A mollusciciding campaign was begun in Cul-de-Sac Valley, St Lucia, at the end of 1970, following several years of epidemiological studies in which transmission of Schistosoma mansoni...Full Text Available
A major focus of the National Nuclear Security Administration-led Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) is the development of human capital to meet present and future challenges to the safeguards regime. An effective university-level education in safeguards and related disciplines is an essential element in a layered strategy to rebuild the safeguards human resource capacity. NNSA launched two pilot programs in 2008 to develop university level courses and internships in association with James, Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) and Texas A&M University (TAMU). These pilot efforts involved 44 students in total and were closely linked to hands-on internships at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The Safeguards and Nuclear Material Management ...
Background There is increasing recognition that lower nurse staffing levels are associated with higher morbidity and mortality among medical and surgical patients. The degree to which this applies to elderly patients with hip fractures is unclear. Questions/purposes We conducted a pilotstudy using administrative data as an initial step in investigating the relationship between nurse staffing levels and in-hospital mortality among elderly patients with hip fractures. Patients and Methods We retrospectively reviewed administrative data for 13,343 patients 65?years or older with a primary diagnosis of hip fracture admitted to 39 Michigan hospitals between 2003 and 2006. We used logistic regression to calculate the change in predicted probability of in-hospital death conferred by differences ...
INTRODUCTION: Fatigue is a prominent symptom in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and it has distinctive features; however, there is a need for a robust scale to measure fatigue in COPD. METHODS: At baseline, 122 patients with COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) 52%, women 38%, mean age 66 years) completed a pilot fatigue scale covering a pool of 57 items and underwent a range of tests, including indicators of mood and a short general fatigue questionnaire. All patients responded to the 57-item scale and it was readministered to a subset of 30 patients. The pilot scale was first subjected to constructive validated shortening steps and then to a principal components analysis. RESULTS: The Manchester COPD fatigue scale (MCFS) consists of 27 items, loading into three dimensions: physical, cognitive and psychosocial fatigue. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97) and test-retest repeatability (r = ...
This paper use data from a pilotstudy to analyse relationships between type of resettlement (voluntary or involuntary) and individuals' everyday feelings, perceptions of risk, health status and control. The data were collected in 1995, within the Joint Study Project 2, i.e., a collaborative research project of the European Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, 1991/92 - 95/96. The aim of the study was to investigate reactions to change and new life conditions of people who had been resettled due to the Chernobyl accident. Participants from the respective countries included adult individuals sampled from two age groups of less than 45 years and 45 years and older, with approximately the same number of men and women. The questionnaire presented various topics to which responses were indicated on quantitative response ...
International police have been deployed on a number of peacekeeping missions, but providing capacity development and assisting in reform of local police in war-torn nations are only a relatively recent undertaking. The process of police reform is complicated because of the inherent difficulty in evaluating the impact of a development programme on police service delivery performance. This study reports on the results of a pilot survey of international police managers assessment of the level of competency of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force following the introduction of a capacity development programme 3 years earlier. The results indicate that although the local police had improved operationally, and in some cases to an international standard, the Force had lower capability in strateg...
Background The Internet is becoming an increasingly important resource for health-information seekers. However, consumers often do not use effective search...Full Text Available
This pilot project was carried out for the purpose of testing methods for active biological monitoring. It covered a period of three years (until September 1994), including two years of exposure. The measurements served to determine pollutant levels in plants used as animal fodder and dust-borne heavy metal concentrations in different sites and, on this basis, to obtain indirect information on human exposure. Among others, the pilot project investigated the suitability of Italian rye-grass as a biological indicator for aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, platinum, antimony, titanium, and zinc. (orig./GL).
Since 1988, the Expertise group of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) is an important partner in the development of the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA). The MELiSSA was designed to allow a small crew to survive on an Antarctic, lunar or Mars outpost, and is a joint research project currently fostered by the European Space Agency, ESA. The MELiSSA functions through a series of five interconnected compartments, of which four are microbial bioreactors and was engineered to degrade organic waste, regenerate the outpost's atmosphere and water, and provide the crew with an additional vegetarian diet. The bioreactor of the third compartment provides the edible cyanobacteria and plants of the fourth compartment with nitrate instead of ammonium as a source of nitrogen. The two bacteria responsible for the biological transformation of ammonium to nitrate (nitrification) are Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter winogradskyi. Since all MELiSSA-reactors are to be ...
The report gives results of a pilot-plant study of the ammonia absorption/ammonium bisulfate regeneration process for removing SO2 from the stack gas of coal-fired power plants. Data were developed on the effects of such operating variable in the absorption of SO2 by ammoniacal l...
This paper deals with an industrial application of the foam decontamination process applied to large volume components. The work presented below was achieved within the context of a CEC contract. The objective of this 4-year programme was to study, develop and demonstrate an effective in-situ decontamination process using foams containing suitable chemical reagents. Laboratory tests were first performed to optimize the chemical formulation of the foams. Pilot tests were then conducted to study the hydrodynamic features of the fluids and to adapt a technique of permanent foam circulation. With these tests completed, it was essential to validate the foam process on an industrial scale and on a representative nuclear component. The objective was successfully achieved. The process was effectively validated during the decontamination of a graphite-gas cooler representing a developed area of 1000 m{sup 2}. ...
A sequential port injection, lean-burn, fully electronically-controlled compressed natural gas (CNG)/diesel dual-fuel engine has been developed based on a turbo-charged and inter-cooled direct injection (D.I.) diesel engine. During the optimisation of engine overall performance, the effects of pilot diesel and premixed CNG/air mixture equivalence ratio on emissions (CO, HC, NO{sub x}, soot), knocking, misfire and fuel economy are studied. The rich and lean boundaries of the premixed CNG/air mixture versus engine load are also provided, considering the acceptable values of NO{sub x} and THC emissions, respectively. It is interesting to find that there is a critical amount of pilot diesel for each load and speed point, which proved to be the optimum amount of pilot fuel. Any decrease in the amount of pilot diesel from this optimum amount results in an increase of NO{sub x} emissions, ...
BackgroundSubstance use and poor dietary practices are prevalent among adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine frequency of substance use and associations between cigarette,...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of this double-blind randomized study is to test the efficacy of a radio electric stimulator device using an auricular reflex therapy protocol for stress-related...Full Text Available
Progress is reported in several areas of research. The following cellulosic raw materials were selected for study: wheat, barley, and rice straws, rice hulls, sorghum, corn stover, cotton gin trash, newsprint, ground wood, and masonite steam-treated Douglas fir and redwood. Samples were collected, prepared, and analyzed for hexosans, pentosans, lignin, ash, and protein. Results of acid extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis are discussed. Yields of glucose, polyglucose, xylose, and arabinose are reported. Progress in process design and economic studies, as well as pilot plant process development and design studies, is summarized. (JGB)
After the construction of its wastewater treatment plants, the City of Quebec began to implement overflow control in wet weather to ultimately meet the effluent discharge objectives, i.e. no more than two overflows per summer season in the St. Lawrence River and no more than four in the St-Charles River. After several years of studies to determine which management strategies would best suit the purpose, and to propose optimum solutions, a first project to implement optimal and predictive management in real time, called "Pilot", came to life in 1999. Construction in phases soon followed and the work was completed in the fall of 2009. As a result, requirements with regard to environmental rejects were met in two sectors, namely the St-Charles River and the Jacques-Cartier Beach, and aquatic recreational activities could resume. Meanwhile, the City also worked at giving back access to the water courses to the public by ...
The combination of functional and morphological imaging technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) has shown its value in the clinical and preclinical field. However, CT provides only very limited soft-tissue contrast and exposes the examined patient or laboratory animal to a high X-ray radiation dose. In comparison to CT, magnetic resonance tomography (MRI) provides excellent soft-tissue contrast and allows for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS) or functional MRI (fMRI). Thus, the combination of PET and MRI has been pursued for several years. First approaches have succeeded using conventional photo multiplier tube (PMT) technology together with light fibers to transfer scintillation light away from the high magnetic field. Latest PET/MRI developments use solid-state light detectors that can be operated even at high magnetic fields. Initial pilotstudies with ...
In October 1980, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. began a three year contract with the DOE: Catalyst and Reactor Development for a Liquid Phase Fischer-Tropsch Process. The program contains four major tasks: (1) Project Work Plan, (2) Slurry Catalyst Development, (3) Slurry Reactor Design Studies, and (4) Pilot Facility Design. This report describes work on Tasks 2 and 3 carried out in the third quarter of the contract. In Task 2, the computerized search of the Fischer-Tropsch literature was continued, and improvements were made in data processing programs. Shakedown tests were completed on the first 300 ml slurry reactor, and construction of the second and third reactors began. Five modified conventional slurry catalysts were prepared, and two batches were tested in the gas phase giving information on selectivity as a function of composition and activation. Four supported cluster catalyst were synthesized, and seven were ...
WASAG DECON developed a concept for the biological in situ remediation of an TNT-contaminated former seepage pond. This pond is located on the site of an ammunition factory in Lower Saxony. Unit 1982 all the waste water from the production buildings was directed into this pond, including TNT-contaminated water from the flushing of shells. Due to this practice, the sediment of the pond, the underlying soil and the groundwater became contaminated with TNT. The area of the soil contamination adds to abut 2.000 m{sup 2}. The remediation concept includes three steps: 1. Excavation of the most highly contaminated soil with TNT-concentrations above 1000 mg/kg. 2. Reduction of the remaining contamination by a biological in situ treatment using organic and inorganic amendments and mechanical tillage. After about to years of treatment, remediation goals of 50 mg/kg are expected to be reached on most of the area. 3. Contaminations eventually remaining in deeper soil layers ...
A micronized de-ashed coal-water slurry (CWS) fuel of approximately 50% coal loading has been successfully ignited and burned in one GE 7FDL engine cylinder at 1050 rpm. For this study, only about one-third of the full load fuel energy was supplied due to limitations of the fuel injection equipment used. Three types of ignition methods have been investigated. They were: Compression ignition with no ignition aid; Separate deisel pilot fuel injection to ignite the CWS fuel; Combined CWS and pilot diesel fuel injection (stratified pilot ignition). Conditions of ignition and the burning characteristics that immediately followed using the above three ignition methods are described.
Background:Cytokines have been proposed as potentially useful diagnostic or prognostic markers of periodontal inflammation related alterations during the experimental gingivitis...Full Text Available
BackgroundOral cancer is as prevalent as cervical and testicular cancer in the United Kingdom. Nursing staff provide the oral health care for the patient population in hospital....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe long-term neurotoxicity risks caused by prenatal exposures to pesticides are unclear, but a previous pilotstudy of Ecuadorian school children suggested that blood...Full Text Available
To elucidate problems with microfungal infestation in indoor environments, a multidisciplinary collaborative pilotstudy, supported by a grant from the Danish Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,...Full Text Available
BackgroundBengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris the National Animal of India, is an endangered species. Estimating populations for such species is the main objective...Full Text Available
BackgroundOne-stage implant placement has clinically acceptable treatment outcomes. Among other advantages, it may allow investigation of early wound healing. The...Full Text Available
Lack of understanding about workflow can impair health IT system adoption. Observational techniques can provide valuable information about clinical workflow. A pilotstudy using direct observation was...Full Text Available
BackgroundDuring surgery, controlled haemostasis to prevent blood loss is vital for a successful outcome. It can be difficult to ligate vessels located deep in the abdomen. A device...Full Text Available
ObjectivesThis feasibility study developed and pilot tested an intervention to: (1) increase knowledge about prostate cancer (CaP) screening; and (2) promote self-efficacy...Full Text Available
The problem during the continuous idling operation of diesel engine is about the time increase in emission of HC (hydrocarbon which is not burned yet) into the atmosphere. A pilot injector having been developed, the time increase in HC emission was studied in order to ameliorate the combustion during the idling. An engine and spray unit were used with the above developed pilot injector for the experiment. Three types of injector were also used for the comparison purpose. Investigation was made of penetration characteristics of spray on the pump tester in the atmosphere, locally averaged droplet size distribution inside the spray, both droplet size and velocity distributions, and emission characteristics by the mounting test onto the engine. The developed pilot injector was most effective in controlling the HC emission. The time increase in HC emission is attributable to the adhering quantity of carbon. ...
A two-year demonstration run of a 500 C/100kgf/cm{sup 2}{center_dot}g high-efficiency waste-to-energy pilot plant has been started from February 1998; this plant represents as the final stage of the NEDO project of development of a high-efficiency waste-to-energy plant. Alloy 625 (SB444) and 310 HCbN tubings were selected for the 3rd and 2nd superheater of the pilot plant, respectively, and ten kinds of conventional and new solid-wall tubings, weld overlayed tubings, composite tubings, and cermet spray coated tubings were tested. By means of 6000-hour field corrosion test in three typical domestic plants, material life and corrosion environment for superheater tubings installed in the pilot plant were evaluated. Also, the effect of alloying elements Cr, Ni, Mo, corrosion rate law, etc. were investigated in detail. Furthermore, the design conception and basic performance of the pilot ...
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has for over ten years provided materials testing and failure analysis services to various coal conversion and utilization facilities in the United States. ORNL was involved in these types of activities at all four of the major coal liquefaction pilot plants. This paper presents a summary of activities at Wilsonville over the past two and one-half years. Some details of these activities are discussed below. Failure analysis of elastomers, stainless steels, and alloys is discussed. 6 refs., 9 figs., 13 tabs.
Combustion performance trials were conducted on a commercial sample of Coal Valley coal from the Coalspur coalfield in the foothills region of Alberta. The project included an analytical investigation of the coal and coal ash properties as well as combustion studies in the CCRL pilot-scale, pulverized coal-fired boiler, under conditions representative of those in large steam boilers. This report gives the objectives of the project, the analyses of the coals, and describes the facilities and operational procedures. An evaluation of the experimental results and the conclusions are presented.
The confluence of technology development and market readiness is opening up major business opportunities for photovoltaic (PV) systems throughout the developing world. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories in Abuquerque (Sandia), working on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, have launched pilot projects in several countries throughout the world over the past 3 years. The focus of these pilot projects has been the development of in-country institutional capabilities necessary to deliver the promise of PV electricity to the rural populations. In addition to country-specific activities, NREL is conducting several technology, information, and partnership projects focused on further accelerating the education, training, business, and technology developments necessary to bridge the gap between promise and reality. This paper summarizes these efforts.
A 8.4 t/d pilot plant was completed in November 1994. Experimental operation for continuous tests have been carried out since December 1994. Two kinds of Indonesian sub-bituminous coals and an Australian lignite were upgraded and slurrified by the end of 1995. Typical pilot test results, such as coal concentration of upgraded sub-bituminous CWM of 65% and 4,700 kcal/kg heating value, were better than the authors expected. And subsequent combustion test in a 200 kg/h furnace was also successfully completed, with results showing very good combustibilities. This R and D is now in its final year, and the authors are conducting combustion tests on a big burner and gasification test, which will be carried out until March 1996. The test results from the pilot plant so far confirm the validity and economic feasibility of the upgrading and CWM production technology to promote the use of low rank coals (LRCs). ...
Due to a leakage from a 12-inch pressurized diesel steel pipe four years ago, an area of approximately 30,000 square meters was contaminated. A pilotstudy applying the technology of in-situ enhanced bioremediation was conducted. In the study, a field test kit and on-site monitoring equipment were applied for site characterization and treatment verification. Physically, the enhanced bioremediation study consisted of an air extraction and air supply system, and a nutrition supply network. Certain consistent sampling methodology was employed. Progress was verified by daily monitoring and monthly verification. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capabilities of indigenous microorganisms to biodegrade the petroleum hydrocarbons with provision of oxygen and nutrients. Nine extraction wells and eight air sparging wells were installed. The air sparging ...
BACKGROUNDLifestyle modifications are successfully employed to treat obese and overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aims of the current pilotstudy were (i) to compare the efficacy on reproductive functions of a structured exercise training (SET) programme with a diet programme in obese PCOS patients and (ii) to study their clinical, hormonal and metabolic effects to elucidate potentially different mechanisms of action.METHODSForty obese PCOS patients with anovulatory infertility underwent a SET programme (SET group, n = 20) and a hypocaloric hyperproteic diet (diet group, n = 20). Clinical, hormonal and metabolic data were assessed at baseline, and at 12- and 24-week follow-ups. Primary endpoint was cumulative pregnancy rate.RESULTSThe two groups had similar demogra...
In the course of this year six local exchange offices with alternative heating and hot water plants were started up in Switzerland. They are all of the same building type, designed for not more than 1000 telephone subscribers and for the same architectural conditions. However, the buildings are situated in different areas of the country and are thus subject to different environmental conditions. Solar collectors supplemented by electricity boilers are fitted to two of these objects. Heat pumps are operated in two other exchange offices while the last two are equipped with electric heating devices. For purposes of comparison two new test plants of the same size with oil heating devices are set up.
A laboratory study was done to establish the technical feasibility of producing domestic cooking briquettes to be marketed in Haiti, from the Maissade lignite reserves of that country, which are high in both ash and sulfur and not yet mined. It was found that acceptable briquettes could be made from Maissade char, pyrolized and compacted with a molasses-lime binder and the addition of bagasse to improve strength and burning rate. Molasses, lime and bagasse are all produced in Haiti. Sodium nitrate was added to enhance ignition, and borax as a wetting and release agent. Standard, ''pillow-shaped'' briquettes were successfully produced on a standard, double roll briquetting machine. The recommended process sequence and equipment selection are virtually identical to that used to produce standard US barbecue briquettes from North Dakota lignite. The heating value of the Maissade briquettes is lower due to their high ash level, which ...
Populations living close to high-voltage transmission lines often have residential magnetic field exposures in excess of 1 microT, and sometimes over 2 microT. Yet, populations studied in most epidemiologic...Full Text Available
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Pollution Prevention (EM-77) created is successful internally competed program to fund innovative projects based on projected returns. This is called the Return-on-Investment (ROI) program. EM-77 conducted a successful ROI pilot, developed and implemented sound management practices, and successfully transferred the program to several Operations Offices. Over the past 4 years sites have completed 262 ROI projects (costing $18.8 million) with claimed first-year savings of $88 million and claimed life cycle savings exceeding $300 million. EM-77 requested that Oak Ridge National Laboratory perform an independent evaluation of the site-led, DOE-HQ-funded pollution prevention (P2) ROI program to assist the Department in determining whether claimed savings are real.
Radiation technology offers a very wide scope for utilisation and commercial exploitation in various field. All over the world, this technology is being favourably considered for different applications like radiation sterilisation of medical products, preservation of food by controlling the physiological processes for extending shelf-life and eradication of microbial and insect pests, radiation processing of polymeric materials and treatment of sewage sludge. Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission has taken radiation processing programmes in a big way right from its inception. This paper describes the studies carried out by various research groups in Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission mainly using Cobalt-60 gamma radiation. The investigation covers medical sterilisation, food preservation and development and modification of polymeric materials by gamma radiation. Both food preservation and radiation sterilisation of medical products are now being commercially carried ...
With a pilot electrostatic precipitator having wider plate spacings than usual tests were performed under industrial conditions. In the two-section two-duct pilot precipitator with a precipitation area of 60 m/sup 2/ the plate spacing was increased up to 1,000 mm. As gas velocities values between 0.5 and 2.0 m/s were selected. The precipitator was tested with the flue gases of a coal-fired power station and in the room dedustion of an iron ore sintering plant. Starting with a plate spacing of 250 mm increasing the spacing results initially in a small increase of the precipitation rate. After reaching a maximum the rate decreases and finally with passing a critical spacing it goes below the initial value. Dedusting flue gases the spacing with the maximum and the critical spacing depend on the gas velocity. Cost analyses demonstrate that increasing the up to now used plate spacings may led to considerable savings. Depending on the kind of ...
This study investigated the engine performance and emissions of a supercharged dual-fuel engine fueled by hydrogen-rich coke oven gas and ignited by a pilot amount of diesel fuel. The engine was tested for use as a cogeneration engine, so power output while maintaining a reasonable thermal efficiency was important. Experiments were carried out at a constant pilot injection pressure and pilot quantity for different fuel-air equivalence ratios and at various injection timings without and with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The experimental strategy was to optimize the injection timing to maximize engine power at different fuel-air equivalence ratios without knocking and within the limit of the maximum cylinder pressure. The engine was tested first without EGR condition up to the maximum possible fuel-air equivalence ratio of 0.65. A maximum indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) of 1425 kPa and a ...
The pilot area of the Vyngapour oil field allotted for MIOR tests contains three injection and three producing wells. These wells were treated in summer 1993 and 1994. Before, during, and after MIOR treatments on the pilot area the chemical compounds of injected and formation waters were studied, as well as the amount and species of microorganisms entering the stratum with the injected water and indigenous bacteria presented in bottomhole zones of the wells. The results of monitoring showed that the bottomhole zone of the injection well already had biocenosis of heterotrophic, hydrocarbon-oxidizing, methanogenic, and sulfate-reducing bacteria, which were besides permanently introduced into the reservoir during the usual waterflooding. The nutritious composition activated vital functions of all bacterial species presented in the bottomhole zone of the injection well. The formation waters from producing wells showed the ...
Purpose - Customer relationship management (CRM) indicates a comprehensive strategy and an interactive process intended to achieve an optimum balance between corporate investment and the satisfaction of customer needs to generate the maximum profit. E-CRM refers to CRM using internet technology plus a database, OLAP, data warehouse, data mining, etc. In order to gain an understanding of the efficiency of implementing an e-CRM system within the library context, to develop theoretically and empirically an evaluation process for the e-CRM system and survey its impact on service quality, a pilot scheme was initiated in 2004. The pilot scheme was to design and implement an e-CRM prototype system for a particular academic library in Taiwan and to survey the system's performances. This paper aims...
The combustion characteristics of a turbocharged natural gas and diesel dual-fuelled compression ignition (CI) engine are investigated. With the measured cylinder pressures of the engine operated on pure diesel and dual fuel, the ignition delay, effects of pilot diesel and engine load on combustion characteristics are analysed. Emissions of HC, CO, NO{sub x} and smoke are measured and studied too. The results show that the quantity of pilot diesel has important effects on the performance and emissions of a dual-fuel engine at low-load operating conditions. Ignition delay varies with the concentration of natural gas. Smoke is much lower for the developed dual-fuel engine under all the operating conditions. (Author)
This document - IAEA Safeguards: Implementation Blueprint of Commercial Satellite Imagery - constitutes the second report from SSC Satellitbild giving a structured view and solid guidelines on how to proceed with a conceivable implementation of satellite imagery to support Safeguards activities of the Agency. This Phase 2 report presents a large number of concrete recommendations regarding suggested management issues, work organisation, imagery purchasing and team building. The study has also resulted in several lists of actions and preliminary project plans with GANT schedules concerning training, hardware and software, as well as for the initial pilotstudies. In both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies it is confirmed that the proposed concept of a relatively small Imagery Unit using high-resolution data will be a sound and feasible undertaking. Such a unit capable of performing advanced image processing ...
BackgroundDue to improvements in cancer survival the number of people of working age living with cancer across Europe is likely to increase. UK governments have made commitments...Full Text Available
BackgroundSelf-management of asthma may improve asthma outcomes. The Internet has been suggested as a tool for the monitoring and self-management of asthma....Full Text Available
A dual-boiling isobutane cycle was selected for the present 5-megawatt (5MW) Raft River Pilot Plant to utilize the lower-temperature geothermal resources (near 300F). This study represents a second effort directed toward the design of an improved binary geothermal electric plant suitable for utilization of the lower temperature resources. 7 refs.
The research team recruited eight Chinese American (seven females, one male) lay health workers (LHWs). They received 12 h of training about colorectal cancer (CRC), its screening, and basic...Full Text Available
Radian Corporation was contracted to investigate duct injection and ESP phenomena in a 1.7 MW pilot plant constructed for this test program. This study was an attempt to resolve problems found in previous studies and answer remaining questions for the technology using an approach which concentrates on the fundamental mechanisms of the process. The goal of the study was to obtain a better understanding of the basic physical and chemical phenomena that control: (1) the desulfurization of flue gas by calcium-based reagent, and (2) the coupling of an existing ESP particulate collection device to the duct injection process. Process economics are being studied by others. (VC)
Radian Corporation was contracted to investigate duct injection and ESP phenomena in a 1.7 MW pilot plant constructed for this test program. This study was an attempt to resolve problems found in previous studies and answer remaining questions for the technology using an approach which concentrates on the fundamental mechanisms of the process. The goal of the study was to obtain a better understanding of the basic physical and chemical phenomena that control: (1) the desulfurization of flue gas by calcium-based reagent, and (2) the coupling of an existing ESP particulate collection device to the duct injection process. Process economics are being studied by others. (VC)
The 3001 Storage Canal is located under portions of Buildings 3001 and 3019 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and has a capacity of approximately 62,000 gallons of water. The term canal has historically been used to identify this structure, however, the canal is an in-ground reinforced concrete structure satisfying the regulatory definition of a tank. From 1943 through 1963, the canal in Building 3001 was designed to be an integral part of the system for handling irradiated fuel from the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor. Because one of the main initial purposes of the reactor was to produce plutonium for the chemical processing pilot plant in Building 3019, the canal was designed to be the connecting link between the reactor and the pilot plant. During the war years, natural uranium slugs were irradiated in the reactor and then pushed out of the graphite matrix into the system of diversion plates and chutes which directed ...
The proceedings include the following lectures: Facing the challenges - new structures for electricity production. Renewable energies in Europe - chances and challenges. Nuclear outlook in the UK. Sustainable energy for Europe. Requirements of the market and the grid operator at the electricity production companies. Perspectives for the future energy production. Pumped storage plants - status and perspectives. Nuclear power/renewable energies -partners or opponents? New fossil fired power stations in Europe - status and perspectives. Nuclear energy: outlook for new build and lifetime extension in Europe. Biomass in the future European energy market - experiences for dong energy. Meeting the EU 20:20 renewable energy targets: the offshore challenges. DESERTEC: sustainable electricity for Europe, Middle East and North Africa. New power plants in Europe - a challenge for project and quality management. Consideration of safely in new build activities of power plants. Challenges to an ...
An evaporator using a hydrophobic membrane made from a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was developed to improve DF (Decontamination Factor) and to reduce evaporator size. The membrane distillation, provided by the evaporator, is a new technique for liquid purification. Fundamental experiments were carried out to develop the membrane filter (tube type, outer diameter, 8 mm; membrane thickness, 500 {mu}m) for radioactive liquid treatment. The continuous operation test using actual liquid waste was also made during about 3,000 h. (This is almost equal to the operation time of an actual evaporator per year.) The evaporation rate decreased with increase an operation time due to contamination of waste impurity. But the rate was recovered by washing the membrane with hot water and then drying it. DF was over 10{sup 4} which is ten times larger than that for a conventional system. A pilot plant (capacity, 200 kg-liquid waste/h) was constructed and its ...
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare symptoms and anterior segment tolerability with short-term (3-day) administration of once-daily timolol hemihydrate 0.5%, timolol maleate in sorbate 0.5%, and generic timolol maleate gel-forming solution 0.5% in the treatment of glaucoma and/or ocular hypertension. Methods: In this prospective, randomized, double-masked, active-controlled, 3-period crossover pilotstudy, eligible patients had primary open-angle, pigmentdispersion, or exfoliation glaucoma, and/or ocular hypertension in >=1 eye; had a best corrected visual acuity of 1.0 or better in each eye, as measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity testing chart; were receiving 1 glaucoma medication; and had an untreated intraocular pressure (IOP) ...
An isotopic exchange method was used to label lipiodol with [sup 131]I. The labelling efficiency was > 92.5%, and the radiochemical purity of [[sup 131]I]lipiodol was above 98% as determined by ITLC. The influencing factors e.g. the heating temperature, reaction, pH and storage conditions were studied and the optimum conditions were determined. In a pilotstudy injecting [[sup 131]I]lipiodol for the treatment of hepatoma, about 70% of hepatoma patients had a response to the treatment with a reduction of [alpha]-fetoprotein and decrease of hepatoma sizes. The overall median survival was 9 months (range 2-17 months). (author).
This paper focuses on the design and modeling of the humidification dehumidification desalination (HDH) process. The process is only found on experimental or very small pilot scale. Literature studies are rather limited and it includes a number of experimental investigations, performance evaluation, and measurements of the heat and mass transfer coefficients. This study includes useful and new data on the evaluation of the heat transfer coefficient of the humid air stream in the condenser unit. The analysis develops a correlation for the heat transfer coefficient for the humid air stream as a function of the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. Also, detailed evaluation of the system performance is presented as a function of the system temperatures and the inlet relative humidity of the air strea...
Case studies are presented for treatment of refinery wastes in a pilot-scale thin-film evaporator, the removal of volatiles from industrial wastewater for two steam strippers, and the removal of semivolatiles from water by steam stripping followed by liquid-phase carbon adsorption. The report provides data on removal efficiency, air emissions, process residuals, treatment costs, and process limitations. Details on sampling and analytical procedures, quality assurance, and process data are contained in the Appendixes (Volume II).
Case studies are presented for treatment of refinery wastes in a pilot-scale thin-film evaporator, the removal of volatiles from industrial wastewater for two steam strippers, and the removal of semivolatiles from water by steam stripping followed by liquid-phase carbon adsorption. The report provides data on removal efficiency, air emissions, process residuals, treatment costs, and process limitations. Details on sampling and analytical procedures, quality assurance, and process data are contained in the Appendixes (Volume II).
The decision of the United Kingdom to adopt a policy of solidification of high level waste had led to renewed interest in vitrification. The HARVEST process chosen is an adaptation of the FINGAL concept developed at Harwell 15 years ago. Because of certain changes in engineering design and differences in the composition of the waste, additional chemical engineering data are required for HARVEST. The new inactive pilot plant has been built to provide this information. Its size is virtually full-scale and batches of glass up to 1 tonne can be manufactured in vessels of diameter up to 750mm. Five glass-making runs have been carried out. Attention has concentrated on the performance of the off-gas system which employs wet methods. Carry-over of solids occurs, primarily as a result of physical entrainment. The carry-over of synthetic fission products is improved from 2.5 to 0.1% by directing the feed down the vessel walls. Most of the entrained ...
The use of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods is proposed for characterization of transuranic (TRU) waste stored at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. These NDE methods include real-time x-ray radiography, real-time neutron radiography, x-ray and neutron computed tomography, thermal imaging, container weighing, visual examination, and acoustic measurements. An integrated NDE system is proposed for characterization and certification of TRU waste destined for eventual shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. Methods for automating both the classification waste and control of a complete nondestructive evaluation/nondestructive assay system are presented. Feasibility testing of the different NDE methods, including real-time x-ray radiography, and development of automated waste classification techniques are covered as part of a five year effort designed to yield a production waste characterization system.
Smart metering is required by the EU and will be implemented in Germany during the next few years, but customers are not much interested in ''intelligent meters''. Displays and information services may ensure higher acceptance and additional use and provide an incentive for saving energy. In a pilot programme in BAvaria, Eon tested the customers' reaction to such a system. Smart metering technology and long-wave services were combined into an overall system that helps customers save energy. (orig.)
A pilot cropland carbon sequestration program within north central Montana has allowed farmers to receive carbon credit for management adjustments associated with changing from tillage-based agricultural systems to no-till. Carbon credit can also be obtained by adopting conservation reserve, where cropland is planted into perennial vegetation. Summer fallowing is also considered within the crediting process as credit is not given in years that a field is left un-vegetated. The carbon sequestration program has been advocated as a means to mitigate climate change while providing an added source of income for Montana farmers. There is lack of data, however, pertaining to the percentage of lands within this region that have not converted to no-till management, lands under certain crop intensit...
The possibilities for heat recovery in a cast iron melting furnace were studied. A cupola furnace which produces 40 tonnes steel per hour, produces 25,000 Nm/sup 3//h of flue gases which contain 16-22% CO. Taking into account the heat losses at the chimney where fumes are cooled to 200/sup 0/C the recoverable heat is about 12.4-10/sup 6/ kcal/h which mainly consists of combustion heat in CO. This study showed that the heat can be used for the production of electricity, which will be used in the plant. Recovery of 87 kWh of electricity per tonne of steel produced is possible. A steam turbine driven generator of 3.5 MW will be required. The combustion of the low calorific gas (approximately 400 kcal/Nm/sup 3/) has been studied and gave positive results: wet CO gas can be burnt without addition of methane and preheating of air is not required. The pilot plant consisting of a thermic system (combustion ...
Small-scale stoves, producing heat and hot water, are suited for domestic purposes. In order to optimise their efficiency when using lignocellulosic pellets, an important task is to do research on their real performance. The general behaviour depends on many operational factors (air flow and humidity, pressure, etc), dimension and pellet characteristics (moisture, size, raw material, density, friability, etc). In this paper, the first results and general performance of a 24 kW pellet fixed bed stove pilot plant are presented. The plant has been designed to study pellet combustion in the laboratory. The main targets are to reduce emissions of pollutants and to improve energy efficiency. Different situations can be simulated and tested due to its flexible design. Temperatures, pressures, flows and emissions are measured and analysed. An extensive study of different load conditions is presented through the application of both ...
Objectives. This study determined to what extent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations have been studied over the past 20 years of public health research.Methods....Full Text Available
The association of breast feeding with rates of atopic illness during the first five years of life was assessed in a national study of 13 135 children studied during the first week and at age 5 years....Full Text Available
Transdifferentiation of an individual's own cells into functional differentiated cells to replace an organ's lost function would be a personalized approach to therapeutics. In this two part series, we will describe the progress toward establishing functional transdifferentiated adrenal cortical cells. In this article (Part 2), we describe the disorders of the adrenal cortex, therefore establishing why there is the need for personalized cell-based therapy for individuals with these disorders. We then present our pilotstudies of cell transdifferentiation toward an adrenal cortical fate using genes described in the first article of this pair (Part 1).
Transdifferentiation of an individual's own cells into functional differentiated cells to replace an organ's lost function would be a personalized approach to therapeutics. In this two part series, we will describe the progress toward establishing functional transdifferentiated adrenal cortical cells. In this article (Part 1), we describe adrenal development and function, and discuss genes involved in these processess and selected for use in our pilotstudies of transdifferentiation that are presented in the second article (Part 2).
This bill was introduced into the US House of Representatives on February 19, 1992 to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act for the protection of wetlands. One of the key elements of the bill revolves around the expansion of scope and clarification of the permit program and its effects on wetlands. Additional sections address the following: exemptions for agriculture and other activities; rulemaking on prior converted wetlands; citizen suits amendments; improvement of administration of wetlands permitting; study of wetlands delineation; and wetlands restoration pilot program.
... multivibrators and amplifiers arranged to operate as described above. ... The first of the multivibrators is triggered by the trailing edge of the ...
In the GE 7FDL single cylinder research diesel engine, in-cylinder high-speed photographic studies were conducted on coal-water slurry (CWS) fuel combustion. Distinct flames of pilot and CWS combustion were noticed. It was proven that the coal fuel burns after piston impingement and secondary atomization. Agglomerated particles will develop when combustion conditions are not favorable. Cylinder pressure data were simultaneously recorded for each film frame. Heat release data can thus be produced for each photo study. Most of the findings of earlier combustion studies on engine performance were confirmed.
As part of Pilot Project of KIP of CAS, a feasibility study of hydrogen production system using biomass residues is conducted. This study is based on a process of oxygen-rich air gasification of biomass in a downdraft gasifier plus CO-shift. The capacity of this system is 6.4 t biomass/d. Applying this system, it is expected that an annual production of 480 billion N m{sup 3} H{sub 2} will be generated for domestic supply in China. The capital cost of the plant used in this study is 1328/(N m{sup 3}/h) H{sub 2} out, and product supply cost is 0.15/N m{sup 3} H{sub 2}. The cost sensitivity analysis on this system tells that electricity and catalyst cost are the two most important factors to influence hydrogen production cost. (author)
Taiwan has completed a very successful five-year industrial waste minimization (IWM) demonstration and promotion project sponsored by the government. From 1990 to 1995, the project successfully disseminated the IWM concept of pollution prevention (P2) to industries. It effectively reduced industrial waste while significantly benefitting the economy by assisting industries in implementing in-plant IWM programs. In July 1995, the second stage of the five-year IWM and ISO 14000 promotion project was initiated for further promoting the IWM, P2, and cleaner production and, in particular, coping with the upcoming international environmental management standards (ISO 14000). To assist industries in establishing an environmental management system (EMS) and accumulating related experience, an EMS pilot demonstration project of five model industries and an ISO 14001 EMS demonstration and promotion project for 22 factories in 13 ...
This report is a compilation of the groundwater sampling results from the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) including calendar year 2008 results. Each of the three Pilot Wells was sampled on March 11, 2008, and September 10, 2008. These wells were sampled for the following indicators of contamination: pH, specific conductance, total organic carbon, total organic halides, and tritium. Indicators of general water chemistry (cations and anions) were also monitored. Results from all samples collected in 2008 were within the limits established by agreement with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for each analyte. These data indicate that there has been no measurable impact to the uppermost aquifer from the Area 5 RWMS. There were no significant changes in measured groundwater parameters compared to previous years. Other information in the report includes an updated Cumulative Chronology for the Area ...
This report is a compilation of the groundwater sampling results from the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) for calendar year 2006. Pilot wells UE5PW-1, UE5PW-2, and UE5PW-3 were sampled in April and October 2006 for the following indicators of contamination: pH, specific conductance, total organic carbon, total organic halides, and tritium. Indicators of general water chemistry (cations and anions) were also monitored. Results from all samples collected in 2006 were within the limits established by agreement with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for each analyte. These data indicate that there has been no measurable impact to the uppermost aquifer from the Area 5 RWMS. There were no significant changes in measured groundwater parameters compared to previous years. Other information in the report includes an updated Cumulative Chronology for the Area 5 RWMS Groundwater Monitoring Program and a ...
Full load (186 kW/cyl) operation using CWS fuel at 1050 rpm has been achieved on single cylinder GE-7FDL test engine. No major changes in engine parameters were made. With normal inlet air conditions, 3-5% pilot deisel fuel, separately injected or stratified into the main coal charge, was used. Inlet air temperature had to be raised about 40/sup 0/C if no pilot diesel fuel was used. The coal burnout was about 95% and the cycle efficiency was comparable to using diesel fuel. The NO/sub x/ and CO emissions were about 1/2 of those obtained normally with deisel fuel. The maximum heat release rate was higher than diesel fuel operation which resulted in higher maximum cylinder firing pressure. The combustion characteristic and its dependence on some fuel characteristics and inlet air parameters are discussed. Increasing coal burnout while limiting maximum cylinder firing pressure is the main objective of near future studies.
The use of ionic liquids for post combustion capture was discussed. Compared to other solvents, ionic liquids can be used in higher concentrations. Other advantages include the large variation in physical and chemical properties and the non measurable vapor pressure. In this study, 78 different ionic liquids were synthesized and the carbon dioxide absorption rate was measured. The most promising ionic liquids were produced and various tests were made to identify the most suitable absorption solvent. The vapor-liquid equilibrium curve was measured between 40 and 110 degrees C. Pilot plant tests with MEA and one selected ionic liquid test with 30 per cent MEA at the pilot plant at the EVNs Duernrohr Power Station in Lower Austria are running successfully with a capture performance of approximately 87 per cent. The experiments will provide a direct comparison of the energy demand and capture performance between the MEA and the ...
A hydrogen combustion and exhaust emissions in a supercharged gas engine ignited with micro pilot diesel fuel was discussed in this presentation. A schematic diagram of the experimental study was first presented. The single cylinder, water-cooled, supercharged test engine was illustrated. Results were presented for the following: fuel energy and energy share (hydrogen and diesel fuel); pressure history and rate of heat release; engine performance and exhaust emissions; effect of nitrogen dilution on heat value per cycle; effect of N_2 dilution on pressure history and rate of heat release; and engine performance and exhaust emissions. This presentation demonstrated that smooth and knock-free engine operation results from the use of hydrogen in a supercharged dual-fuel engine for leaner fuel-air equivalence ratios maintaining high thermal efficiency. It was possible to attain mor3 than 90 per cent hydrogen-energy substitution to the diesel fuel ...
This report describes results from emissions testing of a prototype diesel engine, developed by Volvo Truck Corporation of Sweden, which uses pilot injection of diesel fuel for compression ignition of alcohol fuel injection for main combustion. In addition to this dual-fuel engine, emission testing was also conducted on a heavy-duty diesel engine of similar design. Both engines were tested over the 1979 13-mode FTP, or shorter versions of this modal test, and over the 1984 Transient FTP as well as an experimental bus cycle. The dual-fuel engine was characterized with methanol, ethanol and ethanol with 30 percent water (wt %). An oxidation catalyst was also used with methanol and ethanol. Emission characterization included regulated emissions (HC, CO, and NOX) along with total particulate, unburned alcohols, individual hydrocarbons, aldehydes, phenols, and odor. The particulate matter was characterized in terms of particle size distribution, sulfate content, C, H, ...
Two pilot-scale constructed wetlands (4:1 length:width aspect) were designed for tertiary treatment of refinery effluent. As requirements for removal of contaminants from NPDES effluents become more stringent, cost-effective technological approaches are needed to achieve the necessary treatment levels and be efficient, effective and low maintenance. The fundamental design of these constructed wetlands was based on biogeochemical principles that regulate the fate and persistence of the targeted elements (Cu, Zn, Pb). In order to maximize opportunities to learn more about the internal function of the wetlands, they were built to operate in series or in parallel permitting hydraulic retention times of 24 to 48 hours. The wetlands were lined with {approximately}76 cm of compacted clay as well as a 30 mil polyethylene liner. The hydrosoil selected for use in the constructed wetlands is 74.1% sand, 25.6% silt, 0.3% clay. Based on laboratory studies, ...
The Synthesis Gas From Manure (SGFM) pilot plant was constructed at Texas Tech University to evaluate the gasification of cattle feedlot manure. A study of gas yield and composition as a function of operating conditions was performed. This report presents the results of a comparison of feedstocks other than manure in the pilot plant. Oak sawdust was the superior feedstock tested in terms of both gas yield and operability. Corn stover and mesquite were comparable and presented some handling problems. Cotton gin trash was unacceptable due to low-temperature ash fusion in the reactor. The gas yield from oak sawdust varied from 0.8 to 1.7 1/gm DAF feed at average temperatures of 650 to 770/sup 0/C. The gas contained approximately 15% hydrogen and 40% carbon monoxide by volume. It also contained 5 to 8% methane and 2 to 5% ethylene. All of these results were obtained using steam and air as the gasifying medium.
Two studies (N = 420) were conducted to develop and validate the instructional dissent scale (IDS) for use in the college classroom. Participants in study 1 were 210 students who completed the IDS pilot inventory which was subjected to an exploratory factor analysis yielding three distinct factors of dissent (i.e., expressive, rhetorical, vengeful). Concurrent validity support was provided as perceived teacher misbehaviors were associated positively with students' likelihood of engaging in dissent and students reported fewer learning outcomes when they dissented. Participants in study 2 were from a different sample of 210 students who completed the IDS along with measures of classroom justice and student challenge behavior. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the hypothesiz...
In this work the calculation of the average precipitation in the Quito River basin, state of Choco, Colombia, is presents through diverse techniques, among which are those suggested by Thiessen and those based on the isohyets analysis, in order to select the one appropriate to quantification of rainwater available to the basin. Also included is an estimation of the error with which the average precipitation in the zone studied is fraught when measured, by means of the methodology proposed by Gandin (1970) and Kagan (WMO, 1966), which at the same time allows to evaluate the representativeness of each one of the stations that make up the rain gauge network in the area. The study concludes with a calculation of the hydrologic balance for the Quito river basin based on the pilot procedure suggested in the UNESCO publication on the study of the South America hydrologic balance, from which the great ...
Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of host periosteum and recipient bed perforation on the healing of an onlay graft to the mandible based on histologic and immunohistochemical analysis. Materials and methods Each of the 12 adult sheep used in the study received four iliac corticocancellous onlay bone grafts on the lateral surface of the mandible. In experiment 1, the block graft was placed in direct contact with the recipient bed and fixed with micro-screws, and in experiment 2, the recipient cortical bed was perforated before graft placement. The host periosteum around the graft was excised before flap replacement in experiment 3, and in experiment 4, a sheet of silicone membrane was placed between the graft and the recipient bed. The animals were euthanised at 4, 8, ...
Objective To demonstrate clinical features of a patient subgroup presenting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) without polycystic ovary morphology. Design Retrospective study. Setting Hospital-based IVF center. Patient(s) In the present study, 876 PCOS patients were selected from women who visited the Reproductive Medicine Center at Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, between September 2004 and October 2006. Women with PCOS were divided into two groups based on ultrasound image: group A, PCOS patients with classic polycystic ovary (n = 800); group B, PCOS patients without polycystic ovary morphology (n = 76). The following available data were analyzed in the large cohort of women: body height, weight, waistline, hip circumference, hirsutism scores, family history, serum s...
The ELEX process for isotopic enrichment and separation of tritium from aqueous reprocessing effluents is described. After the development of an appropriate hydrophobic catalyst and the study of the separate constituent steps of the ELEX process, an integrated bench-scale installation with a detritiation capacity of 10 mol water per hour was constructed. It comprises essentially a 1.5 kW electrolyser and two 2 cm diameter by 3 m high exchange columns. In this mini-pilot the ELEX process was successfully demonstrated by detritiating more than 1000 dm"3 water containing up to 100 mCi tritium per dm"3, which is the feed concentration expected for application of the process in a reprocessing plant. The process decontamination factor was always larger than 100 and the overall tritium balance could be kept within the experimental errors of the various measurements. Depending on the duration of the runs, the volume reduction factor was between 10 and ...
This study investigated the engine performance and emissions of a supercharged engine fueled by hydrogen and ignited by a pilot amount of diesel fuel in dual-fuel mode. The engine was tested for use as a cogeneration engine, so power output while maintaining a reasonable thermal efficiency was important. Experiments were carried out at a constant pilot injection pressure and pilot quantity for different fuel-air equivalence ratios and at various injection timings without and with charge dilution. The experimental strategy was to optimize the injection timing to maximize engine power at different fuel-air equivalence ratios without knocking and within the limit of the maximum cylinder pressure. The engine was tested first with hydrogen-operation condition up to the maximum possible fuel-air equivalence ratio of 0.3. A maximum IMEP of 908 kPa and a thermal efficiency of about 42% were obtained. ...
BackgroundRegistered data can provide valuable information regarding blindness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the main causes and 3-year incidence of registered blindness...Full Text Available
We have been piloting web-based multimedia learning modules (MLMs), developed by the Physics Education Research Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), as a "prelecture assignment" in several introductory physics courses at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. In this study, we report the results from a controlled study utilizing modules on electricity and magnetism as a part of a blended hybrid-online course. We asked students in the experimental section to view the MLMs prior to attending the face-to-face class, and to make sure this would not result in additional instructional time, we reduced the weekly class time by one-third. We found that despite reduced class time, student-learning outcomes were not hindered; in fact, the implementation of the UIUC MLMs resulted in a positive effect on student performance on conceptual tests and classroom discussion questions. (Contains 4 ...
Summary The aim of the study was to perform a retrospective review of records to test a possible significant association between sudden, modest weight loss (t-test and Wilcoxon test p values were 0.95 and 0.61, respectively. A Kolmogorov-?Smirnov test p value was 0.2139. A one-half standard deviation difference in time to delivery, approximately 2.5 days, was detectable with 0.95 probability. It was concluded that these data may be the first time this question has been investigated and provide evidence that sudden, modest weight loss at the end of pregnancy is not associated with shorter time to onset of natural labour.
The Nuclear Fuel Technology Department (NFTD) in CNRTC is a unique unit in Turkey in charge of performing all activities in nuclear fuel field. It has a pilot plant on uranium refining and conversion to UO{sub 2} since 1986. Presently, its R and D activities are focused on pellet manufacturing and characterization: UO{sub 2}, ThO{sub 2}and (Th,U)O{sub 2}. The studies on thorium dioxide fuel include to obtain ThO{sub 2} pellets from thorium nitrate and mixed (Th,U)O{sub 2} pellets. A study on evaluation of different fuel cycle options in accordance with nuclear energy planning in Turkey is also going on. (author)
In Europe, the use of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies is restricted to Kirsten RAS (KRAS) wild-type colorectal tumors. Information on the KRAS status of the patients tumor is thus key for clinical practice; however, there is little guidance or definition on which KRAS mutations to assess and how to assess them. To ensure the consistency and the quality of KRAS test results in Europe, an interlaboratory control network needs to be set up. This pilotstudy aimed to identify the variables that need to be assessed in a quality control scheme and to provide a first assessment in a selected set of laboratories. Fourteen different tumor cases were circulated between 13 laboratories by a central laboratory acting as the referent for the mutation status determination. This study illustrated that of...
Objective: To reduce mental health symptoms and high-risk behaviors and increase social support and service utilization among street-living youth, the authors conducted a pilotstudy to assess the feasibility of the social enterprise intervention (SEI) at a homeless youth agency. Method: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 16 street-living youth from the agency. SEI participants received 7 months of vocational and small business training and service referrals. A comparison sample of 12 agency youth was used. Results: Findings from independent sample t tests demonstrate that SEI participants displayed significant improvements at 9 months in life satisfaction, family contact, peer support, and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Preliminary findings suggest that the SEI was feasible within the agency setting and associated with higher mental health and social outcomes. (Contains 3 figures and 3 tables.)
The effects of changes in the cetane number of liquid pilot fuels on the ignition delay period in dual fuel engines were investigated experimentally. Various pilot fuel quantities were employed with methane, propane and low heating value gaseous fuel mixtures over a wide range of engine load.the ignition delay variation with increased gaseous fuel admission showed a strong dependence on both the quantity and the quality of the pilot fuel used. It was found that the use of high cetane number pilot liquid fuels permitted smaller pilot quantities to be used satisfactorily. Engine operation on propane and low heating value gaseous fuels improved in comparison with dual fuel engine operation employing common diesel fuels.
The design, construction and operation of a pilot plant are often important stages in the development of a project for the production of uranium concentrates. Since building and operating a pilot plant is very costly and may not always be required, it is important that such a plant be built only after several prerequisites have been met. The main purpose of this guidebook is to discuss the objectives of a pilot plant and its proper role in the overall project. Given the wide range of conditions under which a pilot plant may be designed and operated, it is not possible to provide specific details. Instead, this book discusses the rationale for a pilot plant and provides guidelines with suggested solutions for a variety of problems that may be encountered. This guidebook is part of a series of Technical Reports on uranium ore processing being prepared by the IAEA's Division of Nuclear ...
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) administers and operates the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site, which hosts a deep geologic repository for safe disposal of U.S. defense-related TRU waste and is located 42 kilometers (km) east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. CBFO also manages the National Transuranic Waste Program (NTP), which oversees TRU waste management from generation to disposal. The WIPP began receiving waste in March 1999. In some areas of broad international interest, the CBFO has developed a leading expertise through its 25-year WIPP repository and TRU waste characterization activities. In addition to participating in relevant and beneficial experiments, the CBFO will provide the international community convenient access to this information by sponsoring and hosting symposia and workshops on relevant topics and by participation in international waste management organizations and topical meetings. In ...
A new industrial process allowing to reach very high cooling rates in the cooling section after soaking of a continuous annealing line for steel sheets is presented. This process constitutes the successful conclusion of a long term research programme, jointly carried out at CRM and Arcelor Cockerill-Sambre for three years, including laboratory experiments, pilot scale trials and several industrial campaigns. It is running on from developments performed in the framework of the HOWAQ (Hot Water Quench) process. The process successively combines a moderate cooling step (600 deg C/s for 0.8 mm thick strips), in boiling water, and a faster cooling step (above 700 deg C/s), by impinging turbulent cold water in a box. Its main features are simplicity, resulting from advanced developments, soundness, flexibility and cooling homogeneity. As treated steel products are characterized by improved mechanical properties, outstanding surface quality (corrosion ...
A permeable reactive mixture has been developed using low cost, readily available materials that is capable of providing effective, long-term phosphorous treatment in areas impacted by on-land wastewater disposal. The reactive mixture creates a geochemical environment suitable for P-attenuation by both adsorption and precipitation reactions. Potential benefits include significant reductions in phosphorous loading to receiving groundwater and surface water systems, and the accumulation of P-mass in a finite and accessible volume of material. The mixture may be applied as a component within surface treatment systems or in subsurface applications such as horizontal or vertical permeable reactive walls. The mixture averaged > 90% treatment efficiency over 3.6 years of continuous-flow laboratory column experiments. The mixture was further evaluated at the pilot-scale to treat municipal wastewater, and the field-scale to treat a well-characterized ...
Animal carcasses from slaughterhouses are usually composted on farms, but the composting process is not optimized and a large volumes of carbonaceous residues are needed. This type of composting takes place over a period of 6 to 9 months in a nonaerated static pile. Quebec's industrial research centre (CRIQ) developed an organic biodrying process (BIOSECO) adapted to large-scale operations in order to optimize the treatment of slaughterhouse residues. Biodrying is a form of composting, in which the thermophilic phase is optimized, making it possible to evaporate large amounts of water. Biodrying is done inside a building and reduces the amount of carbonaceous residues considerably. The process is optimized by the sequence in which the slaughterhouse residues are added, the choice of input and the aeration flow. Slaughterhouse residues can be treated non-stop throughout the entire year. Since the odours are nearly completed limited to the building, the ...
A diesel engine having staged injection for using lower cetane number fuels than No. 2 diesel fuel. The engine includes a main fuel injector and a pilot fuel injector. Pilot and main fuel may be the same fuel. The pilot injector injects from five to fifteen percent of the total fuel at timings from 20.degree. to 180.degree. BTDC depending upon the quantity of pilot fuel injected, the fuel cetane number and speed and load. The pilot fuel injector is directed toward the centerline of the diesel cylinder and at an angle toward the top of the piston, avoiding the walls of the cylinder. Stratification of the early injected pilot fuel is needed to reduce the fuel-air mixing rate, prevent loss of pilot fuel to quench zones, and keep the fuel-air mixture from becoming too fuel lean to become effective. In one embodiment, the ...
BackgroundThere have been dramatic changes in the approach to screening for aneuploidy over the last 20 years. However, the approach to screening for other complications of pregnancy...Full Text Available
BackgroundGender differences in the prevalence and occupational consequences of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are consistently found in epidemiological studies. The study investigated...Full Text Available
As a part of DOE's Meteorological Effects of Thermal Energy Releases (METER) program a field study was undertaken at the Bowen Electric Generating Plant (Plant Bowen) in December 1979. The study was a joint endeavor of Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with the main objective of determining the effects of the plant's smokestack effluents on aerosol characteristics and precipitation chemistry. Other objectives included studies of cooling tower temperature and humidity (T/h) plumes and drift drop concentrations. Conducted over a period of three weeks, the study involved an instrumented aircraft, pilot balloons, a tethered balloon system, a dense network of wetfall chemistry collectors and numerous ground- and tower-based meteorological instruments. Rainfall samples collected ...
As care shifts from institutional to home- and community-based settings, consumer health information technology (IT) must be designed to support patients' new health information management responsibilities. We developed and piloted a new methodology grounded in social network analysis and human factors engineering to explore two often overlooked aspects of this phenomenon: the task of health information communication with members of the social network and the context of culture. Such knowledge is necessary to inform the appropriate design of consumer health IT. We asked a culturally diverse sample of participants to describe what, to whom, why, and how they communicate health information and to provide direct feedback about the methodology. The methodology was acceptable to all participants and able to capture similarities and differences in their health information communication practices. Prior to the main study we will need to refine the ...
ObjectiveExtended periods of muscle disuse, physical inactivity, immobilization, and bedrest result in a loss of muscle mass and a decrease in muscle force, which are accompanied by an increase in oxidative stress. We investigated the effects of the intake of green tea catechins on unloading-induced muscle dysfunction in tail-suspended mice. MethodsTen-week-old male BALB/c mice were fed a purified control diet or a diet containing 0.5% tea catechins for 14 d. Thereafter, the mice were subjected to continuous tail suspension for 10 d. On the final day, muscle mass, contractile force production, antioxidant potential, and carbonylated protein levels were evaluated. ResultsHind limb unloading caused a loss of soleus muscle weight and muscle force. Intake of tea catechins significantly inhibit...
Studies have suggested that skill-building through hands-on cooking as a nutrition education strategy, is effective to improve overall dietary quality among participants. FamilyCook Productions' ''Diet for a Healthy Planet with Teen Battle Chefs(TM)'' curriculum using this approach, was piloted in 2008 in a Brooklyn public high school resulting in a statistically significant improvements in dietary quality as well as attitudinal improvements and efforts by students to support changes in school food service. Program evaluation used the RE-AIM framework and employed both quantitative and qualitative strategies including pre and post program surveys, focus groups, and weekly electronic teacher feedback. The program has since grown to over 85 high schools in 16 states.
Much progress has been made in the clinical, biological and technical aspects of the T-cell-depleted haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Our experience demonstrates that infusing a megadose of extensively T-cell-depleted hematopoietic peripheral blood stem cells after an immuno-myeloablative conditioning regimen in acute leukemia patients ensures sustained engraftment with minimal GvHD without the need of any post-transplant immunosuppressive treatment. Since our first successful pilotstudy, our efforts have concentrated on developing new conditioning regimens, optimizing the graft processing and improving the post-transplant immunological recovery. The results we have so far achieved in high risk acute leukemia patients show that haploidentical transplantation ...
This study started with a comprehensive and critical review of the published information of relevance to the different methods to produce uranium dioxide from raw materials. we have chosen this method 'flame denitration' or flame process to produce Uo_2. from its compounds, uranyl nitrate Uo_2 ( NO_3) _2 .6H_2o) prepared from raw uranium 'yellow cake'. This method in short produces uranium dioxide from aqueous uranyl nitrate by contacting the atomized liquid which has 40 #mu# in diameter with hot reducing gases (butane and oxygen mixture) till we obtain a suitable and yellow red colour light for the flame and this is a prof that there is carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the temperature of the reactor at is least 950 degree C.
Objectives: Many youth with tics experience distress about having tics and how others may perceive them. Such symptoms are often more impairing and distressing than are the tics and negatively impact self-concept, functioning, and quality of life. Although treatments exist that target the frequency and severity of tics, no intervention has been developed that helps youth with tics cope with their condition and limit associated functional impairment and distress. Given this, we developed a cognitive-behaviorally oriented psychotherapy protocol that promotes adaptive coping and resiliency among youth with tics in addressing varied issues commonly experienced by this population. This poster reports data from the Phase I component of this study. Method: Phase I concentrated on developing the t...
Background, aim and scope Treatment performance of constructed wetlands (CWs) is largely dependent on the characteristics of the wastewater. Although livestock wastewater is readily biodegradable in general, its variety in biodegradability can still be significant in practice. In addition, it is a common practice to periodically use disinfectants in livestock activities for health concerns. Obviously, the residual of the disinfectants in livestock wastewater may have serious inhibitory effect on the microbial activities during wastewater treatment. Thus, the main objective of this study was to examine the variety of livestock wastewater in biodegradability and its effect on the performance of a pilot scale tidal flow CWs (TFCWs) in organic matter and nitrogen removal. Furthermore, investig...
Rationale Hypothalamic?pituitary?adrenal axis dysregulation predicts poor clinical and biochemical response to antidepressants. Antiglucocorticoids have therapeutic benefits but most have a troublesome adverse event profile. Aspects of neuropsychological performance, notably working memory, are susceptible to corticosteroid modulation and are impaired in depression. Aspirin has been shown to attenuate the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to physiological challenge suggesting its potential to act as an augmenting agent in depression. Objectives To examine the effect of sub-acute (300?mg daily for 7?days) aspirin pre-treatment on the cortisol awakening response and the effect of acute (600?mg) and sub-acute aspirin on the neuroendocrine and neuropsychological response...
A controlled field pilot has been developed in Bozeman, Montana, USA, to study near surface CO2 transport and detection technologies. A slotted horizontal well divided into six zones was installed in the shallow subsurface. The scale and CO2 release rates were chosen to be relevant to developing monitoring strategies for geological carbon storage. The field site was characterized before injection, and CO2 transport and concentrations in saturated soil and the vadose zone were modeled. Controlled releases of CO2 from the horizontal well were performed in the summers of 2007 and 2008, and collaborators from six national labs, three universities, and the U.S. Geological Survey investigated movement of CO2 through the soil, water, plants, and air with a wide range of near surface detection techniques. An overview of these results will be presented.
Externally powered prostheses have been studied for many years, to provide more effective rehabilitation of amputees. To take advantage of the benefits offered by external power in prostheses, however, the mode of control of the prosthesis by the amputee ...
Populations living close to high-voltage transmission lines often have residential magnetic field exposures in excess of 1 [mu]T, and sometimes over 2 [mu]T. Yet, populations studied in most epidemiologic investigations of the association between residential magnetic field exposure and cancer typically have exposures below 1 [mu]T and frequently below 0.5 [mu]T. To improve statistical power and precision, it would be useful to compare high exposure populations with low exposure population. Toward this end, we have developed an automated method for identifying populations living near high-voltage transmissions lines. These populations likely have more highly exposed individuals that the population at large. The method uses a geographic information system (GIS) to superimpose digitized transmission line locations on U.S. Census block location data and then extract relevant demographic data. Analysis of data from a pilotstudy ...
Background:- Only one study has used a prospective method to analyze the diagnostic stability of first psychotic episodes in children and adolescents. The Child and Adolescent First-Episode Psychosis Study (CAFEPS) is a 2-year, prospective longitudinal study of early-onset first episodes of psychosis (EO-FEP). Aim:- To describe diagnostic stability and the variables related to diagnostic changes. Methods:- Participants were 83 patients (aged 9-17-years) with an EO-FEP consecutively attended. They were assessed with a structured interview (Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime version) and clinical scales at baseline and after 2-years. Results:- The global consistency for all diagnoses was 63.9%. The small group of bipolar disorder had high stabilit...
Morphine sulfate (MS Contin), a proven analgesic in the treatment of cancer pain and chronic benign pain, seems to be a good analgesic for the treatment of burn pain. MS Contin is morphine sulfate incorporated in a wax cellulose matrix delivery system. This wax cellulose delivery system gives MS Contin its duration of action. Ten patients were enrolled in an open-labeled, nonrandomized study. The study was designed to examine the analgesic efficacy of MS Contin in the burn population. Each patient remained in the study for 6 days. The efficacy of the analgesic regimen was subjectively measured by the visual pain scale. The MS Contin group was retrospectively compared with a group of patients who were given continuous intravenous infusions of morphine. The two groups were matched according to age, burn size, surgical procedures, and hospital stay. The analgesic qualities of MS Contin were comparable to those of continuous ...
This study investigated the effectiveness of dealing with biological waste by composting. In particular, it examined the feasibility of recovering excess thermal energy produced in the process of composting biological waste in terms of mass and energy transport parameters required in the aerated compost bed. An experiment was performed in which a 100 dm{sup 3} adiabatic, leak-tight reactor equipped with a controlled aeration system was constructed to study the temperature and pressure distribution in the bed. Sensors were used to determine the amount and humidity of emitted gases under variable external physical conditions. The perforated bottom of the reactor allowed for bed aeration. As such, the humidity and heat were transported upwards, forced by the air pumped in and by natural convection. In terms of pressure distribution inside the composted and aerated bed, the study results showed that there were considerable ...
The purpose of this research is to develop a technically and economically feasible process for biologically producing H(sub 2) from synthesis gas while, at the same time, removing harmful sulfur gas compounds. Six major tasks are being studied: 1. Culture development, where the best cultures are selected and conditions optimized for simultaneous hydrogen production and sulfur gas removal; 2. Mass transfer and kinetic studies in which equations necessary for process design are developed; 3. Bioreactor design studies, where the cultures chosen in Task 1 are utilized in continuous reaction vessels to demonstrate process feasibility and define operating conditions; 4. Evaluation of biological synthetic gas conversion under limiting conditions in preparation for industrial demonstration studies; 5. Process scale-up where laboratory data are scaled to larger-size units in preparation for process demonstration ...
A precise technique for studying coal liquefaction in a 200 cc stirred-batch-autoclave has been developed. Reaction pressures of up to 4000 psig and temperatures of up to 850/sup 0/F can be employed. The slurry temperature in the autoclave is controlled within 2/sup 0/F by raising or lowering the autoclave which is partially submerged in a sandbath; hence the name: Variable Submergence Temperature Control (VaSTeC). Heatup and cooldown are achieved in 5 and 2 minutes, respectively. A mini-scale vacuum distillation procedure was developed for measurement of 1000/sup 0/F-distillate with a repeatability of 0.3%. About 99% material balance is routinely obtained in the autoclave runs. The following yield repeatabilities have been demonstrated (MAF coal basis):H/sub 2/ cons. (0.1%), C/sub 1/ to C/sub 3/ gas (0.3%), C/sub 4/-1000/sup 0/F distillate (2.4%), and unconverted carbon (0.5%). The autoclave can simulate the yield slate of the thermal liquefaction unit (TLU) of ...
Leaded gasoline has been used as fuel for trucks and automobiles in the United States since 1924; it has been implicated as a source of lead that is deposited on the soil and eventually can be ingested by small children, contributing to their burden of this toxic metal. The lead content of 667 surface-soil samples (taken at depths of 0-5 cm) and 159 subsurface-soil samples (from depths of 25-30 cm) collected from Illinois play areas near roads was measured and related to traffic variables. The samples were collected between June and October of 1985, and their measured lead levels exceeded the average natural background level for Illinois soil. The highest lead concentrations were found in samples from the six-county metropolitan Chicago region, where both traffic volume and traffic density are higher than in the rest of the state. Regression analysis showed significant correlation of lead concentration in the top 5 cm of soil with three variables (traffic density, distance from the ...
Ethanol has excellent fuel properties, such as high octane, high heat of vaporization and low photochemical reactivity in the atmosphere. It is less volatile than gasoline and there is lower smog formation from evaporative emissions of pure ethanol compared to gasoline. As such, ethanol has emerged as an important alternative energy source that is sustainable, efficient, cost effective, convenient and safe. In 2006, global production of ethanol reached 13.5 billion gallons, up from 12.1 billion gallons in 2005. However, in light of the current debate of food versus fuel, the industry must shift to non-food feedstocks. This paper described an emerging technology to cost-effectively produce ethanol from sweet sorghum stalks, the most promising alternative feedstock to corn, via solid state fermentation (SSF). Experiments of advanced solid state fermentation (ASSF) for ethanol production from sweet sorghum by Saccharomyces cerevisiae were conducted in laboratory and ...
AbstractThis cohort study of 1302 persons aged ≥65 years, conducted in the Yoruba-speaking regions of Nigeria, determines the prevalence and correlates of hearing impairment (HI)...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE. This study examines variations in the efficient use of hospital resources across individual physicians. DATA SOURCES AND SETTING. The study is conducted over a two-year period (1989-1990)...Full Text Available
Eight of 100 normotensive children who had pyelonephritic scarring secondary to urinary infection and vesicoureteric reflux were found in an earlier study to have increased plasma renin activity (PRA)....Full Text Available
PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate 3.5 years-cumulative survival rate of implants placed on augmented sinus using Osteon, a bone graft material, and to assess the height...Full Text Available
Inadequate measures of water quality have been used in many studies of the health effects associated with water supplies in developing countries. The present 1-year epidemiological-microbiological study...Full Text Available
This article presents an experimental study on the gasification of leather residues from a tannery by using a throated 10 kW{sub e} downdraft gasifier. The gasification process is conducted over a range of feed rates in the gasifier for the operating temperatures of 1,000 deg C and 1,100 deg C, slightly below atmospheric pressure. In this study, the experimental setup and procedure are also explained in detail. Moreover, the fuel characteristics, components in the produced gas, and side products from the gasification system were measured during the experiments and discussed. It was concluded that the briquetted leather residues were successfully gasified in a downdraft gasifier. However, the large briquette sizes of the leather residues occasionally formed bridging in the throat zone of the gasifier. Therefore the downdraft gasifier should be operated using smaller size briquettes to prevent the bridging in the throat zone in order to ...
Objectives- Investigate the potential for the use of enzymes to bring about improvements in the recycling of recovered waste paper sources~%~~%~- Optimise enzyme formulations and process conditions to maximise benefits. - Produce recovered fibre at lower energy and chemical costs than is currently achievable using 'classical' de-inking techniques.~%~~%~- Improve recycled fibre quality and~%~~%~- All of the above will allow a greater use of recovered paper resources, which would otherwise be diposed of by [continued...]DescriptionThe project proposes to carry out an initial literature review to update the consortium on the currently available publications relating to the use of enzymes in de-inking.. This will be followed by an intensive laboratory study in an upgraded facility which will allow enzyme formulations and mechanisms to be studied. This work will also eliminate the need for an ...
Several researchers have investigated morphological changes on the south-eastern Mediterranean coast during the late Holocene. However, very few of these studies include quantitative data covering the last 200?years. In this study, topographical maps, nautical charts and aerial photographs are used to estimate the shoreline migrations and beach?nearshore sand balance over the last 200?years in Haifa Bay, Israel, the northernmost final depositional sink of the Nile littoral cell. The findings reflect two main periods. During the first period, between 1799 and 1928, human intervention along the bay?s coast was negligible, a significant coastal expansion of ?50 to 150?m (averages of 0.4?1.2?m/year) was measured, and sand accumulation was estimated at ?70,000?m3 annually in the beach?nearshore...
LEDF(Large Equipment Dismantling Facility) is the solid waste processing technology development facility that carries out high-volume reduction and low dosage processing. The high-volume reduction processing of the high dose {alpha}-waste configured with combustible waste, pvc and rubber, spent ion exchange resin, and noncombustible waste have been planned the incinerating and melting facility using the in-can type high frequency induction heating in LEDF. This test is intended to clarify the design data. It was confirmed that the incinerating and melting performance, molten solid properties and exhaust gas processing performance with pilot testing equipment and bench scale equipment. The result of this test are as follows. 1. Processing speed is 6.7 kg/h for the combustible waste, 13.0 kg/h for the ion exchange resin, and 30.0 kg/h for the noncombustible waste. For above optimum processing conditions are as follows. Operating temperature is 1000degC for the ...
The purpose of the New Mexico Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) is to conduct an independent technical evaluation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Project to ensure the protection of the public health and safety and the environment. The WIPP Project, located in southeastern New Mexico, is being constructed as a repository for the disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive wastes generated by the national defense programs. The EEG was established in 1978 with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to the State of New Mexico. Public Law 100-456, the National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1989, Section 1433, assigned EEG to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and continued the original contract DE-AC04-79AL10752 through DOE contract DE-AC04-89AL58309. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, Public Law 103-160, continues the authorization. EEG performs ...
This probabilistic analysis of WIPP TRUDOCK crane failure is based on two sources of failure data. The source for operator errors is the report by Swain and Guttman, NUREG/CR-1278-F, August 1983. The source for crane cable hook breaks was initially made by WIPP/WID-96- 2196, Rev. O by using relatively old (1970s) U.S. Navy data (NUREG-0612). However, a helpful analysis by R.K. Deremer of PLG guided the authors to values that were more realistic and more conservative, with the recommendation that the crane cable/hook failure rate should be 2.5 x 10-6 per demand. This value was adopted and used. Based on these choices a mean failure rate of 9.70 x 10-3(1/yr) was calculated. However, a mean rate by itself does not reveal the level of confidence to be associated with this number. Guidance to making confidence calculations came from the report by Swain and Guttman, who stated that failure data could be described by lognormal distributions. This is in agreement with the widely use d reports ...
The oil shales of the Eastern United States represent a very large energy resource that also lies close to the marketplace. Although estimates vary, one estimate shows that more than 400 billion barrels of oil are recoverable from surface-mineable Devonian oil shales in the states of Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Conventional thermal retorting of Eastern and Western oil shales with comparable organic carbon contents results in a much lower oil yield for the Eastern shales. This discouraged research and development of this energy resource, until about ten years ago, when the Institute of Gas Technology discovered that retorting Eastern oil shales in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere at elevated pressures gives oil yields that are 2.5 times those possible by thermal retorting. Over the last ten years many research, development, and feasibility programs, both Government- and industry-funded, have been conducted to utilize the ...
The conversion of highly radioactive waste liquor into glass by the pot vitrification process has been studied at Harwell using a full-scale inactive pilot plant. A summary of the off-gas behavior and its interpretation is presented. Experimental runs were carried out on 3 representative wastes (MAGNOX - thermal reactor, metal fuel, THORP - thermal oxide fuel and PFR - fast reactor oxide fuel) using 2 methods of feeding the glass-formers (slurry and crizzle). Materials were carried over from the vitrification vessel into the off-gas system by entrainment supplemented by volatilization. The overall behavior of the off-gas was consistent with the presence in it of 5 separate aerosols of particulate matter. Sources of entrainment gave rise to 3 aerosols, and a further 2 aerosols were formed as a result of chemical reaction (Ru) and condensation (Cs) processes involving the volatile species. Entrainment was enhanced when the feed contained free ...
The GERDA experiment is located in the underground Gran Sasso laboratory. The experiment aims at studying the neutrinoless ?? decay of 76Ge. The implementation of the experiment is divided in two consecutive phases. Phase I will allow within one year of data taking to reach a sensitivity limit for the half life of the process of the order of Formula Not Shown years. Phase II, with an increased amount of active material and a background index lower by one order of magnitude than in Phase I, will allow to reach a half life limit of about Formula Not Shown years. In the present paper a brief review of the status of the experiment and its perspectives is given.
The Mixed Waste Management Facility, or MWMF, has been proposed as a national testbed facility for the demonstration and evaluation of technologies that are alternatives to incineration for the treatment of mixed low-level waste. The facility design will enable evaluation of technologies at pilot scale, including all aspects of the processes, from receiving and feed preparation to the preparation of final forms for disposal. The MWMF will reduce the risk of deploying such technologies by addressing the following: (1) Engineering development and scale-up. (2) Process integration and activation of the treatment systems. (3) Permitting and stakeholder issues. In light of the severe financial constraints imposed on the DOE and federal programs, DOE/HQ requested a study to assess the cost benefit for the MWMF given other potential alternatives to meet waste treatment needs. The MVVMF Project was asked to consider alternatives specifically associated ...
Postamputation pain (PAP) affects over 60% of major limb amputees. One of the main challenges in treating PAP is the difficulty involved in identifying pain mechanism(s), which pertains to both residual limb pain (RLP) and phantom limb pain (PLP). In this study, sympathetic blocks were performed on 17 major limb amputees refractory to treatment, including 2 placebo-controlled blocks done for bilateral amputations. One hour postinjection, mean RLP scores at rest declined from 5.2 (SD 2.8) to 2.8 (SD 2.6) (P = .0002), and PLP decreased from 5.3 (SD 3.1) to 2.3 (SD 2.1) (P = .0009). By 1 week, mean pain scores for RLP and PLP were 4.3 (SD 2.9) and 4.2 (SD 3.0), respectively. Overall, 8 of 16 (50%) patients experienced ?50% reduction in RLP 1-hour postinjection, with the beneficial effects ...
The aim of this pilotstudy was to evaluate the feasibility of long-term subcutaneous application of low-dose IL-2 in children with malignancies at very high risk of relapse who underwent highly T cell and B cell depleted HLA-identical (MUD) or full haplotype mismatched related hematopoetic stem cell transplantation. We studied 11 patients with acute leukemias/myelodysplastic syndrome and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (active disease and/or second stem cell transplantation, n = 8; >=CR 2, n = 2) and relapsed or progressive Ewings sarcoma (n = 2) who received prophylactic IL-2 treatment for a high probability of disease recurrence after allo-HSCT. Toxicities from IL-2 were transient fever, fatigue and local inflammation. In one patient GvHD grade III with no clear association to IL-2 adm...
OBJECTIVEThis study describes the development and preliminary psychometric properties of an assessment to quantify the magnitude of an environmental barrier's influence on occupational performance.METHODThe assessment was developed then piloted on a group of 77 older adults before and after an occupational therapy intervention focused on environmental barrier removal. Refinements were made to the assessment before it was evaluated for interrater reliability in a sample of 10 older adults using two raters.RESULTSThe In-Home Occupational Performance Evaluation (I-HOPE) is a performance based measure that evaluates 44 activities in the home. The four subscales of activity participation, client's rating of performance, client's satisfaction with performance, and severity of environmental barriers are sensitive to change in the environment. The internal consistency of the subscales ranged from .77-.85 and ICCs ranged from .99 to 1.0.CONCLUSIONThis ...
This study is part of a greater project from IPT (Sao Paulo's Institute of Technology), which foresaw an energetic use for elephant-grass (Pennisetum purpureum). Biomass gasification is an sustainable option for energy supply, which presents low pollutants emission rate and allows - through the global cycle of growing and consumption of feedstock (vegetables), a balance between consumption and production of carbonic gas, preventing an increase of the carbonic gas levels in the atmosphere. A gasifier was built with internal diameter of 400 mm and total height of 4600 mm . The equipment was tested for gasification of elephant-grass (Pennisetum purpureum) at a 100 kg/h rate. The equipment was tested and some constructive faults were detected. In the countryside, this biomass is commonly used for cattle feeding It was evaluated an adequate diesel-electric-generator. to work at hybrid regime, using 70% biomass gas and 30% diesel. With the equipment's ...
The major problem plaguing the synfuels industry is the financing of large capital requirements in a technologically unproven field. This is exemplified by the 2 to 3 billion dollar investment required by oil shale development. Despite an unquestionable resource which is well characterized and a wealth of information from processes which have undergone extensive pilot development work, financing of a project is difficult because of the risk. In recent studies on a worldwide basis as a background for evaluating the Cottonwood Wash project in the Uinta Basin, Utah, the concept of small scale or modular development of this type of resource can lead to acceptable economics with a substantially higher probability of actual completion. This study discusses Uinta Basin oil shale resources and current developments and evaluates the economics of small scale or modular development for the Cottonwood Wash project processes. This ...
Biodiesel is derived from triacylglycerides and is produced primarily through transesterification, a chemical reaction of vegetable oils with alcohol, methanol or ethanol. The cost of raw material should be considered since 85 per cent of production cost is related to vegetable oil. The purpose of this study was to evaluate oil expression of sunflower seed. It also examined the sunflower crude oil as a raw material for biodiesel by transesterification in both laboratory and pilot scale studies. Three different biodiesel purification methods were examined. The best result for oil expelling (68.4 per cent) at the experimental stage was obtained for seeds with a moisture content of 6.9 per cent at 25 degrees C and at a screw speed of 114 rpm. For biodiesel production at the laboratory scale, the best result for oil expelling was 87.5 per cent. It was obtained with an ethanol:oil molar ratio of 4.7:1 and with a 4.42 per cent ...
The primary purpose of the pilot Coal Compilation Project is to provide coal resource maps to stimulate and support industry exploration programs and to assist government in matters of resource management. An essential feature of the program is the use of cost effective Geoscience Information System (GSIS) technology that allows the database and various thematic maps to be analysed, updated and displayed with complete flexibility at any scale. This report describes the main features (geology, resource management, exploration history, coal occurrences etc.) of the study area, mapsheet NTS 83E/9 (Moberly Creek), and includes a copy of the 1:50,000 scale map produced. The study area is located in West-central Alberta and contains coal measures deposited amid thick successions of sandstones, siltstones, shales and conglomerates. These coal-bearing sequences are part of the Luscar Group, Upper Cretaceous Brazeau Formation and ...
We used a dense phase tower as the reactor in a novel semi-dry flue gas desulfurization process to achieve a high desulfurization efficiency of over 95% when the Ca/S molar ratio reaches 1.3. Pilot-scale experiments were conducted for choosing the parameters of the full-scale reactor. Results show that with an increase in the flue gas flow rate the rate of the pressure drop in the dense phase tower also increases, however, the rate of the temperature drop decreases in the non-load hot gas. We chose a water flow rate of 0.6 kg/min to minimize the approach to adiabatic saturation temperature difference and maximize the desulfurization efficiency. To study the flue gas characteristics under different processing parameters, we simulated the desulfurization process in the reactor. The simulated data matched very well with the experimental data. We also found that with an increase in the Ca/S molar ratio, the differences between the simulation and ...
To illustrate the implementation of a bottom-up approach to the study of culture in health disparities, this article describes the development of a cultural cancer screening scale (CCSS) using mixed methodologies. The aim was to identify cultural factors relevant to breast and cervical cancer screening, develop an instrument to assess them and examine its preliminary psychometric properties among Latin American (Latino) and non-Latino White (Anglo) women in Southern California. Seventy-eight Latino and Anglo women participated in semi-structured interviews, which were content coded based on Triandis' methods for the analysis of subjective culture. Based on the emerging cultural elements, items relevant to cancer screening were developed and pilot tested with 161 participants. After the instrument was refined, 314 Latino and Anglo women from various socioeconomic backgrounds completed the CCSS and data were factor analyzed resulting in five ...
Objective. So far, few data are available to characterize the flare history of patients with gout. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency and risk factors of gout flares with special consideration of the comorbidity. Methods. A cohort study was conducted in a UK general practice database (The Health Improvement Network) including all patients aged 20-89 years diagnosed with incident gout between the years 2000 and 2007. Results. In this study, 23 857 incident gout patients (mean age 61.9 years) were included, overall incidence rate was 2.68 (95% CI 2.65, 2.72) per 1000 person-years. The proportion of patients with at least one flare during the follow-up period (mean 3.8 years) was 36.9% (n = 8806). A history of ischaemic heart disease [hazard ratio (HR) 1.12 (95% CI 1.06...
A retrospective study of Ewing's Sarcoma at The Armed Forces Malignant Diseases Treatment Centre, Command Hospital, Pune, is presented. A total of 38 cases over a period of thirteen years have been studied. Males predominate slightly, and the common age group on presentation has been in the second and third decade. Humerus, pelvis and femur are the bones commonly affected. The initial line of management has been primarily radiotherapy, which has been over the years supplemented by combination chemotherapy. All the cases achieved remission, though only 32 cases (84 per cent) had complete remission, and the remaining only partial remission. The overall survival in those offered aggressive therapy has been over 50 per cent in two years. The present policy in the management of these cases is discussed. (author). 4 tabs.
The report gives results of a 4-yearstudy to determine environmentally sound methods for disposing of wastes from nonregenerable flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. Data presented incorporates results obtained during the fourth year with material from report EPA-600/7-77-052...
Efforts during the past year by the US Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute-funded laboratories to investigate the biological effects from electric fields are described in resume form. Investigations generally have been summarized with objectives, accomplishments of the past year, and some indication of projected studies.
2.1.1 Stochastic decision and control approaches .... 14. 2.1.2 Queueing theory ...... Infoton Vistar/2 terminal keyboard) is used by the pilot for ...
ObjectivesTo determine what biodiversity data is held by record centres for the South Downs Lifescapes pilot area and the format in which it is stored.
This paper reports on current dual fuel engines utilizing standard mechanical (Bosch type) fuel injection systems set to 5--6 percent pilot delivery that do not appear capable of reducing NO{sub x} emissions much below the current minimum of 4 g/bhp-h without incurring substantial penalties in efficiency and operability. A prototype Electronic Pilot Fuel Injector (EPFI) was designed that overcomes the shortcomings of the mechanical injection system, consistently delivering 3 percent or less pilot at pressures as high as 20,000 psi. The EPFI was installed and tested in one cylinder of a standard production dual fuel engine operating at a waste water treatment facility.
... used in our aluminum process include a barrier to isolate aluminum from the gold-based ohmic contacts, thereby preventing "purple plague," and a ...
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...
Purpose: During recent years, more intensified systemic and local treatment regimens have increased the 5-year survival figures in localized Ewing's sarcoma to more than 60%. There is, however, concern about the risk of second malignancies (SM) in long-term survivors. We have analyzed the second malignancies in patients treated in the German Ewing's Sarcoma Studies CESS 81 and CESS 86. Materials and Methods: From January 1981 through June 1991, 674 patients were registered in the two sequential multicentric Ewing's sarcoma trials CESS 81 (recruitment period 1981-1985) and CESS 86 (1986-1991). The systemic treatment in both studies consisted of a four-drug-regimen (VACA = vincristine, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, and adriamycin; or VAIA = vincristine, actinomycin D, ifosfamide, and adriamycin) and a total number of four courses, each lasting nine weeks, was recommended by the protocol. Local therapy ...
College student persistence and dropout have been studied for decades, but little inquiry has focused on community college or private two-year college students. Although about half of first-time postsecondary students enroll in a two-year college, researchers understand little about why only approximately a quarter of these degree-seekers complete any degree five years after entrance (Rosenbaum, Deil-Amen, & Person, 2006). Models that exist have been generated primarily from research on residential, four-year college students. The present analysis uses rich qualitative data to excavate the potential of Tinto's Theory of Student Departure for understanding the dynamics of persistence for a more nontraditional group--two-year college commuting students. To better reflect how these students successfully cultivate feelings of belonging and competence, reinforce ...
Maps of wind resources were used to develop a method of evaluating climatic changes and their potential impacts on wind energy resources. Global IPCC climate change scenarios were used to predict climatic conditions for the future, while past wind resource availability was simulated and validated using NCEP and NCAR reanalysis data as well as observed meteorological data from Environment Canada. The simulations were used to compare each 5-year period with a 50-year reference period. Regional scale climate change impacts were evaluated using a statistical dynamic down-scaling method. Advanced meteorological models were used to predict wind flow patterns across specific landscapes. The evolution of past wind resource availability was then simulated. Five-year wind resource simulations for a 50-year period were simulated at 25 km"2 wind speeds at 80 m above the ground. Average wind speed variations were ...
Candidate materials for components of a fluidized-bed waste heat recovery system (FBWHRS) include plain carbon steel, types 405 and 316 stainless steel, and alloy 800. These materials were exposed to synthetic flue gas at anticipated FBWHRS temperatures and higher for 3000 h to determine corrosion rates. The synthetic flue gas was a combustion atmosphere to which Cl/sub 2/ and HCl were added. The projected annual corrosion rate for plain carbon steel is about 0.08 mm/year (0.003 in./year) at 250 to 290/sup 0/C, but it would exceed 0.5 mm/year (0.02 in./year) at 560/sup 0/C. The projected annual corrosion rates of the other materials were less than 0.25 mm/year (0.01 in./year) at the maximum test temperatures of 560, 660, and 665/sup 0/C for type 405, type 316, and alloy 800, respectively. These results indicate that corrosion of candidate FBWHRS materials will ...
Power output of a hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel engine is limited by the onset of knock as the percentage of heat input derived from hydrogen increased beyond a certain limit. Earlier work carried out at the Internal Combustion Engines Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, indicates that this knock sets in when the induced hydrogen exceeds about 60% of input energy at a pilot diesel quantity of 30% of full load diesel amount. At higher rates of hydrogen induction, the richer hydrogen-air mixture is more prone to knocking. Hardly any information is available on the possibilities of improving the knock limited power output of a hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel engine. Water can serve as a powerful internal coolant in decreasing the unburned mixture temperature because of its high latent heat. This paper presents the results of our investigation on improving the knock limited power output when water is inducted with the intake charge of a hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel ...
As part of a U.S. multi-regional pilotstudy conducted by the six Centers for Radiological Physics, 12-mm-diameter by 0.4-mm-thick CaSO/sub 4/:Dy Teflon-embedded discs were evaluated and used to measure patient entrance exposure on 60 average patients at 12 clinical centers. The discs were found to have adequate sensitivity, reproducibility and linearity up to 69.7 microC kg-1 (270 mR). The minimum measurable exposure was estimated as 0.4 microC kg-1 (1.5 mR). All responses were corrected for energy dependence, which varied +/- 20% from 1.7 to 6.5 mm Al half-value layer. Patient entrance exposure values ranged from 1.3 to 28 microC kg-1 (5 to 110 mR), with a median value of 5.2 microC kg-1 (20 mR). This value agreed with exposure measurements made on the chest radiography equipment using an ionization chamber and a phantom which simulated an average patient, and with published Nationwide Evaluation of X-Ray Trends (NEXT) data for the same ...
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 ...
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 ...
Upgrading of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), which is a main by-product of palm oil industry, to animal feeds by radiation pasteurization and fermentation was investigated for recycling the agro-resources and reducing the environmental pollution. The following results were obtained: 1) The necessary dose for pasteurization of EFB contaminated by various microorganisms including aflatoxin producing fungi was determined as 10 kGy. The chemical and biological properties of EFB were changed little by irradiation up to 50 kGy. 2) In the fermentation process, Pleurotus sajor-caju was selected as the most effective fungi and the optimum condition for fermentation was clarified. The process of fermentation in suspension was also established for the liquid seed preparation. 3) The digestibility and nutritional value of fermented products were evaluated as ruminant animal feeds and the mushroom can be produced as by-product. 4) The pilot plant named Sterifeed was built at ...
The authors investigated the application of pulsed corona discharge process to the removal of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} from industrial flue gas of an ioron-ore sintering plant. This study was performed on a pilot scale, which is the most advanced demonstration of this process. The flow rate of 5000 m{sup 3}/h of the flue gas was successfully treated. The electrode structure of the corona reactor is the same with that of conventional electrostatic precipitator. The authors made use of magnetic pulse compression technology to produce repetitive high voltage pulse. Pulse width (full width at half maximum) was reduced to less than 1 {micro}s by connecting a resister in parallel with the corona reactor. An inductor was added to the resister in series to minimize the loss by restricting the current flowing through the resister. By this way, they were able to deliver pulse power with peak voltage of 110 kV and peak current of 2.3 kA to the corona ...
A laboratory-scale well-mixed thermostatic reactor with continuously blasting air was used to investigate the oxidation inhibition of sulfite in dual alkali flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system. The effects of operating parameters such as pH value and catalyst concentration on the oxidation were studied. Sodium thiosulfate was used in the system, and was found that it significantly inhabited the sulfite oxidation. In the absence of catalyst, sodium thiosulfate at 12.67 mmol/L had an inhibition efficiency of approximately 98%. While in the presence of catalyst, sodium thiosulfate at 26.72 mmol/L had an inhibition efficiency less than 85.0%. The oxidation reaction order of sulfite in the sodium thiosulfate was determined to be -1.90 and -0.55 in the absence and presence of the catalyst, respectively. Apparent activation energy of oxidation inhibition was calculated to be 53.9 kJ/mol. Pilot tests showed that the consumption rate of thiosulfate ...
Appendices to this summary consist of twelve individual status reports that will be available through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) in the United States and of course limited copies will be available through NATO. The twelve report titles which are appendices to the summary are: (A) Status Report on the Limestone/Sludge Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (B) Status Report on the Lime/Sludge Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (C) Status Report on the Double Alkali/Sludge Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (D) Status Report on the Sea Water Scrubbing Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (E) Status Report on the Limestone/Gypsum Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (F) Status Report on the Lime/Gypsum Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (G) Status Report on the Double Alkali/Gypsum Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (H) Status Report on Flue Gas Desulfurization by Scrubbing with Dilute Sulfuric Acid; (I) Status Report on the Magnesium Oxide Flue Gas Desulfurization; (J) Status ...
The effect of steam explosion treatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of two different lignocellulosic substrates is studied. Raw materials have been pretreated in a pilot plant designed to work in batch and equipped with a reactor vessel of 2 1 working volume where biomass was heated at the desired temperature and then exploded and recovered in a cyclone. Temperatures from 190 to 230 degree celsius and reaction times from 2 to 8 min. have been assayed. The efficiency of the steam explosion treatment has been evaluated on the composition of the lignocellulosic materials as well as on their enzymatic hydrolysis yield using a cellulolytic complex from T. reesel. Results show a high solubilization rate of hemicelluloses and variable losses of cellulose and lignin depending on the conditions tested. Enzymatic hydrolysis yields of both substrates experimented remarkable increments, corresponding the highest values obtained to 210 degree celsius; ...
The demand for high-quality fibres and shives from hemp and flax as an alternative raw material for the automotive and building industry is increasing. Fibres are used primarily for composite reinforcement instead of synthetic fibres. Shives are used for animal bedding, but processing trials in wood industry for the production of low weight particle boards from shives are also very promising. Fibre producers require experience in cultivation and harvesting as well as modern processing technologies in order to supply flax fibres or shives at competitive prices under the changing conditions of international raw material markets. A complete processing line has been developed, installed and tested at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering (ATB) to study all the processing stages of fibre production. The new ATB line can produce high quality fibres and shives from retted and unretted hemp, flax and oilseed flax straw without technical changes of the machine ...
Liquid radioactive raffinates from nuclear fuel reprocessing at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory were solidified, or calcines, in a fluidized bed reactor at approximately 500 C to form a dry granular material. This calcine has been provisionally stored near-surface in concrete-encased stainless steel bins at the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center. Research addressing the permanent immobilization of radioactive waste has been ongoing. One option is to separate the radioactive constituents from the calcine, thereby reducing the radioactive waste volume to be ultimately stored at a national nuclear waste repository. Nitric acid dissolution of the calcine is a key front-end unit operation in the separations option. In order to design calcine dissolution equipment, quantification of dissolution reaction rate parameters is required. A pilot-plant-produced, non-radioactive calcine was utilized to study the ...
Factors important in choosing between process concepts were mechanical complexity and amenability to scale-up studies. The culmination of this work was a process concept known as Staged Turbulent Bed Retorting Process (STB), which has now been tested in pilot plants. Operating conditions are described. The environment in the retort section can be described as a staged, moving bed of particles, in which a portion of the particles are fluidized at gas velocities well below minimum fluidization velocity of many of the particles. Research and engineering evaluations have established that the STB provides prospects for the responsible development of oil shale resources on a commercial scale. A 320 ton/d semiworks unit, the next technological step, will be commissioned shortly. This unit will be large enough to provide scale-up data for design of modules and to demonstrate the entire process, generating data needed to optimize, design, and construct ...
Since natural pyrite is easy to obtain and cheap as coal liquefaction catalyst, it is to be used for the 150 t/d scale NEDOL process bituminous coal liquefaction pilot plant. NEDO and NCOL have investigated the improvement of catalytic activity of pulverized natural pyrite for enhancing performance and economy of the NEDOL process. In this study, coal liquefaction tests were conducted using natural pyrite catalyst pulverized by dry-type bowl mill under nitrogen atmosphere. Mechanism of catalytic reaction of the natural pyrite was discussed from relations between properties of the catalyst and liquefaction product. The natural pyrite provided an activity to transfer gaseous hydrogen into the liquefaction product. It was considered that pulverized pyrite promotes the hydrogenation reaction of asphaltene because pulverization increases its contact rate with reactant and the amount of active points on its surface. It was inferred that catalytic ...
The vertical profiles of disc galaxies are built by the material trapped around stable periodic orbits, which form their "skeletons". According to this, the knowledge of the stability of the main families of periodic orbits in appropriate 3D models, can predict possible morphologies for edge-on disc galaxies. In a pilot survey we compare the orbital structures which lead to the appearance of "peanuts" and "X"-like features with the edge-on profiles of three disc galaxies (IC 2531, NGC 4013 and UGC 2048). The subtraction from the images of a model representing the axisymmetric component of the galaxies reveals the contribution of the non-axisymmetric terms. We find a direct correspondence between the orbital profiles of 3D bars in models and the observed main morphological features of the residuals. We also apply a simple unsharp masking technique in order to study the sharpest features of the images. Our basic conclusion is that the morphology ...
A number of binary geothermal cycles utilizing mixed hydrocarbon working fluids were analyzed with the overall objective of finding a working fluid which can produce low-cost electrical energy using a moderately-low temperature geothermal resource. Both boiling and supercritical shell-and-tube cycles were considered. The performance of a dual-boiling isobutane cycle supplied by a 280/sup 0/F hydrothermal resource (corresponding to the 5 MW pilot plant at the Raft River site in Idaho) was selected as a reference. To investigate the effect of resource temperature on the choice of working fluid, several analyses were conducted for a 360/sup 0/F hydrothermal resource, which is representative of the Heber resource in California. The hydrocarbon working fluids analyzed included methane, ethane, propane, isobutane, isopentane, hexane, heptane, and mixtures of those pure hydrocarbons. For comparison, two fluorocarbon refrigerants were also analyzed. These fluorocarbons, ...
The results of an experimental investigation of the performance of a small bore engine with a swirl chamber when operating as a dual fuel engine with commercial methane as the gaseous fuel were presented in this paper. The experiment involved using a 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model to predict the performance of the engine. A detailed chemical kinetics for the gaseous fuel component, consisting primarily of methane and a reduced detailed chemical kinetics for the diesel fuel while considering the turbulent combustion processes an associated performance of a dual fuel engine with a swirl chamber were incorporated in the simulation. The study experimentally and numerically investigated the effects of changes in the quantities of the liquid fuel pilot and gaseous fuels on the combustion processes, engine performance, cyclic variations, and emissions. The paper discussed the experimental approach and results. It also discussed the ...
Methods: Systemic irradiation of neuroaxis is an essential part in the management of medulloblastoma, stPNET and intracranial germ cell tumors. The introduction of quality assurance programs in radiooncology assures a precise radiotherapy of target volumes and is a prerequisite to improve survival. Results: Hyperfractionated radiotherapy has the potential of increasing dose to tumor more safely without increasing the risk for late adverse effects. Pilotstudies revealed excellent tumor control in medulloblastoma with acceptable acute toxicity and a long-term survival of up to 96%. In medulloblastoma stereotactic radiation techniques reveal an acceptable toxicity and promising results in tumor control in recurrent disease or as primary treatment. They are now part of future treatment protocols in case of persisting residual tumor. Radiotherapy alone in pure germinoma is continuously yielding high cure rates. In secreting germ cell tumors ...
The Process Waste Treatment Plant (PWTP) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is designed to remove radioactive contaminants, principally {sup 90}Sr, from process wastewater. Planned upgrades to the PWTP will use chabazite zeolite columns. Pilot-scale studies have shown that mass transfer zone lengths increase from 10 to about 30 cm as the superficial velocity increases from 5.5 to 22 cm/min. Calculations with a multicomponent equilibrium model showed that the distribution coefficient for strontium remains essentially constant over the process conditions, suggesting that a simple kinetic model (the Rosen long-bed solution) should adequately represent breakthrough behavior. Using a distribution coefficient of 4.87 L/g predicted by the equilibrium model, good agreement was found between experimental breakthrough curves and those calculated with the Rosen solution. This model allows prediction of bed depths and cycle times necessary to achieve the ...
This study examined changes in the degree of positive bias in self-perceptions of previously-diagnosed 8 to 13 year-old children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n=513)...Full Text Available
The study of the origin of life covers many areas of expertise and requires the input of various scientific communities. In recent years, this research field has often been viewed as part of a broader...Full Text Available
This study describes procedures and outcomes in a functional analysis of problem behavior of 2 public school students. For a 13-year-old honors student, bizarre tacts (labeled as psychotic speech by...Full Text Available
BackgroundCaesarean section is one of the most commonly performed operations on women throughout the world. Rates have increased in recent years – about 20–25% in...Full Text Available
A retrospective study is presented of 83 athletes with tendo Achillis pain (TAP) treated conservatively over a 12-year period from 1976 to 1988. Local steroid injections did not contribute to an earlier...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe link between maternal factors and birth outcomes is well established. Substantial changes in society and medical care over time have influenced women's reproductive...Full Text Available
In recent years, the interest in the use of bacteria for biological control of plant-pathogenic fungi has increased. We studied the possible side effects of coating barley seeds with the antagonistic...Full Text Available
Chemicals having a capacity to disturb the endocrine system have attracted considerable interest during recent years. There is a shortage of well-characterized in vivo tests with which to study such...Full Text Available
A retrospective study of the relationship of season to the absorption of radiolead in laboratory rats was performed using data representing 305 animals from 36 experiments over 6 calendar years. Male...Full Text Available
More than 30 years ago, human beings looked back from the Moon to see the magnificent spectacle of Earth-rise. The technology that put us into space has since been used to assess the damage...Full Text Available
The cumulative rate of childhood eczema during the first three years was studied in a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand infants. A parental history of eczema was the strongest predictor of rates of childhood...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn β-thalassemia, profound anemia and severe hemosiderosis cause functional and physiological abnormalities in various organ systems. In recent years, there have...Full Text Available
Background:Despite variations in technique, the results of primary and revision lumbar discectomy have been good. The aim of this study was to retrospectively review cases...Full Text Available
Purpose.To estimate the prevalence of early and late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in India.Methods.Of 7518 people aged 60 years and older...Full Text Available
Patients with histopathologically proved sarcoidosis were studied serially by means of bronchoalveolar lavage, initially at the time of diagnosis and then six and 12 months later. Two years later they...Full Text Available
Trichloroethylene (TCE) pharmacokinetics have been studied in experimental animals and humans for over 30 years. Compartmental and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models have been developed...Full Text Available
During the past 3 years, progress was made in elucidating the excited state structures of Pt(diimine)(dithiolate) complexes, while more recent efforts focused on the photochemistry of these complexes and electronic structure of other dithiolate systems. A carbonyl-Ir-maleonitrile dithiolate complex is also studied.
The purpose of the present work was to study the pharmacokinetics and the protein binding (free fraction of the drug) of ceftriaxone (CTX) during pregnancy. Nine pregnant women (ages, 20 to 34 years)...Full Text Available
BackgroundPercutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy is a relatively new technique. Very few studies have reported the clinical outcome of percutaneous endoscopic discectomy in terms...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: To determine the common types of injuries among children (0-14 years) in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive hospital based study. SETTING: Al-Ain Medical...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:Reports indicate that characteristics of older adults with chronic pain may be different than those of younger persons.OBJECTIVE:To study...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo examine the longitudinal relationship between depressive symptoms at study entry (T1) on pain intensity (PI) and functional disability over a 1-year period...Full Text Available
IntroductionIn the last few years, various studies have underlined a correlation between thyroid function and male sexual function, hypothesizing a direct action of thyroid hormones...Full Text Available
Isometric/isokinetic muscle strength and isokinetic endurance of the lower extremities as well as aerobic capacity were evaluated in 67 patients (43 female, 24 male; mean age 53 years, range 23-65)...Full Text Available
This 3-year longitudinal study investigated whether low-wage employment was associated with improved psychological and parenting outcomes in a sample of 178 single mothers who were employed...Full Text Available
We performed a prospective study evaluating the 2-year success rate of extracapsular cataract surgery and posterior chamber IOL insertion performed in 610 eyes by an experienced surgeon in the Nepal...Full Text Available
Conducting rigorous psychosocial intervention research with cancer patients has many challenges including encouraging them to join studies, asking them to engage in interventions or be part...Full Text Available
Hematopoiesis is the cumulative result of intricately regulated signaling pathways that are mediated by cytokines and their receptors. Studies conducted over the past 10 to 15 years have revealed that...Full Text Available
BackgroundPeak bone mass, attained by early adulthood, is influenced by genetic and life-style factors. Early infant feeding and duration of breastfeeding in particular, associate...Full Text Available
PURPOSE This study was designed to evaluate the impact of electronic medical record (EMR) implementation on quality of diabetes care.METHODS We conducted a 5-year longitudinal...Full Text Available
For many years, epidemiological studies have demonstrated a strong link between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC). Other hepatocarcinogens...Full Text Available
Air pollution measurements were conducted over a 1-year period in 24 North American communities participating in a respiratory health study. Ozone, particle strong acidity, sulfate, and mass (PM10 and...Full Text Available
In a community based study, height and weight increments of 441 Nepali children aged 0-6 years were measured before harvest and six months later and compared with centile standards derived from American...Full Text Available
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has been engaged in revenue administration reform for several years. Among the KRA's impressive, recent accomplishments is the integration of formerly separate departments for income taxes and value added taxes. (VAT) und...
This study explored posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive change resulting from struggling with trauma, among 7- to 10-year-olds impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Analyses focused on child self-system...Full Text Available
The report summarizes studies of ground, cable, and aerial logging systems in the Northern Rockies over a 15-year period. It provides nomographs and tables for calculating productivity and a system for comparing energy requirements.
Recent years have seen closer links developing between general practitioners and mental health specialists. A study was undertaken in Manchester to determine the effects of a new community mental health...Full Text Available
... In recent years workers in this field have focused on nucleation by nano-porous materials . This was in part motivated by a theoretical study by Page and Sear (2006) who proposed a two step model for nucleation in pores which suggest that there is ...
BackgroundAnhedonia towards physical or sensory experiences (i.e., physical anhedonia) has most often been examined as a differentia of schizophrenia and not depression,...Full Text Available
Significant progress was made in the May 1990--May 1991 contract period in three primary coal liquefaction research areas: catalysis, structure-reactivity studies, and novel liquefaction processes. A brief summary of the accomplishments in the past year in each of these areas is given.
In recent years the modelling of interannual climate variability has been studied, the atmospheric energy and water cycles, and climate simulations with the ECHAM3 model. In addition, the climate simulations of several models have been compared with special emphasis in the area of northern Europe
BackgroundComplementary feeding is currently recommended after six months of age, when the nutrients in breast milk alone are no longer adequate to support growth. Few studies have...Full Text Available
Sep 28, 2011 ... Description: Four Populus clones were grown in central Missouri for 2 years at 1 x 1 m spacing to study total biomass production on floodplain ...
BackgroundHip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) is considered a bone-preserving procedure and may eliminate proximal femoral stress shielding and osteolysis. However, in addition to...Full Text Available
BackgroundThis study examines the prevalence and nature of bereavement help-seeking among the population who experienced an "expected" death in the five years before their survey...Full Text Available
The attitudes and expectations of producers toward the use of a microcomputer-based herd management information system were assessed. The study was conducted over a two-year period, beginning in January...Full Text Available
The Wolsung-type nuclear fuel localization project carried out since 1981 finally reached to a full-fledged phase in 1987. We successfully produced and timely delivered a yearly demand of nuclear fuel for Wolsung unit 1. In this report we studied and summ...
AbstractThis study investigated the distribution of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in herds of cattle in Ireland over the years 1996 through 2000, prior to the introduction of...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe first vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer has been licensed, and in future, vaccination may be routinely offered to 10–14 year...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn recent years, the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus has been recognised as an important cause of chronic large-bowel diarrhoea in purebred cats in many...Full Text Available
The first working meeting of the SAPIERR project about regional final storage of radioactive waste in the European Union was held in Piestany, Slovak Republic, on February 19 and 20, 2004. SAPIERR stands for Support Action: Pilot Initiative for European Regional Repositories. This is an independent study supported financially by the European Union within the 6th Research Framework Program. The background to the project is the debate about the feasibility of regional repositories for radioactive waste in the European Union, which has come up again especially with a view to the new accession countries and the draft of a waste management directive within the framework of the Nuclear Package. The results of the SAPIERR Project will be presented in Brussels at a concluding international seminar, most probably in October 2005. The seminar will be open not only to the participating countries but also to other interested European and non-European ...
Dimensional variability studies and published dimensional variability standards have been used by the foundry industry for years as an indicator of the casting process` ability to produce uniform parts. These studies are an extremely useful tool in the continuous ``dimensional dialogue`` between foundries and customers. The nature of these studies, and of the current tolerancing systems used by casting designers, leaves room for some misinterpretation and misuse of these study results. This paper contains two important discussions. The first part explains exactly what these studies represent. Following this is a brief explanation on dimensional and geometric tolerances and how they communicate dimensional requirements.
The aim of this study is to clarify the relation among developmental outcome, nutritional state during the neonatal period, maturational electroencephalographic changes. Thirteen extremely low birth weight infants who completed 6- or 9-year follow-up were a subject of this study. Undernutrition was defined as enteral feeding below 100mL/kg/day at 3weeks of age. Dysmature patterns were defined as the persistence of EEG patterns 2weeks or more immature for post-conceptional age. IQ was examined at 6 and 9years of age. Body height and weight, and head circumference at 6years of age were stratified by the percentile grades. Full and verbal IQ was significantly lower in infants with undernutrition than those with normal nutrition. Among infants with undernutrition, those with persistent dysmatu...
IntroductionMost clinical studies on the outcome of apical surgery concentrate on periapical healing based on radiographic and clinical characteristics (signs and symptoms). This study focuses on long-term changes in periodontal parameters after apical surgery. MethodsPeriodontal parameters (ie, probing depth [PD], level of gingival margin [GM], and calculated clinical attachment level [CAL]) were collected at baseline and at 1 and 5 years after apical surgery. Changes in PD, GM, and CAL were calculated over time and were also evaluated in relation to patient-, tooth-, and treatment-related covariables. ResultsOne hundred eighty-six of 242 initially identified teeth could be evaluated. Significant changes in GM and CAL were observed at facial sites during the first year after surgery (mean...
Continuing high rates of acidic deposition in the eastern United States may lead to long-term effects on stream communities, because sensitive catchments are continuing to lose anions and cations. A two-yearstudy of the effects of pH and associated water chemistry variables on detrital processing in three streams with different bedrock geology in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia were investigated. Leaf pack processing rates and macroinvertebrate colonization and microbial biomass (ATP concentration) on the packs in the three stream were compared. It was found that macroinvertebrate and microbial communities differed both among streams that differed in their capacity to buffer the effects of acidic precipitation and among years in the same stream; these differences in biotic communities were not large enough to affect rates of leaf processing between the two years of the ...
We report here a many-yearstudy of the qualitative and quantitative content of flavonoids in the reproductive organs of the showy tick trefoil (Desmodium canadense (L.) DC., Fabaceae) - stems, leaves, buds, inflorescences,pods, and seeds - collected at different phases of growth at the Department of Medicinal Plants, Kaunas Botanical Garden, Vytautas Magnus University. HPLC studies identified 15 aglycone and glycoside flavonoids: apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glycoside, luteolin, rutin, vicenin-2, vitexin, isovitexin, vitexin rhamnoside, orientin, homoorientin, quercetrin, quercetin, hyperoside, astralagin, and kaempferol. The largest quantities of flavonoids in the vegetative organs from year 2 to year 4 of plant growth were present in the leaves (2.64% and 2.61% at budding and flowering in the...
The primary function of the Waste Handling Shaft (WHS) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is to permit the transfer of radioactive waste from the surface waste handling building to the underground storage area. It also serves as an intake shaft for small volumes of air during normal storage operations and as an emergency escape route. Part of the construction was the placement of a concrete liner and steel reinforced key in 1984. During a routine shaft inspection in May 1990, some degradation of the WHS concrete liner was observed between the depths of 800 and 900 feet below the ground surface. Detailed investigations of the liner had been carried out by Sandia National Laboratories and by Westinghouse Electric Corporation Waste Isolation Division (WID) through Lankard Materials Laboratory. Observations, reports, and data support the conclusion that the concrete degradation, resulting from attack by chemically aggressive brine, is a localized phenomena. It ...
Back in 1985 it was the European Commission's intention to demonstrate on rather large scale the provision of clean and renewable energy with hydrogen as energy vector and fuel. The cheapest and technologically available form of renewable electricity, the primary energy for electrolytic hydrogen, is hydropower. Most of the hydroenergy sources are oversea's. The World's topologically and technically exploitable hydroenergy potential is estimated to be in the order of 20.10{sup 3} TWh/y, i.e. 0.0057% of the hydraulic cycle energy. Today's hydroelectricity generation is {approx}2500 TWh/y i.e. {approx}21% of the World's electricity generation. Quebec's installed hydroelectricity is 33.5 GW, its residual potential is 50 GW or 190 TWh/y and 285 TWh/y, respectively (load factor 0.65). The construction of hydropower installation is rather clean. The construction of La Grande at James Bay with an installed rating of 10.7 GW used 23 TWh/y of ...
An update of Toronto Hydro's smart metering program was presented. Electricity demand is expected to keep increasing, and there is presently insufficient generation to match supply needs in Ontario. The smart metering program was introduced to aid in the Ontario government's energy conservation strategy, as well as to address peak supply problems that have led to power outages. It is expected that the smart metering program will reduce provincial peak supply by 5 per cent, as the meters support both time-of-use rates and critical peak pricing. Over 800,000 smart meters will be supplied to customers by 2007, and all 4.3 million homes in Toronto will have a smart meter by 2010. In order to meet targets for 2010, the utility will continue to install more 15,000 meters each month for the next 4 years. While the Ontario government has planned and coordinated the rollout and developed smart metering specifications and standards, Toronto Hydro is ...
The Production of crushed sand in 1996 reached 8% of the total fine aggregates which was more or less 1% in 1994. This research concentrated to develop the up-to-data and economical system for producing crushed sand. To do this, the efficiency survey has been carried out for crusher, classifiers and dewatering devices. From the survey, it was known that rock on rock type V.S.I., and Hydrocyclone type sand unit are the most efficient crusher and classifier which are taking over 50% of the present market According to the quality evaluation, 33.4% was satisfied KSF 2558 standard in finish modulus (F.M) and size distribution and 66.6% appeared under the standard. In pilot test of crushed sand for better quality, the recovery of 56.9-57.9% could be achieved which had been only 55% as of now. And the finish modulus could be increased up to 2.86-3.23 which was 2.60-3.59 before. Accordingly, finish modulus of bellow 3.1 can be achieved when the wet type and appropriate ...
The principal objective of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility and economic success of producing oil from abandoned or nearly abandoned fields in the Dundee Formation of Central Michigan using horizontal drilling technology. A site for a horizontal well was selected in Crystal Field, a nearly-abandoned Dundee oil field in Michigan. This field had produced over 8 million barrels of oil, mostly in the 1930`s and 1940`s. At the height of development, Crystal Field produced from 193 wells, but by 1995, only seven producing wells remained, each producing less than 10 bbls/day. A horizontal well was drilled as a field demonstration pilot, funded through this DOE project, and was immensely successful. Core and logs from the Dundee interval were recovered from a vertical borehole at the same surface location. The horizontal well was brought on production at a rate of 100 bbls/day and is probably capable of producing at a higher rate. The addition of several ...
This report is a compilation of the groundwater sampling results from three monitoring wells located near the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), Nye County, Nevada, for calendar year 2007. The NTS is an approximately 3,561 square kilometer (1,375 square mile) restricted-access federal installation located approximately 105 kilometers (65 miles) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada (Figure 1). Pilot wells UE5PW-1, UE5PW-2, and UE5PW-3 are used to monitor the groundwater at the Area 5 RWMS (Figure 2). In addition to groundwater monitoring results, this report includes information regarding site hydrogeology, well construction, sample collection, and meteorological data measured at the Area 5 RWMS. The disposal of low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level radioactive waste at the Area 5 RWMS is regulated by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 435.1, 'Radioactive Waste Management'. The ...
Soon there will be only 14 states in two compacts that are able to dispose of Low Level Waste (LLW): the Northwest and Rocky Mountain compact with disposal options in Richland, Washington, and the Atlantic compact with disposal options in Barnwell, South Carolina. How do states not in one of the two compacts dispose of their LLW? The Off-Site Source Recovery Project can take possession and dispose of some of the unwanted transuranic sources at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). However, there will be no path forward for states outside of the two compacts for disposal of their non-transuranic LLW. A solution that has been much discussed, debated and researched, but has not been put into wide scale practice, is the borehole disposal concept. It is the author's position that companies that drill and explore for oil have been disposing of sources in borehole-like structures for years. It should be noted that these companies are not ...
In order to develop new corrosion resistant superheater tubes capable of functioning efficiency under temperature and pressure conditions of 500 C and 100 ata used in high efficient waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, field corrosion tests were conducted on eight single tube materials and two welded overlay materials at metal temperatures of 450 C and 550 C for 700 and 3,000 hours, respectively, in three typical japanese waste incineration plants. The test results indicate that austenitic alloys containing higher concentrations of [Cr + Ni + Mo] show excellent corrosion resistant properties and new alloys of JHN24 and HR30M have good corrosion resistance. The different corrosion rate found for each of the three plants could be explained by differences in the severity of corrosion factors, such as, gas temperature, concentration of molten salts due to Cl content of deposits, and heavy metal [ZnO + PbO] content etc. It was also confirmed that the corrosion rate of materials positioned in the ...
The CANDU-type nuclear fuel localization project started in 1981, and mass-production system completed in 1987 through the pilot scale demonstration of fuel manufacturing. Since the completion of the mass-production system, about 24,000 fuel bundles (450 ton-U) had been delivered to Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant by the end of 1992, according to the fuel supply contracts with KEPCO. The superiority of KAERI-made nuclear fuel has been demonstrated by having achieved the highest utilization factor in the world in 1992. In 1993, as contracted, 4,824 fuel bundles well fabricated and delivered to Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant. The process improvement, quality control, safety management, safeguards of nuclear materials and various kinds of audits have also been performed in the course for fuel manufacturing. Especially in 1993, the difficulties of the reduction of participating work-force were overcome by improving the manufacturing techniques, and raising the efficiency of ...
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was established during World War II with a single mission -- to design and build an atomic bomb. In the 65 years since, nuclear weapons physics, design and engineering have been the Laboratory's primary and sustaining mission. Experimental and process operations -- and associated cleanout and upgrade activities -- have generated a significant inventory of transuranic (TRU) waste that is stored at LANL's Technical Area 54, Material Disposal Area G (MDA G). When the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) opened its doors in 1999, LANL's TRU inventory totaled about 10,200 m{sup 3}, with a plutonium 239-equivalent curie (PE Ci) content of approximately 250,000 curies. By December 2008, a total of about 2,300 m3 (61,000 PE Ci) had been shipped to WIPP from LANL. This has resulted in a net reduction of about 1,000 m{sup 3} of TRU inventory over that time frame. This paper presents progress ...
Thirty-nine previously untreated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were treated by irradiation or a combination of irradiation and surgery, with or without chemotherapy, between January 1971 and December 1980. All of the patients had a follow-up period of at least nine years. Twenty-two patients were men and 17 were women. The average age was 50.1 years, with a range of 30 to 74 years. The absolute five-year survival rate was 82.1% and the cumulative ten-year survival rate 76.9% for these 39 patients. Cervical node metastases were clinically found on admission in 14 patients whose five-year survival rate was 64.3%, whereas it was 92.0% for 25 patients without metastasis. The absolute five-year survival rate decreased from 92.3% for patients with stage I lesions to 90.9%, 87.5% and 42.9% for those with stage II, stage III ...
A krypton recovery pilot plant has been completed for the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation. This is the first industrial facility in the world to make practical use of development results for offgas treatment and storage from nuclear facilities. The cryogenic distillation process was adopted as a proven and reliable method to separate krypton and xenon, and to reduce gas effuents to a level so low that the decontamination factor amounts to more than 1000.
...htm Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC (amended by Directive 91/156/EEC) and Waste Management Planning http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/plans/index.htm Selected EC commissioned/supported projects including LCA IPP Pilot Product exercise on mobile phones and on tropical garden furniture http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ipp/pilot.htm \\
The paper discusses recent work on lime enhancement and testing at the bench-scale, followed by evaluation of the more promising sorbents in a pilot plant to develop low cost, retrofittable flue gas cleaning technology specifically the development of highly reactive sorbents. Con...
Biosorption means the storage of substances at the cell envelope. Different microbial biomasses were tested for the separation of radionuclides from mining waters. Results of a pilot plant demonstrate the ability of these techniques for water cleaning processes. An effluent concentration of lower than 1 mg/l (in most cases 0.1 mg/1) could be realized in a pilot plant by using pure cells of a methylotrophic strain of bacteria as well as using of a fungal mycelia.
Installation of the electrical equipment at the Barstow Solar Pilot Plant is the concern of this construction package. Technical specifications for power and instrument cables, meteorological instruments, and control cables are defined. The documentation requirements are briefly discussed.
Epidemiological studies of psychopathology in the first years of life are few, and the association between mental health problems in infancy and psychiatric disturbances later in life has not been systematically investigated. The aim of the present project was to study mental health problems and possibilities of intervention from infancy and onward.
The aim of this work was to develop several strategies and software-packages for the evaluation of in-vivo-data of the human brain, which were acquired with high-resolution 1H-MRSI at 1.5 and 3 T. Several studies involving phantoms, volunteers and patients were performed. Quality assurance studies were conducted in order to evaluate the reproducibility of the applied MR-techniques at both field strengths. A qualitative comparison-study between MRSI-data from a 1.5 T clinical MR-scanner and a 3 T research MR-scanner showed the advantages of the more advanced MRSI sequences and higher field strength (3 T). A study involving patients with primary brain tumours (gliomas) was performed in cooperation with the Department of Neurosurgery (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg). The methods developed in the course of this study, such as the integration of MRS-data into a stereotactic-system, the ...
This paper reports the study results on the standard weather data necessary for simulation of PV power generation systems in fiscal 1994. In the study on the selection criterion of the standard weather data from the viewpoint of PV power generation systems, three typical years are used; a year with average solar radiation, and two years with extremely less and more solar radiation for safe simulation. The standard weather data are arranged for output calculation of PV power generation systems by selecting the most typical year based on long-term observation data. The data to be arranged are as follows; total, direct and scattered solar radiations incident upon a horizontal surface, solar radiation upon a slope surface, sunshine duration, air temperature, wind direction, wind velocity, amount of precipitation, and snow depth. For arrangement of the nationwide ...
Separate comprehensive final reports on the status of the SRC-II Demonstration Plant Design and on operating experiences at the Ft. Lewis and P-99 SRC pilot plants were prepared after the termination of those projects. However, time constraints made it impossible to consolidate all of the pilot plant data and operating experiences and relate these to the Demonstration Plant or future plant design. Most of the experimental programs during the later stages of pilot plant operation were in direct support of specific technical uncertainties identified in design work. The results of these programs would have been of substantial use in verifying or modifying design philosophy had the project proceeded. This technical data analysis project was undertaken to consolidate the pilot plant results presented in numerous reports under DOE Contract DE-AC01-79ET10104 for operation of the pilot ...
Previous family and twin studies have indicated that Graves' disease has a heritable component. Family studies have also shown that some autoimmune disease cluster in families and genetic studies have been able to show shared susceptibility genes. In the present nation-wide study we describe familial risk for Graves' disease among parents and offspring, singleton siblings, twins and spouses with regard to age of onset, gender and number and type of affected family members. Additionally familial association of Graves' disease with any of 33 other autoimmune and related conditions was analyzed. The Swedish Multigeneration Register on 0-75-year-old subjects was linked to the Hospital Discharge Register from years 1987-2007. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for individuals ...
This report presents a probabilistic safety assessment of radioactive doses as consequences from accident scenarios to complement the deterministic assessment presented in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Safety Analysis Report (SAR). The International Council of Radiation Protection (ICRP) recommends both assessments be conducted to ensure that ''an adequate level of safety has been achieved and that no major contributors to risk are overlooked'' (ICRP 1993). To that end, the probabilistic assessment for the WIPP accident scenarios addresses the wide range of assumptions, e.g. the range of values representing the radioactive source of an accident, that could possibly have been overlooked by the SAR. Routine releases of radionuclides from the WIPP repository to the environment during the waste emplacement operations are expected to be essentially zero. In contrast, potential accidental releases from postulated accident ...
The project is devoted to the development of novel insoluble anodes for copper electrowinning and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) production. The anodes are made of titanium-lead composite material produced by techniques of powder metallurgy, compaction of titanium powder, sintering and subsequent lead infiltration. The titanium-lead anode combines beneficial electrochemical behavior of a lead anode with high mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of a titanium anode. In the titanium-lead anode, the titanium stabilizes the lead, preventing it from spalling, and the lead sheathes the titanium, protecting it from passivation. Interconnections between manufacturing process, structure, composition and properties of the titanium-lead composite material were investigated. The material containing 20-30 vol.% of lead had optimal combination of mechanical and electrochemical properties. Optimal process parameters to manufacture the anodes were identified. Prototypes having ...
Assessment on the back end fuel cycle, in PEACER (Proliferation-resistant Environmental-friendly Accident-tolerant Continuable and Economical Reactor) that was designated as a new transmutation concept, was performed. Recovery system of uranium and TRU for PEACER is based on pyroprocessing. In the assessment of Long-Lived Fission Products (LLFP) wastes, initially {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs are dominant contributor nuclides until 30 years and especially {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs have the highest activity and decay heat than other LLFP. In this study, recovery of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs is recommended for reducing of wastes loading. The acceptable decontamination factor is investigated by the toxicity of PEACER spent fuel. The acceptable decontamination factor is about 1.02E+05 for the actinides from PEACER spent fuel after 10 years cooling, 4.26E+05 after 100 years cooling, 1.97E+04 after 300 ...
Assessment on the back end fuel cycle, in PEACER (Proliferation-resistant Environmental-friendly Accident-tolerant Continuable and Economical Reactor) that was designated as a new transmutation concept, was performed. Recovery system of uranium and TRU for PEACER is based on pyroprocessing. In the assessment of Long-Lived Fission Products (LLFP) wastes, initially "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs are dominant contributor nuclides until 30 years and especially "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs have the highest activity and decay heat than other LLFP. In this study, recovery of "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs is recommended for reducing of wastes loading. The acceptable decontamination factor is investigated by the toxicity of PEACER spent fuel. The acceptable decontamination factor is about 1.02E+05 for the actinides from PEACER spent fuel after 10 years cooling, 4.26E+05 after 100 years cooling, 1.97E+04 after 300 years ...
Assessment on the back end fuel cycle, in PEACER (Proliferation-resistant Environmental-friendly Accident-tolerant Continuable and Economical Reactor) that was designated as a new transmutation concept, was performed. Recovery system of uranium and TRU for PEACER is based on pyro-processing. In the assessment of long-lived fission products (LLFP) wastes, initially "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs are dominant contributor nuclides until 30 years and especially "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs have the highest activity and decay heat than other LLFP. In this study, recovery of "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs is recommended for reducing of wastes loading. The acceptable decontamination factor is investigated by the toxicity of PEACER spent fuel. The acceptable decontamination factor is about 1.02 E+05 for the actinides from PEACER spent fuel after 10 years cooling, 4.26 E+05 after 100 years cooling, 1.97 E+04 after 300 ...
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 ...
The radiographic appearance of Ewing's sarcoma was studied retrospectively in 22 patients who survived 5 years or longer after diagnosis and treatment. Expected changes from treatment, including regression of the extraosseous soft tissue mass, periostitis, and reconstitution of the cortex, occurred in all patients. Local recurrence occurred in one patient 10 years after complete remission whereas secondary osteosarcoma occurred more than 5 years after complete remission in two other cases. Both recurrent and secondary tumors presented as new lytic foci at the site of the original primary lesion. Lytic changes from radiation (radiation osteitis) may develop more than 2 years after treatment and in this sample; such findings were widely distributed in the radiation port. The authors conclude that bone remodeling and postradiation changes occur slowly over 2 years ...
Eight of 100 normotensive children who had pyelonephritic scarring secondary to urinary infection and vesicoureteric reflux were found in an earlier study to have increased plasma renin activity (PRA). Because the risk of these patients becoming hypertensive is between 10% and 20% and because renin activity may play a part in the pathogenesis of the hypertension, PRA and blood pressure were studied in 98 of the original group after five years of follow up. Two patients could not be traced, and other factors that might influence blood pressure or PRA led us to exclude 13 others, 10 of whom were girls taking oral hormonal contraceptives. Increased PRA was found in 11 of the remaining 85 patients but not in five of the eight patients with increased PRA in the first study. Of eight children identified as hypertensive in the follow up study, only three had had increased PRA five ...
Reducing conditions are periodically present in hydric soils and are essential for chemical processes that support wetland functions and values. Indicators of these conditions, i.e., redoximorphic features, can be useful in determining the presence of a hydric soil. However, young wetlands, i.e., those recently formed, may not possess reducing conditions and/or may not exhibit redoximorphic features. Few studies have addressed the time needed for hydric soil development. In this study, we present data on redoximorphic features, including chroma and oxidized rhizospheres, gathered from two sets of wetlands in southwestern Virginia, including (1) constructed wetlands that are 3 years old and (2) accidental wetlands that are 10 to 30 years old. Under conditions described for these sites, there is strong evidence that discernable redoximorphic features form in accidental wetlands within 10 ...
Lack of access to basic education leads to diminished individual and national capabilities, therewith furthering cycles of poverty. An equitable education system meeting basic learning needs represents not only a human right, but also a means for reducing poverty, promoting productivity, and sustaining development. The Government of China--the most populous developing nation, the majority of whose citizens live in rural areas--has been committed to universalizing nine-year compulsory education among school-aged children and eliminating illiteracy among youths and adults aged 15-45. This study examines lessons learned from China's efforts in these areas. It also reports on current challenges and trends in a new national initiative for achieving high-quality universal basic education by the year 2007.
The evaluation methodology utilized in deciding to change over Oyster Creek plant operation from chemical regeneration of condensate demineralizer resin beds to throwaway of this spent resin is presented. Both the economic and operational aspects considered are discussed. The evaluation shows that potential savings in the $1.1M range are feasible over a 5 year cycle. Cost sensitivity analysis results define the throwaway versus regeneration breakeven point to be 47 condensate demineralization beds per 5 year cycle. The evaluation also discusses the trade off between resin and evaporator concentrates burial volumes. Analyses are given which show that the burial volume cost equivalency of resin to solidified concentrates is 150 ft./sup 3/ of resin equals 400 ft./sup 3/ of concentrates. Based on one year of power operation in the throwaway mode, the savings and operational value anticipated in the initial ...
Deltombe T, Gustin T. Selective tibial neurotomy in the treatment of spastic equinovarus foot in hemiplegic patients: a 2-year longitudinal follow-up of 30 cases. Objective To assess the long-term efficacy of selective tibial neurotomy in the treatment of spastic equinovarus foot in hemiplegic patients. Design Intervention study (before-after trial) with an observational design and 2-year follow-up. Setting Spasticity group in a university hospital. Participants Hemiplegic patients (N=30) with spastic equinovarus foot. Intervention A selective neurotomy was performed at the level of the motor nerve branches of the tibial nerve. Main Outcome Measures Spasticity (Ashworth scale), muscle strength (Medical Research Council scale), passive ankle dorsiflexion, gait parameters (6 min walking test...
Objectives To delineate the safety and tolerability profile of methylphenidate and atomoxetine in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) monitored for more than 1?year. Design A cohort study analyzing data from the national ADHD register on patients from the Lombardy Region treated with MPH or atomoxetine. Participants A total of 229 children (median age 11?years, range 6?17), enrolled in 15 regional centers between June 2007 and May 2010. Results The prevalence rate of pharmacological treatment for ADHD was 0.23%, whereas the estimated ADHD prevalence in the population was 0.95%. In total, 73.8% of patients had been treated with atomoxetine (10?90?mg daily) or MPH (10?75?mg daily); 22% of patients also received an additional psychotropic drug. Of the...
Abstract Aim- According to the revised Bethesda Guidelines, colorectal cancer (CRC) occurring under age 50-years should be screened to exclude Lynch syndrome. However, in current practice in East Anglia, tumour screening is initiated only after genetics referral, reserved for those with a strong pedigree. This study aimed to determine how many patients with young-onset CRC undergo tumour screening in hospitals in East Anglia. Method- A retrospective case notes review over 5-years in four hospitals was undertaken to determine what proportion of those with young-onset CRC underwent referral for tumour screening and to assess local practices in terms of patient counselling and management. Results- One hundred and twenty-two patients were included. There was an average yearly caseload of 6-9 p...
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is interested in assessing the potential economic impacts of its portfolio of subprograms on national employment and income. A special purpose version of the IMPLAN input-output model called ImBuild II is used in this study of 20 subprograms of the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program contained in the EERE final FY 2005 budget request to the Office of Management and Budget on February 2, 2004. Energy savings, investments, and impacts on U.S. national employment and earned income are reported by subprogram for selected years to the year 2030. Energy savings and investments from these subprograms have the potential of creating a total of 228,000 jobs and about $3.1 billion in earned income (2003$) by the year 2030.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is interested in assessing the potential economic impacts of its portfolio of subprograms on national employment and income. A special purpose version of the IMPLAN input-output model called ImBuild II is used in this study of all 21 Building Technologies Program subprograms in the EERE final FY 2005 budget request to the Office of Management and Budget on February 2, 2004. Energy savings, investments, and impacts on U.S. national employment and earned income are reported by subprogram for selected years to the year 2030. Energy savings and investments from these subprograms have the potential of creating a total of 396,000 jobs and about $5.6 billion in earned income (2003$) by the year 2030.
Abstract To be self-sustaining in the longer-term and meet defined completion criteria, it is important that the management of restored bauxite mines can be integrated with the surrounding unmined Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest. A number of research projects relating to fire management have been undertaken in restored areas over the past 15 years. The broad objectives of these studies have been to assess the resilience of different-aged restored sites to fire and define the most suitable fire regime (season, intensity, and frequency) to utilize in the management of these areas. Restored areas were found to be a low fire risk up to five years of age because litter fuel was discontinuous and could not normally carry the fire. Between the ages of five and 12-15 years, restored areas wer...
Clin. Otolaryngol. 2009, 34, 438-446. Objective: To determine whether economic costs associated with a conservative management strategy for unilateral acoustic neuroma offer an economic advantage over active management options. Design: Cost and sensitivity analysis on a prospective cohort. Setting: Single centre study within a tertiary referral centre in Toronto, Canada. Participants: 72 patients (32 males, 40 females) aged 36 to 78 years with unilateral acoustic neuroma were assigned initially to a conservative management strategy. Entry criteria were small tumour size (less than 15mm in the cerebellopontine angle), patient preference and/or significant co-morbidity. Interventions: MRI scanning was performed every 6 months for the first year, annually subsequently and then every 2-3 years...
A new method for determining the year of birth, the year of death, and hence, the age at death, of post-bomb and recently deceased elephants has been developed. The technique is based on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon analyses of small-sized samples extracted from along the length of a ge-line of an elephant tusk. The measured radiocarbon concentrations in the samples from a tusk can be compared to the {sup 14}C atmospheric bomb-pulse curve to derive the growth years of the initial and final samples from the tusk. Initial data from the application of this method to two tusks will be presented. Potentially, the method may play a significant role in wildlife management practices of African national parks. Additionally, the method may contribute to the underpinnings of efforts to define new international trade regulations, which could, in effect, decrease poaching and the killing of very young animals.
Changes in the properties of solonetzic soil associations (chestnut solonetzic soils and chestnut solonetzes) in the dry steppe after their reclamation have been studied for 30 years. The reclamation included the deep three-tier plowing and the approach of rotary tillage. A single rotary tillage operation resulted in the formation of fine aggregates of equal sizes in the plow layer; any morphological features of the restoration of solonetzic pedogenesis are absent. The atmospheric moisture easily penetrates into the soil, and soluble salts are leached off to a great depth. In 30 years since the soil amelioration with the use of a PMS-70 rotary tiller, the humus content has increased up to 3.3% in the upper 20-cm-thick layer and up to 2.4% in the layer of 20?40 cm. The content of adsorbed N...
The results of experimental studies on the contribution of zoogenic debris to transformation of soil properties in the southern taiga subzone of Central Siberia are analyzed. They show that water-soluble carbon outflow from the forest litter increases by 21-26% upon a Siberian moth invasion, with this value decreasing to 14% one year later. The burning of forest in an area completely defoliated by the pest leads to changes in the stock, fractional composition, actual acidity, and ash element contents of the litter. The litter-dwelling invertebrate assemblage is almost completely destroyed by fire and begins to recover only after two years. PMID:18491565
Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained atrial arrhythmia and it is independently associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. As a result of the high prevalence of AF, the economic and clinical impact of the disease is substantial. This study describes the economic and clinical impact of AF in the Netherlands. Methods Epidemiological data on AF in the Netherlands were projected on population estimates of the Netherlands in 2009 and combined with data on the cost of AF and its interventions. Results Overall prevalence of AF in the Netherlands is 5.5% in the population over 55?years, corresponding to about 250,000 AF patients. The prevalence increases with age, and the mean age of AF patients is 69.3?years. Incidence of AF in the Netherlands varies with age...
This case report makes evident that in a 75 years old patient with a (cured) femoral neck fracture 15 years ago a refracture at the same site following a new trauma could not be detected by conventional X-ray. The follow-up of a radionuclide bone study, however, enabled the dignosis of a refracture. From these findings, it is further evident that the decreased bone metabolism in older patients has to be considered. Thus, although the initial bone scan following the trauma is negative, a follow-up scan should be performed within a 4 day-period.
This case report makes evident that in a 75 years old patient with a (cured) femoral neck fracture 15 years ago a refracture at the same site following a new trauma could not be detected by conventional X-ray. The follow-up of a radionuclide bone study, however, enabled the dignosis of a refracture. From these findings, it is further evident that the decreased bone metabolism in older patients has to be considered. Thus, although the initial bone scan following the trauma is negative, a follow-up scan should be performed within a 4 day-period. (orig.).
This report illustrates how, thanks to the development of a new algorithm for the probabilistic evaluation in a given period (e.g. one week) of the operating costs and risk indices (reliability) of a generation system with energy-constrained units, it has been possible to significantly improve the WAT program, used for many years by ENEL for generation expansion planning studies. In particular, it describes how the annual simulation of the system operation is accomplished, so as to calculate the mean expected values of the yearly operating costs (fuel) and the risk indices, at the same time optimizing the use of hydro resources and pumped-storage plants. (author).
Nasal cavity volume was studied in 69 healthy volunteers (from 8 to 23 years old) by MRI. The right and left nasal cavity areas were measured on horizontal images displayed directly on the MRI console. The nasal cavity volume was obtained by integrated volume calculation. The nasal cavity volume was positively correlated with age, body height and weight up to age 16. The body height and weight reached a plateau at 16 years, but the nasal cavity volume continued to increase. There was no significant difference in the volumes of the right and left cavities. (author).
Nasal cavity volume was studied in 69 healthy volunteers (from 8 to 23 years old) by MRI. The right and left nasal cavity areas were measured on horizontal images displayed directly on the MRI console. The nasal cavity volume was obtained by integrated volume calculation. The nasal cavity volume was positively correlated with age, body height and weight up to age 16. The body height and weight reached a plateau at 16 years, but the nasal cavity volume continued to increase. There was no significant difference in the volumes of the right and left cavities. (author).
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been contracted through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) to perform an evaluation of juvenile fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stranding on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. The evaluation, in the fifth year of a multi-yearstudy, has been developed to assess the impacts of water fluctuations from Priest Rapids Dam on rearing juvenile fall chinook salmon, other fishes, and benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hanford Reach. This document provides the results of the 2001 field season.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been contracted through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) to perform an evaluation of juvenile fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stranding on the Hanford Reach. The evaluation, in the fourth year of a multi-yearstudy, has been developed to assess the impacts of water fluctuations from Priest Rapids Dam on rearing juvenile fall chinook salmon, other fishes, and benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hanford Reach. This document provides the results of the 2000 field season.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been contracted through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) to perform an evaluation of juvenile fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stranding on the Hanford Reach. The evaluation, in the third year of a multi-yearstudy, has been developed to assess the impacts of water fluctuations from Priest Rapids Dam on rearing juvenile fall chinook salmon, other fishes, and benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hanford Reach. This document provides the results of the 1999 field season.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been contracted through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Grant County Public Utility District (GCPUD) to perform an evaluation of juvenile fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stranding on the Hanford Reach. The evaluation, in the second year of a multi-yearstudy, has been developed to assess the impacts of water fluctuations from Priest Rapids Dam on rearing juvenile fall chinook salmon, other fish species, and benthic macroinvertebrates of the Hanford Reach. This document provides the results of the 1998 field season.
Wildland fire suppression personnel employed by the CDF do not currently have the equipment to protect themselves from the short-term acute affects of smoke from wildland fires. In addition, no regulations exist that specify appropriate respiratory protection and the current air-purifying respirator technology and carbon monoxide monitoring has not been adapted to fit wildland fire suppression requirements. This three-year limited study evaluated the ability of wildland fire fighters to perform their normal job function while wearing full-face air-purifying respirators. In the first two years of this study we designed, developed and field tested a prototype ``smart`` air-purifying respirator which incorporated a real-time carbon monoxide monitor into a commercial full-face respirator.` Data on carbon monoxide exposure while fighting wildland fires was collected. During the third ...
Childhood anxiety is impairing and associated with later emotional disorders. Studying risk factors for child anxiety may allow earlier identification of at-risk children for prevention efforts. This study applied an ecological risk model to address how early childhood anxiety symptoms, child temperament, maternal anxiety and depression symptoms, violence exposure, and sociodemographic risk factors predict school-aged anxiety symptoms. This longitudinal, prospective study was conducted in a representative birth cohort (n = 1109). Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized associations between risk factors measured in toddlerhood/preschool (age = 3.0 years) and anxiety symptoms measured in kindergarten (age = 6.0 years) and second grade (age = 8.0 years). Early child risk factors (anxiety symptoms and temperament) emerged as the most robust ...
Water is the most important limiting factor in the development of arid environments; therefore, optimization of water use is a necessity in desert reclamation projects. Evapotranspiration of a 6-year-old river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh.) plantation, located in a sedimentation basin of an artificial recharge of the Gareh Bygone Plain groundwater system in Iran?s southern Zagros Mountains, was studied during a 7-month period. A neutron moisture probe was used to monitor soil water changes in the root zone. Soil water depletion following rapid drainage for blocks receiving relatively high, medium and low volumes of floodwater were 809.6, 312.4, and 203.1 mm, respectively, for a 150-day period. Soil water potential during most of the study period was below ?1.5 MPa. This study pr...
The authors used studies of local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (LCMRGlc) to examine development of cerebral organization in 5 days to 1 year old children. A group (n=8) of infants with diverse pediatric disorders allowed investigation of developmental changes in LCMRGlc, while also providing relevant clinical management information. Patients consisted of questionable and definite neonatal seizures, cerebral embolism from cardiac sources, and otherwise normal infants with facial nevi with consideration of Sturge-Weber. Gradual increase in cortical LCMRGlc coincides with suppression of intrinsic subcortical reflexes present in all newborns. Two retarded children (2 years old) showed LCMRGlc developmental patterns of a few days old, which corresponded to their functional and mental status. These studies illustrate great potential of PET to study normal and altered states of ...
The study of flavor changing neutrinos is a very active field of research. I will discuss the status of ongoing and near term experiments investigating neutrino properties at short distances from the source. In the next few years, the Double Chooz, RENO and Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiments will start looking for signatures of a non-zero value of the mixing angle $\\theta_{13}$ with much improved sensitivities. The MiniBooNE experiment is investigating the LSND anomaly by looking at both the $\
This study presents the results of an 18-year long investigation of pipe deterioration in cyclone slag slurry transport. The goal was to study pipe behaviour in this extremely abrasive service and select an optimum piping material. Comparisons are given for high quality alloy cast steel pipes and pipes alined with cast basalt rings marketed under the name Abresist.
This study presents the results of an 18-year long investigation of pipe deterioration in cyclone slag slurry transport. The goal was to study pipe behaviour in this extremely abrasive service and select an optimum piping material. Comparisons are given for high quality alloy cast steel pipes and pipes lined with cast basalt rings marketed under the name Abresist. Based on the results, thoughts are offered on the broader meanings of certain findings.
FSD-1, a designed small ultrafast folder with a ββα fold, has been actively studied in the last few years as a model system for studying protein folding mechanisms and for testing...Full Text Available
Goal was developing optical methods for study of dynamic processes at the electrode/electrolyte interface. In the past year, optical second harmonic generation was used for time-resolved measurements of thallium deposition on Cu(111). The studies of carrier dynamics in photo-excited materials have involved both steady-state and picosecond time-resolved luminescence measurements following photoexcitation of the semiconductor material.
EREC, the international umbrella organization, published last year a study on export strategies for renewable energy technologies. The 150-page document provides valuable information on key export markets and financial institutions, and presents the various branches' perspectives for the future. The following excerpts will whet your appetite for more. The complete study is available for download: www.erec-renewables.org (Eurees). (orig.)
Pilot plant tests have been conducted to evaluate sodium thiosulfate as an oxidation inhibition additive in five lime/limestone slurry flue gas desulfurization processes. It was found that the oxidation rate of absorbed sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) was reduced by more than 50 percent in the presence of 100 to 200 ppm of thiosulfate ion in the scrubbing slurry. Calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) scaling was eliminated and the unsaturated (with respect to gypsum) operation mode was maintained by the addition of sodium thiosulfate. Other benefits of sodium thiosulfate addition observed at the pilot plant included improvement in solids dewatering properties for limestone processes.
Pilot plant tests have been conducted to evaluate sodium thiosulfate as an oxidation inhibition additive in five lime/limestone slurry flue gas desulfurization processes. It was found that the oxidation rate of absorbed sulfur dioxide (SO)/sub 2/ was reduced by more than 50 percent in the presence of 100 to 200 ppm of thiosulfate ion in the scrubbing slurry. Calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) scaling was eliminated and the unsaturated (with respect to gypsum) operation mode was maintained by the addition of sodium thiosulfate. Other benefits of sodium thiosulfate addition observed at the pilot plant included improvement in solids dewatering properties for limestone processes and improvement in SO/sub 2/ removal efficiency for magnesium-enhanced lime/limestone processes.
The article gives results of pilot-plant tests to evaluate sodium thiosulfate as an oxidation-inhibition additive in five lime/limestone slurry flue-gas desulfurization processes. It was found that the oxidation rate of absorbed SO/sub 2/ was reduced by more than 50% in the presence of 100-200 ppm of thiosulfate ion in the scrubbing slurry. Calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) scaling was eliminated and the unsaturated (with respect to gypsum) operation mode was maintained by the addition of sodium thiosulfate. Other benefits of sodium thiosulfate addition observed at the pilot plant included improvement in solids dewatering properties for limestone processes and improvement in SO/sub 2/ removal efficiency for magnesium-enhanced lime/limestone processes.
The article gives results of pilot-plant tests to evaluate sodium thiosulfate as an oxidation-inhibition additive in five lime/limestone slurry flue-gas desulfurization processes. It was found that the oxidation rate of absorbed SO/sub 2/ was reduced by more than 50% in the presence of 100-200 ppm of thiosulfate ion in the scrubbing slurry. Calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) scaling was eliminated and the unsaturated (with respect to gypsum) operation mode was maintained by the addition of sodium thiosulfate. Other benefits of sodium thiosulfate addition observed at the pilot plant included improvement in solids dewatering properties for limestone processes and improvements in SO/sub 2/ removal efficiency for magnesium-enhanced lime/limestone processes.
Information technology allows national and local governments to satisfy the needs of citizens in a cost effective way. Unfortunately, citizens still tend to prefer traditional, more costly channels, such as the front desk, phone and mail. Through pilot projects government agencies attempt to influence this behavior of citizens, directing them towards the online channel. With this paper we provide insight into the possibility to influence citizens' behavior in the complex landscape of multi-channel service provision. The paper systematically compares five pilot projects using a framework that is based on organizational and marketing literature. The results show that socio-psychological factors are crucial in multi-channel management, much more than the technology itself. We conclude that ci...
9 9 simulated Purex waste oxides was investigated as a function of Na/sub 2/O, CaO and P/sub 2/O/sub 5/ content. All compositions lost some sulfate at 50 to 100 deg C above the softening point. In generai the volatility decreased with increase of either Na/ sub 2/O or CaO relative to P/sub 2/O/sub 5/, but no simple correlation Was indicated. Softening temperatures were lowered by inc ease in Na/sub 2/O vs CaO. Ceramic solids were obtained but no true glasses. Attempts to produce glasses by addition of varying combinations of Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, PbO, BaO, and B/sub 2/O/ sub 3/ to simulated Pure x waste plus phosphite were unsuccessful. The use of 0.005 M Na/sub 2/C/O/sub 3/ to precipitate calcium from wastes containing up to 3 ppm of phosphate was demonstrated in four pilot plant runs and produced a decrease in the hardness of the waste leaving the clarifier. An inadvertent Sr/ sup 90/ and Cs/sup 137/ breakthrough occurred during one ...
The aims of this study are determining the energy use, qualitative analyzing of energy flow and also investigating energy efficiency by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in corn production of Iran during a seven years period. Results indicated that the average of total energy input increased from 40.98 GJ ha-1 in 2001 to 63.64 GJ ha-1 in the year of 2007. Similarly, the average of total output energy rose from 89.03 to 107.54 GJ ha-1 in the same years, respectively. Also the results showed that average energy use efficiency, energy productivity, specific energy and net energy gain in the studied period was 2.59, 0.17 kg MJ-1, 7.24 MJ kg-1 and 51.34 GJ ha-1, respectively. DEA considered the yield (kg ha-1) as output and three major energy inputs; fertilizers, diesel fuel and machinery as inpu...
China’s methadone maintenance treatment program was initiated in 2004 as a small pilot project in just eight sites. It has since expanded into a nationwide program encompassing more than 680...Full Text Available
The results of the liquid CO/sub 2/ injection pilots in the Granny's Creek field permit the following findings and conclusions: The pilots demonstrated that CO/sub 2/ can be used for tertiary recovery, and it will displace oil and form a high oil-cut bank in a watered-out reservoir. Oil production response in every case was almost immediate; and after CO/sub 2/ injection was stopped and water injection was started, the oil production declined rapidly over a period of 2-3 months to very low rates. Confinement of CO/sub 2/ to the pilot area was the principal problem. CO/sub 2/ spread rapidly to virtually all of the southern part of the reservoir of about 350 acres. Except for weather, there were practically no operational problems. Corrosion from the CO/sub 2/ was not observed. Pilot results did not demonstrate economic feasibility. The ratio of CO/sub 2/ to additional oil of 19,357 cu ft (14.696 ...
This report shows the probability of a catastrophic accident involving the WIPP waste hoist system. Calculations and mitigation to reduce the probability of an accident and to minimize the impact of such an accident should be included. 10 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.
for an Air Force Manufacturing technology program whose aim is the establishment of organic matrix ...... display considerations for advanced energy/flight management sys- ...... Future System - The Roadmap of the System of the Future - ...... data storage units, pilot's guidance indicators, and a quick look ...
Data on raw water quality, disinfection treatment practices, and the resulting mutagenic properties of the treated water were compiled from pilot- and full-scale treatment experiments to evaluate that...Full Text Available
Solving the maintenance and repair problems of electronic instruments, we have supported the research and development work, and reduced operation costs of the pilot plants in KAERI. In addition, we have improved the maintainability of instruments to use effectively. 18 tabs., 17 figs., 13 refs. (Author) .new.
Solving the maintenance and repair problems of electronic instruments, we have supported the research and development work, and reduced operation costs of the pilot plants in KAERI. In addition, we have imposed the maintainability of instruments to use effectively. 15 tabs., 14 figs., 14 refs. (Author) .new.
Between 50 and 70% of patients with a terminal illness indicate a preference to remain at home for as long as possible until their death. Nevertheless, a much smaller percentage actually die at home...Full Text Available
This project reflected cooperation across the disciplines in the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer science. The University of the Pacific served as the center for this pre-college program. The idea was to use this link as a pilot program.
Diesel engines operating on gaseous fuels are commonly known as dual-fuel engines. In the present work, a single-cylinder, compression ignition, indirect injection research (Ricardo E6) engine has been installed at United Arab Emirates University for investigation of the exhaust emissions when the engine is operating as a dual-fuel engine. The influence of changes in major operating and design parameters, such as the concentration of gaseous fuel in the cylinder charge, pilot fuel quantity, injection timing and intake temperature, on the production of exhaust emissions was investigated. Diesel fuel was used as the pilot fuel, while methane or propane was used as the main fuel which was inducted in the intake manifold and mixed with the intake air. The experimental investigations showed that the poor emissions at light loads can be improved significantly by increasing the concentration of gaseous fuel (total equivalence ratio), employing a large ...
The development of the Multimedia Electronic Medical Record System (MEMRS) promises new opportunities to significantly reduce the routine use of film as the medium for viewing radiological medical images....Full Text Available
Two 40 MWe Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Pilot Plant programs are in the initial phase of development near Kahe Point, Oahu, Hawaii. The two options being examined are: (1) a shelf-seated artificial island, connected via a causeway to Oahu, using stainless steel heat exchangers, with the thermal resource enhanced by effluent from a near-by power plant, ammonia working fluid and biocide (chlorine) cleaning; and (2) a shelf mount tower 1 mile off shore using submerged aluminum heat exchangers, R-22 working fluid, and slurry cleaning with biocide (chlorine) backup. Environmental Technical Requirements are described including: siting criteria; environmental design, and operational criteria; thermal resource evaluation and variability; physical, chemical, and biological data requirements; and regulatory requirements. Due to siting, design, and operational differences the proposed two pilot plant options have individual environmental ...
DOE is supporting the development of several conversion processes that are currently in the pilot plant stage. Each of these processes is described briefly and information given as to contractor, contract, funding, site and current progress. Several support projects are treated similarly. (LTN)
Public health activities, especially infectious disease control, depend on effective teamwork. We present the results of a pilot audit questionnaire aimed at assessing the quality of public health services...Full Text Available
Learning curve models have gained widespread acceptance as a technique for analyzing and ...... flight segment in F4 pilots p 163 A91-30966. WILSON, JOHN W . ...
Quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed in 24 patients with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy and up to one to four years after operation. The gamma camera count rate was recorded over the lower thoracic and all lumbar vertebrae 4 h after injection of [sup 99m]Tc-MDP. Twelve patients has normal bone scintigrams throughout the study. They showed from two years after operation a slight increase in count rate values compared with the preoperative values, probability due to hormonal changes after orchiectomy and to age-related alterations in skeletal metabolism. Twelve patients had abnormal bone scintigrams. They showed as a response to treatment the flare phenomenon with an increase in count rate over the abnormal vertebrae when measured two weeks after operation followed by a decrease after two months. The lowest count rate values were obtained between six months and one year after operation. ...
Quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed in 24 patients with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy and up to one to four years after operation. The gamma camera count rate was recorded over the lower thoracic and all lumbar vertebrae 4 h after injection of "9"9"mTc-MDP. Twelve patients has normal bone scintigrams throughout the study. They showed from two years after operation a slight increase in count rate values compared with the preoperative values, probability due to hormonal changes after orchiectomy and to age-related alterations in skeletal metabolism. Twelve patients had abnormal bone scintigrams. They showed as a response to treatment the flare phenomenon with an increase in count rate over the abnormal vertebrae when measured two weeks after operation followed by a decrease after two months. The lowest count rate values were obtained between six months and one year after operation. ...
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 ...
Experience at SRS, ORNL, BNL, and Georgia Institute of Technology involving irradiated aluminum clad fuel and target elements, as well as studies of non-irradiated aluminum indicate that some types of aluminum assemblies can be kept in a continually well-deionized water atmosphere for up to 25 years without problems. SRS experience ranges from 2.75 years for the L-1.1 charge kept in deionized D[sub 2]O[sup 1] to greater than 10 years for assemblies stored in the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuel (RBOF)[sup 2]. Experience at Georgia Institute of Technology reactor in Atlanta yielded the longest value of 25 years without problems. The common denominators in all of the reports is that the water is continually deionized to approximately 2 M[Omega] (2 [times] 10[sup 6]ohms) resistivity and the containers for the water are stainless steel or other non-porous material. This resistivity ...
Experience at SRS, ORNL, BNL, and Georgia Institute of Technology involving irradiated aluminum clad fuel and target elements, as well as studies of non-irradiated aluminum indicate that some types of aluminum assemblies can be kept in a continually well-deionized water atmosphere for up to 25 years without problems. SRS experience ranges from 2.75 years for the L-1.1 charge kept in deionized D{sub 2}O{sup 1} to greater than 10 years for assemblies stored in the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuel (RBOF){sup 2}. Experience at Georgia Institute of Technology reactor in Atlanta yielded the longest value of 25 years without problems. The common denominators in all of the reports is that the water is continually deionized to approximately 2 M{Omega} (2 {times} 10{sup 6}ohms) resistivity and the containers for the water are stainless steel or other non-porous material. This resistivity ...
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is implementing an Internet-based process pilot called `Zephyr` to streamline engineering and commerce using the Internet. Major benefits have accrued by using Zephyr in facilitating industrial collaboration, speeding the engineering development cycle, reducing procurement time, and lowering overall costs. Programs at LLNL are potentializing the efficiencies introduced since implementing Zephyr. Zephyr`s pilot functionality is undergoing full integration with Business Systems, Finance, and Vendors to support major programs at the Laboratory.
Tests have been conducted on a special compression ignition research engine to investigate the effects of gaseous fuels on the ignition delay in dual fuel engines. Diesel oil, n-heptane, or cetane were used as pilot fuels, and hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or methane were inducted in the intake manifold. Induction of nitrogen was used as a reference to eliminate the influence of changes in oxygen concentration and specific heats. Helium was inducted in additional tests. From the results of a number of parameter variations, the cylinder charge temperature (determined by intake temperature and compression ratio), the pilot fuel amount, and the flow of combustible gas were found to have the most significant influence on the ignition delay.
A computer code ICRKFLO was used to simulate the multiphase reacting flow of fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) riser reactors. The simulation provided a fundamental understanding of the hydrodynamics and heat transfer processes in an FCC riser reactor, critical to the development of a new high performance unit. The code was able to make predictions that are in good agreement with available pilot-scale test data. Computational results indicate that the heat transfer and droplet evaporation processes have a significant impact on the performance of a pilot-scale FCC unit. The impact could become even greater on scale-up units.
The paper considers the cyclic variations in performance parameters of a dual fuel engine fuelled with methane. It is shown that such an engine does display cyclic variations that are greater than the corresponding diesel operation, yet smaller than comparable spark ignition operation. The extent of cyclic variation in peak cylinder pressure and ignition delay increases, for any power output, as the pilot diesel quantity is reduced and the extent of gas substitution is increased. The use of extremely small pilots in the unmodified engine can lead to erratic engine performance. Greater cyclic variations are associated with low lead rather than high load operation.
Homestake Ore from the Ambrosia Lake District of New Mexico was treated in the Alkaline Leach-- Filtration Pilot Plant at Grand Junction, Colorado. Detailed information on grinding, leaching, flltration, and precipitation in connection with the processing of this ore is given. Autoclave leaching and continuous yellow cake precipitation were employed. The circuit liquors contnined organic material that was detrimental to clariflcation and precipitation and the results show that ihe ore was amenable to the Alkaline Leach--Filtration process only if a special additive was used. (auth)
A process has been developed that exploits the characteristics of microwave heating for the vitrification of high-level radioactive liquid waste. This process, microwave vitrification, has been successfully operated at pilot plant scale in an active cell using simulated liquid waste containing several curies of radioactivity. Excellent decontamination factors have been achieved for both volatiles and nonvolatiles with an average ruthenium decontamination factor of 490 and a gross alpha emitter decontamination factor of 100,000. Almost all the radioactivity is incorporated in a glass block.
A process has been developed that exploits the characteristics of microwave heating for the vitrification of high-level radioactive liquid waste. This process, microwave vitrification, has been successfully operated at pilot plant scale in an active cell using simulated liquid waste containing several curies of radioactivity. Excellent decontamination factors have been achieved for both volatiles and nonvolatiles with an average ruthenium decontamination factor of 490 and a gross alpha emitter decontamination factor of 100,000. Almost all the radioactivity is incorporated in a glass block.
PAMELA is a satellite borne experiment designed to study with great accuracy cosmic rays of galactic, solar, and trapped nature in a wide energy range (protons: 80 MeV-700 GeV, electrons 50 MeV-400 GeV). Main objective is the study of the antimatter component: antiprotons (80 MeV-190 GeV), positrons (50 MeV-270 GeV) and search for antinuclei with a precision of the order of $10^{-8}$). The experiment, housed on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite, was launched on June, $15^{th}$ 2006 in a $350\\times 600 km$ orbit with an inclination of 70 degrees. In this work we describe the scientific objectives and the performance of PAMELA in its first two years of operation. Data on protons of trapped, secondary and galactic nature - as well as measurements of the December $13^{th}$ 2006 Solar Particle Event - are also provided.
In children and adolescents the Second Generation Antipsychotics (SGAs) represent the class of psychotropic drugs whose use has grown more significantly in recent years: they are primarily used for treatment of patients with disruptive behavior disorders, mood disorders and pervasive developmental disorders or mental retardation. In order to compare the efficacy and tolerability of antipsychotics against placebo or each other, a systematic Medline/PubMed search for randomized, double blind studies on SGA in patients younger than 18years of age at enrolment, was conducted. Papers on schizophrenia, discussed in another article of this specific issue, were excluded by the efficacy analysis. A set of standard efficacy and safety indices, such as treatment effect sizes (ES), the Numbers Needed ...
This is one of an annual collection of reports presenting data from the Geochronology Section of the Continental Geoscience Division of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). The main purpose of this collection is to make geochronological and other radiogenic isotope data produced by the section available promptly to the geological community. Reports make full presentation of the data, relate these to field settings and make comparatively short interpretations. Other geochronological and isotope data produced in the laboratory but published in outside journals or separate GSC publications are summarized at the end of this report. Report 5 contains 24 papers from most regions of Canada, but particularly from British Columbia. The Geochronology Laboratory has, over the years, provided substantial U-Pb dating for the Cordilleran Division of the Geological Survey of Canada in Vancouver, and the results of a number of these studies are presented ...
Levin KA, Jones CM, Wight C, Valentine C, Topping GVA, Naysmith R. Fluoride rinsing and dental health inequalities in 11-year-old children: an evaluation of a supervised school-based fluoride rinsing programme in Edinburgh. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2009; 37: 19-26. Copyright 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation Copyright 2009 John Wiley &Sons A/S Abstract - Objectives: Previous studies have shown that fluoride mouthrinsing programmes are effective in reducing caries among children and adolescents. National surveys of child dental health in the UK confirm that there is variation in oral health. In particular, children of low socioeconomic status in Scotland have a disproportionately high share of dental disease. This study aimed to evaluate an existing school-based fluoride mouthrinsi...
Aims To study the effect of fish consumption on the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in healthy subjects. Methods and results This Danish follow-up study included 57 053 men and women between 50 and 64 years. Intake of lean and fatty fish was estimated from a detailed and validated food frequency questionnaire. Potential cases of ACS were identified through nationwide medical databases. A total of 1122 cases of ACS were verified during a mean follow-up period of 7.6 years. Among men, intake of fatty fish was associated with a lower risk of ACS. For men in the highest quintile of fish intake compared with the lowest quintile, the hazard ratio was 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.53-0.85). The inverse association was observed for intakes >6 g of fatty fish per day with no obvious additi...
Background This study compares the expected 5-year costs for permanent sterilization in women between nonincisional hysteroscopic tubal occlusion with the Essure? system performed in an office setting and laparoscopic bilateral tubal ligation (LBTL). Study Design An economic decision tree is used to predict outcomes and costs to compare these two procedures from a US Medicaid perspective over a 5-year time horizon. Results Expected costs are $2367 for Essure? and $3545 for LBTL (Essure? saves $1178 or 33% of LBTL costs). Sensitivity analyses show Essure? has lower expected costs across all values considered. If the cost for a LBTL procedure were to decrease by 20% and the cost for Essure? to increase by 20%, Essure? would have still have lower expected costs. Conclusion Office-based steril...
Background and aims. The multiplicity of vaccine injections during childhood leads to iterative painful and stressful experiences which may lead in turn to anticipated pain and then possibly to a true needle phobia. We aimed at evaluating a multifactorial strategy of pain management combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches during vaccination, as compared to usual care, in 4- to 12-year-old children. Methods. In all, 239 children were enroled by 25 family practitioners in an open-label study. After a pseudo-randomization, usual pain management (n = 132) was compared to a multifactorial strategy (n = 107) associating preliminary application of an anesthesic patch, preferential use of specified vaccines, child education by the parents and the doctor, parental accompaniment...
Feasibility Study-II examined a high-performance Neutrino Factory providing 1 x 10{sup 20} neutrinos per year aimed at a long-baseline detector. The Study was sponsored jointly by BNL and the Neutrino Factory and Muon Collider Collaboration ration (MC) and is based on a 1 MW proton driver operating at 24 GeV, i.e., an upgraded version of the AGS accelerator. Compared with the earlier FNAL-sponsored study (Feasibility Study-I), there is a sixfold improvement in performance. Here we describe details of the implementation of Study-II concepts and discuss their efficacy. Alternative approaches that will be pursued in follow-on R and D activities are also described briefly.
A field experiment was held in the northwestern Taiwan as a part of a long-term research program for studying Taiwan`s local circulation. The program has been named as Taiwan Regional-circulation Experiment (TREX). The particular goal of this research is to investigate characteristics of boundary layer and local Circulation and their impact on the distribution and Variation of pollutants in the northwestern Taiwan during Mei-Yu season. It has been known for quite sometime that land-sea breeze is very pronounced under hot and humid conditions. Extensive network includes 11 pilot ballon stations, 3 acoustic sounding sites, and 14 surface stations in about 20 km by 20 km area centered at National Central University, Chung-Li. In addition, there are ground temperature measurements at 3 sites, Integrated Sounding System (ISS) at NCU, air plane observation, tracer experiment with 10 collecting stations, 3 background upper-air sounding stations, 2 ...
The main objective of the pilot Coal Compilation Project is to provide coal resource maps to stimulate and support industry exploration programs, and assist government in matters of resource management. An essential feature of the program is the use of cost effective Geoscience Information System (GSIS) technology that allows the database and various thematic maps to be analyzed, updated, and displayed with complete flexibility at any scale. This report describes the main features (geology, exploration history, coal occurrences, coal quality etc.) of the study area, map sheet NTS 83F/5 (Entrance), and includes a copy of the 1:50,000 scale map produced. The study area is located in west-central Alberta and contains coal measures deposited within thick successions of sandstones, siltstones, shales and conglomerates. These coal-bearing sequences are part of the Lower Cretaceous Luscar Group, Upper Cretaceous Brazeau Formation ...
The main purpose of the pilot Coal Compilation Project is to provide coal resource maps to stimulate and support industry exploration programs, and assist government in matters of resource management. An essential feature of the program is the use of cost effective Geoscience Information System (GSIS) technology that allows the database and various thematic maps to be analyzed, updated, and displayed with complete flexibility at any scale. This report describes the main features (geology, resource management, coal occurrences, etc.) of the study area, mapsheet NTS 83E/15 (Pierre Greys Lakes), and includes a copy of the 1:50,000 scale map produced. The study area is located in west-central Alberta and contains coal measures deposited amid thick successions of sandstones, siltstones, shales and conglomerates. These coal-bearing sequences are part of the Lower Cretaceous Luscar Group, Upper Cretaceous Brazeau Formation and ...
The feasibility of the anodic protection of titanium evaporators in Al[sub 2](SO[sub 4])[sub 3] solution was studied by the measurement of polarization curves, weight loss, solubility of passive film and AC impedance. The protection parameters and efficiency were determined. In addition, the practical technology of anodic protection was studied by screening reference electrodes and auxiliary cathodes. Throwing power was also measured. Four rows of tube-type evaporators of titanium have been anodically protected in situ. Field tests lasting more than one year shows satisfactory results. (orig.)
This report presents findings from the first year of a two-yearstudy of interactive efforts involving utilities and non-utility parties (NUPS) working together to prepare plans, develop Demand-Side Management (DSM) programs, or otherwise promote integrated planning and the use of cost-effective DSM measures. Of the ten cases covered in the current study, seven involved the collaborative approach to NUP involvement, which generally is marked by intensive utility-NUP interactions designed to reach consensus on a broad range of important issues; in collaboratives, outside consultants often are provided to enhance the technical capabilities of the NUPS. Another of the cases in this study involved a cooperative arrangement,'' whereby a utility and a NLT worked together in a focused short-term effort to develop a single DSM program. The intense interaction involved in ...
This report presents findings from the first year of a two-yearstudy of interactive efforts involving utilities and non-utility parties (NUPS) working together to prepare plans, develop Demand-Side Management (DSM) programs, or otherwise promote integrated planning and the use of cost-effective DSM measures. Of the ten cases covered in the current study, seven involved the collaborative approach to NUP involvement, which generally is marked by intensive utility-NUP interactions designed to reach consensus on a broad range of important issues; in collaboratives, outside consultants often are provided to enhance the technical capabilities of the NUPS. Another of the cases in this study involved a ``cooperative arrangement,`` whereby a utility and a NLT worked together in a focused short-term effort to develop a single DSM program. The intense interaction involved in this approach ...
During the early years of the INEL, the USGS conducted extensive studies (sitewide drilling program) of the geology and hydrology of the area collecting varied data over the years. The unsaturated zone has not received much attention until recently. The studies that have been done are a result of problems or concerns arising from liquid radioactive waste disposal. The TRA facility has the most information published about its waste disposal activities. The ICPP has less data about the unsaturated zone due to the fact that most waste water disposal has been to a well. Little is known about the effect of waste water disposal at the NRF on the unsaturated zone. Essentially no information was found about waste disposal activities at other facilities, primarily because there does not appear to be any reported problems associated with waste water disposal at these locations. The RWMC has received much ...
During the early years of the INEL, the USGS conducted extensive studies (sitewide drilling program) of the geology and hydrology of the area collecting varied data over the years. The unsaturated zone has not received much attention until recently. The studies that have been done are a result of problems or concerns arising from liquid radioactive waste disposal. The TRA facility has the most information published about its waste disposal activities. The ICPP has less data about the unsaturated zone due to the fact that most waste water disposal has been to a well. Little is known about the effect of waste water disposal at the NRF on the unsaturated zone. Essentially no information was found about waste disposal activities at other facilities, primarily because there does not appear to be any reported problems associated with waste water disposal at these locations. The RWMC has received much ...
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was assessed with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), "1"2"3I-N-isopropyl-iodoamphetamine ("1"2"3I-IMP), and the Table-Look-Up method in 51 children (27 boys, 24 girls) considered neurologically normal and aged 1 month to 15 years (mean age, 4 years 1 month; standard deviation (SD) 3 years 11 months) divided into seven age groups. The rCBF was measured in cortical regions, the cerebellum, thalamus, and the head of the caudate nucleus. Curves for reference values and standard deviations were defined for each region. The rCBF rapidly increased until 2 years of age, reaching maximum values during the third to fifth periods (2 to 10 years of age) in each region. The rCBFs then decreased, reaching adult levels at 10 to 15 years of age. The rCBF reached maximum values later in the frontal region than in other ...
Translating experimental findings into clinically effective therapies is one of the major bottlenecks of modern medicine. As this has been particularly true for cerebrovascular research, attention has turned to the quality and validity of experimental cerebrovascular studies. We set out to assess the study design, statistical analyses, and reporting of cerebrovascular research. We assessed all original articles published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism during the year 2008 against a checklist designed to capture the key attributes relating to study design, statistical analyses, and reporting. A total of 156 original publications were included (animal, in vitro, human). Few studies reported a primary research hypothesis, statement of purpose, or measures to safeguard in...
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most lethal form of diffuse lung fibrosis, killing approximately half of those affected within 2-3 years of diagnosis. Until recently, no therapies had been shown to have an impact on disease progression. The Clinical Studies Assessing Pirfenidone (Esbriet) in IPF: Research of Efficacy and Safety Outcomes (CAPACITY) program comprised two almost identical double-blind placebo-controlled studies assessing the effects of pirfenidone on change in forced vital capacity, the primary end point, over a 72-week period. One of these studies was positive, matching in magnitude the benefit seen in two previous positive Japanese studies. The other study did not meet its primary end point but positive trends were consistent in this and a number of secondary end point...
The present report describes the study conducted in co-operation with several agencies and organizations from Thailand and covers the energy and electricity requirements and the optimal expansion plans for the power generating system for this country up to year 2011. It is emphasized that the study was carried out by a team of experts from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), the National Energy Administration (NEA) and the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP), who were fully responsible for all phases of the study, including the production of the present report. The IAEA's responsibility was to provide overall co-ordination and general guidance during the conduct of the study, as well as training and assistance in the implementation and use of the IAEA's computerized planning methodologies on the ...
The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of postoperative radiotherapy in a case of perihilar cholagiocarcinoma by analyzing overall survival rate, patterns of failure, prognostic factors for overall survival, and toxicity. Between January 1998 and March 2008, 38 patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent a surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy. The median patient age was 59 years (range, 28 to 72 years), which included 23 men and 15 women. The extent of surgery was complete resection in 9 patients, microscopically positive margins in 25 patients, and a subtotal resection in 4 patients. The tumor bed and regional lymphatics initially received 45 Gy or 50 Gy, but was subsequently boosted to a total dose of 59.4 Gy or 60 Gy in incompletely resected patients. The median radiotherapy dose was 59.4 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was administered in 30 patients. The median follow-up period was 14 months ...
To evaluate the normal development of the paranasal sinuses in children with CT, authors prospectively studied with brain CT scans of 260 children without known sinus disease, ranging image from 7 days to 16 years. Maximal anteroposterior and transverse diameters(mm) and maximal cross- sectional area(mm{sup 2}) of both sides of the maxillary sinus were measured with the aid of computer device. As to the ethmoidal and spheroidal sinuses, we simply documented the presence of the aplastic ethmoidal sinus and calculated the age-incidence of the spheroidal sinus pneumatization, respectively.There noted three phases in the development of the maxillary sinus. The anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the maxillary sinus increased nearly in parallel. The former was always greater than the latter. In no cases was the edathamil sinus aplastic and almost all sinuses were pneumatized even in infants as early as 7 old days. CT identified the conchal ...
Parenting programmes are effective interventions for preventing and treating conduct problems in young children. Up to 20% of children in disadvantaged areas have conduct disorder. Recent government initiatives such as targeting early years services to designated disadvantaged Flying Start areas in Wales have resulted in increased nursery-care provision for pre-schoolers, yet little has been done to equip nursery staff with effective child behaviour management strategies. The purpose of this non-randomised trial platform study was to establish the feasibility of delivery and the effectiveness of the new Incredible Years Toddler Parent Programme in supporting nursery staff in managing difficult behaviour in the nursery. The Parent Programme is a 12-session (a two-hour session/week) course for carers/parents of children aged one to three years old, which encourages carers to: establish positive ...
A report on the long-term follow up of the first cooperative Scandinavian Sarcoma Group study in Ewing's sarcoma of bone is presented. Fifty-two previously untreated patients entered the study between 1984 and 1990. Half of the tumors were located in the extremities and one quarter in the pelvis. The combined modality treatment consisted of 5 cycles of chemotherapy - including vincristine, methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin and dactinomycin. The first two cycles were followed by local resection or amputation in 35 patients and by radiotherapy alone in 17 patients. When surgery was not performed, was incomplete or yielded poor margins radiotherapy was given at a dose of 40-60 Gy. Local tumor relapses developed in 10 patients and in all but one patient were accompanied by metastatic disease. Five patients had metastasis at diagnosis and distant metastases developed after primary treatment in 27 patients after a median of 14 ...
Off-grid power generation is meant to supply remote or rural area, where grid connection is almost impossible in terms of cost and geography, such as island, aborigine's villages, and areas where nature preservation is concern. Harnessing an abundance renewable energy sources using versatile hybrid power systems can offer the best, least-cost alternative solution for extending modern energy services to remote and isolated communities. The conventional method for off-grid power generation is using diesel generator with a renewable energy (RE) technology utilizing solar photovoltaic, wind, biomass, biogas and/or mini/micro hydro. A hybrid technology is a combination of multiple source of energy; such as RE and diesel generator and may also include energy storage such as battery. In our design, the concept of solar hybrid system is a combination of solar with diesel genset and battery as an energy storage. The main objective of the system are to reduce the cost of operation and ...
Most of the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide result from the combustion of fossil fuels for energy production. Photosynthesis has long been recognized as a means, at least in theory, to sequester anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Aquatic microalgae have been identified as fast growing species whose carbon fixing rates are higher than those of land-based plants by one order of magnitude. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI), Aquasearch, and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii are jointly developing technologies for recovery and sequestration of CO{sub 2} from stationary combustion systems by photosynthesis of microalgae. The research is aimed primarily at demonstrating the ability of selected species of microalgae to effectively fix carbon from typical power plant exhaust gases. This report covers the reporting period 1 January to 31 March 2004 in which PSI, Aquasearch and University of Hawaii conducted their tasks. Based on the work during the previous ...
In China, the conventional utilization of oil shale is concentrated mainly on oil shale retorting, and burning oil shale in pulverized furnaces, or bubbling fluidized beds. To improve the availability of oil shale, many specialists have advocated burning oil shale in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB), which has a satisfactory combustion efficiency, low NOx and SO{sub 2} emission, adaptability to low-grade coal, etc. In Huadian, China, a plant incorporating three units of 65 th{sup -1} oil shale-fired CFB began successful commercial operation in 1996, proving that burning oil shale in a CFB produces both high combustion efficiency and environmental protection. For effective utilization of oil shale, its pyrolysis and combustion characteristics, emission performance of gaseous pollutants from an oil shale-fired CFB pilot setup, co-combustion characteristics of oil shale and high sulfur coal as well as the operating performance of the Huadian CFB boiler were further ...
In cooperation with NRPB, the specifications of the mainframe COSYMA version 95/1 and the PC COSYMA version 2.0 were prepared and the corresponding modifications implemented. Important improvements are dose-rate dependent models for deterministic health effects, the time dependent efficiency of stable iodine tablets, the extension of data bases for the inclusion of activation products, and supplementary evaluation programs. PC COSYMA has been completed by an economics module, further options in the ingestion pathways, and a graphics package for presenting assessment results. COSYMA has been applied for probabilistic dose assessments within paramter studies and special investigations of EPR concepts. RODOS, the real-time on-line decision support system for nuclear emergency management, has been further developed with the aim of the first pilot version 2.0 for pre-operational application in the second half of 1995. At present, some 20 institutes ...
How should lightweight electric-powered vehicles be promoted, after the large-scale fleet test being conducted at Mendrisio (southern Switzerland) is completed in 2001, and are there reasons to put question marks behind the current approach? The demand for electric vehicles, and particularly the one in the automobile category, has remained at a persistently low level. As it proved, any appreciable improvement of this situation is almost impossible, even with substantial financial incentives. However, the unsatisfactory sales figures have little to do with the nature of the fleet test itself or with the specific conditions at Mendrisio. The problem is rather of structural nature. For (battery-operated) electric cars the main problem at present is the lack of an expanding market which could become self-supporting with only a few additional incentives. Various strategies have been evaluated. Two alternatives were considered in particular: a strategy to promote explicitly electric vehicles ...
In this investigation natural gas has been used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines. Experiments have been performed to study the performance of the dual fuel engine with different diesel quantities as pilot injection. It was suggested in this research that combustion in the dual fuel engine occurred in four stages: the delay period, the slow stage of combustion, the rapid stage of combustion and the fourth stage of combustion. Because of the slower flame speed of natural gas and also because of the prolonged delay period, the combustion of the gas-air continued well into the expansion stroke. These resulted in lower efficiency and higher brake specific fuel consumption, and also higher exhaust gas temperature and higher carbon monoxide in the exhaust when the engine ran on dual fuel. The carbon dioxide and black smoke in the exhaust decreased as the gas was introduced in the engine. The ratio of alternative to diesel fuel was varied at ...
... This course is jointly taught between the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment and the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences. Scholarships 2 UK/EU fees only Scholarships are available for the academic year 2010/11. Awards will be given on the basis of merit. Flexible part-time study route available Back to top Home | About Us | Prospective Students |...
On the 3. and 4. November 1982 the sixth conference of the Corporation for Reactor Safety (GRS) was held in Cologne's Guerzenich. The theme of this year's meeting was the 'Status of Risk Investigations at Nuclear Power Plants'. A principal topic was a report on findings made by the GRS during the 'Risk Oriented Analysis SNR-300'. The second topic comprised the newest developments within Phase B of the Risk Study of Water Pressure Reactors, the discussion of the dose/effect relationship and considerations on threshold risk values. (orig.).
Telavancin is a bactericidal lipoglycopeptide with a multifunctional mechanism of action. We conducted a randomized, double blind, active-control phase II trial. Patients ≥18 years of age with...Full Text Available
Structural instabilities are now being found in many high-temperature superconductors. Compounds with the A-15 (#beta#-W) structure comprise the most important group of these materials, and their properties have been extensively studied for over 15 years. A review is given of some of these results, particularly those relating to the elastic behavior. The empirical relation of the structural instability and the anharmonicity to the high superconducting transition temperature is discussed.
Internalization of group A streptococcus by human epithelial cells has been extensively studied during the past 6 years. It is now clear that multiple mechanisms are involved in this process. We have...Full Text Available
The results of the six meetings in the years 1976 through 1981 of the Panel on Reference Nuclear Data is reviewed, as well as the results of other studies and workshops. A brief review of how current programs are meeting the expressed nuclear data needs of professional groups is also presented. The types of data included in the review are reaction cross sections, isotopic abundances, atomic masses, nuclear structure, radioactive decay, and fission.
... Rachel has also studied Geological Oceanography at the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, including a year spent at the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory, Surrey, as a student researcher for the British Mid-Ocean Ridge Initiative (BRIDGE). Rachel has authored the following 1 Working Papers: 2002 ecm-2002-05 Towards Integrated Catchment/Coastal Management: Science, Policy ...
The Matthew effect refers to the adage written some two-thousand years ago in the Gospel of St. Matthew: “For to all those who have, more will be given.” Even two millennia later, this...Full Text Available
Based upon these processes-phytoextraction, phytovolatization and phytostabilization-a plant management remediation strategy for selenium (Se) has been developed for the Westside of Central California. Multi-year field phytoremediation studies were conducted between 2002-2007 on Se-tainted field si...
During the past 3 years, progress was made in elucidating the excited state structures of Pt(diimine)(dithiolate) complexes, while more recent efforts focused on the photochemistry of these complexes and electronic structure of other dithiolate systems. A carbonyl-Ir-maleonitrile dithiolate complex is also studied.
Eastern Oregon cattle distribution was studied with global positioning (GPS) collars for 2 years on the Zumwalt prairie in the spring and fall and Hells Canyon during the winter to determine distribution and habitat selection differences between Spanish bred (Corriente X Longhorn) and English bred c...
This report summarizes the activities and major accomplishments for the Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Radiotherapy Research Program for calendar year 2004. Topics covered include boron analysis in biological samples, computational dosimetry and treatment planning software development, medical neutron source development and characterization, and collaborative dosimetry studies at the RA-1 facility in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Projects associated with this grant for studying hazardous materials in aquatic environments of the Mississippi River Basin are reviewed and goals, progress and research results are discussed. New, one-year initiation projects are described briefly.
A growth model of pitting corrosion of carbon steel in cooling water systems was developed on microscopic observations of pits and electrochemical studies. Results of pitting corrosion measurements in laboratory and field conditions with the model, using a newly developed electrochemical device, are discussed. For an actual heat exchanger up to a year operation, the values of pitting depth estimated were in good agreement with the measured values.
The polymer industry is a young industry that has undergone tremendous growth and change over the last sixty years. Many important discoveries in polymer science have been accidental. Most of the learning has been by trial and error and most of the understanding is still basically empirical--make a polymer material or compound and then put it to the test to study what it is and how it performs. This article provides an overview of what polymers and polymer compounds are, why they behave as they do, and it discusses several examples of failures of rubber and plastic components.
... Studies People Projects Opportunities Framework Critical Sectors Development Goals Geographic Region Geographic Scale Research Themes Printer-Friendly Center for Ocean Solutions Early Career Fellowship Program Location: Stanford, California Source: The Center for Ocean Solutions (“Ocean Solutions”) seeks one or more recent graduates who have received a JD, MBA or PhD in the natural, physical or social sciences in the last five years, and who ...
The mid-range industrial market currently consumes 4.2 million metric tons of hydrogen per year and has an annual growth rate of 15% industries in this range require between 100 and 1000 kilograms of hydrogen per day and comprise a wide range of operations such as food hydrogenation, electronic chip fabrication, metals processing and nuclear reactor chemistry modulation.
Conventional, recirculating, and intermittent type peanut dryers were compared in a three-yearstudy. Comparisons indicate that partial recirculation of peanut drying air may reduce energy consumption per unit of water removed by approximately 25% while also reducing required drying time and maintaining high quality.
The Baldwin Effect, a negative correlation between emission-line equivalent width and luminosity in active galactic nuclei, is still of interest as a diagnostic of accretion physics nearly thirty years after its discovery. This review examines recent developments in the study of correlations between line and continuum emission in AGNs, as measured both in ensembles and in individual sources.
The report gives results of the first 3 years of study to determine environmentally sound methods for disposing of wastes from nonregenerable flue gas desulfurization systems. Untreated and treated wastes from seven different scrubbers at eastern and western plants, using lime, l...
This study prospectively assessed the outcome of 134 cemented titanium stems and serum ion levels. The stems were polished (0.1 μm Ra) with circular cross section. At the end point,...Full Text Available
''Climates of the Oceans'' deals with the atmosphere over the world oceans and provides a treatment not only of the climatic elements such as temperature, pressure, wind, precipitation etc., but also of the circulation of the atmosphere and its changes throughout the year. The connection between sea and overlying air is examined through studies of the water and heat balance. Numerous maps and tables illustrate the elements and their fluctuations over the water and on islands and coasts.
The overall objective of this project is to produce antibodies to unique modified DNA bases and develop immunochemical assays to quantitate these lesions in damaged DNA. During this past year we have developed an antibody and chemical test to quantitate a basic sites in DNA and produced antibodies to the 8-oxopurines. This report discusses the detection of a basic sites in DNA and the preparation of antibodies to 8-hydroxyadenine and 8-hydroxyguanine.
BackgroundIn recent years, much attention has been given to the spread of influenza around the world. With the continuing human outbreak of H5N1 beginning in 2003 and the H1N1 pandemic...Full Text Available
The DED, Department of the Wastes Studies, part of the Direction of the Nuclear Energy of the CEA, regroups knowledge in the domain of the chemistry, the biochemistry, the process measures and simulation engineering applied to the radioactive wastes management. This annual report presents for the year 2001 the missions, the organization, the scientific collaborations, the research programs and the publications of the Department. (A.L.B.)
The bioenergetic capacity of skeletal muscle in a 17-year-old patient with a severe defect in complex III of the electron transport chain has been examined by 31P NMR measurements of the molar ratio...Full Text Available
This work assesses the performance of a modified two-dimensional gamma scan system in spent fuel pin studies. The techniques for a two-dimensional gamma scan studied have been developed at the Hot Cell of Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER). Samples are acquired from the spent fuel pin, TPC-SP-C1, which was irradiated in a commercial reactor core (the first of its kind in Taiwan) for 2 years and then deposited in a cooling pool for 10 years. The spent fuel pin was then transferred into INER for further examination. The gamma scanning system was driven by a step motor which had an accuracy within 0.1 mm in both X-Y directions. Data obtained from this system are presented in both an isotopic distribution and contour plot. Results in this study closely correspond to those in other investigations, thereby confirming the effectiveness of this modified system. (author)
Guidelines and ground rules followed in the development of requirements for the SPS are presented. Development planning objectives are specified in each of these areas, and evolutionary SPS program scenarios are described for the various concepts studied during the past one year contract. Program descriptions are presented as planning packages of technical tasks, and schedule phasing. Each package identifies the ground based technology effort that will facilitate SPS definitions, designs, development, and operations.
Abstract Background- Vitiligo, characterized by destruction of melanocytes, causes a patchy depigmentation of the skin. It has been hypothesized to have an autoimmune pathogenesis. Autoimmune disorders are more common among women and may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as recurrent abortions, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and pre-eclampsia. Objective- The purpose of this study was to investigate whether patients with vitiligo have increased rates of gestational complications. Methods- A retrospective comparative study was undertaken comparing pregnancy complications of patients with and without vitiligo. The population was composed of all singleton deliveries that occurred at the Soroka University Medical Center in Israel during the years 1988-2006. Women lack...
Customer knowledge has become an important topic for both academicians and practitioners in recent years. However, there has been little academic research on the utilization of customer-specific knowledge. This study adds to our understanding in focusing on the relationships between various intra-organizational factors and customer knowledge utilization in the context of key account management. The results of the study show, that the use of teams, top management involvement, KAM formalization and CRM technology enhance the utilization of customer knowledge in the management of large industrial key account customers.
A study was conducted to examine the energy consumption in existing and new hog farming facilities and to analyse the potential for increased natural gas use in the Saskatchewan hog industry. Existing heating/cooling, ventilation and feed mill equipment choices offer possibilities for running on electricity, natural gas or propane. Energy costs are lowest when natural gas is used. To put the study in context, an overview of the Saskatchewan hog industry was provided. The potential increase in natural gas use in hog production by year 2005 was estimated. 10 refs., 6 tabs., 8 figs.
This paper describes the results obtained from two large experimental facilities built at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. FLAME (Flame Acceleration Measurements and Experiments) is a large horizontal rectangular channel designed to study flame acceleration, transition to detonation, simulation of combustion in containment geometries, component heating, and other problems in hydrogen combustion relevant to reactor safety. The Heated Detonation Tube has been designed to study detonations in hydrogen-air-steam mixtures. Both facilities have been in operation for just over a year. 12 figures.
This paper describes the results obtained from two large experimental facilities built at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. FLAME (Flame Acceleration Measurements and Experiments) is a large horizontal rectangular channel designed to study flame acceleration, transition to detonation, simulation of combustion in containment geometries, component heating, and other problems in hydrogen combustion relevant to reactor safety. The Heated Detonation Tube has been designed to study detonations in hydrogen-air-steam mixtures. Both facilities have been in operation for just over a year. 12 figures.
The objective of project is to derive the policy recommendations to improve the efficiency of CANDU plants regulation. These policy recommendations will eventually contribute to the upgrading of Korean nuclear regulatory system and safety enhancement. During the second phase of this 2 yearsstudy, following research activities were done. Review the technical basis and framework of the new Canadian Regulation System and IAEA. Analysis on the interview of Wolsung operation staffs to identify important safety issues and regulation problems experienced at operation. Providing a plan of CANDU regulation system enhancement program.
The study evaluates 160 cases of positive spermioculture taken from 522 sterile individuals examined by the authors at the Couple Sterility Outpatient unit in Department A of the Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Turin University during the period between January 1984 and December 1993. The germs responsible for infection were assayed in order to evaluate the strains which showed the highest incidence every year. Whereas there was no significant change in the absolute number of cases of sterility over the period, the number of cases caused by infection increased significantly during the second five-year period. It was found that the germs predominantly implicated in the genesis of male sterility formed part of the so-called mixed flora group, responsible in women for syndromes of often asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis which are not identified and consequently not treated. PMID:8559444
Background: Recent series describing the clinical presentation, response to therapy, and long-term outcome of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome are limited. Aims: To assess the clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Methods: Over a 20-year period, patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome were enrolled in a prospective trial evaluating the efficacy of lansoprazole. Following dose stabilization, patients were followed on a 6-monthly basis with interval history, physical examination, endoscopy with gastric biopsies, gastric acid analysis and laboratory studies. Results: 72 patients (mean age 54+/-12 years, % male 58%, % Caucasian 69%) were prospectively enrolled. The clinical presentation was stereotypical for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Symptoms ...
The bone mineral content of 109 lumbar vertebrae from 36 different subjects was determined by dual photon absorptiometry. The mean age of the subjects was 58.5 years (range, 31 to 79 years). The ultimate strength of the vertebral bodies was determined during axial compression. Bone mineral content and ultimate compressive strength were correlated (r = 0.86) and the strength was found to increase linearly with increasing amounts of bone mineral content. No differences in this correlation were found in the four vertebral levels (L-4) included in the study, but a difference in this correlation was found between specimens taken from male and female subjects. The results make it possible to estimate the strength of a vertebral body from the knowledge of its bone mineral content as determined by dual photon absorptiometry and provide a basis of estimations of normal and abnormal amounts of bone mineral content in the vertebrae of ...
The long-term health consequences of war service remain unclear, despite burgeoning scientific interest. A longitudinal cohort study of a random sample of Australian Vietnam veterans was designed to assess veterans' postwar physical and mental health 36 years after the war (2005-2006) and to examine its relation to Army service, combat, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessed 14 years previously (1990-1993). Prevalences in veterans (n = 450) were compared with those in the Australian general population. Veterans' Army service and data from the first assessments were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression prediction modeling. Veterans' general health and some health risk factors were poorer and medical consultation rates were higher than Australian population expectatio...
The report presents the results of a Gas Research Institute (GRI) program to evaluate the technical and economic aspects of design options proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for reducing the energy consumption of residential ranges and ovens as mandated by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) of 1987. The study shows that none of the proposed DOE design options are justified except electric ignition for stand-alone cooktops, based on life-cycle costs, loss of consumer utility, safety, technical considerations, or food quality considerations. An individual range uses so little gas during the year (approximately $14/year for a self-cleaning range) that it is difficult to justify any design modification, since the cost of even a simple modification could not be recovered on the basis of gas saved.
The prevalence of hepatic cysts is 0.1% to 0.5% based on autopsy studies, and 2.5% based on US examinations. Percutaneous therapies are a new alternative to surgery. They include simple percutaneous aspiration, catheter drainage alone, and catheter drainage with sclerotherapy. We present an 11-year-old boy admitted to hospital because of abdominal pain. A diagnosis of simple hepatic cyst was made, which was treated with aspiration and tetracycline hydrochloride solution (5%) injection into the cystic cavity. Complete regression was seen on US and MRI examination at 3 months, with total collapse and deflation of the cyst. The cyst regressed totally, leaving a hyperechoic linear scar on US examination at 1 year. On the basis of the clinical and imaging results obtained, percutaneous sclerotherapy of hepatic cysts can be recommended as the treatment of choice and as a valid alternative to laparoscopy in children. (orig.)
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has nearly a 40 year history of research and development in the field of nondestructive evaluation (NDE). One area of NDE expertise at PNNL is electromagnetic testing which includes a field of eddy current testing (ET). One benefit is that ET can typically be performed at high speeds, and as a result has found many applications in process monitoring and poduction lines. ET has been used in the nuclear, aerospace, and automotive industries for many years. Et technology lends itself well to the detection of near-surface or surface breaking defects such as surface scratches. This paper provides an overview of theory regarding the usage of ET, selected application studies performed by PNNL, a safety analysis, and a wrtie up pertaining to the operations of ET to detect surface scratches.
OBJECTIVE:- To determine the effectiveness and safety of short-term treatment of infliximab (IFX) in a group of Chinese patients with active Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS:- Patients with established diagnosis of active CD were treated with IFX intravenously with a dose of 5-mg/kg at week 0, 2, 6. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline (week 0) and every week after IFX infusion until 8 weeks after the induction dose. RESULTS:- Fourteen patients (nine male, five female) with a mean age of 29.7 years (range from 15 to 65 years) were included in the analysis. The mean subjective scores were decreased from 2.85--0.57 at baseline to 1.3--0.4 at week 14 (P-CONCLUSIONS:- Treatment with three infusions of IFX at a dose of 5-mg/kg was effective for induction of remission for active CD patie...
The issue of the duration of immunity, particularly for the modified live viral components of veterinary vaccines, has been a significant part of the recent vaccination debate. One manufacturer has increased the recommended booster interval for these components to 3 years give name and another now states `up to 4 years' immunity.There remain many unanswered questions regarding this duration of immunity (DOI). Studies suitable for data sheet claims are time consuming and costly and can only be performed in laboratory dogs under tightly controlled conditions. Evidence from rabies serology testing in the UK shows that the response of individual animals to routine vaccination is highly variable. Much of the published field evidence on the persistence of antibody titres originates from North Am...
Individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) depend on technology to meet their daily needs and form relationships. Speech generating devices (SGDs) are integral components of communication systems. Reliability of SGDs is critical for effective use in everyday life. This study examined the reliability of new SGDs and found that mean time to first failure was 42.7 (SD = 41.2) weeks and at least 40% required repairs within the first year of use. The components that most frequently broke down were touch screens, wiring, main boards, batteries, memory cards, and AC adaptors. The costs of repairing SGDs were analyzed. The clinical implications of device breakdown are identified for key stakeholders, including clients, families, service providers, funding agencies, and ma...
Statement of problem Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) titanium ceramic restorations were developed with the potential for replacing expensive, high noble metal ceramic restorations. However, there is a lack of information about the clinical performance of CAD/CAM titanium ceramic single crowns. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate CAD/CAM titanium ceramic single crowns after 3 years in function. Material and methods A total of 41 crowns were fabricated for 21 patients. The titanium copings were CAD/CAM milled (Everest CAD/CAM system) with an even thickness of 0.5 mm, and low-fusing veneering porcelain (Vita Titanium Porcelain) was added incrementally. The crowns were cemented using zinc phosphate cement after confirming that there were no mechanical...
Effect of different factors on survival of patients with Ewing sarcoma (20 people), primary bone reticulosarcoma (43) and myeloma (10) of pelvic bones, has been studied. Independently of the method of treatment, the rate of 3-year survival from reticulosarcoma start constituted (31.5+-7.1)%, Ewing sarcoma - (33.0+-10.8)%, myeloma - (36.0+-15.9)%. Index of 5-year survival in case of reticulosarcoma constituted (20.9+-6.4)%, Ewing sarcoma - (23.6+-11.0)%, myeloma - (36.0+-15.9)%. Improvement of delayed results after prophylactic therapy courses is pointed out. Degree of pelvic bone affection is of a very important prognostic value.
Abstract Papillary epithelial fragments (PEFs) are a rarely described architectural feature in cervicovaginal (Pap) smears. Morphologically, PEFs often consist of small, finely branching glandular tissue fragments with varying cytomorphology. This study identified 21 Pap smears (1978-2009) containing PEFs to determine the clinicopathologic significance of such findings. Patients ranged in age from 36 to 81 years (mean, 54 years). The Pap smear diagnoses consisted of 48% overt malignant neoplasms, 24% atypical fragments, and 28% benign entities. The papillary fragments featured a range of cytomorphologies consisting of benign features, mild to marked atypia, and overt malignancy. PEFs were more commonly found (57%) in specimens from patients with significant pathologic outcomes. Hence, the ...
Introduction: Restrictions in prescribing broad spectrum antimicrobials have been part of a strategy to reduce Clostridium difficile cases in the UK in recent years. However, there has been little work on assessing the safety of alternative antimicrobial agents. Methods: We performed an uncontrolled prospective observational survey over a 1-year period to determine the effectiveness and safety of a new antimicrobial stewardship programme in a district hospital in the UK. Results: In total, 227 Gram-negative bacteraemias (203 episodes) occurred in the study period. Guidelines were adequate in 194 of 203 (95%) episodes and 163 episodes (80.2%) received adequate therapy. Patients in the inadequate therapy group had >2-fold increased likelihood of death [odds ratio (OR) = 2.63, 95% confidence ...
This report describes progress during the first year of a three-year project. The objective of the research is to examine new design approaches for achieving very high conversion efficiencies. The program is divided into two areas. The first centers on exploring new thin-film approaches specifically designed for III-V semiconductors. The second area centers on exploring design approaches for achieving high conversion efficiencies without requiring extremely high quality material. Research activities consisted of an experimental study of minority carrier recombination in n-type, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-deposited GaAs, an assessment of the minority carrier lifetimes in n-GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy, and developing a high-efficiency cell fabrication process.
This report describes progress during the first year of a three-year project. The objective of the research is to examine new design approaches for achieving very high conversion efficiencies. The program is divided into two areas. The first centers on exploring new thin-film approaches specifically designed for III-V semiconductors. The second area centers on exploring design approaches for achieving high conversion efficiencies without requiring extremely high quality material. Research activities consisted of an experimental study of minority carrier recombination in n-type, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-deposited GaAs, an assessment of the minority carrier lifetimes in n-GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy, and developing a high-efficiency cell fabrication process.
In a retrospective single-centre study 170 consecutive patients were included who received a Kotz modular prosthesis after resection of bone tumours of the proximal femur to evaluate the management of prosthetic infection. Infection occurred in 12 of 166 patients available for follow-up (six males; six females; mean age, 47?years; range, ten to 75?years) after a mean of 39?months (range, one to 166?months; infection rate, 7.2%). Mean follow-up was 54?months (range, four to 200?months). One patient died of septic shock. Two patients were treated by wound revision only. Treatment of infection in the remaining patients was one-stage revision in eight and hip disarticulation in one. Infection control by one-stage revision was achieved in five of eight patients; re-infection occurred in three p...
Parents who contacted 1 of 15 children?s mental health agencies in Ontario, Canada reported on where and why they were seeking mental health services for their 4- to 17-year-old children. Parents contacted?an average of four agencies (?1.7; range?=?1?14) in the previous year. Approximately one-half of parents were looking for either multiple types of treatment, or help for different problems, across agencies. The complex pattern of help-seeking evidenced in our study likely increases the burden on the mental health care system and on families, and may reduce the likelihood that families will connect with the most appropriate treatment.
PurposeAlthough the safety and feasibility of partial adrenalectomy in patients with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome have been established, long-term outcomes have not been examined. In this study we evaluate the recurrence and functional outcomes in a von Hippel-Lindau syndrome cohort treated for pheochromocytoma with partial adrenalectomy with a followup of at least 5 years. Materials and MethodsWe reviewed the records of patients with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome treated with partial adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma at the National Cancer Institute. Demographic, germline mutation status, surgical indication, oncologic and functional outcome data were collected. Local recurrence was defined as radiographic evidence of recurrent tumor on the ipsilateral side of partial adrenalectomy. Patients ...
An economic evaluation is presented for the proposed plant for producing 11,414,000 gallons per year of fuel-grade alcohol from 150,000 tons of molasses. The project is economically attractive at a 1981 ethanol sales price of $2.00 per gallon, a 1981 molasses price of $85.00 per ton, and a plant capital investment of $27.45 MM. The evaluation description includes: investment, operating costs, revenues, and economic analysis. Included in appendices are detailed computer printouts for the following scenarios: the constant dollar, the uniform escalation, and the current dollar.
Purpose In literature, few papers compare different hemostatic devices in laparoscopic adrenalectomy. This sequential cohort study analyzes the outcomes of laparoscopic adrenalectomy performed by different hemostatic instruments, to evaluate if any of them has any advantage over the other and as secondary endpoints, the impact of body mass index (BMI) and tumor size on the indication, and the outcome of laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Methods Forty-six patients, aged 54.6???46?years, underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy over 5?years. Mean BMI was 27???4.8?kg/m2. Twenty-four patients had a left tumor, and 22 had a right one. Patients were divided into two groups according to the hemostatic device: Ultracision was used in 26 patients, and Ligasure was used in 20. Groups were well matched for his...
Background Little is known about the role of diet in the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). We explored the prospective relation of dietary patterns, food groups, and nutrients to incident VTE in older women. Methods In 1986, Iowa women aged 55 to 69 years completed a mailed survey, including a 127-item food frequency questionnaire. These data were linked to Medicare data from 1986 to 2004, and International Classification of Diseases discharge codes were used to identify hospitalized VTE cases. Cox regression analyses evaluated relations of 2 principal components?derived dietary patterns, 11 food groups, and 6 nutrients to VTE, adjusted for age, education, smoking status, physical activity, and energy intake. Results Over 19 years of follow-up, 1,950 of the 37,393 women develope...
Purpose Suprasellar meningiomas usually present with visual deterioration, including decreased visual acuity and/or visual field defects. Suprasellar meningiomas have a close relationship with the optic apparatus, arteries of the anterior circulation, pituitary stalk and hypothalamus, which makes safe surgical resection a challenge especially with dissection around an already compromised optic apparatus. In this report 21 patients operated on for a suprasellar meningioma over a 4-year period are reviewed. Postoperative outcome and visual recovery are evaluated, including analysis of its determinants. Methods Over a 4-year period (2002?2006), patients surgically treated for suprasellar meningiomas were included in this retrospective study. All tumors were located at the tuberculum sellae an...
AbstractBACKGROUND: The authors chose to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and incident colorectal cancer across the spectrum of BMI, including underweight persons, because detailed prospective cohort data on this topic in Asians is scarce, as is data on underweight persons (BMI, <18.5 kg/m2) in any population. METHODS: Analysis of the Singapore Chinese Health Study included 51,251 men and women aged 45-74 years enrolled in 1993-1998 and followed through 2007. Incident cancer cases and deaths among cohort members were identified through record linkage, and 980 cases were identified. Cox regression models were used to investigate the association of baseline BMI with risk of incident colorectal cancer during a mean of 11.5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: A significant, U-sha...
Water-based epoxy sealants were examined during a 2-year period to determine their effectiveness as barriers to radon release in uranium mines. Radon emanation rates from uranium ore samples were monitored for extended periods in the laboratory before and after sealant application. Reduction of radon flux due to the coating of lab samples was approximately 80 percent. Test chambers in a dormant uranium mine were monitored to determine both short and long-term barrier effectiveness. These field studies of the sealants indicated reductions greater than 50 percent relatively soon after application and nearly 75 percent more than 1 year later. An unexpected complication to early monitoring in the form of a large radon emanation increase, believed due to added moisture, is discussed.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the number of blood cultures collected and the appropriateness of care for suspected bacteremic community-acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) in the elderly. We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 129 patients with UTI >65?years old admitted to a large community-based training hospital in Japan from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2009. We assessed the association between the number of blood cultures collected and the appropriateness of care received, as well as other factors. Two-thirds of the patients were women, and patients >85?years old accounted for 45.0% of the cases. Most of the organisms isolated from the urine and blood were Escherichia coli (65.4?67.0%). More than two blood cultures were collected ...
Objective: To assess the efficacy, prospects and future of conservative management of beta thalassemia major patients in a developing country. Design: Patients registered at IHBTS were studied over a period of three years. They consented to being managed on moderate transfusion regimen, aiming to maintain a pre-transfusion haemoglobin(Hgb) level of 9.0 plus minus 1.0 g per dL. We studied their transfusion requirements, status for transfusion transmitted infections (TTls), serum ferritin levels and complications developing as a result of iron overload. Subjects: Initially all registered patients were included in this study. Sporadic patients as well as dropouts occurring due to any reason, (patients concurrently seeking treatment at other centres as well, or complying poorly to advised chelation therapy) were excluded from the study. The data presented here conforms to a cohort of 60 ...
Background. To determine total upper limb function following selective neck dissection over a mean follow-up of 1.6 years. Methods. A retrospective questionnaire study in a tertiary head and neck surgical unit. One hundred forty-eight patients who underwent selective neck dissection for head and neck cancer from January 2000 to December 2005 were invited to participate. The main outcome measure was ipsilateral upper limb dysfunction as measured by the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Results. Sixty-five patients responded to the invitation to join the study from 148 invited. Despite accessory nerve conserving surgery for all the selective neck dissections studied, 23% reported no upper limb dysfunction, 54% reported mild upper limb dysfunction, 15% reported modera...
A computer method that calculates tracheal cross-sectional area by compensating for partial volume averaging was developed and validated in a study with phantoms. The program was then used to determine the tracheal cross-sectional area of 30 normal children who ranged in age from four months to 18 years. CT-derived cross sections were correlated with age, height, weight, and body-surface area, and they were compared with findings of published clinical and post-mortem studies. CT cross-sectional areas ranged from 20 to 275 mm/sup 2/, varied by as much as 22% at the three different tracheal levels studied, and appeared to correlate most closely with body height. CT-derived tracheal cross-sectional areas are quite similar to those in published reports of postmortem and clinical studies. Measurements of tracheal cross section by CT may prove useful in quantitating tracheal compromise by ...
This report covers the second year of the 28 month grant current grant to Clarkson University to study the chemical and physical behavior of the polonium 218 atom immediately following its formation by the alpha decay of radon. Because small changes in size for activity result in large changes in the delivered dose per unit exposure, this behavior must be understood if the exposure to radon progeny and it dose to the cells in the respiratory tract are to be fully assessed. Two areas of radon progeny behavior are being pursued; laboratory studies under controlled conditions to better understand the fundamental physical and chemical process that affect the progeny`s atmospheric behavior and studies in actual indoor environments to develop a better assessment of the exposure of the occupants of that space to the size and concentration of the indoor radioactive aerosol. This report describes the progress ...
This report covers the second year of the 28 month grant current grant to Clarkson University to study the chemical and physical behavior of the polonium 218 atom immediately following its formation by the alpha decay of radon. Because small changes in size for activity result in large changes in the delivered dose per unit exposure, this behavior must be understood if the exposure to radon progeny and it dose to the cells in the respiratory tract are to be fully assessed. Two areas of radon progeny behavior are being pursued; laboratory studies under controlled conditions to better understand the fundamental physical and chemical process that affect the progeny's atmospheric behavior and studies in actual indoor environments to develop a better assessment of the exposure of the occupants of that space to the size and concentration of the indoor radioactive aerosol. This report describes the ...
Background and aimModification of low-density lipoprotein due to oxidative stress is essential in the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Data of specific carotenoids except b-carotene on cardioprotective effects in humans are limited. Methods and resultsThis study examined the associations between plasma concentrations of specific carotenoids and incidence of acute myocardial infarction. The study included 280 incident cases of acute myocardial infarction and 560 matched controls nested within the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a prospective cohort of 63,257 Chinese men and women aged 45-74 years old enrolled in 1993-1998 in Singapore. Retinol and carotenoids in prediagnostic plasma were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. High levels of plasma b-cryptoxanthin a...
"Pillar pain" is a relatively frequent complication after surgical release of the median nerve at the wrist. Its etiology still remains unknown although several studies highlight a neurogenic inflammation as a possible cause. Pillar pain treatment usually includes rest, bracing and physiotherapy, although a significant number of patients still complain of painful symptoms two or even three years after surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of low-energy, flux density-focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of pillar pain. We treated 40 consecutive patients with ESWT who had pillar pain for at least six months after carpal tunnel release surgery, and to our knowledge, this is the first study that describes the use of ESWT for treating this c...
To study the causes of agricultural declines in south-west Sweden, a multi-proxy study including pollen analysis, bog surface wetness indicators and aeolian sediment influx reconstructions was carried out on the Store Mosse Bog, situated on the coastal plain of Halland. Patterns of agricultural changes during the past 6,000?years from this study were compared to one additional site on the coastal plain (Undarsmosse Bog) and to four sites in the forested upland region. First, we compared land use activity on the coastal plain and in upland regions of south-west Sweden. Three periods with reduced agricultural activities were observed, primarily in records from the coastal plain. Next, the causes for these declines were studied by comparing land use indicators in the pollen records from the S...
Extensive epidemiological studies have been carried out in recent years to examine the possible effects of exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on the development of cancer. In some studies, both residential and occupational, a number of cancers, in particular leukaemia and brain cancer, have occurred at an increased incidence at higher levels of exposure. In general, however, no consistent and coherent pattern of results has been obtained and no clear evidence of a cancer risk has been demonstrated. A better understanding of any effect of electromagnetic fields on the development of cancer must await the results of more informative epidemiological studies and an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which these fields may interact with the body and their likely consequences. (author)
A systematic study of the effects of environmental factors on nylon 66 and Kevlar 29 strength degradation in parachute components is being conducted at Sandia National Laboratories. It includes: (1) accelerated aging studies in air, inert environments, humidity, ozone, and smog; (2) a 25-year surveillance program of parachutes in a variety of natural climatic environments; (3) moisture absorption as a function of humidity; (4) effects of surface coatings normally applied to parachutes; and (5) development of nondestructive evaluation techniques which can be used to map mechanical properties over the entire parachute surface. The accelerated aging and moisture absorption studies show that air, humidity, and smog contribute to degradation. Chemiluminescence, gas chromatographic pyrograms, and uv spectroscopy show promise as nondestructive evaluation techniques.
SummaryObjectiveTo assess the level of noise generated by music shops in an urban city in Nigeria. Study designCross-sectional, descriptive study. MethodologyThe study involved music shops in three out of eight identified clusters of market areas in Benin City. A semi-structured, researcher-administered questionnaire was also used to collect data from music shop owners. Noise levels generated by speakers in the music shops were measured using a sound level meter, and blood pressure measurements were taken with a mercury sphygmomanometer. ResultsOf the 250 music shops studied, more than 90.0% generated noise levels >85 dB, and 54.8% had a continuous pattern of noise. Longer duration of working years was significantly associated with decreased hearing (P = 0.01), shouting when talking (P = 0...
The utilization of health care services in children and adolescents with chronic benign pain was studied in a Dutch population sample of 254 chronic pain sufferers aged 0-18 years. Children and adolescents who had reported chronic pain (continuous or recurrent pain >3 months) in our previous prevalence study were asked to keep a 3-week diary on their pain and to fill out questionnaires on background factors, health care use and the impact of pain. Parent ratings were used for children aged 0-11 years, self-report was used in adolescents (12-18 years). In a 3-month period, in 53.4% of the cases medication was used for pain, and general practitioners and specialists were consulted for pain in 31.1% and 13.9% of subjects, respectively. Physiotherapists, psychologists and alternative health providers were visited by 11.5, 2.8, and 4.0%, respectively. In the preceding ...
The use of jojoba methyl ester as a pilot fuel was investigated for almost the first time as a way to improve the performance of dual fuel engine running on natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at part load. The dual fuel engine used was Ricardo E6 variable compression diesel engine and it used either compressed natural gas (CNG) or LPG as the main fuel and jojoba methyl ester as a pilot fuel. Diesel fuel was used as a reference fuel for the dual fuel engine results. During the experimental tests, the following have been measured: engine efficiency in terms of specific fuel consumption, brake power output, combustion noise in terms of maximum pressure rise rate and maximum pressure, exhaust emissions in terms of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, knocking limits in terms of maximum torque at onset of knocking, and cyclic variability data of 100 engine cycles in terms of maximum pressure and its pressure rise rate average and standard ...
During the weekend of September 2--3, 1984, a part of the wooden spillway for Steed Pond gave way and the pond slowly drained. Consideration is being given to leaving Steed Pond dry. Steed Pond has accumulated some of the uranium discharged from 300 Area operations and past surveys have shown that the uranium concentration in the sediments ranges between 20 and 531 pCi/gm. The recently completed aerial survey of the exposed area of Steed Pond showed that the uranium was widely spread in the sediments of Steed Pond. Until ground cover is established over the exposed pond sediments, they will be subject to erosion. As much as 90 tons of sediment could be eroded from the exposed sediments in Steed Pond the first year, but the erosion could be reduced to 5--15 tons by establishing a ground cover such as rye grass. Only about 40% of the eroded sediment would be delivered to Upper Three Runs Creek, because most of the eroded sediment deposited before it reaches Upper ...
Application of greenwaste compost to brownfield land is increasingly common in soil and landscape restoration. Previous studies have demonstrated both beneficial and detrimental effects of this material on trace element mobility. A pot experiment with homogenised soil/compost investigated distribution and mobility of trace elements, two years after application of greenwaste compost mulch to shallow soils overlying a former alkali-works contaminated with Pb, Cu and As (#approx#900, 200 and 500 mg kg"-"1, respectively). Compost mulch increased organic carbon and Fe in soil pore water, which in turn increased As and Sb mobilization; this enhanced uptake by lettuce and sunflower. A very small proportion of the total soil trace element pool was in readily-exchangeable form (<0.01% As, <0.001% other trace elements), but the effect of compost on behaviour of metals was variable and ambiguous. It is concluded that greenwaste compost should be ...
A population of male civil servants in Rome, Italy, was investigated to determine the prevalence of symptomatic and asymptomatic gallstone disease. Field activities started in December, 1982 and were concluded in July, 1984. Diagnosis was made using real-time ultrasonography. Participation in the study was 71.5%. Prevalence of gallstone disease was 8.2% and increased with age from 2.3% in the 20- to 25-year-old age group to 14.4% in the 60- to 69-year-old age group, based on both presence of gallstones and history of cholecystectomy. About one-third of the subjects with gallstone disease had previously been submitted to cholecystectomy. Only 7.7% of the subjects with presence of gallstones complained of at least one episode of biliary pain in the preceding 5 years. Frequency of "minor" dyspeptic symptoms was not different between men with and those without gallstones. PMID:3391519
The purpose of organization and management development activities in the commercial nuclear power industry is to foster high levels of power plant performance and safety through improved human performance. The NRC has been working to develop assessment tools to assay the effects of organizational factors on plant safety. The utility industry has been working on initiatives targeting individual accountability, the improvement of plant performance and the elimination of the items identified through the NRC assessment process. Organization and management activities do not focus on industry organizational charts, but on the personnel processes and dimensions (factors) that affect safety and economic performance. As individual terms these activities are often combined and referred to as organizational factors. As an area of study, organizational factors has become more prominent as the industry emphasis has switched in recent years from hardware ...
Over a 5-year period (1976-1980) 499 patients with non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours were included in the Danish Testicular Carcinoma Study (DATECA). The 3-year crude survival for patients in clinical stages I, II and III was 91, 77 and 45 per cent, respectively. In stage I the relapse-free survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival was observed. For stage II patients maintenance chemotherapy following radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine did not improve relapse-free or crude survival. The survival of patients with non-seminomatous tumours improved significantly during the ...
Over a 5-year period (1976-1980) 499 patients with non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours were included in the Danish Testicular Carcinoma Study (DATECA). The 3-year crude survival for patients in clinical stages I, II and III was 91, 77 and 45 per cent, respectively. In stage I the relapse-free survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival was observed. For stage II patients maintenance chemotherapy following radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine did not improve relapse-free or crude survival. The survival of patients with non-seminomatous tumours improved significantly during the ...
This study was performed to assess the possibility that patient age may independently affect improvements in health-related quality of life following percutaneous coronary intervention. One hundred five patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention at a single tertiary referral center between January 10, 2001 and January 6, 2002 were enrolled and prospectively evaluated. Health-related quality of life was assessed before and 1 year following percutaneous coronary intervention using Short Form-12 and the Seattle Angina Questionnaire. For the purpose of analysis, patients were divided according to age (younger than 60, 60-70, and older than 70 years). One hundred patients (95%) completed both questionnaires. Baseline characteristics among the age groups were similar in terms of gender, cardiac risk factors, and procedural details. All health-related quality-of-life indices demonstrated improvements with at ...
Percutaneous coronary revascularisation [PCR] improves angina and health related quality of life [HRQOL] compared to standard medical therapy. It is unknown whether PCR has the same benefits for patients with a history of CABG. Over a period of 5?years, we assessed HRQOL of patients undergoing PCR using Part 1 of the Nottingham Health Profile [NHP] at baseline 3, 12 and 24?months. We compared HRQOL after PCR in 255 patients with CABG to 2680 without. There were more males [81.1% v 69.6% p?=?0.002] and older patients [mean age 60.1?years v. 58.0 p?=?0.03] in CABG group. Perceived HRQOL improved at 24?months for pain, energy and emotional reaction but the improvement was less in the CABG group. However, mean NHP scores at 24?months for those with CABG had returned to baseline levels for slee...
A survey has been made in relation with the improvement project intended of energy conservation, and reduction of global warming gas emission at the Bobovdol thermal power plant located in the suburb of Sofia, the capital of the Republic of Bulgaria. The existing Bobovdol power plant having a total capacity of 630 MW with three generators is a coal burning thermal power plant having been used already for 23 to 27 years, hence over-aged. The survey has discussed an improvement project of scrap-and-build type to make the plant a high-efficiency gas combined cycle power plant using gas turbines. The project calls for building 210-MW gas combined power generation facilities having 70-MW gas turbines, one each in three stages in 2007, 2012 and 2017. As a result of the discussions, the fuel consumption reducing rate was found to reach 37.99%, whereas the cumulative energy saving quantity in 41 years will reach 16.37 million tons of fuel oil ...
The temperature elevations in anatomically based human phantoms of an adult and a 3-year-old child were calculated for radio-frequency whole-body exposure. Thermoregulation in children, however, has not yet been clarified. In the present study, we developed a computational thermal model of a child that is reasonable for simulating body-core temperature elevation. Comparison of measured and simulated temperatures revealed thermoregulation in children to be similar to that of adults. Based on this finding, we calculated the body-core temperature elevation in a 3-year-old child and an adult for plane-wave exposure at the basic restriction in the international guidelines. The body-core temperature elevation in the 3-year-old child phantom was 0.03 deg. C at a whole-body-averaged specific absorption rate of 0.08 W kg{sup -1}, which was 35% smaller than in the adult female. This difference is attributed to ...
Objectives To clarify the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition in Japanese women aged 18?40?years with low forearm BMD. Methods The subjects were Japanese199 women who had been selected for inclusion in the study based on a low forearm BMD determined at the Annual Women?s Health Examination. The subjects? mean (? standard deviation) age, body height, body weight, and body mass index (BMI) were 33.5 (?4.3) years, 158.1 (?5.1) cm, 49.6 (?5.7) kg, and 19.8 (?2.1), respectively. The BMD of the lumbar spine, total body, and left arm were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Fat mass (FM), bone-free lean tissue mass (LTM), and body fat percentage (BF%) were measured simultaneously with DXA. Results In the structural equation model, the standardiz...
Brain development during the first year of life was assessed quantitatively using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images constructed from diffusion-weighted MR image data. The imaging plane was coronal at the section of the pons. The cerebral peduncle, internal capsule, corona radiata, superior longitudinal fasciculus and thalamus were selected for evaluation of their ADC values. A diffusion sensitive gradient was added in the anteroposterior direction. Thus the orientation of nerve fibers in the cerebral peduncle, internal capsule and corona radiata was perpendicular to it, and that in the superior longitudinal fasciculus was parallel to it. In neonates, the cerebral peduncle and internal capsule, having been moderately myelinated at birth, showed the slowest diffusion. The corona radiata and superior longitudinal fasciculus, having been unmyelinated at birth, showed the fastest diffusion. The thalamus had intermediate diffusion. These neonatal diffusions ...
The unique time scales associated with nuclear waste management require active work to preserve the knowledge associated with programs that can often span long time frames. For example, repository programs are designed and developed for the safe containment of radionuclides with half-lives on the order of 24,000 years (for Pu-239). Performance assessment studies are required to show, by predictive modeling, that these repositories can safely contain the waste for tens of thousands of years, with one million years a reality in the debate. Development of successful repository programs can span several decades. Once operational, a repository is expected to function until closure for a period of 30 to 40 years. Yet, the decision makers at all levels in such a repository program exert influence and authority over much shorter periods of time (e.g., four years for ...
The OASIS Registry started annual collection of longitudinal data on patients on home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in 1984. This report describes outcome profiles on 1594 HPN patients in seven disease categories. Analysis showed clinical outcome was principally a reflection of the underlying diagnosis. Patients with Crohn's disease, ischemic bowel disease, motility disorders, radiation enteritis, and congenital bowel dysfunction all had a fairly long-term clinical outcome, whereas those with active cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had a short-term outcome. The long-term group had a 3-year survival rate of 65 to 80%, they averaged 2.6 complications requiring hospitalization per year, and 49% experienced complete rehabilitation. The short-term group had a mean survival of 6 months; they averaged 4.6 complications per year and about 15% experienced complete rehabilitation. The registry data also indicated HPN ...
During the past few years, the dual role that ozone plays in climate change has been becoming increasingly obvious. First, continuous thinning of the ozone layer has been evident, even in the high and middle latitudes in the northern hemisphere. Secondly, ozone is also a greenhouse gas, affecting radiative transfer. Increases in tropospheric ozone have a positive forcing, whereas decreases in stratospheric ozone cause a negative forcing. During the last six years, measurements on total ozone and the vertical distribution of ozone have been performed at the Sodankylae Observatory. At Jokioinen Observatory, measurements on total ozone have been performed since 1990 and measurements on the vertical distribution of ozone since 1993. The overall project has focused on extending the national data series on total ozone and the vertical distribution of ozone. At the same time, the study has contributed to the ...
The European Commission recently has adopted a new European Strategy for Environment and Health focusing on the growing concern over the adverse health effects caused by environmental pollution. Based on the results of various studies carried out in recent years polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and PCBs are playing an important role in this strategy. In view of the enlargement of the European Union (EU) to include Candidate Countries (CCs) the Commission stressed the need to involve the Candidate Countries from an early stage on in the development of such a strategy. Thus two studies have been commissioned which are particularly directed to provide a) an overview on environmental levels and human exposure of dioxins and PCBs and b) an harmonised PCDD/F emission inventory for the target matrices air, water and land The latter study, entitled ''Dioxin Emissions in Candidate ...
Instrumentation research to study the feasibility of using optical data processing techniques to solve real-time pattern recognition problems for high energy physics experiments is now in its second year. During the past year, a prototype optical processor for use in BNL Experiment 702 was conceived and designed, using test data from the experiment and simulating the optical processor in the computer. A number of technical studies have been made, mostly relating to the selection of the optical filter for the processor. Comparisons between natural and synthetic holograms, both bleached and unbleached, have been made. We conclude from these tests that the kinoform, a computer-generated phase hologram, is the optimal choice for this processor. A new method for producing the kinoform has been tried by this group with encouraging results. The optical design for the prototype processor is complete, and the ...
A study in northeast Germany has shown that the establishment of short rotation coppices (SRC) of Robinia pseudoacacia L. may be a viable option for improving farmers income on marginal soils. The plantations produce woody biomass at a fast rate for energy use. Carbon is accumulated in the harvestable biomass, as well as in the stump and the roots. These plant compartments form a long-term carbon storage pool because they can survive a harvest, stay vital at the site and continue to grow as the plant ages. As organic litter decomposes, additional carbon is sequestered under SRC as soil organic carbon. The carbon sequestration in SRC of R. pseudoacacia on mining sites within the Lower Lusatian region in northeast Germany was studied and the results were complemented with findings of current field studies conducted on reclaimed mine sites. The average above ground dry matter productivity of R. pseudoacacia was found to be 3 ...
NGC 2770 has been the host of three supernovae of Type Ib during the last 10 years, SN 1999eh, SN 2007uy and SN 2008D. SN 2008D attracted special attention due to the serendipitous discovery of an associated X-ray transient. In this paper, we study the properties of NGC 2770 and specifically the three SN sites to investigate whether this galaxy is in any way peculiar to cause a high frequency of SNe Ib. We model the global SED of the galaxy from broadband data and derive a star-formation and SN rate comparable to the values of the Milky Way. We further study the galaxy using longslit spectroscopy covering the major axis and the three SN sites. From the spectroscopic study we find subsolar metallicities for the SN sites, a high extinction and a moderate star-formation rate. In a high resolution spectrum, we also detect diffuse interstellar bands in the line-of-sight towards SN 2008. A comparison of NGC ...
Femoral head vitality before, during and at various intervals from the operation was determined by tetracycline labeling and/or _9_9 sp (m)Tc-MDP scintimetry. In a three-year follow-up, healing prognosis could be determined by scintimetry 3 weeks from operation; deficient femoral head vitality predicting healing complications and retained vitality predicting uncomplicated healing. A comparison between pre- and postoperative scintimetry indicated that further impairment of the femoral head vitality could be caused by the operative procedure, and as tetracycline labeling prior to and after fracture reduction in 370 fractures proved equivalent, it was concluded that the procedure of osteosynthesis probably was responsible for capsular vessel injury, using a four-flanged nail. The four-flanged nail was compared with a low-traumatic method of osteosynthesis, two hook-pins, in a prospective randomized 14 month study, and the postoperative femoral ...
A project on the title is a special study of TRC (Technology Research Center) Japan National Oil Corporation, which aims at developing a system collecting many data near well bottom while drilling. The project is a 3-year project from 1993 to 1995 succeeding to results of a project on real-time drilling control technology which was finished in fiscal 1992. This paper is a record in fiscal 1993. In 1993, the first year, TRC starts a joint study with relational enterprises aiming at utilizing an EM-MWD (electromagnetic-measurement while drilling) system practically. Based on the past fruit of the study, the EM-MWD system was applied to an highly inclined well or a horizontal well. A total system was constructed, which improved electromagnetic radiation transmission efficiency, and reliability, and workability. An electromagnetic radiation receiver system for an offshore drilling rig ...
'The primary objective of this research project is to acquire a deeper fundamental knowledge of acoustic cavitation and cavitation chemistry, and in doing so, to ascertain how ultrasonic irradiation can be more effectively applied to environmental problems. Four on-going projects will be described in this progress report, The first project is the destruction of carbofuran in a Near-Field Acoustical Processor (NAP), and the hydrodynamic characterization of the reactor. The second project is a comprehensive study of how ultrasonic frequency influences sonochemical reaction rates; the substrate it, the preliminary portion of this study has been hydrogen peroxide formation. The third project in progress is destruction of four polychlorinated biphenyls at 20 kHz. Work so far has been at 20 kHz, but the most significant portion of this project will involve a multi-frequency (ultrasonic frequency) study. Finally, the ...
AGILE pointed observations performed from July 9, 2007 to October 30, 2009 are a recent, high quality gamma-ray data archive for monitoring studies of medium to high brightness gamma-ray sources in the 30 MeV -50 GeV energy range. We present a variability study of the 1AGL sources over the complete AGILE pointed Observation Blocks (OBs) dataset. The first AGILE Gamma-Ray Imaging Detector (GRID) catalog (Pittori et al. 2009) included a significance-limited (4 sigma) sample of 47 sources (1AGL), detected with a conservative analysis over a first-year non-uniform sky coverage dataset. In this analysis we used data of an improved full Field of View (FOV) event filter, on a much larger (about 27.5 months) observation dataset, analyzing each OB separatedly. This data processing resulted in an improved source list as compared to the 1AGL one. We present here some results on the variability of some of these sources.
A developed flue gas desulfurization and dust removal process with a cross-flow moving bed filled with activated coke (AC) was tested on a pilot scale with the gas treatment capacity of 1000 mg x h(-t). The results show that a easy-operating and stable-running pilot-scale testing equipment can be reached, and under the conditions of testing space velocity, the feed gas temperature of 120 degrees C, SO2 concentrations of 3232-6006 mg x m(-3) and dust concentration of 89.3-1599.7 mg x m(-3), the high efficiency of flue gas desulfurization and dust removal is reached with the purity of dust less than 50 mg x m(-3). In the technology, the spent AC was regenerated by heating, and the SO2 concentration in the desorption gas is about 40.1%, which can be efficiently recovered as a sulfur resource. Favorable economy benefit can be reached by using the process. PMID:16850821
The US Department of Energy is currently constructing the Waste Isolation Pilot near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The full-scale pilot plant will demonstrate the feasibility of the safe disposal of defense-related nuclear waste in a bedded salt formation at a depth of 2160 feet below the surface. WIPP will provide for the permanent storage of 25,000 cu ft of remote-handled (RH) transuranic waste and 6,000,000 cu ft of contact-handled (CH) transuranic waste. This paper covers the major mechanical/structural design considerations for the waste hoist and its hoist tower structure. The design of the hoist system and safety features incorporates state-of-the-art technology developed in the hoist and mining industry to ensure safe operation for transporting nuclear waste underground. Also included are design specifications for VOC-10 monitoring system.
A hydrogen peroxide injection system was designed and installed in the stack of a 5,274 million J/hr industrial pilot plant scale combustion chamber using natural gas as fuel. The concentration of peroxide in the gas stream was precisely controlled by continuous injection using an electromagnetic dosage pump, the liquid 50% peroxide solution was finely dispersed into the gases by a water cooled custom designed delivery system with a spray nozzle at the tip. Residence times between 0.1 and 1.8 seconds and concentrations of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} between 280 ppm and 4,000 ppm were used during the test runs. CEMS for total hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, as well as an ultrasonic gas flow monitor were used to measure the effect of hydrogen peroxide in reducing the emissions of these pollutants. Destruction removal efficiencies between 25% and 100% were observed for hydrocarbons, and concentrations of CO, as well as NO{sub x}. were reduced about 50%. The ...
In Sweden, spent nuclear fuel will be encapsulated and placed in a deep geological repository. In this procedure, reliable and accurate spent fuel data such as discharge burnup, cooling time and residual heat must be available. The gamma scanning method was proposed in earlier work as a fast and reliable method for the experimental determination of such spent fuel data. This thesis is focused on the recent achievements in the development of a pilot gamma scanning system and its application in measuring spent fuel residual heat. The achievements include the development of dedicated spectroscopic data-acquisition and analysis software and the use of a specially designed calorimeter for calibrating the gamma scanning system. The pilot system is described, including an evaluation of the performance of the spectrum analysis software. Also described are the gamma-scanning measurements on 31 spent PWR fuel assemblies performed using the ...
In Sweden, spent nuclear fuel will be encapsulated and placed in a deep geological repository. In this procedure, reliable and accurate spent fuel data such as discharge burnup, cooling time and residual heat must be available. The gamma scanning method was proposed in earlier work as a fast and reliable method for the experimental determination of such spent fuel data. This thesis is focused on the recent achievements in the development of a pilot gamma scanning system and its application in measuring spent fuel residual heat. The achievements include the development of dedicated spectroscopic data-acquisition and analysis software and the use of a specially designed calorimeter for calibrating the gamma scanning system. The pilot system is described, including an evaluation of the performance of the spectrum analysis software. Also described are the gamma-scanning measurements on 31 spent PWR fuel assemblies performed using the ...
A geologic sequestration pilot in the Thornton gas field in Northern California, USA involves injection of up to 4000 tons of CO{sub 2} into a stacked gas and saline formation reservoir. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is leading the pilot test in collaboration with Rosetta Resources, Inc. and Calpine Corporation under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy and California Energy Commission's WESTCARB, Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership. The goals of the pilot include: (1) Demonstrate the feasibility of CO{sub 2} storage in saline formations representative of major geologic sinks in California; (2) Test the feasibility of Enhanced Gas Recovery associated with the early stages of a CO{sub 2} storage project in a depleting gas field; (3) Obtain site-specific information to improve capacity estimation, risk assessment, and performance prediction; (4) Demonstrate and test methods for ...
Looking at some of the national and international developments in hydrogen technology it becomes clear which important contributions the hydrogen technology oriented activities of the EU have helped to prepare and trigger: (a) Transport Energy Strategy (TES): This initiative of 7 major German automobile and mineral oilcompanies is aimed at an industrial consensus on one or two gasoline alternative fuels, which are to be presented to the German Ministry of Transport. An intermediate trend is that hydrogen may become the fuel of choice. (b) BMW: The Bayerischen Motorenwerke have already very early exposed themselves to the vehicle and component development of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel, focussing on a strategy from CNG to LNG and LH{sub 2}. (c) Opel and GM: Opel has recently announced they have chosen hydrogen as the primary long term fuel for their fuel cell vehicles to be commercialized starting in 2004. (d) CFCP: The California Fuel Cell Partnership with partners from industry and ...
An average of 9 million gallons per day of oil-contaminated ballast water off loaded from tankers are treated at the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company Ballast Water Treatment Facility at the terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in Port Valdez, Alaska. This paper focuses on the results of 2 Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council monitoring programs which detail changes in the chemical composition of treated ballast water as it moves from tankers through the facility and subsequently traces the effluent hydrocarbons into the receiving environment of Port Valdez. The treatment facility involves gravity separation tanks, dissolved air flotation cells and biological treatment tanks. Effluent containing traces of volatile aromatics, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes, low levels of oil, saturated hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is being continuously discharged to Port Valdez. Because of the extremely large average flow rate, low ...
This study is a task of ''Comprehensive study'' in ''nuclear energy basic technology research'', which is promoted under cooperation of four research institutes. The Electrotechnical Laboratory conducted, in 1991 in the first period of colaboration, on successful oscillation at visible region (598 nm) as the first case in Japan, construction of small type accumulation ring NIJI-IV for FEL, successful oscillation of visible range from 595 to 488 nm by installing optical krystron with maximum frequency in the world, and successful emittance lowering of accumulation beam by wide improvement of the ring. In the optical resonator, studies on minute loss measuring technique and on recovery from mirror deterioration were promoted. In the second period started from fiscal year of 1994, studies on FEL oscillation technique in short wavelength and upgrading of FEL corresponding to a frontier ...
The population of U.S. Department of Defense military working dogs provides an opportunity to study the lifetime occurrence of neoplasia in 2 breeds of dogs--the German Shepherd Dog and the Belgian Malinois. Medical records were reviewed for all dogs that died or were euthanized in 1992 (135 German Shepherd Dogs and 106 Belgian Malinois). Histologically confirmed neoplasms were recorded. More than 30% of both breeds (41 German Shepherd Dogs and 33 Belgian Malinois) developed at least 1 primary neoplasm during their lives, with 10% developing more than 1 neoplasm. Nearly 57% of the neoplasms were benign, and approximately 43% were malignant. German Shepherd Dogs lived 9.7 years, on average, and Belgian Malinois lived 7.9 years, on average. Of the dogs that developed any neoplasm, Belgian Malinois had a mean age at 1st diagnosis that was 1.1 years younger and a mean age at 1st diagnosis of malignancy that ...
Background: Some former retrospective studies have suggested that patients with Ewing's sarcoma might have a very high risk for developing secondary sarcomas if treated with radiotherapy. We have evaluated the risk of second malignancies (SM) in patients treated in the German Cooperative Ewing's Sarcoma Studies CESS 81 and CESS 86. Materials and methods: From January 1981 through June 1991, a total number of 674 patients was registered in the two multicentric Ewing's sarcoma trials CESS 81 (1981 through 1985) and CESS 86 (1986 through June 1991). The systemic treatment consisted in both studies of a four-drug-chemotherapy (VACA= vincristine, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and adriamycin; or VAIA= vincristine, actinomycin D, ifosfamide and adriamycin) and a total number of four courses, each lasting nine weeks, was recommended by the protocol. Local therapy was either complete surgery or surgery plus postoperative ...
Optimum processing parameters were searched for the pilot-scale production of wood-polyester composites by irradiation of resin-impregnated wood material. The radiation initiation of the following systems were examined in wood and without wood matrix: methyl methacrylate, mixture of styrene and acrylonitryle, and their combination with unsaturated polyester. In the most cases the over-all rate of the complete polymerization process in wood matrix is proportional to the square root of the initiation rate. The parameters of the radiation technology of wood-polyester composites have been determined, using 260 TBq (7 kCi) "6"0Co radiation source. A pilot plant has been constructed using an underwater irradiation system of 1.85 PBq (50 kCi) "6"0Co. The successful production rate of 200 kg wood-polyester composite per day, as well as the application tests have demonstrated the technical feasibility of this new structural material. (author).
Before disposing of transuranic radioactive wastes in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) must evaluate compliance with applicable long-term regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sandia National Laboratories is conducting iterative performance assessments of the WIPP for the DOE to provide interim guidance while preparing for final compliance evaluations. This volume contains an overview of WIPP performance assessment and a preliminary comparison with the long-term requirements of the Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (40 CFR 191, Subpart B).
The influence of engine operating variables on the performance, emissions and heat release in a compression ignition engine operating in normal diesel and dual-fuel modes (with natural gas fuelling) was investigated. Substantial reductions in NO{sub x} emissions were obtained with dual-fuel engine operation. There was a corresponding increase in unburned hydrocarbon emissions as the substitution of natural gas was increased. Brake specific energy consumption decreased with natural gas substitution at high loads but increased at low loads. Experimental results at fixed pilot injection timing have also established the importance of intake manifold pressure and temperature in improving dual-fuel performance and emissions at part load. (Author)
The fundamental points to be considered in a waste treatment system for a country like Japan, where the final disposal method has not been decided and the wastes have to be stored in the power plants, are volume reduction of the wastes, safe storage of the wastes in the plant, and flexibility regarding the final disposal. A system has been developed that consists of a thin film evaporator for the direct solidification of the liquid waste, a pelletizer for producing hard pellets from the powdered wastes, a pellet storage unit, and a solidification unit for the final disposal. A pilot plant with waste treatment capacity of 200 kg/h was built in 1976 and has proved the system feasibility. This paper reports on pilot plant tests of the thin film evaporator and other components, tests on pellet deterioration during long term storage, and integrity tests on the final disposal of the pellet bitumen package.
The fundamental points to be considered in a waste treatment system for a country like Japan, where the final disposal method has not been decided and the wastes have to be stored in the power plants, are volume reduction of the wastes, safe storage of the wastes in the plant, and flexibility regarding the final disposal. A system has been developed that consists of a thin film evaporator for the direct solidification of the liquid waste, a pelletizer for producing hard pellets from the powdered wastes, a pellet storage unit, and a solidification unit for the final disposal. A pilot plant with waste treatment capacity of 200 kg/h was built in 1976 and has proved the system feasibility. This paper reports on pilot plant tests of the thin film evaporator and other components, tests on pellet deterioration during long term storage, and integrity tests on the final disposal of the pellet bitumen package.
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded contracts to Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining Co. and to Southern Company to design plants for the conversion of 6000 tons/day of coal by two variations of the Solvent Refined Coal (SRC) process The Federal research effort is focused on direct liquefaction by hydrogen addition, including the SRC process; the Exxon Donor Solvent (EDS) process, for which Exxon Corp. plans to scale up technology to a 250 ton/day pilot plant; and Hydrocarbon Research Inc.'s H-Coal process, for which a 2000 bbl/day pilot plant is under construction. The roles of other companies in the coal liquefaction research are also discussed.
Conversion of Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory radioactive sodium-bearing waste into a single solid waste form by evaporation was demonstrated in both flask-scale and pilot-scale agitated thin film evaporator tests. A sodium-bearing waste simulant was adjusted to represent an evaporator feed in which the acid from the distillate is concentrated, neutralized, and recycled back through the evaporator. The advantage to this flowsheet is that a single remote-handled transuranic waste form is produced in the evaporator bottoms without the generation of any low-level mixed secondary waste. However, use of a recycle flowsheet in sodium-bearing waste evaporation results in a 50% increase in remote-handled transuranic volume in comparison to a non-recycle flowsheet.
Two inactive tracer techniques for determination of the decontamination factor (DF) of evaporation plants for radioactive waste water are described. One method was used for determination of the DF of an one stage pilot plant. The elements Mg, Cd and Co were employed as tracers. The analyses were performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The measurements being fast and simple are especially advantageous with test series in pilot plants. In the second method activation analysis was used for measurement of the tracer to determine the DF of a two stage evaporation plant. Europium is added to the stock solution in a concentration of 70 ppm only. With this method a DF of up to 3 . 10"8 can still be determined. (Auth.).
In this work, long-term operation of a pilot scale mixed anaerobic reactor processing crude glycerol and rapeseed meal is discussed. These materials are generated as by-products of biodiesel production. Mixed reactor was operated under mesophilic conditions for the period of 654 days. Total cumulative production of biogas reached 379 m3 (at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature). Maximum volumetric loading achieved during the operation was 2.17 kg m?3 d?1 for the crude glycerol dose of 2 L. When dosing crude glycerol as a single substrate, average specific production of biogas of 0.76 m3 per L of the g-phase was achieved. The lack of nutrients in the g-phase had to be compensated by an addition of ammonium nitrogen in the form of urea into the reactor. Long term processing of crude ...
On March 31, 1995, the US Department of Energy filed a draft application for certification of compliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to show the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's compliance with the USEPA's environmental standards, making the application the first of its kind. Demonstration of compliance is by performance assessment. This paper is an early review of the performance assessment in the draft application, by the Environmental Evaluation Group, an oversight group. The performance assessment in the draft application is incomplete. Not all relevant scenarios have been analyzed. The calculation of potential consequences often does not use experimental data but rather estimates by workers developing additional data. The final compliance application, scheduled for October 1996 needs to consider additional scenarios, and be fully based on experimental data.
A validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer code, ICRKFLO, was used to investigate the scale-up effects on the coke yields of thermal cracking riser factors. Comparisons were made for calculated coke yields of pilot- and commercial-scales riser units. Computational results show that the riser aspect ratio, reaction temperature, particle residence time, and particle/oil ratio have major impacts on the coke yield. A computational experiment was conducted to determine optimal operating conditions for a conceptual design of a commercial-scale riser unit. This experiment showed that the performance loss in scale-up from pilot to commercial scale may be almost completely recovered through optimizing the operating conditions after scale-up using the CFD simulations as a guide.