance had to be removed in the soil treatment plant to meet the cleanup criteria. No hazardous waste requiring ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A working group (SC 45B/WG B8) exists within the international electrochemical commission (IEC) which is working on the combination and revision of the IEC standards 61283, 61323, 61344, 61525 and 61526. All these standards concern direct reading, electronic, personal dose equivalent meters for the quantities H{sub p}(10) and H{sub p}(0,07); they are different with regard to the kind of radiation (photons, and/or beta rays and/or neutrons). The new standard with the number 61526 shall cover the following topics: 1. Combination of all the mentioned standards; 2. Maintenance of the essential requirements of the former standards; 3. Inclusion of the determination of the uncertainty of measurement for the measured dose equivalent value according to the ''Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement''; 4. Consideration of all the relevant ISO-standards for reference radiation fields for photon, beta and neutron radiations; 5. Consideration of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mixed-convection phenomena can occur within liquid-dominated geothermal reservoirs due to interactions of injected flows, or ground-water flows, with the buoyancy-induced fluid motion. This problem was studied experimentally and numerically for the case of opposing flows about a vertical heat source in a liquid-saturated porous medium. The ratio of the Rayleigh number (Ra) to the Peclet number (Pe) was identified as the nondimensional parameter which characterizes the relative influence of buoyancy-driven to pressure-gradient-driven fluid motion. The transition from mixed to forced convection was numerically determined to be (Ra/Pe) approx. = -0.5, where the minus sign denotes superimposed downflow. Agreement between measured and predicted thermal-field results showed that the finite-element code of Gartling and Hickox (1982 a,b) can be used to model low-temperature (single-phase) geothermal reservoirs throughout the natural, mixed, and forced convection regimes. 9 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soils and groundwater beneath an abandoned process sewer line in the A/M Area of the Savannah River Site (SRS) contain elevated levels of volatile organic compounds, specifically trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), two common chlorinated solvents. These compounds have low aqueous solubilities, thus when released to the subsurface in sufficient quantity, tend to exist as immiscible fluids or nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). Because chlorinated solvents are also denser than water, they are referred to by the acronym DNAPLs, or dense non-aqueous phase liquids. Technologies targeted at the efficient characterization or removal of DNAPL are not currently proven. For example, most DNAPL studies rely on traditional soil and water sampling and the fortuitous observation of immiscible solvent. Once DNAPL is identified, soil excavation (which is only applicable to small contained spill sites) is the only proven cleanup method. New cleanup approaches based on destruction of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The aim of this thesis is to study the coherent transport in semiconducting-superconducting junctions. The SnPb-GaAs system has been studied. It has been shown that the behaviour of this junction is controlled by the disordered area induced by the annealing of the connection near the interface. For a few resistant junction, a conductance anomaly under the gap has been observed and has been explained by a mesoscopic effect in the limit of the very high disorders. The conductance of more resistant junctions has only been bound to the properties of the very disordered area of the semiconductor. The part of the electron-electron interactions on the phase coherence length and on the conductance has been studied. The evolving of the correction of the conductance due to interactions in magnetic field has been followed. The effect of the spin degeneration suppression in CdTe and the GaAs sign inversion in Shubnikov de Haas oscillations rate has been observed. At last has ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The feasibility of using three different solid fuels in chemical-looping combustion (CLC) has been investigated using NiO as oxygen carrier. A laboratory fluidized-bed reactor system for solid fuel was used, simulating a chemical-looping combustion system by exposing the sample to alternating reducing and oxidizing conditions. In each reducing phase 0.2g of fuel was added to the reactor containing 20g oxygen carrier. The experiments were performed at 970{sup o}C. Compared to previously published results with other oxygen carriers the reactivity of the used Ni-particles was considerably lower for the high-sulphur fuel and higher for the low-sulphur fuel. Much more unconverted CO was released and the fuel conversion was much slower for high-sulphur fuel such as petroleum coke, suggesting that the nickel-based oxygen carrier was deactivated by the presence of sulphur. The NiO particles also showed good reactivity with methane and a syngas mixture of 50% H{sub 2} and 50% CO. For all ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC09-02CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risk issues. These initiatives are consistent with the Medical University's role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. The intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable the Medical University to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBP's ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Propylene and ethylene glycol deicers are commonly used at airports in the US and other countries to remove and retard the accumulation of snow and ice on aircraft. Deicers may not only enter water bodies without treatment, due to excessive storm-related flow, but also may expose terrestrial organisms to high concentrations through surface runoff. Most available toxicity data are for aquatic vertebrates and invertebrate species; this study examined effects on terrestrial and aquatic plants. Terrestrial plant species included both a monocot (rye grass, Lolium perenne) and a dicot (lettuce, Lactuca saliva). Aquatic species included a single cell alga (Selenastrum capricomutum), and an aquatic macrophyte (duckweed, Lemna minor). Glycol deicers were obtained in the formulated mixtures used on aircraft. Pure ethylene and propylene glycol were obtained from Sigma{reg_sign}. Parameters measured included germination, root and shoot length, survival, and growth. Formulated ...

Science.gov (United States)

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 keratitis are the keys to restoring vision and avoiding the ...

Science.gov (United States)

Anxiety is a common symptom during ethanol withdrawal contributing to its continuous abuse and alcoholism. Ethanol withdrawal in rats produces an interoceptive discriminative stimulus (IDS) similar to that produced by the anxiogenic drug pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). This stimulus peaks at 12 hours after last dose of ethanol and thereafter the IDS is detected for several days (protracted withdrawal) by sensitization to a probe drug. previously, the authors have shown that during the protracted withdrawal, the IDS is enhanced by GABA receptor antagonists suggesting alteration of brain GABA systems. This report provides further evidence that chronic ethanol alters GABAergic systems. Rats were trained to discriminate PTZ (20 mg/kg, ip) from saline. Diazepam, pentobarbital and phenobarbital blocked the PTZ-IDS dose dependently. Ethanol, 4.5% w/v, was then given in a nutritionally complete diet for a week. On termination of the ethanol diet, rats exhibited signs and symptoms ...

CERN Multimedia

In accordance with the Status Agreements with CERN, Switzerland and France facilitate the entry of members of the Organization’s personnel onto their territories. Where relevant, detailed procedures for obtaining visas apply. Within the framework of those procedures, only the following individuals are authorised to initiate the Note verbale procedure as well as to sign the Official Invitation Letters and the Protocoles d’accueil. Kirsti ASPOLA (PH – CMO) Oliver BRÜNING (BE – ABP) Michelle CONNOR (PH – AGS) Sylvie DETHURENS FAVEZ (HR – SPS) David FOSTER (IT – DI) Nathalie GRUB (PH – AGS) Tadeusz KURTYKA (DG – PRJ) Jean-Pol MATHEYS (BE – ASR) Cécile NOELS (DG – PRJ) Connie POTTER (PH – AGS) Maria QUINTAS (HR – SPS) Jeanne ROSTANT (PH – AGS) ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For diagnosis of loosening or infection after implantation of a single-side or double-side total hip endoprosthesis 59 patients being in pain were investigated by a combination of bone scan (Technetium-99m DPD) and leucocyte scan (Indium-111 labelled leucocytes). The correlation between clinical results and scintigraphic findings revealed: bone scintigraphy detects loosening of prostheses with 95% sensitivity (45/47); bone scintigraphy excludes an instable prosthesis with 89% specificity (3/27). 45% of the loosened prostheses revealed an infection (21/47): leucocyte scintigraphy could detect 17 correct positive. Three leucocyte scans of 53 prostheses without clinical signs of infection were false positive. Therefore, leucocyte scintigraphy had a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 94% for detecting infection. Bone scintigraphy can detect loosening of prostheses with 93% accuracy, Indium-111 labelled leucocyte scintigraphy can detect infection of the prosthesis ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Two methods to cool muon beams deeply below the limit conventionally established for the ionization cooling are proposed. In Phase Ionization Cooling (PIC), the beam is focused at wedge absorber plates each half of particle oscillation period by imposing a weak parametric resonance along the beam path. The resonance growth of particle amplitude is surmounted by the ionization cooling. At optimum, such arrangement results in reduction of each of two transverse emittances by an order of value in addition to the preceding 6D ionization cooling. Next, resonance focusing and transverse cooling can be continued in the regime of a fast Reverse Emittance Exchange (REMEX). Here, the sign of the absorber wedge is opposite to PIC while the dispersion increased. REMEX to be accompanied by the bunch lengthening and acceleration in order to maintain the relative energy spread at an appropriate level. The limitations due to energy straggling in absorber will be evaluated, and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Security is an essential element of information technology (IT) infrastructure and applications. Concerns about security of networks and information systems have been growing along with the rapid increase in the number of network users and the value of their transactions. The hasty security threats have driven the development of security products known as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) to detect and protect the network, server and desktop infrastructure ahead of the threat. Authentication and signing techniques are used to prevent integrity threats. Users, devices, and applications should always be authenticated and authorized before they are allowed to access networking resources. Though a lot of information is available on the internet about IDS and IPS but it all is spread on so many sites and one has to spend a considerable part of his precious time to search it. In this regard a thorough survey has been conducted to ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The main objective of the present study is to investigate Turkey's natural gas (NG) demand and supplies by giving the structure of the Turkish gas industry, NG pricing policy, and NG agreements. Turkey began to import NG from Russia in 1987 under a contract that provided for the delivery of 6 billion cubic meters annually (Bcma) for 25 years. The first contract, signed in 1988, stipulates delivery of 2 Bcma over a 20-yr period. The build-up of the Turkish gas market started by introducing gas in power generation in 1987 and in fertilizer production in 1988. Later contracts provide for total imports of 4 Bcma from the late 1990s. NG sales started at 0.5 Bcm in 1987 and reached to around 16 Bcm in 2001. Turkish NG demand is projected to increase extremely rapidly in coming years, with the prime consumers expected to be NG-fired electric power plants and industrial users. (author)

CERN Multimedia

IMPORTANT REMINDER If you have just come back from one of the regions identified by the WHO as being infected with SARS, it is essential to monitor your state of health for ten days after your return. The syndrome manifests itself in the rapid onset of a high fever combined with respiratory problems (coughing, breathlessness, breathing difficulty). Should these signs appear, you must contact the CERN Medical Service as quickly as possible on number 73802 or 73186 during normal working hours, and the fire brigade at all other times on number 74444, indicating that you have just returned from one of the WHO-identified areas with recent local transmission.China: Beijing, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region), Guangdong Province, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi Province, Tianjin ProvinceTaiwan:TaipeiMoreover, until further notice the CERN Management requests that all trips to these various regions of the world be reduced to a strict minimum and then only with the consent ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Classification and ranking of the solid solution on their reaction to the irradiation is suggested on the basis of binary system structure controlled by mixing enthalpy sign, melting temperatures relation of components and solidus curves slope. Several combinations of these characteristics permit to pick out three groups of substitutional elements capable of forming the vacancy-solute atom complexes either low-mobile or fast-mobile ones as compared to monovacancies migration. The radiation hardening (and embrittlement) of binary alloys should be intensified respectively either due to heterogeneous point defect clusters nucleation on solute traps or due to solute atom clusters/ precipitate formation. A local cohesion decrease may also occur especially if low-melting elements (characterized by low surface energy) are segregating on internal sinks or grain boundaries. The predicted specifics of different alloy group under irradiation and during post-irradiation ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Susceptibility data of freshly precipitated nitroprussides TM[Fe(CN){sub 5}NO] n H{sub 2}O (TM=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) follow very well modified Curie-Weiss law down to T=5 K indicating paramagnetic state; nitroprusside (NP) containing Zn is diamagnetic with a sign of paramagnetic contribution. Deviation from Curie-Weiss law and magnetization measurements on MnNP, FeNP and CoNP below T=5 K can indicate ferrimagnetic ordering at low temperatures. A hysteresis behaviour in ZFC and FC magnetisation with the temperature of bifurcation T{sub b}=6 K was found for CoNP and FeNP. Moessbauer spectra taken at room temperature (besides FeNP) consist of a single symmetric quadrupole-split doublet with parameters {delta} and {delta} typical for Fe{sup II} ions in octahedral sites. A more complicated spectrum of FeNP is a consequence of different Fe environments.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fourteen patients with cervical hip fractures were treated with internal fixation using titanium screws. The femoral head vitality was evaluated with "9"9Tc"m-MDP scintigraphy and scintimetry within 2 weeks postoperatively and by serial low field magnetic resonance imaging (MR). Two patients with reduced radionuclide uptake (femoral head ratio =# 1.0), MR revealed a focal decrease of the signal intensity in the femoral head or neck at 2, 3 and 7 months after fracture, respectively. The radiographs in one of these patients were normal at 7 months after fracture. The second one showed signs of necrosis at 16 months and the last one developed delayed/non-union. With a non-ferromagnetic osteosynthesis the healing course after femoral neck fracture can be studied with low field MR equipment without disturbing artifacts. The time period between ischaemia and definite abnormalities on MR may embrace several months. (orig.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In October last year the first intercomparison of measurements of the soil radon concentrations between various laboratories in Slovakia was realised. The organisation of this intercomparison was conducted by the Slovak Legal Metrology in Banska Bystrica together with the Slovak National Accreditation Service in Bratislava (SNAS). The scientific guarantee of the exercise was the State metrological Centre for radon quantities, which is working at the Research base of Slovak Medical University in Bratislava. The main objective of the intercomparison was to verify the correctness of the methods for the soil radon measurements of the authorised laboratories for radon volume activities in soil air. The intercomparison (signed as SLM ILC 3/03) was performed as a 'circular' metrology comparison, in accordance with a methodical directive MSA 0117-98, published by SNAS. Six laboratories were participating on the intercomparison and there have been two stages of the work one ...

CERN Document Server

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. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Hazardous Material Management and Emergency Response Training and Education Center -- known simply as HAMMER -- is being developed to assist the US Department of Energy (DOE) and others dedicated to improving worker health, safety and productivity. HAMMER is a training and education program for hazardous material, waste management, and emergency response workers. HAMMER is managed by the DOE Richland Operations Office under Work Breakdown Structure (8.2). The 1996 Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP) includes the Execution Year data and provides the information for Programmatic Fiscal Year Site Management System Execution Baseline, as well as the detailed work plan for performance evaluation of the authorized work. The MYPP incorporates various planning methodologies to define the program and provides essential program integration, and a fully developed technical, cost, and schedule baseline. The MYPP will be utilized by WHC Program and Department Managers as the baseline management tool ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

From 1964 to 1973 at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, Havana City, 18 clinical histories were studied, all of them from patients with Erwing's sarcoma, histologically diagnosticated by biopsy. Age, sex, race, traumatism background, hemogram disturbances, radiographic signs, primary tumor localization, and early treatment, were exposed. Early treatment in 14(83%) patients as radiotherapy. Local recurrence or metastasis was presented in 10(55,5%) patients during the two first years following attack treatment. Five (35,7%) patients was the survival rate within five years starting early treatemt. After five years, three (21,4%) patients were alive: for 18 and 14 year, and 64 month period; two patients died at 62 and 64 months. It is concluded that this survival may be increased by initial behaviour enclosed at the technologic therapeutic patterns of the the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, of Havana City. (author).

Science.gov (United States)

This paper provides a snapshot of the computer network security industry and addresses specific issues related to network security in public education. The following topics are covered: (1) security policy, including reasons for establishing a policy, risk assessment, areas to consider, audit tools; (2) workstations, including physical security, protecting workstation components, and computer viruses; (3) the local network, including the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model, protocols, network segmentation, network management, network sniffing, and data encryption; (4) servers, including UNIX and other server operating systems; (5) remote access, including technologies, remote access servers, protocols, and authentication/authorization; (6) crackers and hackers, including threats and hacking tools/techniques; (7) Internet firewalls, including functions, issues and problems, types, rules, logs, firewall accessories, buying a firewall, and firewall administration; and (8) ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper provides an overview of environmental cleanup at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and some of the unique aspects and challenges. Cleanup of the 65-year old Department of Energy Laboratory is being conducted under a RCRA Consent Order with the State of New Mexico. This agreement is one of the most recent cleanup agreements signed in the DOE complex and was based on lessons learned at other DOE sites. A number of attributes create unique challenges for LANL cleanup -- the proximity to the community and pueblos, the site's topography and geology, and the nature of LANL's on-going missions. This overview paper will set the stage for other papers in this session, including papers that present: Plans to retrieve buried waste at Material Disposal Area B, across the street from oen of Los Alamos' commercial districts and the local newspaper; Progress to date and joint plans with WIPP for disposal of the remaining inventory of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

When heated through the magnetic transition at T{sub C}, La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} changes from a band metal to a polaronic insulator. The Hall constant R{sub H}, through its activated behavior and sign anomaly, provides key evidence for polaronic behavior. We use R{sub H} and the Hall mobility to demonstrate the breakdown of the polaron phase. Above 1.4T{sub C}, the polaron picture holds in detail, while below, the activation energies of both R{sub H} and the mobility deviate strongly from their polaronic values. These changes reflect the presence of metallic, ferromagnetic fluctuations, in the volume of which the Hall effect develops additional contributions tied to quantal phases. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

One of the most profound features of electricity spot prices are the price spikes. Markov regime-switching (MRS) models seem to be a natural candidate for modeling this spiky behavior. However, in the studies published so far, the goodness-of-fit of the proposed models has not been a major focus. While most of the models were elegant, their fit to empirical data has either been not examined thoroughly or the signs of a bad fit ignored. With this paper we want to fill the gap. We calibrate and test a range of MRS models in an attempt to find parsimonious specifications that not only address the main characteristics of electricity prices but are statistically sound as well. We find that the best structure is that of an independent spike 3-regime model with time-varying transition probabilities, heteroscedastic diffusion-type base regime dynamics and shifted spike regime distributions. Not only does it allow for a seasonal spike intensity throughout the year and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The clinical courses of heterotopic ossification (HO) as a consequence of trauma and central nervous system insults have many similarities as well as dissimilarities. Detection is commonly noted at two months. The incidence of clinically significant HO is 10%-20%. Approximately 10% of the HO is massive and causes severe restriction in joint motion or ankylosis. The most common sign and symptom are decreased range of motion and pain. The locations are the proximal limbs and joints. Sites of HO about a joint may vary according to the etiology of the HO. Roentgenographic evolution of HO occurs during a six-month period in the majority of patients. Treatment modalities include diphosphonates, indomethacin, radiation, range of motion exercises, and surgical excision. Surgical timing differs according to etiology: traumatic HO may be resected at six months; spinal cord injury HO is excised at one year; and traumatic brain injury HO is removed at 1.5 years. A small number ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The series of cubic pyrochlore structure compounds, R_2Mo_2O_7 (R = Nd-Yb, Y; R not= Eu), were prepared as single phase materials by solid state reaction between R_2O_3 and MoO_2 at 1400 "0C in a CO/CO_2 = 1 buffer gas atmosphere. Lattice constants obtained from X-ray powder data compare well with results from previous studies. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization data were obtained for all samples between 300 K and 4.2 K (700 K for R = Gd) and a range of applied fields. For R = Nd, Sm, and Gd magnetic ordering is observed at 97 K, 93 K and 83 K respectively which is assigned to ferromagnetism on the Mo(IV) sublattice. The Mo(IV) moment in the ordered state is about 1 #mu#/sub B/. At low temperatures, the Gd(III) and Mo(IV) moments are apparently coupled feromagnetically in Gd_2Mo_2O_7 yet the high temperature susceptibility data seem to indicate a ferrimagnetic (antiparallel) Gd(III)-Mo(IV) coupling. The low-temperature magnetic properties of Nd_2Mo_2O_7 and Sm_2Mo_2O_7 are ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The evaluate the signs of aortic intramural hematoma with helical CT and the diagnostic role of this technique in patients with this condition. It was reviewed the CT findings of 396 patients submitted to emergency examinations for suspected aortic dissection from 1995 to 1999. Only 18 patients (6 women and 12 men) had CT signs of aortic intramural hematoma. Helical CT studies were carried out with the following parameters: slice thickness 10 mm, reconstruction index 10, feed 1.5 mm, conventional algorithm with minimum values of 130 kV and 125mA. All patients were examined with dynamic contrast-enhanced CT, before and after a power injection of 130 mL ionic contrast material. It was studied: hematoma localization and longitudinal extension; thickness and density of aortic wall; presence and location of intimal calcifications; integrity of intimal wall; hemo mediastinum and/or hemo thorax. Aortic wall thickening appeared as a high density ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

As a continuation of its efforts to provide methodologies and tools to Member States to carry out comparative assessment and analyse priority environmental issues related to the development of the electric power sector, the IAEA has completed a new version of the Wien Automatic System Planning (WASP) Package WASP-IV for carrying out power generation expansion planning taking into consideration fuel availability and environmental constraints. This manual constitutes a part of this work and aims to provide users with a guide to use effectively the new version of the model WASP-IV. WASP was originally developed in 1972 by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the USA to meet the IAEA needs to analyse the economic competitiveness of nuclear power in comparison to other generation expansion alternatives for supplying the future electricity requirements of a country or region. Previous versions of the model were used by Member States in many national and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The effect of yttrium substitution at the lanthanum site on the superconducting properties of La_1_-_xY_xO_0_._9F_0_._1FeAs ('x' = 0, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.50 and 0.60) oxypnictides has been studied. Powder X-ray diffraction studies confirm single phases till x = 0.1 beyond which minor amount of Y_2O_3 is observed. The temperature dependence of resistivity measurements confirm the superconducting transition temperature (T_c) of 34.8 (#+-#0.05) K and corresponding Meissner transition at 34.3 K in the 'x' = 0.3 composition which is higher than that reported for the parent phase (LaO_0_._9F_0_._1FeAs (T_c = 28 K)). Further increase in the concentration of yttrium leads to broadening and suppression of the superconducting transition. The value of H_c_2 at zero temperature is estimated to be about 60.5 T. The Seebeck coefficient (S) shows a negative sign indicating that the major contribution to the conductivity is by electrons. The Hall coefficient (R_H) also remains ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We wanted to determine the technical and clinical efficacy of using a PTFE-covered self-expandable nitinol stent for the palliative treatment of malignant biliary obstruction. Thirty-seven patients with common bile duct strictures caused by malignant disease were treated by placing a total of 37 nitinol PTFE stents. These stents were covered with PTFE with the exception of the last 5 mm at each end; the stent had an unconstrained diameter of 10 mm and a total length of 50 80 mm. The patient survival rate and stent patency rate were calculated by performing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The bilirubin, serum amylase and lipase levels before and after stent placement were measured and then compared using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The average follow-up duration was 27.9 weeks (range: 2 81 weeks). Placement was successful in all cases. Seventy-six percent of the patients (28/37) experienced adequate palliative drainage for the remainder of their lives. There were ...

Science.gov (United States)

Thermal wet oxidations of GaP and Al{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}P at 650 degree sign C for various times have been performed. Comparisons are made on oxidation rates and post oxidation morphology. Transmission electron microscopy shows that when oxidizing GaP, polycrystalline monoclinic GaPO{sub 4}{center_dot}2H{sub 2}O forms without noticeable loss of phosphorus. Oxidation for 6 h or more leads to poor morphology resulting in cracks and detachment. A thickness expansion of about 2.5-3 times is noticed as a result of oxidation. In contrast, oxidized Al{sub 0.4}Ga{sub 0.6}P exhibits much better morphology without cracks or detachment from the substrate. The oxide has an almost amorphous-like microstructure. The oxidation process shows typical diffusion-limited reaction at long anneals. Preliminary work on the oxidation of AlP indicates that the reaction leads to formation of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and possible volatile P{sub 2}O{sub 5} diffusing out of the specimen. Thus, from ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The phenomenon of global warming, its causes and implications for the future, and the relationship between global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer are discussed. The Shindell model of the greenhouse effect, which is responsible for planetary warming, also contributes to the high altitude thinning of the ozone layer. While greenhouse gas emissions contribute to retaining infrared radiation, thus warming the surface of the earth, their effect is reduced at stratospheric altitudes resulting in reduced temperatures in this region. At this altitude temperatures can reach minus 90 degrees C, creating a whirlwind effect, with ice crystals forming at the heart of the vortex, causing the surface to accelerate chemical reactions which in turn leads to destruction of ozone. Although since the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 the industrialized countries have significantly reduced their emissions of refrigerating gas (chlorofluorocarbons or CFC), which were ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We present the results of a comprehensive study of the temperature dependences of the quantum efficiency for ultraviolet detectors based on GaAs, GaP and 4H--SiC Schottky structures, and on Si, GaAs p-n structures. For ultraviolet detectors based on Schottky structures, the quantum efficiency increases with increasing temperature for all photon energies, even including the semiconductor intrinsic absorption region. On the other hand, for ultraviolet detectors based on p-n structures, the quantum efficiency is practically temperature independent in the semiconductor intrinsic absorption region. The change in the quantum efficiency for the GaAs and Si detectors is less than 0.01% per degree. To explain the measurements, a variable trap occupancy model is presented. Subsurface imperfections of the semiconductor cause fluctuations in the profile of the conduction band and the valence band edges. In the presence of an electric field in the space-charge region, these fluctuations become ...

Science.gov (United States)

This study, part of OECD/CERI's project on Measuring the Social Outcomes of Learning, investigates the relationship between educational attainment and political participation in Austria. First, a model based on various theoretical considerations is introduced. This incorporates direct educational effects as well as indirect effects that occur through material resources, social capital, civic orientations and values. Using a multivariate analytical approach the model is applied to the 2002 European Social Survey. Three forms of political participation are distinguished, namely voting, elite-directed and elite-challenging activities. Educational attainment is found to have significant effects on all three types but the strongest impact is on elite-challenging activities. The latter includes forms of political action such as signing petitions and buying or boycotting certain products which are increasingly accepted as a legitimate way to express one's political ...

Science.gov (United States)

Summary.? Measuring von Willebrand factor (VWF) activity is essential to the diagnosis of von Willebrand disease (VWD). The VWF activity is usually assessed based on measurement of the ristocetin cofactor (VWF:RCo). However, that test is technically challenging and has high intra- and inter-assay variabilities. The HemosIL VWF activity (VWF:AC) is a fully automated assay, recently proposed as a good alternative to VWF:RCo for VWD diagnosis. This study was undertaken to assess this new method. First, the analytical performance of VWF:AC on an automated coagulo-meter (ACLTop) was determined, and then this new method was compared with VWF:RCo and the platelet function analyzer (PFA100) for 160 patients referred for VWD screening. The VWF:AC achieved acceptable precision with within-run and between-run coefficients of variation ranging from 2.3% to 14.1%, and linearity from 10% to 100%. Despite some marked differences between VWF:AC and VWF:RCo for 10 plasmas tested, their agreement for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

After more than nine years of negotiations, the US and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in Moscow on July 31, 1991. While the world has changed dramatically since 1982 when the START negotiations began, the treaty remains very much in the US interest. START exacts deep cuts in the most destabilizing and dangerous US and Soviet strategic weapons, and will lead to substantial overall reductions in the strategic nuclear forces of both sides. Moreover, the agreement will create a formal, structured, and predictable strategic environment. It will also impose on the Soviet Union or its successors a legally binding set of obligations that will be in effect for many years, regardless of changes in leadership or form of government. START, with its extensive series of intrusive, cooperative, and technical verification measures, will greatly enhance US knowledge about Soviet strategic nuclear forces and activities. The force reductions, ...

Science.gov (United States)

BACKGROUND AND CASE STUDY: Surgical fires are rare but preventable. During facial surgery for a 68-year-old man, a fire broke out, resulting in first- and second-degree burns after a nasal cannula ignited in an oxygen-rich environment because of improper draping and tenting. DISCUSSION: Operating room (OR) fires can be prevented if any component of the "fire triangle"-fuels, ignition sources, and oxidizers-is reduced or eliminated. The use of supplemental oxygen in the OR via nasal cannulae, nebulizers, and oxygen cylinders must always considered a potential source of fire. Deficits in knowledge among the surgical team with respect to the prevention and management of surgical fires were apparent. A plan was put into place to improve fire safety education, entailing an educational program that is included in intern and resident orientation. Surgical fire safety training was also put into place for anesthesia and surgical faculty. The anesthesia preoperative evaluation was modified to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lower East Fork Poplar Creek (LEFPC) and its floodplain are contaminated with mercury (Hg) from ongoing and historical releases from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. A remedial investigation and feasibility study of LEFPC resulted in the signing of a Record of Decision (ROD) in August 1995. In response to the ROD, soil contaminated with mercury above 400 mg/kg was removed from two sites in LEFPC and the floodplain during a recently completed remedial action (RA). The Postremediation Monitoring Program (PMP) outlined in the LEFPC Monitoring Plan was envisioned to occur in two phases: (1) a baseline assessment prior to remediation and (2) postremediation monitoring. The current report summarizes the results of the baseline assessment of soil, water, biota, and groundwater usage in LEFPC and its floodplain conducted in 1995 and 1996 by personnel of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP). This report ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This Maintenance Implementation plan has been developed for Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) Nuclear Facilities: 306W, 324, 325, 327 and 329NMF. It is based on a graded approach, self-assessment of the existing maintenance program(s) per the requirements specified by US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4330.4A, Chapter II, Change {number sign}3. The results of this assessment were evaluated to determine needed improvements in PNL Craft Services' current maintenance program. The objective of this implementation plan is to provide baseline information for compliance to the DOE 4330.4A, and for needed improvements. The prime consideration in applying a graded approach to the Order has been to maintain safe and reliable operations, environmental compliance, safeguards and security, programmatic mission, facility preservation, and/or other facility-specific requirements. Using the results of the self-assessment, PNL has selected nine of the 18 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Both the sign and magnitude of residual stress can vary with the thickness of sputter deposited films. The origins of this behavior are not well understood. In this work, the authors consider the correlation between the residual stress behavior and the depth dependence of impurities in thin (2.5 nm--150 nm) sputtered Mo and Ta films. They also consider the effects of phase transformations and microstructural changes on the stress behavior. Films were deposited onto Si substrates with native oxide. The residual stress observed in the Mo films varied from highly compressive at 2.5 nm film thickness to {approximately}0 at 10 nm thickness. Ta films also exhibited a high compressive stress, which relaxed from highly compressive to tensile between 10 nm and 50 nm film thickness. Impurities in the films may originate from the sputtering targets, the background gases, and the substrate surfaces. Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) results showed the presence of O and C ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Only about 25% of residue accumulating in the Federal Republic of Germany is currently used for the purposes of energy. This residue will be converted into fuel for power stations by the Omega process when the dumping of waste with a calorific value in excess of 5 MJ/kg is prohibited with effect from 2005. This oxygen melting process is suitable for the local use of substitute fuels. Waste is converted into a high-quality synthesis gas with a wide range of uses. The Omega process combines drying, thermal decomposition, gasification and melting of the material used in a single-stage process. This is now technologically possible for the first time by combining a metallurgical cupola furnace with a traditional gas producer. The highly-calorific synthesis gas produced by the Omega process can be used in block heat and power stations or as an industrial fuel gas, instead of natural gas. It is also suitable as a starting material for synthesising methanol. The gas is specifically processed ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The book is a German translation of an American textbook with the original title ''MRI Survival Guide'' and is intended to serve as an introductory guide for beginners or a reference book for quick information. Readers will find information on the fundamentals of the technology and methodology of MRI as well as all details of relevance to practice in a precise and easy-to-grasp arrangement, covering all anatomic areas of interest, illustrations and descriptions of characteristic signs of pathologic processes, high-quality and unusually large-sized diagnostic pictures, a modern didactic concept for quick orientiation, including surveys, tables, and reproductions for visualisation of contents. (orig./CB) [German] Praktisch jeder Mediziner wird im Laufe seiner Berufstaetigkeit mit der MRT konfrontiert - unabhaengig davon ob in der Radiologie, Orthopaedie, Gynaekologie, Chirurgie, Neurologie oder sonstigen Fachrichtung. Das Buch ist ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Three resonances at the proton energies 7.0, 7.08, and 7.53 MeV on the target "8"8Sr were chosen to investigate the possibility of determining the amplitudes of the weak coupling experimentally. The corresponding "8"9Sr levels under investigation were 1.93 MeV ("5/_2"+), 2.00 MeV ("3/_2"+), and 2.46 MeV ("3/_2"+). Angular distributions were measured on resonance at 7.0, 7.08, and 7.53 MeV from proton inelastic scattering to the 1.84 MeV (2"+) state of "8"8Sr for differential cross section, analyzing power, spin-flip probability, and spin-flip asymmetry. A polarized beam of protons was used to obtain the analyzing power. The spin-flip probability was obtained from the coincidence of the prompt gamma rays from the (p,p'#gamma#) reaction with the scattered protons. With the polarized beam, the gamma coincidence technique was further used to obtain a spin-flip asymmetry measurement. From these measurements, the polarization was calculated, and the first clear experimental examples of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Data communication in a computer network environment is facing serious security threats from numerous sources such as viruses, worms, Zombies etc. These threats can be broadly characterized as internal or external security threats. Internal threats are mainly attributed to sneaker-nets, utility modems and unauthorized users, which can be minimized by skillful network administration, password management and optimum usage policy definition. The external threats need more serious attention as these attacks are mostly coming from public networks such as Internet. Frequency and complexity of such attacks is much higher as compared to internal attacks. This paper presents a host based network layer screening of external and internal IP packets for logging, analyzing and real-time detection of possible IP spoofing and Denial of Service attacks. This work can also be used in tuning security rules definition for gateway firewalls. Software has been developed which intercepts IP traffic and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) requires a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) for federal facilities placed on the National Priorities List. The Oak Ridge Reservation was placed on that list on December 21, 1989, and the agreement was signed in November 1991 by the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Field Office (DOE-OR), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-Region IV, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The effective date of the FFA was January 1, 1992. Section 9 and Appendix F of the agreement impose design and operating requirements on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) liquid low-level radioactive waste (LLLW) tank systems and identify several plans, schedules, and assessments that must be submitted to EPA/TDEC for review or approval. The initial issue of this document in March 1992 transmitted to EPA/TDEC those plans ...

Science.gov (United States)

An important advantage of carrying out enzymatic catalysis in organic media is the increased solubility of hydrophobic substrates. This study compares a model lipase catalyzed esterification of cholesterol using vinyl acetate (VA) in two such nontraditional media: high-pressure hexane and supercritical (SCF) ethane. The effect of using one of the reactants (VA) as a cosolvent to increase the solubility of the other reactant (cholesterol) in SCF ethane has been investigated. The thermodynamic activity of water (a(w)) in the reaction media was controlled by the direct addition of the salt hydrate pair Na(4)P(2)O(7)/Na(4)P(2)O(7).10H(2)O. The a(w) of the salt hydrate system is shown to be a function of pressure and its variation over the pressure range 104-173 bar has been estimated. The initial reaction rate in pressurized hexane was found to vary linearly with the cholesterol concentration. The reaction rate was also a function of pressure-the effect being more pronounced in ethane than ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC09-02CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific research program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risks. These initiatives are consistent with the MUSC role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and with the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. The intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable MUSC to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBPs success as a nationally prominent research program ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC09-02CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific research program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risks. These initiatives are consistent with the MUSC role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and with the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. The intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable MUSC to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBPs success as a nationally prominent research program ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC09-02CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific research program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risks. These initiatives are consistent with the MUSC role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and with the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. The intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable MUSC to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBPs success as a nationally prominent research program ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In May 2002, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) signed Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC09-02CH11109 with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to support the Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP). This funding instrument replaces DOE Assistance Instrument Number DE-FC02-98CH10902. EBP is an integrated, multidisciplinary scientific research program, employing a range of research initiatives to identify, study and resolve environmental health risks. These initiatives are consistent with the MUSC role as a comprehensive state-supported health sciences institution and with the nation's need for new and better approaches to the solution of a complex and expansive array of environment-related health problems. The intrinsic capabilities of a comprehensive health sciences institution enable MUSC to be a national resource for the scientific investigation of environmental health issues. EBPs success as a nationally prominent research program ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In view of the anticipated increased use of atomic energy in industry, the possible long-term effects of chronic radiation exposure were studied in five generations of rats. Female rats (F_0) were given tritiated drinking water ("3HOH;3#mu#Ci/ml) from adolescence (60 days) until and throughout pregnancy. A separate study showed that the maximum radioactivity in the urine is reached in 30 days, and in the blood in 42 days. In the newborns, the highest specific activity was in the nucleic acid fraction, but total radioactivity was mainly due to the water (body fluids) compartment. No signs of radiation illness or increase in cataract formation in the mothers were observed. The food and water intake and body weight changes before pregnancy were normal. The course and the outcome of pregnancy were also normal. However, 60% of the newborns (F_1) exhibited hematomas, edemas, and subdural hemorrhages, which disappeared at 30 days of age. Bollod analysis of the F_1 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A selected series of 24 patients with displaced medial femoral neck fracture, treated with closed reduction and osteosynthesis with cancellous bone screws (ASIF), were investigated. During an observation period of 6 to 26 months, serial hip joint scintigraphies were performed and compared with serial X-ray examinations. At the first scintigraphic examination performed on average 5-6 weeks after the fracture, two separate investigators found a decreased amount of activity or no activity in the femoral head of 10 and 8 patients, respectively. At the second scintigraphic examination performed on average 11.1 weeks after the fracture both investigators found no activity or a decreased amount of activity in 8 patients. This figure declined to 7 during the following period, because one patient with decreased activity was recorded as having normal activity 15 months after the fracture. These 7 patients all developed radiological signs of femoral head collapse on average ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laser spectroscopy measurements have been performed on neutron-deficient and stable Ir isotopes using the COMPLIS experimental setup installed at ISOLDE-CERN. The radioactive Ir atoms were obtained from successive decays of a mass-separated Hg beam deposited onto a carbon substrate after deceleration to 1kV and subsequently laser desorbed. A three-color, two-step resonant scheme was used to selectively ionize the desorbed Ir atoms. The hyperfine structure (HFS) and isotope shift (IS) of the first transition of the ionization path 5d"76s"2"4F_9_/_2#->#5d"76s6p"6F_1_1_/_2 at 351.5nm were measured for "1"8"2"-"1"8"9Ir, "1"8"6Ir"m and the stable "1"9"1","1"9"3Ir. The nuclear magnetic moments #mu#_I and the spectroscopic quadrupole moments Q_s were obtained from the HFS spectra and the change of the mean square charge radii from the IS measurements. The sign of #mu#_I was experimentally determined for the first time for the masses 182#=#+0.2 for the lighter group ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The goal of this DOE Vision-21 project work scope is to develop an integrated suite of software tools that can be used to simulate and visualize advanced plant concepts. Existing process simulation software does not meet the DOE's objective of ''virtual simulation'' which is needed to evaluate complex cycles. The overall intent of the DOE is to improve predictive tools for cycle analysis, and to improve the component models that are used in turn to simulate the cycle. Advanced component models are available; however, a generic coupling capability that will link the advanced component models to the cycle simulation software remains to be developed. In the current project, the coupling of the cycle analysis and cycle component simulation software will be based on an existing suite of programs. The challenge is to develop a general-purpose software and communications link between the cycle analysis software Aspen ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pulmonary infections and tumors are a major cause of death in patients with AIDS. The combination of clinical, radiological, laboratory, and pathohistological data helps to narrow the spectrum of differential diagnoses or even allows a specific diagnosis in many patients. Nevertheless, an accurate diagnosis should be obtained as soon as possible during the clinical course of the illness to initiate treatment in time. Computed tomography (CT) has proven to provide promising results in the diagnosis of AIDS-related throacic diseases. The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the diagnostic capacities of CT in the context of particular AIDS-related thoracic pathologies. Additional information on the spectrum of pathological agents and on differential diagnostic signs is summarized. (orig.) [Deutsch] Pulmonale Infektionen und Tumore sind eine wesentliche Todesursache bei Patienten, die am erworbenen Immunmangelsyndrom AIDS leiden. In den meisten Faellen gelingt es, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sixty-three subjects, aged 6 months to 16 years, who were enrolled in a prospective, fully blinded, randomized parallel-group phase III clinical trial, received 0.1 mmol/kg doses of either Gd-BOPTA (n=29) or Gd-DTPA (n=34). The MR images were acquired before and within 10 min of contrast agent injection. The primary objective was to compare the difference from pre-dose to post-dose lesion visualization between Gd-BOPTA and Gd-DTPA. Lesion visualization was determined as the sum of individual scores for three criteria of lesion morphological characteristics (lesion border delineation, internal morphology, and contrast enhancement), each assessed qualitatively using 4-point scales. Quantitative evaluation compared changes in lesion-to-background (LBR) and contrast-to-noise (CNR) ratios and per cent enhancement. Monitoring for adverse events and evaluation of vital signs and laboratory values was performed. Pre-dose to post-dose changes in lesion visualization were ...

Science.gov (United States)

The goal of the present study was to describe the clinical, haematological and ultrasonographic findings and treatment of 17 cattle with pyelonephritis. Fifteen cattle had an abnormal general condition, which varied in severity; five animals had signs of colic. The urine was brownish-red in 11 animals and cloudy in 13. Clumps of purulent material were seen in the urine of nine animals and clots of blood in two. The specific gravity was lower than normal in 13 animals and ranged from 1.005 to 1.020. A urine test strip revealed protein in 16 animals, blood in 16 and leukocytes in 12. Bacteriological examination of urine yielded Corynebacterium renale in 11 animals, Arcanobacter pyogenes in two and Escherichia coli in one. Rectal examination revealed abnormalities of the urinary tract in 11 animals; there was dilatation of the left ureter and/or enlargement of the left kidney in eight cases, and dilatation of the right ureter and/or enlargement of the right kidney in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engineering ceramics have excellent properties such as high strength, high hardness and high heat resistance compared with metallic materials. To apply the ceramic in fast reactor environment, it is necessary to evaluate the sodium compatibility and the influence of sodium on the mechanical properties of ceramics. In this study, the influence of high temperature sodium on the mechanical properties of sintered ceramics of conventional and high purity Al_2O_3, SiC, SiAlON, AlN and unidirectional solidified ceramics of Al_2O_3/YAG eutectic composite were investigated by means of flexure tests. Test specimens were exposed in liquid sodium at 823K and 923K for 3.6Ms. There were no changes in the flexural strength of the conventional and high purity Al_2O_3, AlN and Al_2O_3/YAG eutectic composite after the sodium exposure at 823K. On the contrary, the decrease in the flexural strength was observed in SiC and SiAlON. After the sodium exposure at 923K, there were also no changes in the ...

Science.gov (United States)

In order to lower the costs for second generation bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass anaerobic digestion of the effluent from ethanol fermentation was implemented using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor system in a pilot-scale biorefinery plant. Both thermophilic (53 degrees C) and mesophilic (38 degrees C) operation of the UASB reactor was investigated. At an OLR of 3.5 kg-VS/(m(3) day) a methane yield of 340 L/kg-VS was achieved for thermophilic operation (53 degrees C) while 270 L/kg-VS was obtained under mesophilic conditions (38 degrees C). For loading rates higher than 5 kg-VS/(m(3) day) the methane yields were, however, higher under mesophilic conditions compared to thermophilic conditions. The conversion of dissolved organic matter (VS(diss)) was between 68% and 91%. The effluent from the ethanol fermentation showed no signs of toxicity to the anaerobic microorganisms. However, a high content of suspended matter reduced the degradation ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toxic studies were conducted with rats, mice, and guinea pigs to determine acute effects from single exposures to M60A1-tank-generated DF2 and DF1 (diesel fuel) smoke and/or exhaust clouds under static airflow conditions. Emissions were disseminated with the Vehicle Engine Exhaust Smoke System (VEESS) and exposure periods ranged from 15 to 300 minutes. At attempted airborne concentrations of 10.0 to 12.0 mg/i (10,000 cu.m to 12,000 cu.m) of the DF2 and DF1 smoke/exhaust mixtures and 0.2 mg/1 (200 mg/cu.m) of the exhausts, toxic signs (excluding death) and lung compliance changes were observed after 15-minute exposures. Death and pathological abnormalities of the lung were seen after 16-minute exposures to DF2 smoke and/or exhaust. Exposures to DF1 smoke/exhaust showed lung pathology and death by 120 minutes while death and turbinate lesions were observed in animals exposed to DF1 exhaust for 60 minutes. Experimental evidence suggests that a principal toxic ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To report the detection of con-compacted ventricular myocardium (NVCM) with MRI compared to echocardiography in 8 patients. Material and methods: Non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium is a congenital disorder characterized by an altered structure of the myocardial wall resulting from an intrauterine arrest in endomyocardial embryogenesis. The morphological findings consist of a prominent meshwork of multiple myocardial trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses, communicating with the left ventricular cavity. 8 consecutive patients (mean age 7.3 years) with clinical and echocardiographic signs of NCVM were examined by MRI (1.5 T, Vision, Siemens) in short axis and 2- and 4-chamber views, using T{sub 1}-weighted TSE and Cine-GRE in 6 patients and true FISP sequences in 2 patients. MRI and echocardiography were evaluated for visibility, signs of NCVM and involvement of myocardial wall segments. Thickness was measured for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To improve adherent properties of electrogalvanized steel (EGS) to polymeric topcoats, the surfaces of EGS were modified by polyelectrolyte-modified zinc phosphating solution. The electrochemical reaction between phosphating solution and EGS led to the complete coverage with fully grown hopeite crystals after only 5 sec treatment, thereby improving adhesion to topcoating and providing protection of EGS against corrosion. To evaluate the ability of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) polyaryl thermoplastic coatings to protect zinc phosphate (Zn{center_dot}Ph)treated steels from corrosion in a wet, harsh environment ( 1.0 wt % H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, 3.0 wt % NaCl and 96.0 wt % water at temperatures from 25{degrees} to 200{degree}C), we exposed them in an autoclave to attempt heating-cooling cyclic fatigue tests (1 cycle = 12 hr at 200{degrees}C + 12 hr at 25{degrees}C) up to 90 times. The major chemical reaction at the interface between the PPS and Zn in the Zn-Ph layer during cycling led to the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

After the reactor accident at Chernobyl on April 26, 1986 radioactive fallout was carried by air currents to most parts of Europe. The radioactive air currents reached Finland on April 27. Immediately after the arrival of such air in Finland, contamination of people by radioactive nuclides began via inhalation of this air. The ingestion route become important later, when radionuclides were transported via different foodchains to man. To determine the level of radionuclides in the body and to estimate the internal radiation doses caused by the Chernobyl accident, whole-body counting measurements were performed. The results of whole-body counting of six different groups of Finnish people measured during 1986 after the accident at Chernobyl are reported. Three were reference groups measured routinely once or twice annually, two groups were comprised of workers at nuclear power stations and one group consisted of 262 persons not belonging to any other group. The total number of whole-body ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penetrating liver wounds are related to many causes and rank second after blunt abdominal and liver trauma. In this report are examined the clinical and radiological findings of personal series of patients with penetrating trauma, especially by firearms and stab and cut wounds. It will also tried to define the diagnostic workup of these traumas, which is especially based on CT signs of liver damage and associated changes and which is of basic importance for following treatment, both surgical or conservative. In the last seven years it was retrospectively reviewed 31 cases of penetrating liver trauma. The patients were 19 men and 12 women, ranging in age 18 to 73 (mean 42), with penetrating liver injuries from firearms (16 patients) and stab (9 cases) wounds; 6 patients had injuries from different cases. Abdominal CT was carried out in emergency with the CT Angiography (CTA) technique in all patients. In the patients with suspected chest and abdomen involvement CT ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A set of materials property data for potential wear resistant materials was collected. These materials are designated for use as the ''core'' materials in the Fibrous Monolith structure. The material properties of hardness, toughness, thermal conductivity and cost were selected as determining factors for material choice. Data for these four properties were normalized, and weighting factors were assigned for each property to establish priority and evaluate the effects of priority fluctuation. Materials were then given a score based on the normalized parameters and weighting values. Using the initial estimates for parameter priority, the highest ranking material was tungsten carbide, with diamond as the second ranked material. Several materials were included in the trade study, and five were selected as promising ''core'' materials to include in this effort. These materials are tungsten carbide, diamond, boron ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In the third millennium, when the main words are globalization, world net of computers, genetic code and efficiency, deep transformations have been incorporated to human behavior. Among such transformations it may be pointed out, matching with the objectives of this study, the modem consumer's profile. The consumers have quickly become more and more conscious and demanding regarding to the quality of the available products in the market. In that sense, the consumer's concern about the natural and healthy appearance, as well as the preservation of the nutritious content of the foods, have been a constant sign of alert for producers and suppliers. Besides, the timeless for domestic preparation of foods have imposed the use of minimally processed as an incontestable reality. A barrier for the production of minimally processed foods is imposed by the degree of perishability of certain products, such as the cassava-parsley. This vegetable is a source of energy, calcium, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercury has had various uses in nuclear fuel reprocessing and other nuclear processes, and so is often present in radioactive and mixed (both radioactive and hazardous according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) wastes. Depending on regulatory requirements, the mercury in the off-gas must be controlled with sometimes very high efficiencies. Compliance to the Hazardous Waste Combustor (HWC) Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards can require off-gas mercury removal efficiencies up to 99.999% for thermally treating some mixed waste streams. Several test programs have demonstrated this level of off-gas mercury control using fixed beds of granular sulfur-impregnated activated carbon. Other results of these tests include: (a) The depth of the mercury control mass transfer zone was less than 15-30 cm for the operating conditions of these tests, (b) MERSORB(reg_sign) carbon can sorb Hg up to 19 wt% of the carbon mass, and (c) the spent carbon ...

Science.gov (United States)

This report covers the first year of operation of a fuel cell power plant, installed by PPL Spectrum, Inc. (PPL) under contract with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Research and Development Center (RDC). The fuel cell was installed at Air Station Cape Cod in Bourne, MA. The project had the support of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and Keyspan Energy. PPL selected FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE) and its fuel cell model DFC{reg_sign}300 for the contract. Grant contributions were finalized and a contract between PPL and the USCG for the manufacture, installation, and first year's maintenance of the fuel cell was executed on September 24, 2001. As the prime contractor, PPL was responsible for all facets of the project. All the work was completed by PPL through various subcontracts, including the primary subcontract with FCE for the manufacture, delivery, and installation of the fuel cell. The manufacturing ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To report on the nephron-sparing, percutaneous ablation of a large renal cell carcinoma by combined superselective embolization and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. Materials and Methods: A 5 cm renal cell carcinoma of a 43-year-old drug abusing male with serologically proven HIV, hepatitis B and C infection, who refused surgery, was superselectively embolized using microspheres (size: 500 - 700 {mu}m) and a platinum coil under local anesthesia. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation using a 7F LeVeen probe (size of expanded probe tip: 40 mm) and a 200 Watt generator was performed one day after transcatheter embolization under general anesthesia. Results: The combined treatment resulted in complete destruction of the tumor without relevant damage of the surrounding healthy renal tissue. The patient was discharged 24 hours after RF ablation. No complications like urinary leaks or fistulas were observed and follow up CT one day and 4 weeks after the radiofrequency ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Two-stage gasification allows power production from biomass and waste with high efficiency. The process involves pyrolysis at about 550C followed by heating of the pyrolysis gas to about 1300C in order to crack hydrocarbons and obtain syngas, a mixture of H2, CO, H2O and CO2. The second stage produces soot as unwanted by-product. Experimental results are reported on the suppression of soot formation in the second stage for two different fuels: beech wood pellets and Rofire pellets, made from rejects of paper recycling. Syngas obtained from these two fuels and from an industrial waste fuel has been cleaned and fed to a commercial SOFC stack for 250 hours in total. The SOFC stack showed comparable performance on real and synthetic syngas and no signs of accelerated degradation in performance over these tests. The experimental results have been used for the design and analysis of a future 25 MWth demonstration plant. As an alternative, a 2.6 MWth system was considered ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: The IRSN has been organizing enquiries with the French population about risk and risk perception for a long time. In 2002, a collaboration between the IRSN in France and the SCK.CEN in Belgium has been set-up to simultaneously (November 2002) organise this poll in both countries. In each country, a representative sample of the population (over 1000 participants per country) has been consulted by Computer Aided Personal Interviews of about 30 minutes with the professional help of commercial companies: BVA in France and Research International in Belgium. The enquiry yields a broad spectrum of interesting data; here only the results relevant for the emergency context will be presented. One should be aware that these data were collected in a 'normal' period; important differences in behaviour may occur given a serious crisis. A first finding is that more than half of the respondents are convinced that an accident as severe as the Chernobyl disaster may happen in their country as ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness and role of CT in blunt diaphragmatic injuries by reviewing our 8-year experience. It is reviewed the preoperative CT findings of 35 patients with surgically confirmed diaphragmatic rupture. Surgical repair was performed in the acute setting (within 12 hours of trauma) in 22 cases, and late (8 months-5 years) in 13 cases. Twenty-eight patients (80%) were examined with conventional CT and 7 (20%) with Helical CT. Of the 13 patients examined long after trauma, the left hemi diaphragm was ruptured in 12 cases (with visceral herniation in 4), and the right hemi diaphragm in 1, with no herniation. The diaphragmatic rent was found in the dome (15 cases, 43%), muscolotendinous junction (11 cases, 31%), muscular portion (8 cases, 23%), and at the muscular attachments on the ribs (1 case, 3%). As for the site of diaphragmatic injury, CT never depicted the diaphragmatic rent in the dome and at the muscolotendinous junction (74%), not even ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penetrating liver wounds are related to many causes and rank second after blunt abdominal and liver trauma. In this report are examined the clinical and radiological findings of personal series of patients with penetrating trauma, especially by firearms and stab and cut wounds. It will also tried to define the diagnostic workup of these traumas, which is especially based on CT signs of liver damage and associated changes and which is of basic importance for following treatment, both surgical or conservative. In the last seven years it was retrospectively reviewed 31 cases of penetrating liver trauma. The patients were 19 men and 12 women, ranging in age 18 to 73 (mean 42), with penetrating liver injuries from firearms (16 patients) and stab (9 cases) wounds; 6 patients had injuries from different cases. Abdominal CT was carried out in emergency with the CT Angiography (CTA) technique in all patients. In the patients with suspected chest and abdomen involvement CT ...