Tradeoff Analysis for Combat Service Support Wireless Communications Alternatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burnette, John R.; Thibodeau, Christopher C.; Greitzer, Frank L.

2002-02-28

As the Army moves toward more mobile and agile forces and continued sustainment of numerous high-cost legacy logistics management systems, the requirement for wireless connectivity and a wireless network to supporting organizations has become ever more critical. There are currently several Army communications initiatives underway to resolve this wireless connectivity issue. However, to fully appreciate and understand the value of these initiatives, a Tradeoff Analysis is needed. The present study seeks to identify and assess solutions. The analysis identified issues that impede Interim Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) communication system integration and outlined core requirements for sharing of logistics data between the field and Army battle command systems. Then, the analysis examined wireless communication alternatives as possible solutions for IBCT logistics communications problems. The current baseline system was compared with possible alternatives involving tactical radio systems, wireless/near term digital radio, cellular satellite, and third-generation (3G) wireless technologies. Cellular satellite and 3G wireless technologies offer clear advantages and should be considered for later IBCTs.

Enhancing the discussion of alternatives in EIA using principle component analysis leads to improved public involvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamijo, Tetsuya; Huang, Guangwei

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to show the effectiveness of principle component analysis (PCA) as a method of alternatives analysis useful for improving the discussion of alternatives and public involvement. This study examined public consultations by applying quantitative text analysis (QTA) to the minutes of meetings and showed a positive correlation between the discussion of alternatives and the sense of public involvement. The discussion of alternatives may improve public involvement. A table of multiple criteria analysis for alternatives with detailed scores may exclude the public from involvement due to the general public's limited capacity to understand the mathematical algorithm and to process too much information. PCA allowed for the reduction of multiple criteria down to a small number of uncorrelated variables (principle components), a display of the merits and demerits of the alternatives, and potentially made the identification of preferable alternatives by the stakeholders easier. PCA is likely to enhance the discussion of alternatives and as a result, lead to improved public involvement.

Demonstration of risk-based decision analysis in remedial alternative selection and design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, E.K.; Duffield, G.M.; Massmann, J.W.; Freeze, R.A.; Stephenson, D.E.

1993-01-01

This study demonstrates the use of risk-based decision analysis (Massmann and Freeze 1987a, 1987b) in the selection and design of an engineering alternative for groundwater remediation at a waste site at the Savannah River Site, a US Department of Energy facility in South Carolina. The investigation focuses on the remediation and closure of the H-Area Seepage Basins, an inactive disposal site that formerly received effluent water from a nearby production facility. A previous study by Duffield et al. (1992), which used risk-based decision analysis to screen a number of ground-water remediation alternatives under consideration for this site, indicated that the most attractive remedial option is ground-water extraction by wells coupled with surface water discharge of treated effluent. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the iterative use of risk-based decision analysis throughout the design of a particular remedial alternative. In this study, we consider the interaction between two episodes of aquifer testing over a 6-year period and the refinement of a remedial extraction well system design. Using a three-dimensional ground-water flow model, this study employs (1) geostatistics and Monte Carlo techniques to simulate hydraulic conductivity as a stochastic process and (2) Bayesian updating and conditional simulation to investigate multiple phases of aquifer testing. In our evaluation of a remedial alternative, we compute probabilistic costs associated with the failure of an alternative to completely capture a simulated contaminant plume. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of risk-based decision analysis as a tool for improving the design of a remedial alternative through the course of phased data collection at a remedial site

Economic analysis of alternatives for optimizing energy use in manufacturing companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Méndez-Piñero, Mayra Ivelisse; Colón-Vázquez, Melitza

2013-01-01

The manufacturing companies are one of the main consumers of energy. The increment in global warming and the instability in the petroleum oil market have motivated companies to find alternatives to reduce energy use. In the academic literature several researchers have demonstrated that optimization models can be successfully used to reduce energy use. This research presents the use of an optimization model to identify feasible economic alternatives to reduce energy use. The economic analysis methods used were the payback and the internal rate of return. The optimization model developed in this research was applied and validated using an electronic manufacturing company case study. The results demonstrate that the main variables affecting the economic feasibility of the alternatives are the economic analysis method and the initial implementation costs. Several scenarios were analyzed and the best results show that the manufacturing company could save up to $78,000 in three years if the recommendations based on the optimization model results are implemented. - Highlights: • Evaluate top consumers of energy in manufacturing: A/C, compressed air, and lighting • Economic analysis of alternatives to optimize energy used in manufacturing • Comparison of payback method and internal rate of return method with real data • Results demonstrate that the company could generate savings in energy use

A framework of analysis for field experiments with alternative materials in road construction.

Science.gov (United States)

François, D; Jullien, A

2009-01-01

In France, a wide variety of alternative materials is produced or exists in the form of stockpiles built up over time. Such materials are distributed over various regions of the territory depending on local industrial development and urbanisation trends. The use of alternative materials at a national scale implies sharing local knowledge and experience. Building a national database on alternative materials for road construction is useful in gathering and sharing information. An analysis of feedback from onsite experiences (back analysis) is essential to improve knowledge on alternative material use in road construction. Back analysis of field studies has to be conducted in accordance with a single common framework. This could enable drawing comparisons between alternative materials and between road applications. A framework for the identification and classification of data used in back analyses is proposed. Since the road structure is an open system, this framework has been based on a stress-response approach at both the material and structural levels and includes a description of external factors applying during the road service life. The proposal has been shaped from a review of the essential characteristics of road materials and structures, as well as from the state of knowledge specific to alternative material characterisation.

An Alternative View of Some FIA Sample Design and Analysis Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Paul C. Van Deusen

2005-01-01

Sample design and analysis decisions are the result of compromises and inputs from many sources. The end result would likely change if different individuals or groups were involved in the planning process. Discussed here are some alternatives to the procedures that are currently being used for the annual inventory. The purpose is to indicate that alternatives exist and...

Cost analysis of Navy acquisition alternatives for the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System

Science.gov (United States)

Darcy, T. F.; Smith, G. P.

1982-12-01

This research analyzes the life cycle cost (LCC) of the Navy's current and two hypothetical procurement alternatives for NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) user equipment. Costs are derived by the ARINC Research Corporation ACBEN cost estimating system. Data presentation is in a comparative format describing individual alternative LCC and differential costs between alternatives. Sensitivity analysis explores the impact receiver-processor unit (RPU) first unit production cost has on individual alternative LCC, as well as cost differentials between each alternative. Several benefits are discussed that might provide sufficient cost savings and/or system effectiveness improvements to warrant a procurement strategy other than the existing proposal.

76 FR 11310 - Alternatives Analysis Program Discretionary Funding Allocations

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

... information on the Alternatives Analysis Program, contact Kenneth Cervenka, Office of Planning and Environment... Island, and Vermont. Mexico and Texas. Brigid Hynes-Cherin, Regional Mokhtee Ahmad, Regional............ City of Minneapolis...... Nicollet-Central Urban 900,000 Circulator. MN D2010-ALTA-09005...

Alternatives generation and analysis for phase I intermediate waste feed staging system design requirements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Britton, M.D.

1996-10-02

This document provides; a decision analysis summary; problem statement; constraints, requirements, and assumptions; decision criteria; intermediate waste feed staging system options and alternatives generation and screening; intermediate waste feed staging system design concepts; intermediate waste feed staging system alternative evaluation and analysis; and open issues and actions.

Analysis of the Reliability of the "Alternator- Alternator Belt" System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Mavrin

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Before starting and also during the exploitation of va1ioussystems, it is vety imp011ant to know how the system and itsparts will behave during operation regarding breakdowns, i.e.failures. It is possible to predict the service behaviour of a systemby determining the functions of reliability, as well as frequencyand intensity of failures.The paper considers the theoretical basics of the functionsof reliability, frequency and intensity of failures for the twomain approaches. One includes 6 equal intetvals and the other13 unequal intetvals for the concrete case taken from practice.The reliability of the "alternator- alternator belt" system installedin the buses, has been analysed, according to the empiricaldata on failures.The empitical data on failures provide empirical functionsof reliability and frequency and intensity of failures, that arepresented in tables and graphically. The first analysis perfO!med by dividing the mean time between failures into 6 equaltime intervals has given the forms of empirical functions of fa ilurefrequency and intensity that approximately cotTespond totypical functions. By dividing the failure phase into 13 unequalintetvals with two failures in each interval, these functions indicateexplicit transitions from early failure inte1val into the randomfailure interval, i.e. into the ageing intetval. Functions thusobtained are more accurate and represent a better solution forthe given case.In order to estimate reliability of these systems with greateraccuracy, a greater number of failures needs to be analysed.

Economic analysis of waste management alternatives for reprocessing wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKee, R.W.; Clark, L.L.; Daling, P.M.; Nesbitt, J.F.; Swanson, J.L.

1984-02-01

This study describes the results of a cost analysis of a broad range of alternatives for management of reprocessing wastes that would require geologic repository disposal. The intent was to identify cost-effective alternatives and the costs of potential repository performance requirements. Four integrated treatment facility alternatives for transuranic (TRU) wastes are described and compared. These include no treatment, compaction, incineration, and hulls melting. The advantages of reducing high-level wastes (HLW) volume are also evaluated as are waste transportation alternatives and several performance-related alternatives for emplacing waste in a basalt repository. Results show (1) that system costs for disposal of reprocessing waste are likely to be higher than those for disposal of spent fuel; (2) that volume reduction is cost-effective for both remote-handled (RH) TRU wastes and HLW, and that rail transport for HLW is more cost-effective than truck transport; (3) that coemplacement of RH-TRU wastes with HLW does not have a large cost advantage in a basalt repository; and (4) that, relative to performance requirements, the cost impact for elimination of combustibles is about 5%, long-lived containers for RH-TRU wastes can increase repository costs 10% to 20%, and immediate backfill compared to delayed backfill (bentonite/basalt) around the HLW canisters would increase repository costs up to 10% or overall system costs up to about 5%. 13 references, 4 figures, 12 tables

Computational analysis of the SRS Phase III salt disposition alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimenna, R.A.

2000-01-01

In late 1997, the In-Tank Precipitation (ITP), facility was shut down and an evaluation of alternative methods to process the liquid high-level waste stored in the Savannah River Site High-Level Waste storage tanks was begun. The objective was to determine whether another process might avoid the operational difficulties encountered with ITP for a lower cost than modifying the existing structured approach to evaluating proposed alternatives on a common basis to identify the best one. Results from the computational analysis were a key part of the input used to select a primary and a secondary salt disposition alternative. This paper describes the process by which the computation needs were identified, addressed, and accomplished with a limited staff under stringent schedule constraints

Alternative financial institutions? Sustainability, development, social reproduction, and gender analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidder, T

1999-08-01

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for alternative financial institutions in Nicaragua. The article includes a discussion on innovative services and policies, which differentiate CARUNA (National Savings and Credit Cooperative ¿Caja Rural¿), and other financial institutions from conventional banks. It further examines theories that have altered the way development practitioners think about the economy, poverty reduction, and the positions of men and women in the society. These theories are the feminist economic theory and alternative development theories. Specific ways to incorporate the concepts of alternative and feminist economic theories in the design of financial institutions include open credit, savings, and remittance mechanisms, and coordinating councils. The gender analysis approach was used to evaluate the design of financial institutions.

An Independent Evaluation of the FMEA/CIL Hazard Analysis Alternative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Paul S.

1996-01-01

The present instruments of safety and reliability risk control for a majority of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) programs/projects consist of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Hazard Analysis (HA), Critical Items List (CIL), and Hazard Report (HR). This extensive analytical approach was introduced in the early 1970's and was implemented for the Space Shuttle Program by NHB 5300.4 (1D-2. Since the Challenger accident in 1986, the process has been expanded considerably and resulted in introduction of similar and/or duplicated activities in the safety/reliability risk analysis. A study initiated in 1995, to search for an alternative to the current FMEA/CIL Hazard Analysis methodology generated a proposed method on April 30, 1996. The objective of this Summer Faculty Study was to participate in and conduct an independent evaluation of the proposed alternative to simplify the present safety and reliability risk control procedure.

Alternatives Generation Analysis Long Length Contaminated Equipment Removal System Storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BOGER, R.M.

1999-01-01

Major pieces of Characterization sampling equipment are currently stored outdoors. This includes the Long Length Contaminated Equipment receiver trailer and transportation trailer. A decision is required to determine the preferred alternative for facilities to store and maintain this equipment. The Long Length Contaminated Equipment Removal System (LLCERS) consists of many tools, mechanisms, and controllers currently stored in various locations. Much of this equipment should be protected from the elements while being stored. Some of the LLCERS equipment should be protected with some kind of roof cover. This decision analysis is to determine the best alternative for weather protection for the large equipment requiring a cover. Additional details are included in Sections 2.0 and 5.0. Key assumptions used in this analysis are detailed in Section 3.2

A preliminary analysis of the reactor-based plutonium disposition alternative deployment schedules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zurn, R.M.

1997-09-01

This paper discusses the preliminary analysis of the implementation schedules of the reactor-based plutonium disposition alternatives. These schedule analyses are a part of a larger process to examine the nine decision criteria used to determine the most appropriate method of disposing of U.S. surplus weapons plutonium. The preliminary analysis indicates that the mission durations for the reactor-based alternatives range from eleven years to eighteen years and the initial mission fuel assemblies containing surplus weapons-usable plutonium could be loaded into the reactors between nine and fourteen years after the Record of Decision

Alternatives Generation and Analysis for Phase 1 High-Level Waste Feed Tanks Selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CRAWFORD, T.W.

1999-01-01

A recent revision of the US Department of Energy privatization contract for the immobilization of high-level waste (HLW) at Hanford necessitates the investigation of alternative waste feed sources to meet contractual feed requirements. This analysis identifies wastes to be considered as HLW feeds and develops and conducts alternative analyses to comply with established criteria. A total of 12,426 cases involving 72 waste streams are evaluated and ranked in three cost-based alternative models. Additional programmatic criteria are assessed against leading alternative options to yield an optimum blended waste feed stream

Molecular analysis of alternative transcripts of equine AXL receptor tyrosine kinase gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jeong-Woong; Song, Ki-Duk; Kim, Nam Young; Choi, Jae-Young; Hong, Seul A; Oh, Jin Hyeog; Kim, Si Won; Lee, Jeong Hyo; Park, Tae Sub; Kim, Jin-Kyoo; Kim, Jong Geun; Cho, Byung-Wook

2017-10-01

Since athletic performance is a most importance trait in horses, most research focused on physiological and physical studies of horse athletic abilities. In contrast, the molecular analysis as well as the regulatory pathway studies remain insufficient for evaluation and prediction of horse athletic abilities. In our previous study, we identified AXL receptor tyrosine kinase ( AXL ) gene which was expressed as alternative spliced isoforms in skeletal muscle during exercise. In the present study, we validated two AXL alternative splicing transcripts (named as AXLa for long form and AXLb for short form) in equine skeletal muscle to gain insight(s) into the role of each alternative transcript during exercise. We validated two isoforms of AXL transcripts in horse tissues by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and then cloned the transcripts to confirm the alternative locus and its sequences. Additionally, we examined the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts in horse tissues by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Both of AXLa and AXLb transcripts were expressed in horse skeletal muscle and the expression levels were significantly increased after exercise. The sequencing analysis showed that there was an alternative splicing event at exon 11 between AXLa and AXLb transcripts. 3-dimentional (3D) prediction of the alternative protein structures revealed that the structural distance of the connective region between fibronectin type 3 (FN3) and immunoglobin (Ig) domain was different between two alternative isoforms. It is assumed that the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts would be involved in regulation of exercise-induced stress in horse muscle possibly through an NF-κB signaling pathway. Further study is necessary to uncover biological function(s) and significance of the alternative splicing isoforms in race horse skeletal muscle.

Molecular analysis of alternative transcripts of equine AXL receptor tyrosine kinase gene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeong-Woong Park

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Objective Since athletic performance is a most importance trait in horses, most research focused on physiological and physical studies of horse athletic abilities. In contrast, the molecular analysis as well as the regulatory pathway studies remain insufficient for evaluation and prediction of horse athletic abilities. In our previous study, we identified AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL gene which was expressed as alternative spliced isoforms in skeletal muscle during exercise. In the present study, we validated two AXL alternative splicing transcripts (named as AXLa for long form and AXLb for short form in equine skeletal muscle to gain insight(s into the role of each alternative transcript during exercise. Methods We validated two isoforms of AXL transcripts in horse tissues by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR, and then cloned the transcripts to confirm the alternative locus and its sequences. Additionally, we examined the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts in horse tissues by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR. Results Both of AXLa and AXLb transcripts were expressed in horse skeletal muscle and the expression levels were significantly increased after exercise. The sequencing analysis showed that there was an alternative splicing event at exon 11 between AXLa and AXLb transcripts. 3-dimentional (3D prediction of the alternative protein structures revealed that the structural distance of the connective region between fibronectin type 3 (FN3 and immunoglobin (Ig domain was different between two alternative isoforms. Conclusion It is assumed that the expression patterns of AXLa and AXLb transcripts would be involved in regulation of exercise-induced stress in horse muscle possibly through an NF-κB signaling pathway. Further study is necessary to uncover biological function(s and significance of the alternative splicing isoforms in race horse skeletal muscle.

A high quality Arabidopsis transcriptome for accurate transcript-level analysis of alternative splicing

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Runxuan

2017-04-05

Alternative splicing generates multiple transcript and protein isoforms from the same gene and thus is important in gene expression regulation. To date, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) is the standard method for quantifying changes in alternative splicing on a genome-wide scale. Understanding the current limitations of RNA-seq is crucial for reliable analysis and the lack of high quality, comprehensive transcriptomes for most species, including model organisms such as Arabidopsis, is a major constraint in accurate quantification of transcript isoforms. To address this, we designed a novel pipeline with stringent filters and assembled a comprehensive Reference Transcript Dataset for Arabidopsis (AtRTD2) containing 82,190 non-redundant transcripts from 34 212 genes. Extensive experimental validation showed that AtRTD2 and its modified version, AtRTD2-QUASI, for use in Quantification of Alternatively Spliced Isoforms, outperform other available transcriptomes in RNA-seq analysis. This strategy can be implemented in other species to build a pipeline for transcript-level expression and alternative splicing analyses.

A high quality Arabidopsis transcriptome for accurate transcript-level analysis of alternative splicing

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Runxuan; Calixto, Cristiane  P.  G.; Marquez, Yamile; Venhuizen, Peter; Tzioutziou, Nikoleta A.; Guo, Wenbin; Spensley, Mark; Entizne, Juan Carlos; Lewandowska, Dominika; ten  Have, Sara; Frei  dit  Frey, Nicolas; Hirt, Heribert; James, Allan B.; Nimmo, Hugh G.; Barta, Andrea; Kalyna, Maria; Brown, John  W.  S.

2017-01-01

Alternative splicing generates multiple transcript and protein isoforms from the same gene and thus is important in gene expression regulation. To date, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) is the standard method for quantifying changes in alternative splicing on a genome-wide scale. Understanding the current limitations of RNA-seq is crucial for reliable analysis and the lack of high quality, comprehensive transcriptomes for most species, including model organisms such as Arabidopsis, is a major constraint in accurate quantification of transcript isoforms. To address this, we designed a novel pipeline with stringent filters and assembled a comprehensive Reference Transcript Dataset for Arabidopsis (AtRTD2) containing 82,190 non-redundant transcripts from 34 212 genes. Extensive experimental validation showed that AtRTD2 and its modified version, AtRTD2-QUASI, for use in Quantification of Alternatively Spliced Isoforms, outperform other available transcriptomes in RNA-seq analysis. This strategy can be implemented in other species to build a pipeline for transcript-level expression and alternative splicing analyses.

Full-scale experimentations on alternative materials in roads: analysis of study practices.

Science.gov (United States)

François, D; Jullien, A; Kerzreho, J P; Chateau, L

2009-03-01

In France beginning in the 1990s, the topic of road construction using various alternative materials has given rise to several studies aimed at clarifying the technical and environmental feasibility of such an option. Although crucial to understanding and forecasting their behaviour in the field, an analysis of feedback from onsite experiences (back analysis) of roads built with alternative materials has not yet been carried out. The aim of the CAREX project (2003-2005) has been to fill this gap at the national scale. Based on a stress-response approach applied to both the alternative material and the road structure and including the description of external factors, a dedicated standardised framework for field data classification and analysis was adopted. To carry out this analysis, a set of 17 documented field experiments was identified through a specific national survey. It appears that a great heterogeneity exists in data processing procedures among studies. The description of material is acceptable while it is generally poor regarding external factors and structure responses. Structure monitoring is usually brief and mechanical loads too weak, which limits the significance of field testing. For future full-scale experiments, strengthening the realism within the testing conditions would be appropriate.

Benefit-cost-risk analysis of alternatives for greater-confinement disposal of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Peterson, J.M.

1983-01-01

Seven alternatives are included in the analysis: near-surface disposal; improved waste form; below-ground engineered structure; augered shaft; shale fracturing; shallow geologic repository; and high-level waste repository. These alternatives are representative generic facilities that span the range from low-level waste disposal practice to high-level waste disposal practice, tentatively ordered according to an expected increasing cost and/or effectiveness of confinement. They have been chosen to enable an assessment of the degree of confinement that represents an appropriate balance between public health and safety requirements and costs rather than identification of a specific preferred facility design. The objective of the analysis is to provide a comparative ranking of the alternatives on the basis of benefit-cost-risk considerations

Costs and returns analysis of improved and alternative cassava ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The specific objectives of the study was an analysis of the costs and returns of improved and alternative technologies available in the study area by farmers and their level of adoption of the new technologies. Data were collected from a random sample of 250 farmers and 30 extension Staff in the three (3) agricultural zones ...

Method for exploiting bias in factor analysis using constrained alternating least squares algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Keenan, Michael R.

2008-12-30

Bias plays an important role in factor analysis and is often implicitly made use of, for example, to constrain solutions to factors that conform to physical reality. However, when components are collinear, a large range of solutions may exist that satisfy the basic constraints and fit the data equally well. In such cases, the introduction of mathematical bias through the application of constraints may select solutions that are less than optimal. The biased alternating least squares algorithm of the present invention can offset mathematical bias introduced by constraints in the standard alternating least squares analysis to achieve factor solutions that are most consistent with physical reality. In addition, these methods can be used to explicitly exploit bias to provide alternative views and provide additional insights into spectral data sets.

Design analysis of engineered alternatives for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, J.; Djordjevic, S.; Adams, M.; Spangler, L.; Valdez, J.; Vetter, D.; Drez, P.

1991-01-01

The effectiveness of several engineered alternatives, designed to enhance the performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), were evaluated relative to the performance of the baseline design. This evaluation was performed using a computer program referred to as the Design Analysis Model which couples salt creep closure, brine inflow, gas generation and dissipation to realistically simulate these interrelated processes over a 10,000 year period following the decommissioning of the repository. Analyses of the baseline design and nine alternative designs were performed for the undisturbed repository conditions, as well as three human intrusion events. Improvements in repository performance of up to four orders of magnitude were predicted for various engineered alternative waste forms. 6 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

A cost and operational effectiveness analysis of alternative anti-surface warfare platforms

OpenAIRE

Skinner, Walter Mark.

1993-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. A Cost and Operational Effectiveness Analysis (COEA) is performed for three alternative anti-surface warfare (ASUW) platforms that will conduct operations in multi-service regional scenarios. Estimated program costs, historical cost variances, and measures of operational effectiveness are determined for each COEA alternative, and service life extension effects are examined. The data is merged in a mixed-integer optimization model, MPA...

Pathway analysis for alternate low-level waste disposal methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, R.R.; Kozak, M.W.; McCord, J.T.; Olague, N.E.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a complete set of environmental pathways for disposal options and conditions that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) may analyze for a low-level radioactive waste (LLW) license application. The regulations pertaining In the past, shallow-land burial has been used for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste. However, with the advent of the State Compact system of LLW disposal, many alternative technologies may be used. The alternative LLW disposal facilities include below- ground vault, tumulus, above-ground vault, shaft, and mine disposal This paper will form the foundation of an update of the previously developed Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)/NRC LLW performance assessment methodology. Based on the pathway assessment for alternative disposal methods, a determination will be made about whether the current methodology can satisfactorily analyze the pathways and phenomena likely to be important for the full range of potential disposal options. We have attempted to be conservative in keeping pathways in the lists that may usually be of marginal importance. In this way we can build confidence that we have spanned the range of cases likely to be encountered at a real site. Results of the pathway assessment indicate that disposal methods can be categorized in groupings based on their depth of disposal. For the deep disposal options of shaft and mine disposal, the key pathways are identical. The shallow disposal options, such as tumulus, shallow-land, and below-ground vault disposal also may be grouped together from a pathway analysis perspective. Above-ground vault disposal cannot be grouped with any of the other disposal options. The pathway analysis shows a definite trend concerning depth of disposal. The above-ground option has the largest number of significant pathways. As the waste becomes more isolated, the number of significant pathways is reduced. Similar to shallow-land burial, it was found that for all

Alternating chain with Hubbard-type interactions: renormalization group analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzatu, F. D.; Jackeli, G.

1998-01-01

A large amount of work has been devoted to the study of alternating chains for a better understanding of the high-T c superconductivity mechanism. The same phenomenon renewed the interest in the Hubbard model and in its one-dimensional extensions. In this work we investigate, using the Renormalization Group (RG) method, the effect of the Hubbard-type interactions on the ground-state properties of a chain with alternating on-site atomic energies. The one-particle Hamiltonian in the tight binding approximation corresponding to an alternating chain with two nonequivalent sites per unit cell can be diagonalized by a canonical transformation; one gets a two band model. The Hubbard-type interactions give rise to both intra- and inter-band couplings; however, if the gap between the two bands is sufficiently large and the system is more than half-filled, as for the CuO 3 chain occurring in high-T c superconductors, the last ones can be neglected in describing the low energy physics. We restrict our considerations to the Hubbard-type interactions (upper band) in the particular case of alternating on-site energies and equal hopping amplitudes. The standard RG analysis (second order) is done in terms of the g-constants describing the elementary processes of forward, backward and Umklapp scatterings: their expressions are obtained by evaluating the Hubbard-type interactions (upper band) at the Fermi points. Using the scaling to the exact soluble models Tomonaga-Luttinger and Luther-Emery, we can predict the low energy physics of our system. The ground-state phase diagrams in terms of the model parameters and at arbitrary band filling are determined, where four types of instabilities have been considered: Charge Density Waves (CDW), Spin Density Waves (SDW), Singlet Superconductivity (SS) and Triplet Superconductivity (TS). The 3/4-filled case in terms of some renormalized Hubbard constants is presented. The relevance of our analysis to the case of the undistorted 3/4-filled Cu

Alternative health care consultations in Ontario, Canada: A geographic and socio-demographic analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eby Jeanette

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An important but understudied component of Canada's health system is alternative care. The objective of this paper is to examine the geographic and socio-demographic characteristics of alternative care consultation in Ontario, Canada's largest province. Methods Data is drawn from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS Cycle 3.1, 2005 for people aged 18 or over (n = 32,598 who had a consultation with an alternative health care provider. Four groups of consultations are examined: (1 all consultations (2 massage therapy (3 acupuncture, and (4 homeopath/naturopath. Descriptive statistics, mapping and logistic regression modeling are employed to analyze the data and to compare modalities of alternative health care use. Results In 2005, more than 1.2 million adults aged 18 or over consulted an alternative health care provider, representing about 13% of the total population of Ontario. The analysis revealed a varied geographic pattern of consultations across the province. Consultations were fairly even across the urban to rural continuum and rural residents were just as likely to consult a provider as their urban counterparts. From a health perspective, people with a chronic condition, lower health status and self-perceived unmet health care needs were more likely to see an alternative health provider. Women with chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome and chemical sensitivities were more likely to see an alternative provider if they felt their health care needs were not being met. Conclusions The analysis revealed that geography is not a factor in determining alternative health care consultations in Ontario. By contrast, there is a strong association between these consultations and socio-demographic characteristics particularly age, sex, education, health and self-perceived unmet health care needs. The results underscore the importance of women's health needs as related to

Using functional analysis in archival appraisal a practical and effective alternative to traditional appraisal methodologies

CERN Document Server

Robyns, Marcus C

2014-01-01

In an age of scarcity and the challenge of electronic records, can archivists and records managers continue to rely upon traditional methodology essentially unchanged since the early 1950s? Using Functional Analysis in Archival Appraisal: A Practical and Effective Alternative to Traditional Appraisal Methodologies shows how archivists in other countries are already using functional analysis, which offers a better, more effective, and imminently more practical alternative to traditional appraisal methodologies that rely upon an analysis of the records themselves.

Prioritization of sediment management alternatives using stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez-Guerra, Manuel; Canis, Laure; Voulvoulis, Nikolaos; Viguri, Javier R.; Linkov, Igor

2010-01-01

Decision-making for sediment management is a complex task that requires the consideration of temporal and spatial impacts of several remedial alternatives as well as the associated economic, social and political impact. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) is becoming increasingly recognized as an important environmental management tool that can be used to support the selection of suitable remediation alternatives and prioritization of management units in space and time. This paper proposes an MCDA framework for prioritizing sediment management alternatives. This framework involves identifying of a set of feasible options, as well as defining and evaluating criteria which integrate relevant technical, economic, social and environmental aspects of remedies. The methodology allows an explicit consideration of uncertainty in criteria scores and weights by assigning probability distributions and analyzing subsequent Monte-Carlo simulations. The consideration of different stakeholder simulated values is used to assess the robustness of alternative rankings and to guide the selection of remediation options. An application of this methodology to a case study in the Bay of Santander, Spain, is presented. An assessment is conducted for the case of unknown preferences as well as for hypothetical preferences profiles for four types of stakeholders: Idealist, Politician, Environmentalist and Balanced. The results are used to visualize stakeholder positions and potential disagreements, allowing for the identification of a group of least preferred alternatives for each stakeholder. Stakeholder involvement has the potential to ease the remedy selection process during all stages of the decision-making process and to eventually remedy implementation.

Complementary and alternative exercise for fibromyalgia: a meta-analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mist SD

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Scott David Mist, Kari Firestone, Kim Dupree Jones Fibromyalgia Research and Treatment Group, School of Nursing, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine includes a number of exercise modalities, such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, and a variety of lesser-known movement therapies. A meta-analysis of the current literature was conducted estimating the effect size of the different modalities, study quality and bias, and adverse events. The level of research has been moderately weak to date, but most studies report a medium-to-high effect size in pain reduction. Given the lack of adverse events, there is little risk in recommending these modalities as a critical component in a multimodal treatment plan, which is often required for fibromyalgia management. Keywords: fibromyalgia, exercise, complementary and alternative, efficacy, safety

Genome-wide analysis of SRSF10-regulated alternative splicing by deep sequencing of chicken transcriptome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuexia Zhou

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Splicing factor SRSF10 is known to function as a sequence-specific splicing activator that is capable of regulating alternative splicing both in vitro and in vivo. We recently used an RNA-seq approach coupled with bioinformatics analysis to identify the extensive splicing network regulated by SRSF10 in chicken cells. We found that SRSF10 promoted both exon inclusion and exclusion. Functionally, many of the SRSF10-verified alternative exons are linked to pathways of response to external stimulus. Here we describe in detail the experimental design, bioinformatics analysis and GO/pathway enrichment analysis of SRSF10-regulated genes to correspond with our data in the Gene Expression Omnibus with accession number GSE53354. Our data thus provide a resource for studying regulation of alternative splicing in vivo that underlines biological functions of splicing regulatory proteins in cells.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Alternative Splicing in Paleopolyploid Maize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenbin Mei

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Identifying and characterizing alternative splicing (AS enables our understanding of the biological role of transcript isoform diversity. This study describes the use of publicly available RNA-Seq data to identify and characterize the global diversity of AS isoforms in maize using the inbred lines B73 and Mo17, and a related species, sorghum. Identification and characterization of AS within maize tissues revealed that genes expressed in seed exhibit the largest differential AS relative to other tissues examined. Additionally, differences in AS between the two genotypes B73 and Mo17 are greatest within genes expressed in seed. We demonstrate that changes in the level of alternatively spliced transcripts (intron retention and exon skipping do not solely reflect differences in total transcript abundance, and we present evidence that intron retention may act to fine-tune gene expression across seed development stages. Furthermore, we have identified temperature sensitive AS in maize and demonstrate that drought-induced changes in AS involve distinct sets of genes in reproductive and vegetative tissues. Examining our identified AS isoforms within B73 × Mo17 recombinant inbred lines (RILs identified splicing QTL (sQTL. The 43.3% of cis-sQTL regulated junctions are actually identified as alternatively spliced junctions in our analysis, while 10 Mb windows on each side of 48.2% of trans-sQTLs overlap with splicing related genes. Using sorghum as an out-group enabled direct examination of loss or conservation of AS between homeologous genes representing the two subgenomes of maize. We identify several instances where AS isoforms that are conserved between one maize homeolog and its sorghum ortholog are absent from the second maize homeolog, suggesting that these AS isoforms may have been lost after the maize whole genome duplication event. This comprehensive analysis provides new insights into the complexity of AS in maize.

Complementary and alternative exercise for fibromyalgia: a meta-analysis

OpenAIRE

Mist, Scott; Firestone,Kari; Jones,Kim Dupree

2013-01-01

Scott David Mist, Kari Firestone, Kim Dupree Jones Fibromyalgia Research and Treatment Group, School of Nursing, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine includes a number of exercise modalities, such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, and a variety of lesser-known movement therapies. A meta-analysis of the current literature was conducted estimating the effect size of the different modalities, study quality and bias, and adverse events....

Re-Analysis of Metagenomic Sequences from Acute Flaccidmyelitis Patients Reveals Alternatives to Enterovirus D68 Infection

Science.gov (United States)

2015-07-13

caused in some cases by infection with enterovirus D68. We found that among the patients whose symptoms were previously attributed to enterovirus D68...distribution is unlimited. Re-analysis of metagenomic sequences from acute flaccidmyelitis patients reveals alternatives to enterovirus D68...Street Baltimore, MD 21218 -2685 ABSTRACT Re-analysis of metagenomic sequences from acute flaccidmyelitis patients reveals alternatives to enterovirus

Advanced analysis technique for the evaluation of linear alternators and linear motors

Science.gov (United States)

Holliday, Jeffrey C.

1995-01-01

A method for the mathematical analysis of linear alternator and linear motor devices and designs is described, and an example of its use is included. The technique seeks to surpass other methods of analysis by including more rigorous treatment of phenomena normally omitted or coarsely approximated such as eddy braking, non-linear material properties, and power losses generated within structures surrounding the device. The technique is broadly applicable to linear alternators and linear motors involving iron yoke structures and moving permanent magnets. The technique involves the application of Amperian current equivalents to the modeling of the moving permanent magnet components within a finite element formulation. The resulting steady state and transient mode field solutions can simultaneously account for the moving and static field sources within and around the device.

Dynamic modeling and analysis of alternative fuel cycle scenarios in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Chang Joon; Choi, Hang Bok

2007-01-01

The Korean nuclear fuel cycle was modeled by the dynamic analysis method, which was applied to the once-through and alternative fuel cycles. First, the once-through fuel cycle was analyzed based on the Korean nuclear power plant construction plan up to 2015 and a postulated nuclear demand growth rate of zero after 2015. Second, alternative fuel cycles including the direct use of spent pressurized water reactor fuel in Canada deuterium reactors (DUPIC), a sodium-cooled fast reactor and an accelerator driven system were assessed and the results were compared with those of the once-through fuel cycle. The once-through fuel cycle calculation showed that the nuclear power demand would be 25 GWe and the amount of the spent fuel will be ∼65000 tons by 2100. The alternative fuel cycle analyses showed that the spent fuel inventory could be reduced by more than 30% and 90% through the DUPIC and fast reactor fuel cycles, respectively, when compared with the once-through fuel cycle. The results of this study indicate that both spent fuel and uranium resources can be effectively managed if alternative reactor systems are timely implemented along with the existing reactors

Technico-economic analysis of uranium-mill-tailings conditioning alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thode, E.F.; Dreesen, D.R.

1981-01-01

An analysis of practicable conditioning technologies for uranium mill tailings and their estimated costs has been conducted for two conditioning alternatives, thermal stabilization and leaching (sulfuric acid). Among the four high priority remedial action sites, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and Shiprock, New Mexico appear to be very good candidates for thermal stabilization. At Shiprock, thermal stabilization appears to be less expensive ($16.01/ton) than moving the pile more than five miles and covering with 15 feet of earth. At Canonsburg costs of other alternatives are not presently available. Given the radiological monitoring and protection expenses attendant upon moving these tailings in a highly populated area, it is likely that thermal stabilization, on site, at $41.25/ton would be an attractive remedial action approach. Cost data on the Salt Lake City, Utah site are presented for comparison purposes. Thermal stabilization is not favorable at this site because of high fuel and labor costs, as well as other factors. A conceptual design for a thermal stabilization operation is described. Sufficient information to assess the leaching alternative is available only for the Durango, Colorado site. Because of the large amount of vanadium and uranium in the pile, the income from the sale of these strategic minerals could pay for as much as 58% of the expense of removing, transporting, and covering the pile

Multi-Criteria Analysis of Alternative Energy Supply Solutions to Public Nearly Zero Energy Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giedrius Šiupšinskas

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes energy supply alternatives for modernised public nearly zero energy buildings. The paper examines alternative energy production systems such as heat pumps (air-water and ground-water, solar collectors, adsorption cooling, biomass boiler, solar photovoltaic, wind turbines and combinations of these systems. The simulation of the analysed building energy demand for different energy production alternatives has been performed using TRNSYS modelling software. In order to determine an optimal energy supply variant, the estimated results of energy, environmental, and economic evaluation have been converted into non-dimensional variables (3E using multi-criteria analysis.Article in Lithuanian

Energy alternatives for irrigation pumping: an economic analysis for northern India.

OpenAIRE

Bhatia R

1984-01-01

ILO pub-WEP pub. Working paper presenting an economic analysis of alternative energy sources for irrigation pumping in Northern India - considers economic and technical aspects of photovoltaic pumping systems, solar energy systems, electric power, dual-fuel and diesel engines, Biogas and wind power; discusses economic and social development aspects. Abbreviations, bibliography, glossary and tables.

Analysis of policy alternatives on the public acceptance of nuclear power plant in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Young-Sung; Lee, Byong-Whi

1995-01-01

Public acceptance has become an important factor in nuclear power program particularly after Chernobyl accident and recent rapid democratization in Korea. A method reflecting public opinions in order to improve public acceptance is to find out the public preference values for its policy alternatives. In this study, the conjoint analysis was applied to find out the quantitative values of public preferences for twelve policy alternatives to support communities surrounding nuclear power plants in Korea. To implement the analysis, questionnaires of trade-off matrix form were mailed to the science teachers of middle or high school through-out the country who had the experience of visiting nuclear power plant. The quantitative preference values for potential policy alternatives were estimated, which made it possible to forecast the effectiveness of each option. It was revealed that the improvement of reactor safety 100 times and the establishment of civilian monitoring system for nuclear safety would be two best options to improve public acceptance of nuclear power in Korea. (author)

VAAPA: a web platform for visualization and analysis of alternative polyadenylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Jinting; Fu, Jingyi; Wu, Mingcheng; Chen, Longteng; Ji, Guoli; Quinn Li, Qingshun; Wu, Xiaohui

2015-02-01

Polyadenylation [poly(A)] is an essential process during the maturation of most mRNAs in eukaryotes. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) as an important layer of gene expression regulation has been increasingly recognized in various species. Here, a web platform for visualization and analysis of alternative polyadenylation (VAAPA) was developed. This platform can visualize the distribution of poly(A) sites and poly(A) clusters of a gene or a section of a chromosome. It can also highlight genes with switched APA sites among different conditions. VAAPA is an easy-to-use web-based tool that provides functions of poly(A) site query, data uploading, downloading, and APA sites visualization. It was designed in a multi-tier architecture and developed based on Smart GWT (Google Web Toolkit) using Java as the development language. VAAPA will be a valuable addition to the community for the comprehensive study of APA, not only by making the high quality poly(A) site data more accessible, but also by providing users with numerous valuable functions for poly(A) site analysis and visualization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost benefit analysis of remediation alternatives for controlling the flux of strontium-90 into the Columbia River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafson, F.W.; Todd, M.E.

1993-09-01

The release of large volumes of water to waste disposal cribs at the Hanford Site's 100-N Area caused contaminants, principally strontium-90, to be carried toward the Columbia River through the groundwater. Since shutdown of the N Reactor, these releases have been discontinued, although small water flows continue to be discharged to the 1325-N crib. Most of the contamination which is now transported to the river is occurring as a result of the natural groundwater movement. The contaminated groundwater at N Springs flows into the river through seeps and springs along the river's edge. An expedited response action (ERA) has been proposed to eliminate or restrict the flux of strontium-90 into the river. A cost benefit analysis of potential remedial alternatives was completed that recommends the alternative which best meets given selection criteria prescribed by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The methodology used for evaluation, cost analysis, and alternative recommendation is the engineering evaluation/cost analysis (EE/CA). Complete remediation of the contaminated groundwater beneath 100-N Area was not a principal objective of the analysis. The objective of the cost benefit analysis was to identify a remedial alternative that optimizes the degree of benefit produced for the costs incurred

Hydrogen as alternative clean fuel: Economic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coiante, D.

1995-03-01

In analogy to biofuel production from biomasses, the electrolytic conversion of other renewable energies into hydrogen as an alternative clean fuel is considered. This solution allows the intermittent renewable energy sources, as photovoltaics and wind energy, to enhance their development and enlarge the role into conventional fuel market. A rough economic analysis of hydrogen production line shows the costs, added by electrolysis and storage stages, can be recovered by properly accounting for social and environmental costs due to whole cycle of conventional fuels, from production to use. So, in a perspective of attaining the economic competitiveness of renewable energy, the hydrogen, arising from intermittent renewable energy sources, will be able to compete in the energy market with conventional fuels, making sure that their substitution will occur in a significant amount and the corresponding environment

Life-Cycle Analysis of Alternative Aviation Fuels in GREET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elgowainy, A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Han, J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wang, M. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Carter, N. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Stratton, R. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Hileman, J. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Malwitz, A. [Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, MA (United States); Balasubramanian, S. [Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, MA (United States)

2012-06-01

The Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model, developed at Argonne National Laboratory, has been expanded to include well-to-wake (WTWa) analysis of aviation fuels and aircraft. This report documents the key WTWa stages and assumptions for fuels that represent alternatives to petroleum jet fuel. The aviation module in GREET consists of three spreadsheets that present detailed characterizations of well-to-pump and pump-to-wake parameters and WTWa results. By using the expanded GREET version (GREET1_2011), we estimate WTWa results for energy use (total, fossil, and petroleum energy) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) for (1) each unit of energy (lower heating value) consumed by the aircraft or(2) each unit of distance traveled/ payload carried by the aircraft. The fuel pathways considered in this analysis include petroleum-based jet fuel from conventional and unconventional sources (i.e., oil sands); Fisher-Tropsch (FT) jet fuel from natural gas, coal, and biomass; bio-jet fuel from fast pyrolysis of cellulosic biomass; and bio-jet fuel from vegetable and algal oils, which falls under the American Society for Testing and Materials category of hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids. For aircraft operation, we considered six passenger aircraft classes and four freight aircraft classes in this analysis. Our analysis revealed that, depending on the feedstock source, the fuel conversion technology, and the allocation or displacement credit methodology applied to co-products, alternative bio-jet fuel pathways have the potential to reduce life-cycle GHG emissions by 55–85 percent compared with conventional (petroleum-based) jet fuel. Although producing FT jet fuel from fossil feedstock sources — such as natural gas and coal — could greatly reduce dependence on crude oil, production from such sources (especially coal) produces greater WTWa GHG emissions compared with petroleum jet

Life-cycle analysis of alternative aviation fuels in GREET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elgowainy, A.; Han, J.; Wang, M.; Carter, N.; Stratton, R.; Hileman, J.; Malwitz, A.; Balasubramanian, S. (Energy Systems)

2012-07-23

The Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model, developed at Argonne National Laboratory, has been expanded to include well-to-wake (WTWa) analysis of aviation fuels and aircraft. This report documents the key WTWa stages and assumptions for fuels that represent alternatives to petroleum jet fuel. The aviation module in GREET consists of three spreadsheets that present detailed characterizations of well-to-pump and pump-to-wake parameters and WTWa results. By using the expanded GREET version (GREET1{_}2011), we estimate WTWa results for energy use (total, fossil, and petroleum energy) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) for (1) each unit of energy (lower heating value) consumed by the aircraft or (2) each unit of distance traveled/ payload carried by the aircraft. The fuel pathways considered in this analysis include petroleum-based jet fuel from conventional and unconventional sources (i.e., oil sands); Fisher-Tropsch (FT) jet fuel from natural gas, coal, and biomass; bio-jet fuel from fast pyrolysis of cellulosic biomass; and bio-jet fuel from vegetable and algal oils, which falls under the American Society for Testing and Materials category of hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids. For aircraft operation, we considered six passenger aircraft classes and four freight aircraft classes in this analysis. Our analysis revealed that, depending on the feedstock source, the fuel conversion technology, and the allocation or displacement credit methodology applied to co-products, alternative bio-jet fuel pathways have the potential to reduce life-cycle GHG emissions by 55-85 percent compared with conventional (petroleum-based) jet fuel. Although producing FT jet fuel from fossil feedstock sources - such as natural gas and coal - could greatly reduce dependence on crude oil, production from such sources (especially coal) produces greater WTWa GHG emissions compared with petroleum jet

Conflict analysis and management alternative for the Manayunk Canal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chadderton, R.A.

1989-01-01

The solution of a water resource allocation problem by an alternative social arrangement is presented. Classical Austrian economic theory and the new resources economics provide both theoretical and practical evidence to support the development of well-defined, private property rights to the water resource in question. A conflict analysis demonstrates that management of the Manayunk Canal by a firm would reconcile existing confrontations through compromise use of the water resource. Benefit and cost calculations show that a compromise among industrial and recreational interests, currently competing in the political arena, would increase social benefits

Analysis of alternatives for immobilized low activity waste disposal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burbank, D.A.

1997-10-28

This report presents a study of alternative disposal system architectures and implementation strategies to provide onsite near-surface disposal capacity to receive the immobilized low-activity waste produced by the private vendors. The analysis shows that a flexible unit strategy that provides a suite of design solutions tailored to the characteristics of the immobilized low-activity waste will provide a disposal system that best meets the program goals of reducing the environmental, health, and safety impacts; meeting the schedule milestones; and minimizing the life-cycle cost of the program.

Analysis of alternatives for immobilized low-activity waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burbank, D.A.

1997-01-01

This report presents a study of alternative disposal system architectures and implementation strategies to provide onsite near-surface disposal capacity to receive the immobilized low-activity waste produced by the private vendors. The analysis shows that a flexible unit strategy that provides a suite of design solutions tailored to the characteristics of the immobilized low-activity waste will provide a disposal system that best meets the program goals of reducing the environmental, health, and safety impacts; meeting the schedule milestones; and minimizing the life-cycle cost of the program

ALTERNATIVE FUNDING THECNIQUES. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Mihaela ILIESCU

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper isto highlight the dynamics, diversity and especially the availability of an alternative financial market, developed outside of the traditional banking system, on online trading platforms, a market that can constitute an efficient solution, at the expense of entities open to fast funding, wide raging, with limited guaranties and minimum procedural and legislative formalities. For this purpose, we shall analyze briefly the main alternative financing methods, both empirically and qualitatively, in terms of similarities and differences between the two of them, inclusively of the amount that can be employed in this process through different methods. The current paper aims to be a practical guide meant to support those facing difficulties in obtaining financing for start-ups, implementing or/and developing business and entrepreneurship initiatives, and also a guide for those who want to be informed regarding the latest funding techniques. Another aspect to be considered is the legal framework in which this process takes place, because the regulation for these levers remains constantly behind the development process of new methods. The classic financiers should also consider reviewing the lending policy as the amounts attracted and accessed through these alternative methods increase exponentially from one year to the other, the volume of sums involved surpassing each time the forecasts, making thus possible the transformations of these paradigms from the financial sector into preponderant financial funding’s.

A rational analysis of alternating search and reflection strategies in problem solving

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Taatgen, N; Shafto, MG; Langley, P

1997-01-01

In this paper two approaches to problem solving, search and reflection, are discussed, and combined in two models, both based on rational analysis (Anderson, 1990). The first model is a dynamic growth model, which shows that alternating search and reflection is a rational strategy. The second model

Analysis of Alternatives for Risk Assessment Methodologies and Tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nachtigal, Noel M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). System Analytics; Fruetel, Julia A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Gleason, Nathaniel J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Helms, Jovana [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Imbro, Dennis Raymond [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Sumner, Matthew C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis

2013-10-01

The purpose of this document is to provide a basic overview and understanding of risk assessment methodologies and tools from the literature and to assess the suitability of these methodologies and tools for cyber risk assessment. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) performed this review in support of risk modeling activities performed for the Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience (SECIR) division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C). The set of methodologies and tools covered in this document is not intended to be exhaustive; instead, it focuses on those that are commonly used in the risk assessment community. The classification of methodologies and tools was performed by a group of analysts with experience in risk analysis and cybersecurity, and the resulting analysis of alternatives has been tailored to address the needs of a cyber risk assessment.

Are behaviors at one alternative in concurrent schedules independent of contingencies at the other alternative?

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonall, James S

2017-09-01

Some have reported changing the schedule at one alternative of a concurrent schedule changed responding at the other alternative (Catania, 1969), which seems odd because no contingencies were changed there. When concurrent schedules are programmed using two schedules, one associated with each alternative that operate continuously, changing the schedule at one alternative also changes the switch schedule at the other alternative. Thus, changes in responding at the constant alternative could be due to the change in the switch schedule. To assess this possibility, six rats were exposed to a series of conditions that alternated between pairs of interval schedules at both alternatives and a pair of interval schedules at one, constant, alternative and a pair of extinction schedules at the other alternative. Comparing run lengths, visit durations and response rates at the constant alternative in the alternating conditions did not show consistent increases and decreases when a strict criterion for changes was used. Using a less stringent definition (any change in mean values) showed changes. The stay/switch analysis suggests it may be inaccurate to apply behavioral contrast to procedures that change from concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedules to concurrent variable-interval extinction schedules because the contingencies in neither alternative are constant. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Complementary and alternative exercise for fibromyalgia: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mist, Scott David; Firestone, Kari A; Jones, Kim Dupree

2013-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine includes a number of exercise modalities, such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, and a variety of lesser-known movement therapies. A meta-analysis of the current literature was conducted estimating the effect size of the different modalities, study quality and bias, and adverse events. The level of research has been moderately weak to date, but most studies report a medium-to-high effect size in pain reduction. Given the lack of adverse events, there is little risk in recommending these modalities as a critical component in a multimodal treatment plan, which is often required for fibromyalgia management.

CERCLA-linked environmental impact and benefit analysis: Evaluating remedial alternatives for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, Portland, Oregon, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

McNally, Amanda D; Fitzpatrick, Anne G; Mirchandani, Sera; Salmon, Matthew; Edwards, Deborah A

2018-01-01

This analysis focused on evaluating the environmental consequences of remediation, providing indicators for the environmental quality pillar of 3 "pillars" of the Portland Harbor Sustainability Project (PHSP) framework (the other 2 pillars are economic viability and social equity). The project an environmental impact and benefit analysis (EIBA) and an EIBA-based cost-benefit analysis. Metrics developed in the EIBA were used to quantify and compare remedial alternatives' environmental benefits and impacts in the human and ecological domains, as a result of remedial actions (relative to no action). The cost-benefit results were used to evaluate whether remediation costs were proportionate or disproportionate to the environmental benefits. Alternatives B and D had the highest overall benefit scores, and Alternative F was disproportionately costly relative to its achieved benefits when compared to the other remedial alternatives. Indeed, the costlier alternatives with larger remedial footprints had lower overall EIBA benefit scores-because of substantially more air emissions, noise, and light impacts, and more disturbance to business, recreational access, and habitat during construction-compared to the less costly and smaller alternatives. Put another way, the adverse effects during construction tended to outweigh the long-term benefits, and the net environmental impacts of the larger remedial alternatives far outweighed their small incremental improvements in risk reduction. Results of this Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)-linked environmental analysis were integrated with indicators of economic and social impacts of remediation in a stakeholder values-based sustainability framework. These tools (EIBA, EIBA-based cost-benefit analysis, economic impact assessment, and the stakeholder values-based integration) provide transparent and quantitative evaluations of the benefits and impacts associated with remedial alternatives

Status analysis: A complement or an alternative to the class analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonić Slobodan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The author discusses the relation between stratification and belonging to the status groups based on citizenship, race, gender or lifestyle (underclass. The author claims that the status analysis is not an alternative, but a complement to the class analysis. The life prospects of individuals in today's society depend not only on their position in the market (or in the system of production, but on their membership of a particular status group as well. Hence the Weberian approach - with two-dimensional, class and status analysis - is certainly more successful in dealing with all the complexities of social reality than the Marxist one. Therefore, if we add the third dimension of the Weber's stratification scheme - power, we can see that the exact social position of the individual could be determined the best by identification of its: position in the market (and the financial equivalent of the outcomes from it; position in a status group; and position in organizational structures (belonging to an organization and position that it occupies. Landowner or wage earner, citizen or immigrant, union activists or non-member, each of these positions mean a position either higher or lower on the stratification ladder. How this three-dimensional approach could be united into a single analytical matrix, and how could successful operationalization of it through appropriate indicators be made, still remains a challenge for researchers and statisticians. .

Nutrient analysis of the Beef Alternative Merchandising cuts.

Science.gov (United States)

Desimone, T L; Acheson, R A; Woerner, D R; Engle, T E; Douglass, L W; Belk, K E

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to generate raw and cooked nutrient composition data to identify Quality Grade differences in proximate values for eight Beef Alternative Merchandising (BAM) cuts. The data generated will be used to update the nutrient data in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). Beef Rib, Oven-Prepared, Beef Loin, Strip Loin, and Beef Loin, Top Sirloin Butt subprimals were collected from a total of 24 carcasses from four packing plants. The carcasses were a combination of USDA Yield Grades 2 (n=12) and 3 (n=12), USDA Quality Grades upper two-thirds Choice (n=8), low Choice (n=8), and Select (n=8), and two genders, steer (n=16) and heifer (n=8). After aging, subprimals were fabricated into the BAM cuts, dissected, and nutrient analysis was performed. Sample homogenates from each animal were homogenized and composited for analysis of the following: proximate analysis, long chain and trans-fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, total cholesterol, vitamin B-12, and selenium. This study identified seven BAM cuts from all three Quality Grades that qualify for USDA Lean; seven Select cuts that qualify for USDA Extra Lean; and three Select cuts that qualify for the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Check. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greening Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography Methods Using Alternative Solvents for Pharmaceutical Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moussa Yabré

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The greening of analytical methods has gained increasing interest in the field of pharmaceutical analysis to reduce environmental impacts and improve the health safety of analysts. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC is the most widely used analytical technique involved in pharmaceutical drug development and manufacturing, such as the quality control of bulk drugs and pharmaceutical formulations, as well as the analysis of drugs in biological samples. However, RP-HPLC methods commonly use large amounts of organic solvents and generate high quantities of waste to be disposed, leading to some issues in terms of ecological impact and operator safety. In this context, greening HPLC methods is becoming highly desirable. One strategy to reduce the impact of hazardous solvents is to replace classically used organic solvents (i.e., acetonitrile and methanol with greener ones. So far, ethanol has been the most often used alternative organic solvent. Others strategies have followed, such as the use of totally aqueous mobile phases, micellar liquid chromatography, and ionic liquids. These approaches have been well developed, as they do not require equipment investments and are rather economical. This review describes and critically discusses the recent advances in greening RP-HPLC methods dedicated to pharmaceutical analysis based on the use of alternative solvents.

Application of sensitivity analysis for assessment of de-desertification alternatives in the central Iran by using Triantaphyllou method.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeghi Ravesh, Mohammad Hassan; Ahmadi, Hassan; Zehtabian, Gholamreza

2011-08-01

Desertification, land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions, is a global environmental problem. With respect to increasing importance of desertification and its complexity, the necessity of attention to the optimal de-desertification alternatives is essential. Therefore, this work presents an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method to objectively select the optimal de-desertification alternatives based on the results of interviews with experts in Khezr Abad region, central Iran as the case study. This model was used in Yazd Khezr Abad region to evaluate the efficiency in presentation of better alternatives related to personal and environmental situations. Obtained results indicate that the criterion "proportion and adaptation to the environment" with the weighted average of 33.6% is the most important criterion from experts viewpoints. While prevention alternatives of land usage unsuitable of reveres and conversion with 22.88% mean weight and vegetation cover development and reclamation with 21.9% mean weight are recognized ordinarily as the most important de-desertification alternatives in region. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed in detail by varying the objective factor decision weight, the priority weight of subjective factors, and the gain factors. After the fulfillment of sensitivity analysis and determination of the most sensitive criteria and alternatives, the former classification and ranking of alternatives does not change so much, and it was observed that unsuitable land use alternative with the preference degree of 22.7% was still in the first order of priority. The final priority of livestock grazing control alternative was replaced with the alternative of modification of ground water harvesting.

Life Cycle Multi-Criteria Analysis Of Alternative Energy Supply Systems For A Residential Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artur Rogoža

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses energy supply alternatives for a partially renovated residential building. In addition to the existing district heating (base case alternative systems, gas boilers, heat pumps (air-water and ground-water, solar collectors, solar cells, and combinations of these systems have been examined. Actual heat consumption of the building and electricity demand determined by the statistical method are used for simulating the systems. The process of simulation is performed using EnergyPro software. In order to select an optimal energy supply option, the life cycle analysis of all systems has been carried out throughout a life span of the building, and the estimated results of energy, environmental and economic evaluation have been converted into non-dimensional variables (3E using multi–criteria analysis.Article in Lithuanian

Functional and evolutionary analysis of alternatively spliced genes is consistent with an early eukaryotic origin of alternative splicing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penny David

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alternative splicing has been reported in various eukaryotic groups including plants, apicomplexans, diatoms, amoebae, animals and fungi. However, whether widespread alternative splicing has evolved independently in the different eukaryotic groups or was inherited from their last common ancestor, and may therefore predate multicellularity, is still unknown. To better understand the origin and evolution of alternative splicing and its usage in diverse organisms, we studied alternative splicing in 12 eukaryotic species, comparing rates of alternative splicing across genes of different functional classes, cellular locations, intron/exon structures and evolutionary origins. Results For each species, we find that genes from most functional categories are alternatively spliced. Ancient genes (shared between animals, fungi and plants show high levels of alternative splicing. Genes with products expressed in the nucleus or plasma membrane are generally more alternatively spliced while those expressed in extracellular location show less alternative splicing. We find a clear correspondence between incidence of alternative splicing and intron number per gene both within and between genomes. In general, we find several similarities in patterns of alternative splicing across these diverse eukaryotes. Conclusion Along with previous studies indicating intron-rich genes with weak intron boundary consensus and complex spliceosomes in ancestral organisms, our results suggest that at least a simple form of alternative splicing may already have been present in the unicellular ancestor of plants, fungi and animals. A role for alternative splicing in the evolution of multicellularity then would largely have arisen by co-opting the preexisting process.

Comprehensive analysis of alternative splicing and functionality in neuronal differentiation of P19 cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hitoshi Suzuki

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Alternative splicing, which produces multiple mRNAs from a single gene, occurs in most human genes and contributes to protein diversity. Many alternative isoforms are expressed in a spatio-temporal manner, and function in diverse processes, including in the neural system. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The purpose of the present study was to comprehensively investigate neural-splicing using P19 cells. GeneChip Exon Array analysis was performed using total RNAs purified from cells during neuronal cell differentiation. To efficiently and readily extract the alternative exon candidates, 9 filtering conditions were prepared, yielding 262 candidate exons (236 genes. Semiquantitative RT-PCR results in 30 randomly selected candidates suggested that 87% of the candidates were differentially alternatively spliced in neuronal cells compared to undifferentiated cells. Gene ontology and pathway analyses suggested that many of the candidate genes were associated with neural events. Together with 66 genes whose functions in neural cells or organs were reported previously, 47 candidate genes were found to be linked to 189 events in the gene-level profile of neural differentiation. By text-mining for the alternative isoform, distinct functions of the isoforms of 9 candidate genes indicated by the result of Exon Array were confirmed. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Alternative exons were successfully extracted. Results from the informatics analyses suggested that neural events were primarily governed by genes whose expression was increased and whose transcripts were differentially alternatively spliced in the neuronal cells. In addition to known functions in neural cells or organs, the uninvestigated alternative splicing events of 11 genes among 47 candidate genes suggested that cell cycle events are also potentially important. These genes may help researchers to differentiate the roles of alternative splicing in cell differentiation and cell

78 FR 37463 - Expedited Approval of Alternative Test Procedures for the Analysis of Contaminants Under the Safe...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-21

... Approval of Alternative Test Procedures for the Analysis of Contaminants Under the Safe Drinking Water Act... page 32570, with the table entitled ``ALTERNATIVE TESTING METHODS FOR CONTAMINANTS LISTED AT 40 CFR 141... Contaminants Listed at 40 CFR 141.25(a) SM 21st Edition SM 22nd Edition Contaminant Methodology \\1\\ \\28\\ ASTM...

Transient analysis of unbalanced short circuits of the ERDA-NASA 100 kW wind turbine alternator

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, H. H.; Gilbert, L. J.

1976-01-01

Unbalanced short-circuit faults on the alternator of the ERDA-NASA Mod-O100-kW experimental wind turbine are studied. For each case, complete solutions for armature, field, and damper-circuit currents; short-circuit torque; and open-phase voltage are derived directly by a mathematical analysis. Formulated results are tabulated. For the Mod-O wind turbine alternator, numerical calculations are given, and results are presented by graphs. Comparisons for significant points among the more important cases are summarized. For these cases the transients are found to be potentially severe. The effect of the alternator neutral-to-ground impedance is evaluated.

FMDP Reactor Alternative Summary Report: Volume 3 - partially complete LWR alternative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, S.R.; Fisher, S.E.; Bevard, B.B.

1996-09-01

The Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (DOE/MD) initiated a detailed analysis activity to evaluate each of ten plutonium disposition alternatives that survived an initial screening process. This document, Volume 3 of a four volume report summarizes the results of these analyses for the partially complete LWR (PCLWR) reactor based plutonium disposition alternative

FMDP Reactor Alternative Summary Report: Volume 3 - partially complete LWR alternative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greene, S.R.; Fisher, S.E.; Bevard, B.B. [and others

1996-09-01

The Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (DOE/MD) initiated a detailed analysis activity to evaluate each of ten plutonium disposition alternatives that survived an initial screening process. This document, Volume 3 of a four volume report summarizes the results of these analyses for the partially complete LWR (PCLWR) reactor based plutonium disposition alternative.

Functional and evolutionary analysis of alternatively spliced genes is consistent with an early eukaryotic origin of alternative splicing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Irimia, Manuel; Rukov, Jakob Lewin; Penny, David

2007-01-01

, and may therefore predate multicellularity, is still unknown. To better understand the origin and evolution of alternative splicing and its usage in diverse organisms, we studied alternative splicing in 12 eukaryotic species, comparing rates of alternative splicing across genes of different functional......, we find several similarities in patterns of alternative splicing across these diverse eukaryotes. CONCLUSION: Along with previous studies indicating intron-rich genes with weak intron boundary consensus and complex spliceosomes in ancestral organisms, our results suggest that at least a simple form...... of alternative splicing may already have been present in the unicellular ancestor of plants, fungi and animals. A role for alternative splicing in the evolution of multicellularity then would largely have arisen by co-opting the preexisting process....

Analysis of foundation type alternative and deep-excavation on candidate site location of Panjang Island, Serang

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heri Syaeful; June Mellawati

2013-01-01

Panjang Island is one of the alternatives location which is being studied as NPP site candidate. Its soil surface dominated by sand and eggshell deposit to the depth of tens of meter, beside that also the interlayer of sand and clay to the depth of 120 m. Purpose of the research is to analyze the alternative of foundation type and simulation of deep-excavation during foundation construction especially related to the slope stability aspect. The methods includes data collection of the analysis result of soil/rock mechanical laboratory, measurement of shear wave velocity by PS logging method, and analysis of alternative foundation type and deep-excavation. The analysis result of foundation type that can be applied on Panjang Island candidate site is combination of raft and pile foundation. Rock with Vs > 400 m/s in depth of 44 meter could be made as base of raft foundation construction. In the bottom it connected to pile foundation which is constructed to base rock in the depth of 120 m in Vs > 900 m/s. The result of slope stability analysis on deep-excavation with slope height of 44 m, vertical angle, on normal condition yield safety factor of 0,184 and on the condition of seismic load 0,138. Simulation of anchor installation with spacing 1.25 m as much as 15 pieces yield safety factor higher than 1.0 m. (author)

A multi-attribute utility decision analysis for treatment alternatives for the DOE/SR aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, Freddie J.; Weiner, Ruth Fleischman; Wheeler, Timothy A.; Sorenson, Ken B.; Kuzio, Kenneth A.

2000-01-01

A multi-attribute utility analysis is applied to a decision process to select a treatment method for the management of aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel (Al-SNF) owned by the US Department of Energy (DOE). DOE will receive, treat, and temporarily store Al-SNF, most of which is composed of highly enriched uranium, at its Savannah River Site in South Carolina. DOE intends ultimately to send the treated Al-SNF to a geologic repository for permanent disposal. DOE initially considered ten treatment alternatives for the management of Al-SNF, and has narrowed the choice to two of these: the direct disposal and melt and dilute alternatives. The decision analysis presented in this document focuses on a formal decision process used to evaluate these two remaining alternatives

FMDP Reactor Alternative Summary Report: Volume 2 - CANDU heavy water reactor alternative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, S.R.; Spellman, D.J.; Bevard, B.B.

1996-09-01

The Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (DOE/MD) initiated a detailed analysis activity to evaluate each of ten plutonium disposition alternatives that survived an initial screening process. This document, Volume 2 of a four volume report, summarizes the results of these analyses for the CANDU reactor based plutonium disposition alternative

FMDP Reactor Alternative Summary Report: Volume 2 - CANDU heavy water reactor alternative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greene, S.R.; Spellman, D.J.; Bevard, B.B. [and others

1996-09-01

The Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (DOE/MD) initiated a detailed analysis activity to evaluate each of ten plutonium disposition alternatives that survived an initial screening process. This document, Volume 2 of a four volume report, summarizes the results of these analyses for the CANDU reactor based plutonium disposition alternative.

Interpretations of alternative uncertainty representations in a reliability and risk analysis context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aven, T.

2011-01-01

Probability is the predominant tool used to measure uncertainties in reliability and risk analyses. However, other representations also exist, including imprecise (interval) probability, fuzzy probability and representations based on the theories of evidence (belief functions) and possibility. Many researchers in the field are strong proponents of these alternative methods, but some are also sceptical. In this paper, we address one basic requirement set for quantitative measures of uncertainty: the interpretation needed to explain what an uncertainty number expresses. We question to what extent the various measures meet this requirement. Comparisons are made with probabilistic analysis, where uncertainty is represented by subjective probabilities, using either a betting interpretation or a reference to an uncertainty standard interpretation. By distinguishing between chances (expressing variation) and subjective probabilities, new insights are gained into the link between the alternative uncertainty representations and probability.

Stiffness analysis and comparison of a Biglide parallel grinder with alternative spatial modular parallelograms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Guanglei; Zou, Ping

2017-01-01

This paper deals with the stiffness modeling, analysis and comparison of a Biglide parallel grinder with two alternative modular parallelograms. It turns out that the Cartesian stiffness matrix of the manipulator has the property that it can be decoupled into two homogeneous matrices, correspondi...

Analysis of disposition alternatives for radioactively contaminated scrap metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieves, L.A.; Chen, S.Y.; Kohout, E.J.; Nabelssi, B.; Tilbrook, R.W.; Wilson, S.E.

1997-01-01

Millions of tonnes of slightly radioactive, scrap iron and steel, stainless steel, and copper are likely to become available as nuclear and other facilities and equipment are withdrawn from service. Disposition of this material is an international policy issue under consideration currently. The major alternatives for managing this material are to either develop a regulatory process for decontamination and recycling that will safeguard human health or to dispose of the scrap and replace the metal stocks. To evaluate the alternatives, we estimate quantities of scrap arising from nuclear power plant decommissioning, evaluate potential price impacts of recycling on regional markets, and assess the health and environmental impacts of the management alternatives. We conclude that decontaminating and recycling the scrap is the superior alternative

Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project Alternatives Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David Duncan

2011-04-01

This report identifies, evaluates, and compares alternatives for meeting the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission need for management of remote-handled low-level waste generated by the Idaho National Laboratory and its tenants. Each alternative identified in the Mission Need Statement for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Treatment Project is described and evaluated for capability to fulfill the mission need. Alternatives that could meet the mission need are further evaluated and compared using criteria of cost, risk, complexity, stakeholder values, and regulatory compliance. The alternative for disposal of remote-handled low-level waste that has the highest confidence of meeting the mission need and represents best value to the government is to build a new disposal facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.

Remote-Handled Low Level Waste Disposal Project Alternatives Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David Duncan

2010-10-01

This report identifies, evaluates, and compares alternatives for meeting the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission need for management of remote-handled low-level waste generated by the Idaho National Laboratory and its tenants. Each alternative identified in the Mission Need Statement for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Treatment Project is described and evaluated for capability to fulfill the mission need. Alternatives that could meet the mission need are further evaluated and compared using criteria of cost, risk, complexity, stakeholder values, and regulatory compliance. The alternative for disposal of remote-handled low-level waste that has the highest confidence of meeting the mission need and represents best value to the government is to build a new disposal facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.

Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project Alternatives Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David Duncan

2011-03-01

This report identifies, evaluates, and compares alternatives for meeting the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission need for management of remote-handled low-level waste generated by the Idaho National Laboratory and its tenants. Each alternative identified in the Mission Need Statement for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Treatment Project is described and evaluated for capability to fulfill the mission need. Alternatives that could meet the mission need are further evaluated and compared using criteria of cost, risk, complexity, stakeholder values, and regulatory compliance. The alternative for disposal of remote-handled low-level waste that has the highest confidence of meeting the mission need and represents best value to the government is to build a new disposal facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.

Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project Alternatives Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David Duncan

2010-06-01

This report identifies, evaluates, and compares alternatives for meeting the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission need for management of remote-handled low-level waste generated by the Idaho National Laboratory and its tenants. Each alternative identified in the Mission Need Statement for the Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Treatment Project is described and evaluated for capability to fulfill the mission need. Alternatives that could meet the mission need are further evaluated and compared using criteria of cost, risk, complexity, stakeholder values, and regulatory compliance. The alternative for disposal of remote-handled low-level waste that has the highest confidence of meeting the mission need and represents best value to the government is to build a new disposal facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.

Multi-criteria analysis of alternative-fuel buses for public transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzeng, G.-H.; Lin, C.-W.; Opricovic, Serafim

2005-01-01

The technological development of buses with new alternative fuels is considered in this paper. Several types of fuels are considered as alternative-fuel modes, i.e., electricity, fuel cell (hydrogen), and methanol. Electric vehicles may be considered the alternative-fuel vehicles with the lowest air pollution. Hybrid electric vehicles provide an alternate mode, at least for the period of improving the technology of electric vehicles. A hybrid electric vehicle is defined as a vehicle with the conventional internal combustion engine and an electric motor as its major sources of power. Experts from different decision-making groups performed the multiple attribute evaluation of alternative vehicles. AHP is applied to determine the relative weights of evaluation criteria. TOPSIS and VIKOR are compared and applied to determine the best compromise alternative fuel mode. The result shows that the hybrid electric bus is the most suitable substitute bus for Taiwan urban areas in the short and median term. But, if the cruising distance of the electric bus extends to an acceptable range, the pure electric bus could be the best alternative

Visions of Alternative (Unpredictable Futures and Their Use in Policy Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Costanza

2000-07-01

Full Text Available The most critical task facing humanity today is the creation of a shared vision of a sustainable and desirable society, one that can provide permanent prosperity within the biophysical constraints of the real world in a way that is fair and equitable to all of humanity, to other species, and to future generations. Recent work with businesses and communities indicates that creating a shared vision is the most effective engine for change in the desired direction, yet most effort in "futures modeling" has focused on extrapolating past trends rather than envisioning alternative futures. Science and economics as applied to policy are in conflict more often over alternative visions of the world than purely "scientific" disagreements. Likewise, governance has gotten bogged down in mediating short term conflicts between special interests rather than its more basic role of creating broadly shared visions that can guide dispute resolution. This paper addresses the question of what policies are most appropriate for society now, given alternative visions of the future and the enormous uncertainty about the reality of the assumptions underlying these visions. Four specific visions are laid out as being representative of the major alternatives. For each vision the benefits of achieving the vision, the assumptions that would have to be true in order for it to be achieved, and the implications of it being attempted but not achieved are explored. It is argued that dealing with uncertainty about the nature of the world, its carrying capacity for humans, the impacts of climate change, and other aspects of its future can best be done at this level of future visions and assumptions, not at more detailed levels (like the parameter uncertainty in models. Application of this vision/uncertainty analysis can help us both to design the future society we want and to maximize the chances of our getting there safely.

Thermal analysis of large diameter container (LDC) with alternate loadings of KE Basin sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MILDON, D.T.

2003-01-01

A thermal analysis was performed to determine temperature distribution and hydrogen generation for a Large Diameter Container (LDC) having a two layer load configuration made up of a lower layer, consisting of sludge from the weasel pit, and an upper layer, consisting of the KE Basin canister sludge. For each alternate loading, the response of the LDC during shipping and storage in a T Plant cell was determined. Results for various alternate loadings were compared to the base case previously reported in SNF--9955 [Crea, 2002], 4 identical batches each with 60% floor, 40% canister sludge. Results for various cases are summarized in Table 5 and transient histories for each case are contained in figures as noted in the table. The thermal response and hydrogen generation rate of the base case bounds all alternate loadings except the third alternate loading, where 0.8 m 3 of canister sludge is loaded on the top of 1.2 m 3 of weasel pit sludge. For this case, the peak sludge temperature exceeded 100 C during shipping after 6.8 days (Note: sludge boiling does not occur in any case because the LDC pressurizes during transport and interstitial water is never saturated)

Analysis of alternative light water reactor (LWR) fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heeb, C.M.; Aaberg, R.L.; Boegel, A.J.; Jenquin, U.P.; Kottwitz, D.A.; Lewallen, M.A.; Merrill, E.T.; Nolan, A.M.

1979-12-01

Nine alternative LWR fuel cycles are analyzed in terms of the isotopic content of the fuel material, the relative amounts of primary and recycled material, the uranium and thorium requirements, the fuel cycle costs and the fraction of energy which must be generated at secured sites. The fuel materials include low-enriched uranium (LEU), plutonium-uranium (MOX), highly-enriched uranium-thorium (HEU-Th), denatured uranium-thorium (DU-Th) and plutonium-thorium (Pu-Th). The analysis is based on tracing the material requirements of a generic pressurized water reactor (PWR) for a 30-year period at constant annual energy output. During this time period all the created fissile material is recycled unless its reactivity worth is less than 0.2% uranium enrichment plant tails

Comparative life-cycle cost analysis for low-level mixed waste remediation alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, J.A.; White, T.P.; Kloeber, J.M.; Toland, R.J.; Cain, J.P.; Buitrago, D.Y.

1995-03-01

The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to develop a generic, life-cycle cost model for evaluating low-level, mixed waste remediation alternatives, and (2) to apply the model specifically, to estimate remediation costs for a site similar to the Fernald Environmental Management Project near Cincinnati, OH. Life-cycle costs for vitrification, cementation, and dry removal process technologies are estimated. Since vitrification is in a conceptual phase, computer simulation is used to help characterize the support infrastructure of a large scale vitrification plant. Cost estimating relationships obtained from the simulation data, previous cost estimates, available process data, engineering judgment, and expert opinion all provide input to an Excel based spreadsheet for generating cash flow streams. Crystal Ball, an Excel add-on, was used for discounting cash flows for net present value analysis. The resulting LCC data was then analyzed using multi-attribute decision analysis techniques with cost and remediation time as criteria. The analytical framework presented allows alternatives to be evaluated in the context of budgetary, social, and political considerations. In general, the longer the remediation takes, the lower the net present value of the process. This is true because of the time value of money and large percentage of the costs attributed to storage or disposal

ALTERNATIVE FUELS FOR DIESEL ENGINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacek Caban

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development and genesis of the use of alternative fuels in internal combustion ignition engines. Based on the analysis of the literature, this article shows various alternative fuels used in Poland and all over the world. Furthermore, this article describes the research directions for alternative fuels use in road transport powered by diesel engines.

Assessment of Students' Scientific and Alternative Conceptions of Energy and Momentum Using Concentration Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dega, Bekele Gashe; Govender, Nadaraj

2016-01-01

This study compares the scientific and alternative conceptions of energy and momentum of university first-year science students in Ethiopia and the US. Written data were collected using the Energy and Momentum Conceptual Survey developed by Singh and Rosengrant. The Concentration Analysis statistical method was used for analysing the Ethiopian…

Spent Nuclear Fuel Alternative Technology Decision Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shedrow, C.B.

1999-01-01

The Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) made a FY98 commitment to the Department of Energy (DOE) to recommend a technology for the disposal of aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The two technologies being considered, direct co-disposal and melt and dilute, had been previously selected from a group of eleven potential SNF management technologies by the Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Task Team chartered by the DOE''s Office of Spent Fuel Management. To meet this commitment, WSRC organized the SNF Alternative Technology Program to further develop the direct co-disposal and melt and dilute technologies and ultimately provide a WSRC recommendation to DOE on a preferred SNF alternative management technology

Alternative Testing Strategies for Nanomaterials: State of the Science and Considerations for Risk Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shatkin, J A; Ong, K J

2016-08-01

The rapid growth of the nanotechnology industry has warranted equal progress in the nanotoxicology and risk assessment fields. In vivo models have traditionally been used to determine human and environmental risk for chemicals; however, the use of these tests has limitations, and there are global appeals to develop reliable alternatives to animal testing. Many have investigated the use of alternative (nonanimal) testing methods and strategies have quickly developed and resulted in the generation of large toxicological data sets for numerous nanomaterials (NMs). Due to the novel physicochemical properties of NMs that are related to surface characteristics, the approach toward toxicity test development has distinct considerations from traditional chemicals, bringing new requirements for adapting these approaches for NMs. The methodical development of strategies that combine multiple alternative tests can be useful for predictive NM risk assessment and help screening-level decision making. This article provides an overview of the main developments in alternative methods and strategies for reducing uncertainty in NM risk assessment, including advantages and disadvantages of in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico methods, and examples of existing comprehensive strategies. In addition, knowledge gaps are identified toward improvements for experimental and strategy design, specifically highlighting the need to represent realistic exposure scenarios and to consider NM-specific concerns such as characterization, assay interferences, and standardization. Overall, this article aims to improve the reliability and utility of alternative testing methods and strategies for risk assessment of manufactured NMs. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Stochastic Petri nets for the reliability analysis of communication network applications with alternate-routing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balakrishnan, Meera; Trivedi, Kishor S.

1996-01-01

In this paper, we present a comparative reliability analysis of an application on a corporate B-ISDN network under various alternate-routing protocols. For simple cases, the reliability problem can be cast into fault-tree models and solved rapidly by means of known methods. For more complex scenarios, state space (Markov) models are required. However, generation of large state space models can get very labor intensive and error prone. We advocate the use of stochastic reward nets (a variant of stochastic Petri nets) for the concise specification, automated generation and solution of alternate-routing protocols in networks. This paper is written in a tutorial style so as to make it accessible to a large audience

Optimization of oligonucleotide arrays and RNA amplification protocols for analysis of transcript structure and alternative splicing.

Science.gov (United States)

Castle, John; Garrett-Engele, Phil; Armour, Christopher D; Duenwald, Sven J; Loerch, Patrick M; Meyer, Michael R; Schadt, Eric E; Stoughton, Roland; Parrish, Mark L; Shoemaker, Daniel D; Johnson, Jason M

2003-01-01

Microarrays offer a high-resolution means for monitoring pre-mRNA splicing on a genomic scale. We have developed a novel, unbiased amplification protocol that permits labeling of entire transcripts. Also, hybridization conditions, probe characteristics, and analysis algorithms were optimized for detection of exons, exon-intron edges, and exon junctions. These optimized protocols can be used to detect small variations and isoform mixtures, map the tissue specificity of known human alternative isoforms, and provide a robust, scalable platform for high-throughput discovery of alternative splicing.

Spent Nuclear Fuel Alternative Technology Decision Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shedrow, C.B.

1999-11-29

The Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) made a FY98 commitment to the Department of Energy (DOE) to recommend a technology for the disposal of aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The two technologies being considered, direct co-disposal and melt and dilute, had been previously selected from a group of eleven potential SNF management technologies by the Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Task Team chartered by the DOE''s Office of Spent Fuel Management. To meet this commitment, WSRC organized the SNF Alternative Technology Program to further develop the direct co-disposal and melt and dilute technologies and ultimately provide a WSRC recommendation to DOE on a preferred SNF alternative management technology.

Variable system: An alternative approach for the analysis of mediated moderation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Joyce Lok Yin; Chan, Wai

2018-06-01

Mediated moderation (meMO) occurs when the moderation effect of the moderator (W) on the relationship between the independent variable (X) and the dependent variable (Y) is transmitted through a mediator (M). To examine this process empirically, 2 different model specifications (Type I meMO and Type II meMO) have been proposed in the literature. However, both specifications are found to be problematic, either conceptually or statistically. For example, it can be shown that each type of meMO model is statistically equivalent to a particular form of moderated mediation (moME), another process that examines the condition when the indirect effect from X to Y through M varies as a function of W. Consequently, it is difficult for one to differentiate these 2 processes mathematically. This study therefore has 2 objectives. First, we attempt to differentiate moME and meMO by proposing an alternative specification for meMO. Conceptually, this alternative specification is intuitively meaningful and interpretable, and, statistically, it offers meMO a unique representation that is no longer identical to its moME counterpart. Second, using structural equation modeling, we propose an integrated approach for the analysis of meMO as well as for other general types of conditional path models. VS, a computer software program that implements the proposed approach, has been developed to facilitate the analysis of conditional path models for applied researchers. Real examples are considered to illustrate how the proposed approach works in practice and to compare its performance against the traditional methods. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Analysis of automotive rolling lobe air spring under alternative factors with finite element model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Pak Kin; Xie, Zhengchao; Zhao, Jing; Xu, Tao; He, Feng

2014-01-01

Air springs are widely used in automotive suspensions for their superior performance in terms of low friction motion, adjustable load carrying capacity and user-friendly ride height control. However, it has posed great difficulties in constructing an accurate model as well as the analysis of the influence of alternative factors, such as cord angle, cord diameter and initial pressure. In this paper, a numerical model of the rolling lobe air spring (RLAS) is built by using finite element method and compared with an existing analytical model. An experiment with respect to the vertical stiffness of the RLAS is carried out to validate the accuracy of the proposed model. Evaluation result reveals that the existing analytical model cannot represent the performance of the RLAS very well, whereas the accuracy of the numerical model is very good. With the verified numerical model, the impacts of many alternative factors on the characteristics of the RLAS are analyzed. Numerical results show that the newly proposed model is reliable to determine the vertical characteristic and physical dimensions of the RLAS under the alternative factors.

Regional LLRW processing alternatives applying the DOE REGINALT systems analysis model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beers, G.H.

1987-01-01

The DOE Low-Level Waste Management Program has developed a computer-based decision support system of models that may be used by nonprogrammers to evaluate a comprehensive approach to commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) management. REGINALT (Regional Waste Management Alternatives Analysis Model) implementation will be described as the model is applied to hypothetical regional compact for the purpose of examining the technical and economic potential of two waste processing alternatives. Using waste from a typical regional compact, two specific regional waste processing centers are compared for feasibility. Example 1 assumes that a regional supercompaction facility is being developed for the region. Example 2 assumes that a regional facility with both supercompaction and incineration is specified. Both examples include identical disposal facilities, except that capacity may differ due to variation in volume reduction achieved. The two examples are compared with regard to volume reduction achieved, estimated occupational exposure for the processing facilities, and life cycle costs per generated unit waste. A base case also illustrates current disposal practices. The results of the comparisons evaluated, and other steps, if necessary, for additional decision support are identified

Strategies for cost-effective carbon reductions: A sensitivity analysis of alternative scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gumerman, Etan; Koomey, Jonathan G.; Brown, Marilyn

2001-01-01

Analyses of alternative futures often present results for a limited set of scenarios, with little if any sensitivity analysis to identify the factors affecting the scenario results. This approach creates an artificial impression of certainty associated with the scenarios considered, and inhibits understanding of the underlying forces. This paper summarizes the economic and carbon savings sensitivity analysis completed for the Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future study (IWG, 2000). Its 19 sensitivity cases provide insight into the costs and carbon-reduction impacts of a carbon permit trading system, demand-side efficiency programs, and supply-side policies. Impacts under different natural gas and oil price trajectories are also examined. The results provide compelling evidence that policy opportunities exist to reduce carbon emissions and save society money

A comparative analysis of alternative approaches for quantifying nonlinear dynamics in cardiovascular system.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yun; Yang, Hui

2013-01-01

Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis has emerged as an important research topic to evaluate autonomic cardiac function. However, traditional time and frequency-domain analysis characterizes and quantify only linear and stationary phenomena. In the present investigation, we made a comparative analysis of three alternative approaches (i.e., wavelet multifractal analysis, Lyapunov exponents and multiscale entropy analysis) for quantifying nonlinear dynamics in heart rate time series. Note that these extracted nonlinear features provide information about nonlinear scaling behaviors and the complexity of cardiac systems. To evaluate the performance, we used 24-hour HRV recordings from 54 healthy subjects and 29 heart failure patients, available in PhysioNet. Three nonlinear methods are evaluated not only individually but also in combination using three classification algorithms, i.e., linear discriminate analysis, quadratic discriminate analysis and k-nearest neighbors. Experimental results show that three nonlinear methods capture nonlinear dynamics from different perspectives and the combined feature set achieves the best performance, i.e., sensitivity 97.7% and specificity 91.5%. Collectively, nonlinear HRV features are shown to have the promise to identify the disorders in autonomic cardiovascular function.

Design of sustainable chemical processes: Systematic retrofit analysis, generation and evaluation alternatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carvalho, Ana; Gani, Rafiqul; Matos, Henrique

2008-01-01

eliminating the need to identify trade-off-based solutions. These indicators are also able to reduce (where feasible) a set of safety indicators. An indicator sensitivity analysis algorithm has been added to the methodology to define design targets and to generate sustainable process alternatives. A computer-aided...... tool has been developed to facilitate the calculations needed for the application of the methodology. The application of the indicator-based methodology and the developed software are highlighted through a process flowsheet for the production of vinyl chlorine monomer (VCM)....

Analysis of alternative splicing events for cancer diagnosis using a multiplexing nanophotonic biosensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Huertas, César S; Domínguez-Zotes, Santos; Lechuga, Laura M

2017-01-25

Personalized medicine is a promising tool not only for prevention, screening and development of more efficient treatment strategies, but also for diminishing the side effects caused by current therapies. Deciphering gene regulation pathways provides a reliable prognostic analysis to elucidate the origin of grave diseases and facilitate the selection of the most adequate treatment for each individual. Alternative splicing of mRNA precursors is one of these gene regulation pathways and enables cells to generate different protein outputs from the same gene depending on their developmental or homeostatic status. Its deregulation is strongly linked to disease onset and progression constituting a relevant and innovative class of biomarker. Herein we report a highly selective and sensitive nanophotonic biosensor based on the direct monitoring of the aberrant alternative splicing of Fas gene. Unlike conventional methods, the nanobiosensor performs a real-time detection of the specific isoforms in the fM-pM range without any cDNA synthesis or PCR amplification requirements. The nanobiosensor has been proven isoform-specific with no crosshybridization, greatly minimizing detection biases. The demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity make our nanobiosensor ideal for examining significant tumor-associated expression shifts of alternatively spliced isoforms for the early and accurate theranostics of cancer.

Functional and organic eggs as an alternative to conventional production: a conjoint analysis of consumers' preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Mesías, Francisco J; Martínez-Carrasco, Federico; Martínez, José M; Gaspar, Paula

2011-02-01

In the current context of growing consumer demand for foodstuffs that are healthy and safe and that are obtained in a manner respectful to the welfare of animals, the analysis of consumer preferences towards attributes of this type takes on particular importance. These trends are especially clear in the case of the consumption of eggs because of their strong negative association with cholesterol levels and their extremely intensive systems of production. The introduction of variants that are more in harmony with current consumer demands represents an interesting market alternative. The present study was aimed at investigating the preferences of Spanish consumers for these alternative types of egg that are entering the market. The survey was conducted with 361 consumers from October 2007 to March 2008. The conjoint analysis allowed us to estimate the relative importance of the main attributes that affect consumer preferences for eggs and to distinguish segments of consumers with similar preference profiles. It was found that price is the most important attribute determining consumer preferences, followed by the hens' feed and their rearing conditions. It was also found that only some groups of consumers are willing to pay the premium necessary for alternative methods of production. 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

The analysis of covariance and alternatives statistical methods for experiments, quasi-experiments, and single-case studies

CERN Document Server

Huitema, Bradley

2011-01-01

A complete guide to cutting-edge techniques and best practices for applying covariance analysis methods The Second Edition of Analysis of Covariance and Alternatives sheds new light on its topic, offering in-depth discussions of underlying assumptions, comprehensive interpretations of results, and comparisons of distinct approaches. The book has been extensively revised and updated to feature an in-depth review of prerequisites and the latest developments in the field. The author begins with a discussion of essential topics relating to experimental design and analysis

Long-term-consequence analysis of no action alternative 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buck, J.W.; Bagaasen, L.M.; Staven, L.H.; Serne, R.J.

1996-07-01

This report is a supplement to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Disposal-Phase Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Data and information is described which pertains to estimated impacts from postulated long-term release of radionuclides and hazardous constituents from alpha-bearing wastes stored at major generator/storage sites after loss of institutional control (no action alternative 2). Under this alternative, wastes would remain at the generator sites and not be emplaced at WIPP

Alternative Approaches to the Analysis of Multidimensional Contingency Tables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iva Pecáková

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The practical analyses of interactions between categorical variables in various areas (such as public opinion research or marketing research are often only applications of chi-square tests in two-way contingency tables. However, in many situations it is impossible to use large-sample approximations to sampling distributions when theiradequacy can be in doubt. It is known, that these approximations may be very poor when the contingency table contains very small expected frequencies. However, recent work has shown that these approximations can be very poor when the contingency table contains both small and large expected frequencies. Of course, the rule of thumb of a minimum expected frequency is not met either in the case of sparse table. The article deals with alternative approaches to the data analysis in such cases. It points out other possibilities and shows that thanks to the development of computer technology exact methods previously only difficult usable are available for this purpose.

Genome-wide analysis of alternative splicing of pre-mRNA under salt stress in Arabidopsis

KAUST Repository

Ding, Feng

2014-06-04

Background: Alternative splicing (AS) of precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) is an important gene regulation process that potentially regulates many physiological processes in plants, including the response to abiotic stresses such as salt stress.Results: To analyze global changes in AS under salt stress, we obtained high-coverage (~200 times) RNA sequencing data from Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings that were treated with different concentrations of NaCl. We detected that ~49% of all intron-containing genes were alternatively spliced under salt stress, 10% of which experienced significant differential alternative splicing (DAS). Furthermore, AS increased significantly under salt stress compared with under unstressed conditions. We demonstrated that most DAS genes were not differentially regulated by salt stress, suggesting that AS may represent an independent layer of gene regulation in response to stress. Our analysis of functional categories suggested that DAS genes were associated with specific functional pathways, such as the pathways for the responses to stresses and RNA splicing. We revealed that serine/arginine-rich (SR) splicing factors were frequently and specifically regulated in AS under salt stresses, suggesting a complex loop in AS regulation for stress adaptation. We also showed that alternative splicing site selection (SS) occurred most frequently at 4 nucleotides upstream or downstream of the dominant sites and that exon skipping tended to link with alternative SS.Conclusions: Our study provided a comprehensive view of AS under salt stress and revealed novel insights into the potential roles of AS in plant response to salt stress. 2014 Ding et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Isoflurane is a suitable alternative to ether for anesthetizing rats prior to euthanasia for gene expression analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakatsu, Noriyuki; Igarashi, Yoshinobu; Aoshi, Taiki; Hamaguchi, Isao; Saito, Masumichi; Mizukami, Takuo; Momose, Haruka; Ishii, Ken J; Yamada, Hiroshi

2017-01-01

Diethyl ether (ether) had been widely used in Japan for anesthesia, despite its explosive properties and toxicity to both humans and animals. We also had used ether as an anesthetic for euthanizing rats for research in the Toxicogenomics Project (TGP). Because the use of ether for these purposes will likely cease, it is required to select an alternative anesthetic which is validated for consistency with existing TGP data acquired under ether anesthesia. We therefore compared two alternative anesthetic candidates, isoflurane and pentobarbital, with ether in terms of hematological findings, serum biochemical parameters, and gene expressions. As a result, few differences among the three agents were observed. In hematological and serum biochemistry analysis, no significant changes were found. In gene expression analysis, four known genes were extracted as differentially expressed genes in the liver of rats anesthetized with ether, isoflurane, or pentobarbital. However, no significant relationships were detected using gene ontology, pathway, or gene enrichment analyses by DAVID and TargetMine. Surprisingly, although it was expected that the lung would be affected by administration via inhalation, only one differentially expressed gene was extracted in the lung. Taken together, our data indicate that there are no significant differences among ether, isoflurane, and pentobarbital with respect to effects on hematological parameters, serum biochemistry parameters, and gene expression. Based on its smallest affect to existing data and its safety profile for humans and animals, we suggest isoflurane as a suitable alternative anesthetic for use in rat euthanasia in toxicogenomics analysis.

Analysis of Elastic-Plastic J Integrals for 3-Dimensional Cracks Using Finite Element Alternating Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jai Hak

2009-01-01

SGBEM(Symmetric Galerkin Boundary Element Method)-FEM alternating method has been proposed by Nikishkov, Park and Atluri. In the proposed method, arbitrarily shaped three-dimensional crack problems can be solved by alternating between the crack solution in an infinite body and the finite element solution without a crack. In the previous study, the SGBEM-FEM alternating method was extended further in order to solve elastic-plastic crack problems and to obtain elastic-plastic stress fields. For the elastic-plastic analysis the algorithm developed by Nikishkov et al. is used after modification. In the algorithm, the initial stress method is used to obtain elastic-plastic stress and strain fields. In this paper, elastic-plastic J integrals for three-dimensional cracks are obtained using the method. For that purpose, accurate values of displacement gradients and stresses are necessary on an integration path. In order to improve the accuracy of stress near crack surfaces, coordinate transformation and partitioning of integration domain are used. The coordinate transformation produces a transformation Jacobian, which cancels the singularity of the integrand. Using the developed program, simple three-dimensional crack problems are solved and elastic and elastic-plastic J integrals are obtained. The obtained J integrals are compared with the values obtained using a handbook solution. It is noted that J integrals obtained from the alternating method are close to the values from the handbook

Radiological impacts of Jackpile-Paguate uranium mines: an analysis of alternatives of decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momeni, M.H.; Tsai, S.Y.H.; Yang, J.Y.; Gureghian, A.B.; Dungey, C.E.

1983-03-01

Potential pathways of radiation exposure and radiation-induced genetic and somatic effects from materials at the mine complex under five alternatives of decommissioning were analyzed using UDAD and PRIM computer codes. The principal pathways of exposure included in the analysis were inhalation of airborne radionuclides, ingestion of food and water containing radionuclides, and extended exposure to gamma and beta radiation from either airborne or ground-deposited radionuclides. The alternatives of decommissioning include (A) No Action (site will be fenced, otherwise left as it is), (B) No Future Use (site will be fenced and all disturbed area will be covered with 30 cm of soil, no grazing on the site); (C1) Grazing Land Use as developed by Anaconda Company (protore, waste piles, and open pits covered with 120 cm of soil, the remainder of the disturbed areas covered with 30 cm of soil, pits backfilled 90 cm above the equilibrium groundwater recovery level, no human habitation or farming allowed on the mine site, but grazing would be allowed); (C2) Grazing Land Use as developed by US Department of the Interior (similar to Alternative C1, but the pits covered with 300 cm of soil above the groundwater recovery level); and (D) Maximum Future Use (similar to Alternative C2, except construction of commercial and industrial facilities, storage, recreation, and further mining would be allowed). Radiation doses from atmospheric transport and ingestion of radionuclides were calculated, and somatic and genetic effects in individuals living within 80 km from the mine complex were predicted. Hydrological flow patterns in the mine area were analyzed to determine the potential for future contamination of surface water and groundwater and to determine the groundwater recovery level after reclamation, thus permitting incorporation of corrective actions into the reclamation procedures

The Functional Impact of Alternative Splicing in Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Climente-González, Héctor; Porta-Pardo, Eduard; Godzik, Adam; Eyras, Eduardo

2017-08-29

Alternative splicing changes are frequently observed in cancer and are starting to be recognized as important signatures for tumor progression and therapy. However, their functional impact and relevance to tumorigenesis remain mostly unknown. We carried out a systematic analysis to characterize the potential functional consequences of alternative splicing changes in thousands of tumor samples. This analysis revealed that a subset of alternative splicing changes affect protein domain families that are frequently mutated in tumors and potentially disrupt protein-protein interactions in cancer-related pathways. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between the number of these alternative splicing changes in a sample and the number of somatic mutations in drivers. We propose that a subset of the alternative splicing changes observed in tumors may represent independent oncogenic processes that could be relevant to explain the functional transformations in cancer, and some of them could potentially be considered alternative splicing drivers (AS drivers). Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Customer Purchasing Behavior Analysis as Alternatives for Supporting In-Store Green Marketing Decision-Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Alex Syaekhoni

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Due to increasing concerns about environmental protection, the environmental sustainability of businesses has been widely considered in the manufacturing and supply chain context. Further, its adoption has been implemented in the retail industry for marketing field, including green product promotion. This study aimed to propose a customer purchasing behavior analysis as an alternative for supporting decision-making in order to promote green products in retail stores. Hence, right-on-target marketing strategies can be implemented appropriately. The study was carried out using shopping path data collected by radio frequency identification (RFID from a large retail store in Seoul, South Korea. In addition, the store layout and its traffic were also analyzed. This method is expected to help experts providing appropriate decision alternatives. In addition, it can help retailers in order to increase product sales and achieve high levels of customer satisfaction.

Alternative Certification Pathways: Filling a Gap?

Science.gov (United States)

Ludlow, Carlyn

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to examine the proliferation of alternative certification pathways through an analysis of the role and history of teacher certification and supply followed by a synthesis of national, regional, and state research studies on alternative routes to certification programs and a review of studies conducted on well-known…

Complex Retrieval of Embedded IVC Filters: Alternative Techniques and Histologic Tissue Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo, William T.; Cupp, John S.; Louie, John D.; Kothary, Nishita; Hofmann, Lawrence V.; Sze, Daniel Y.; Hovsepian, David M.

2012-01-01

Purpose: We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of alternative endovascular methods to retrieve embedded optional and permanent filters in order to manage or reduce risk of long-term complications from implantation. Histologic tissue analysis was performed to elucidate the pathologic effects of chronic filter implantation. Methods: We studied the safety and effectiveness of alternative endovascular methods for removing embedded inferior vena cava (IVC) filters in 10 consecutive patients over 12 months. Indications for retrieval were symptomatic chronic IVC occlusion, caval and aortic perforation, and/or acute PE (pulmonary embolism) from filter-related thrombus. Retrieval was also performed to reduce risk of complications from long-term filter implantation and to eliminate the need for lifelong anticoagulation. All retrieved specimens were sent for histologic analysis. Results: Retrieval was successful in all 10 patients. Filter types and implantation times were as follows: one Venatech (1,495 days), one Simon-Nitinol (1,485 days), one Optease (300 days), one G2 (416 days), five Günther-Tulip (GTF; mean 606 days, range 154–1,010 days), and one Celect (124 days). There were no procedural complications or adverse events at a mean follow-up of 304 days after removal (range 196–529 days). Histology revealed scant native intima surrounded by a predominance of neointimal hyperplasia and dense fibrosis in all specimens. Histologic evidence of photothermal tissue ablation was confirmed in three laser-treated specimens. Conclusion: Complex retrieval methods can now be used in select patients to safely remove embedded optional and permanent IVC filters previously considered irretrievable. Neointimal hyperplasia and dense fibrosis are the major components that must be separated to achieve successful retrieval of chronic filter implants.

Advancing alternatives analysis: The role of predictive toxicology in selecting safer chemical products and processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Malloy, Timothy; Zaunbrecher, Virginia; Beryt, Elizabeth; Judson, Richard; Tice, Raymond; Allard, Patrick; Blake, Ann; Cote, Ila; Godwin, Hilary; Heine, Lauren; Kerzic, Patrick; Kostal, Jakub; Marchant, Gary; McPartland, Jennifer; Moran, Kelly; Nel, Andre; Ogunseitan, Oladele; Rossi, Mark; Thayer, Kristina; Tickner, Joel; Whittaker, Margaret; Zarker, Ken

2017-09-01

Alternatives analysis (AA) is a method used in regulation and product design to identify, assess, and evaluate the safety and viability of potential substitutes for hazardous chemicals. It requires toxicological data for the existing chemical and potential alternatives. Predictive toxicology uses in silico and in vitro approaches, computational models, and other tools to expedite toxicological data generation in a more cost-effective manner than traditional approaches. The present article briefly reviews the challenges associated with using predictive toxicology in regulatory AA, then presents 4 recommendations for its advancement. It recommends using case studies to advance the integration of predictive toxicology into AA, adopting a stepwise process to employing predictive toxicology in AA beginning with prioritization of chemicals of concern, leveraging existing resources to advance the integration of predictive toxicology into the practice of AA, and supporting transdisciplinary efforts. The further incorporation of predictive toxicology into AA would advance the ability of companies and regulators to select alternatives to harmful ingredients, and potentially increase the use of predictive toxicology in regulation more broadly. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:915-925. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Identification and functional analysis of two alternatively spliced transcripts of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3) in linseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanyan; Zhang, Tianbao; Song, Xiaxia; Zhang, Jianping; Dang, Zhanhai; Pei, Xinwu; Long, Yan

2018-01-01

Alternative splicing is a popular phenomenon in different types of plants. It can produce alternative spliced transcripts that encode proteins with altered functions. Previous studies have shown that one transcription factor, ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3), which encodes an important component in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, is subjected to alternative splicing in both mono- and dicotyledons. In the current study, we identified two homologs of ABI3 in the genome of linseed flax. We screened two alternatively spliced flax LuABI3 transcripts, LuABI3-2 and LuABI3-3, and one normal flax LuABI3 transcript, LuABI3-1. Sequence analysis revealed that one of the alternatively spliced transcripts, LuABI3-3, retained a 6 bp intron. RNA accumulation analysis showed that all three transcripts were expressed during seed development, while subcellular localization and transgene experiments showed that LuABI3-3 had no biological function. The two normal transcripts, LuABI3-1 and LuABI3-2, are the important functional isoforms in flax and play significant roles in the ABA regulatory pathway during seed development, germination, and maturation.

Identification and functional analysis of two alternatively spliced transcripts of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3 in linseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanyan Wang

Full Text Available Alternative splicing is a popular phenomenon in different types of plants. It can produce alternative spliced transcripts that encode proteins with altered functions. Previous studies have shown that one transcription factor, ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3, which encodes an important component in abscisic acid (ABA signaling, is subjected to alternative splicing in both mono- and dicotyledons. In the current study, we identified two homologs of ABI3 in the genome of linseed flax. We screened two alternatively spliced flax LuABI3 transcripts, LuABI3-2 and LuABI3-3, and one normal flax LuABI3 transcript, LuABI3-1. Sequence analysis revealed that one of the alternatively spliced transcripts, LuABI3-3, retained a 6 bp intron. RNA accumulation analysis showed that all three transcripts were expressed during seed development, while subcellular localization and transgene experiments showed that LuABI3-3 had no biological function. The two normal transcripts, LuABI3-1 and LuABI3-2, are the important functional isoforms in flax and play significant roles in the ABA regulatory pathway during seed development, germination, and maturation.

Interlaboratory Comparison Test as an Evaluation of Applicability of an Alternative Edible Oil Analysis by 1H NMR Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zailer, Elina; Holzgrabe, Ulrike; Diehl, Bernd W K

2017-11-01

A proton (1H) NMR spectroscopic method was established for the quality assessment of vegetable oils. To date, several research studies have been published demonstrating the high potential of the NMR technique in lipid analysis. An interlaboratory comparison was organized with the following main objectives: (1) to evaluate an alternative analysis of edible oils by using 1H NMR spectroscopy; and (2) to determine the robustness and reproducibility of the method. Five different edible oil samples were analyzed by evaluating 15 signals (free fatty acids, peroxides, aldehydes, double bonds, and linoleic and linolenic acids) in each spectrum. A total of 21 NMR data sets were obtained from 17 international participant laboratories. The performance of each laboratory was assessed by their z-scores. The test was successfully passed by 90.5% of the participants. Results showed that NMR spectroscopy is a robust alternative method for edible oil analysis.

77 FR 63413 - Early Scoping Notification for the Alternatives Analysis of the Federal Way Transit Extension...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-16

... Alternatives Analysis of the Federal Way Transit Extension From SeaTac to Federal Way, WA AGENCY: Federal... capital investments. While recent legislation may lead to changes in the New Starts process, Sound Transit... Community College, Building 2, 2400 S. 240th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198. 2. November 13, 2012, 4:00 p.m...

75 FR 30100 - FY 2010 Discretionary Livability Funding Opportunity: Alternatives Analysis Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-28

... to support a limited number of alternatives analyses, or technical work conducted as part of on-going... limited number of alternatives analyses, or technical work conducted as part of proposed or on-going... Projects Alternatives analyses must be documented in the Unified Planning Work Program of the metropolitan...

PathwaySplice: An R package for unbiased pathway analysis of alternative splicing in RNA-Seq data.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Aimin; Ban, Yuguang; Gao, Zhen; Chen, Xi; Wang, Lily

2018-04-24

Pathway analysis of alternative splicing would be biased without accounting for the different number of exons or junctions associated with each gene, because genes with higher number of exons or junctions are more likely to be included in the "significant" gene list in alternative splicing. We present PathwaySplice, an R package that (1) Performs pathway analysis that explicitly adjusts for the number of exons or junctions associated with each gene; (2) Visualizes selection bias due to different number of exons or junctions for each gene and formally tests for presence of bias using logistic regression; (3) Supports gene sets based on the Gene Ontology terms, as well as more broadly defined gene sets (e.g. MSigDB) or user defined gene sets; (4) Identifies the significant genes driving pathway significance and (5) Organizes significant pathways with an enrichment map, where pathways with large number of overlapping genes are grouped together in a network graph. https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/PathwaySplice.html. lily.wangg@gmail.com, xi.steven.chen@gmail.com.

Expert-Opinion Elicitation for the Risk Analysis of Design-Improvement Alternatives to the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Lock and Dam

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ayyub, Bilal M

2002-01-01

This report documents the expert-opinion elicitation performed to meet risk analysis needs of the lower lock approach sediment management improvement alternatives to the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Lock and Dam...

Investigation of the Hygrothermal Performance of Alternative Insulation Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten; Kristiansen, Finn Harken; Rasmussen, Niels T.

1999-01-01

The paper gives an account of hygrothermal investigations carried out on some insulation products which are "alternative" to the ones that are traditionally used in Danish constructions. The alternative products are claimed to be friendly both to the environment and to the labour force. The mater......The paper gives an account of hygrothermal investigations carried out on some insulation products which are "alternative" to the ones that are traditionally used in Danish constructions. The alternative products are claimed to be friendly both to the environment and to the labour force...... is determined for the different materials with a guarded hot plate apparatus in which different vapour pressure conditions can be maintained over the specimens. The apparatus and some results are presented.2. Computational analysis of the hygrothermal performance of constructions with alternative insulation...... products.The hygrothermal performance of constructions with alternative insulation products is analysed with a computational model for combined heat and moisture transfer. The analysis concerns both traditional wall and roof constructions with the alternative insulation products, and some alternative...

A global analysis of alternative tillage and crop establishment practices for economically and environmentally efficient rice production.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Debashis; Ladha, Jagdish Kumar; Rana, Dharamvir Singh; Jat, Mangi Lal; Gathala, Mahesh Kumar; Yadav, Sudhir; Rao, Adusumilli Narayana; Ramesha, Mugadoli S; Raman, Anitha

2017-08-24

Alternative tillage and rice establishment options should aim at less water and labor to produce similar or improved yields compared with traditional puddled-transplanted rice cultivation. The relative performance of these practices in terms of yield, water input, and economics varies across rice-growing regions. A global meta and mixed model analysis was performed, using a dataset involving 323 on-station and 9 on-farm studies (a total of 3878 paired data), to evaluate the yield, water input, greenhouse gas emissions, and cost and net return with five major tillage/crop establishment options. Shifting from transplanting to direct-seeding was advantageous but the change from conventional to zero or reduced tillage reduced yields. Direct-seeded rice under wet tillage was the best alternative with yield advantages of 1.3-4.7% (p Direct-seeding under zero tillage was another potential alternative with high savings in water input and cost of cultivation, with no yield penalty. The alternative practices reduced methane emissions but increased nitrous oxide emissions. Soil texture plays a key role in relative yield advantages, and therefore refinement of the practice to suit a specific agro-ecosystem is needed.

Needs-based sewerage prioritization: alternative to conventional cost-benefit analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Md M; Hayes, Donald F

2011-10-01

This paper presents an empirical approach to select and prioritize sewerage projects within set budgetary limitations. The methodology includes a model which quantifies benefits of a sewerage project as an index or dimensionless number. The index considers need and urgency of sewerage and other project goals. Benefit is defined as the difference in anticipated impact between the current condition (without the project) and the expected condition with the project. Anticipated benefits primarily include reduction in environmental pollution, reduction of human diseases and morbidity, and other tangible and intangible improvement. This approach is a powerful decision tool for sewerage prioritization and an effective alternative to conventional cost-benefit analysis. Unlike conventional analysis, this approach makes no attempt to convert project benefits and other impacts into a monetary measure. This work recognizes that the decision to provide sewerage based solely on net benefits is not practical. Instead, benefit-cost ratios (B/C) are calculated utilizing cost-effectiveness approach. Using these ratios, 16 unserviced areas of Ensenada, Mexico are ranked. The prioritization rankings produced by this method must be further scrutinized and carefully reviewed for logic, accuracy of input data, and practicality of implementation. A similar framework may also be useful for prioritizing other public works projects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Innovative and Alternative Technology Assessment Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-02-01

This four chapter, six appendix manual presents the procedures and methodology as well as the baseline costs and energy information necessary for the analysis and evaluation of innovative and alternative technology applications submitted for federal grant assistance under the innovative and alternative technology provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1977. The manual clarifies and interprets the intent of Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency in carrying out the mandates of the innovative and alternative provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1977. [DJE 2005

Alternative energies. Updates on progress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, German (ed.) [CIRCE - Centre of Research for Energy Resources and Consumption, Zaragoza (Spain)

2013-07-01

Presents fundamental and applied research of alternative energies. Address key pillars in the alternative energy field, such as: biomass energy, hydrogen energy, solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy and their environmental implications, with the most updated progress. Includes the life cycle assessment and thermoeconomic analysis as tools for evaluating and optimising environmental and cost subjects. This book presents nine chapters based on fundamental and applied research of alternative energies. At the present time, the challenge is that technology has to come up with solutions that can provide environmentally friendly energy supply options that are able to cover the current world energy demand. Experts around the world are working on these issues for providing new solutions that will break the existing technological barriers. This book aims to address key pillars in the alternative energy field, such as: biomass energy, hydrogen energy, solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy and their environmental implications, with the most updated progress for each pillar. It also includes the life cycle assessment (LCA) and thermoeconomic analysis (TA) as tools for evaluating and optimising environmental and cost subjects. Chapters are organized into fundamental research, applied research and future trends; and written for engineers, academic researches and scientists.

Analysis of the Relative Sustainability of Land Devoted to Bioenergy: Comparing Land-Use Alternatives in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiashun Huang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available When developing land to meet various human needs, conducting assessments of different alternatives regarding their sustainability is critical. Among different alternatives of land-use, devoting land to bioenergy is relatively novel, in high demand, and important for addressing the energy crisis and mitigating carbon emissions. Furthermore, the competition and disputes among limited land-use for bioenergy and the combination of food production and housing are tense. Thus, which alternative of land-use is more sustainable is an important question, yet it is still under-investigated. The main purposes of this study are to investigate the merits and problems of land-use for bioenergy and to compare the relative sustainability of land-use for bioenergy, food production, and housing based on habitants’ perceptions. Multi-criteria analysis is applied to the case study in the context of China, evaluating multiple criteria in economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive assessment of different scenarios of land-use designed to be implemented and some implications for optimum land-use policies.

A Methodology for the Analysis and Selection of Alternative for the Disposition of Surplus Plutonium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) - Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (OFMD) has announced a Record of Decision (ROD) selecting alternatives for disposition of surplus plutonium. A major objective of this decision was to further U.S. efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Other concerns that were addressed include economic, technical, institutional, schedule, environmental, and health and safety issues. The technical, environmental, and nonproliferation analyses supporting the ROD are documented in three DOE reports (DOE-TSR 96, DOE-PEIS 96, and DOE-NN 97, respectively). At the request of OFMD, a team of analysts from the Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium (ANRCP) provided an independent evaluation of the alternatives for plutonium that were considered during the evaluation effort. This report outlines the methodology used by the ANRCP team. This methodology, referred to as multiattribute utility theory (MAU), provides a structure for assembling results of detailed technical, economic, schedule, environment, and nonproliferation analyses for OFMD, DOE policy makers, other stakeholders, and the general public in a systematic way. The MAU methodology has been supported for use in similar situations by the National Research Council, an agency of the National Academy of Sciences.1 It is important to emphasize that the MAU process does not lead to a computerized model that actually determines the decision for a complex problem. MAU is a management tool that is one component, albeit a key component, of a decision process. We subscribe to the philosophy that the result of using models should be insights, not numbers. The MAU approach consists of four steps: (1) identification of alternatives, objectives, and performance measures, (2) estimation of the performance of the alternatives with respect to the objectives, (3) development of value functions and weights for the objectives, and (4) evaluation of the alternatives and sensitivity

75 FR 32295 - Expedited Approval of Alternative Test Procedures for the Analysis of Contaminants Under the Safe...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-08

... Approval of Alternative Test Procedures for the Analysis of Contaminants Under the Safe Drinking Water Act... methods for use in measuring the levels of contaminants in drinking water and determining compliance with... required to measure contaminants in drinking water samples. In addition, EPA Regions as well as States and...

Computational Analysis of an Evolutionarily Conserved VertebrateMuscle Alternative Splicing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Debopriya; Clark, Tyson A.; Schweitzer, Anthony; Marr,Henry; Yamamoto, Miki L.; Parra, Marilyn K.; Arribere, Josh; Minovitsky,Simon; Dubchak, Inna; Blume, John E.; Conboy, John G.

2006-06-15

A novel exon microarray format that probes gene expression with single exon resolution was employed to elucidate critical features of a vertebrate muscle alternative splicing program. A dataset of 56 microarray-defined, muscle-enriched exons and their flanking introns were examined computationally in order to investigate coordination of the muscle splicing program. Candidate intron regulatory motifs were required to meet several stringent criteria: significant over-representation near muscle-enriched exons, correlation with muscle expression, and phylogenetic conservation among genomes of several vertebrate orders. Three classes of regulatory motifs were identified in the proximal downstream intron, within 200nt of the target exons: UGCAUG, a specific binding site for Fox-1 related splicing factors; ACUAAC, a novel branchpoint-like element; and UG-/UGC-rich elements characteristic of binding sites for CELF splicing factors. UGCAUG was remarkably enriched, being present in nearly one-half of all cases. These studies suggest that Fox and CELF splicing factors play a major role in enforcing the muscle-specific alternative splicing program, facilitating expression of a set of unique isoforms of cytoskeletal proteins that are critical to muscle cell differentiation. Supplementary materials: There are four supplementary tables and one supplementary figure. The tables provide additional detailed information concerning the muscle-enriched datasets, and about over-represented oligonucleotide sequences in the flanking introns. The supplementary figure shows RT-PCR data confirming the muscle-enriched expression of exons predicted from the microarray analysis.

Convergence analysis of the alternating RGLS algorithm for the identification of the reduced complexity Volterra model.

Science.gov (United States)

Laamiri, Imen; Khouaja, Anis; Messaoud, Hassani

2015-03-01

In this paper we provide a convergence analysis of the alternating RGLS (Recursive Generalized Least Square) algorithm used for the identification of the reduced complexity Volterra model describing stochastic non-linear systems. The reduced Volterra model used is the 3rd order SVD-PARAFC-Volterra model provided using the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and the Parallel Factor (PARAFAC) tensor decomposition of the quadratic and the cubic kernels respectively of the classical Volterra model. The Alternating RGLS (ARGLS) algorithm consists on the execution of the classical RGLS algorithm in alternating way. The ARGLS convergence was proved using the Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) method. It is noted that the algorithm convergence canno׳t be ensured when the disturbance acting on the system to be identified has specific features. The ARGLS algorithm is tested in simulations on a numerical example by satisfying the determined convergence conditions. To raise the elegies of the proposed algorithm, we proceed to its comparison with the classical Alternating Recursive Least Squares (ARLS) presented in the literature. The comparison has been built on a non-linear satellite channel and a benchmark system CSTR (Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor). Moreover the efficiency of the proposed identification approach is proved on an experimental Communicating Two Tank system (CTTS). Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intuitions in Epistemology: Towards a Naturalistic Alternative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahlström, Kristoffer

2009-01-01

The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative is then ske......The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative...... is then sketched that explores the positive implications of aforementioned problems for the demarcation of the respective roles of intuitions and empirical investigation within three epistemological domains, viz., the evaluation of epistemological hypotheses, the amelioration of epistemic practices...

Analysis of quantile regression as alternative to ordinary least squares

OpenAIRE

Ibrahim Abdullahi; Abubakar Yahaya

2015-01-01

In this article, an alternative to ordinary least squares (OLS) regression based on analytical solution in the Statgraphics software is considered, and this alternative is no other than quantile regression (QR) model. We also present goodness of fit statistic as well as approximate distributions of the associated test statistics for the parameters. Furthermore, we suggest a goodness of fit statistic called the least absolute deviation (LAD) coefficient of determination. The procedure is well ...

Cost Benefit and Alternatives Analysis of Distribution Systems with Energy Storage Systems: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, Tom; Nagarajan, Adarsh; Baggu, Murali; Bialek, Tom

2017-06-27

This paper explores monetized and non-monetized benefits from storage interconnected to distribution system through use cases illustrating potential applications for energy storage in California's electric utility system. This work supports SDG&E in its efforts to quantify, summarize, and compare the cost and benefit streams related to implementation and operation of energy storage on its distribution feeders. This effort develops the cost benefit and alternatives analysis platform, integrated with QSTS feeder simulation capability, and analyzed use cases to explore the cost-benefit of implementation and operation of energy storage for feeder support and market participation.

Compartmental modeling alternatives for kinetic analysis of pet neurotransmitter receptor studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koeppe, R.A.

1991-01-01

With the increased interest in studying neurotransmitter and receptor function in vivo, imaging procedures using positron emission tomography have presented new challenges for kinetic modeling and analysis of data. The in vivo behavior of radiolabeled markers for examining these neurotransmitter systems can be quite complex and, therefore, the implementation of compartmental models for data analysis is similarly complex. Often, the variability in the estimates of model parameters representing neurotransmitter or receptor densities, association and dissociation rates, or rates of incorporation or turnover does not permit reliable interpretation of the data. When less complex analyses are used, these model parameters may be biased and thus also do not yield the information being sought. Examination of trade-offs between uncertainty and bias in the parameters of interest may be used to select a compartmental model configuration with an appropriate level of complexity. Modeling alternatives will be discussed for radioligands with varying kinetic properties, such as those that bind reversibly and rapidly and others that bind nearly irreversibly. Specific problems, such as those occurring when a radioligand is open-quotes flow limitedclose quotes also will be discussed

Alternative drives for motor cars. Hybrid systems, fuel cells, alternative energy sources. 3. ed.; Alternative Antriebe fuer Automobile. Hybridsysteme, Brennstoffzellen, alternative Energietraeger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stan, Cornel [California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States); Paris-1 Univ., 75 (France); Pisa Univ. (Italy); Perugia Univ. (Italy); Kronstadt Univ. (Russian Federation)

2012-07-01

This book describes and assesses on the basis of the latest research and development projects worldwide what the possibilities are for the realisation of future drive concepts, ranging from battery-driven electromotors to hybrid systems combining electromotor and combustion engine to alternative energy resources such as hydrogen or alcohol. Power density, torque band, acceleration characteristics, specific energy consumption and chemical and noise emissions are the most important criteria for assessing the quality of a drive configuration. The boundary conditions for the introduction of alternative automotive drives are determined by the availability or production characteristics and the storability of the energy resources in question as well as by the degree of technical complexity, costs, safety, infrastructure and service. This book provides an updated overview and analysis of the processes, prime movers and energy resources that can be combined in complex energy management systems for automobiles. Up-to-date information of this kind is indispensable for the development of new concepts. The contents in overview: current data and facts on the development of new concepts; compact overview and analysis of processes, prime movers and energy resources; methods and solutions in designing alternative drives. [German] Die Realisierungsmoeglichkeiten zukuenftiger Antriebskonzepte - von batteriebetriebenen Elektromotoren und Hybridsystemen bestehend aus Elektro- und Verbrennungsmotor ueber Brennstoffzellen bis hin zu alternativen Energietraegern wie Wasserstoff oder Alkohol - werden auf Basis neuesten Forschungs- und Entwicklungsarbeiten weltweit praesentiert und bewertet. Leistungsdichte, Drehmomentverlauf, Beschleunigungscharakteristik, spezifischer Energieverbrauch sowie Emission chemischer Stoffe und Geraeusche sind wichtige Merkmale zur Beurteilung der Qualitaet einer Antriebskonfiguration. Die Verfuegbarkeit oder die Herstellungsmerkmale sowie die Speicherfaehigkeit

A nested case-control study of influenza vaccination was a cost-effective alternative to a full cohort analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hak, E; Wei, F; Grobbee, D E; Nichol, K L

OBJECTIVE: In the absence of trial results that are applicable to the target population, nested case-control studies might be an alternative to full-cohort analysis. We compared relative and absolute estimates of associations in an influenza vaccine study using both designs. STUDY DESIGN AND

Alternative Nonvolatile Residue Analysis with Contaminant Identification Project

Science.gov (United States)

Loftin, Kathleen (Compiler); Summerfield, Burton (Compiler); Thompson, Karen (Compiler); Mullenix, Pamela (Compiler); Zeitlin, Nancy (Compiler)

2015-01-01

Cleanliness verification is required in numerous industries including spaceflight ground support, electronics, medical and aerospace. Currently at KSC requirement for cleanliness verification use solvents that environmentally unfriendly. This goal of this project is to produce an alternative cleanliness verification technique that is both environmentally friendly and more cost effective.

Can scientific medicine incorporate alternative medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Federspil, G; Vettor, R

2000-06-01

The authors examine the problem of defining alternative medicine, and after a brief analysis conclude that a satisfactory unifying definition of the different practices is not possible. Scientific knowledge is a function of scientific method. In turn the principle of falsifiability proposed by Karl Popper is used as a demarcation line between science and pseudoscience. They assert that the various alternative modalities do not represent authentic scientific disciplines, as they lack many of the minimum requirements of scientific discourse and, above all, because they violate the principle of falsifiability. Until they overcome these methodological shortcomings, alternative medical practices cannot become authentic scientific disciplines.

The Architecture of Chemical Alternatives Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Geiser, Kenneth; Tickner, Joel; Edwards, Sally; Rossi, Mark

2015-12-01

Chemical alternatives assessment is a method rapidly developing for use by businesses, governments, and nongovernment organizations seeking to substitute chemicals of concern in production processes and products. Chemical alternatives assessment is defined as a process for identifying, comparing, and selecting safer alternatives to chemicals of concern (including those in materials, processes, or technologies) on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability. The process is intended to provide guidance for assuring that chemicals of concern are replaced with safer alternatives that are not likely to be later regretted. Conceptually, the assessment methods are developed from a set of three foundational pillars and five common principles. Based on a number of emerging alternatives assessment initiatives, in this commentary, we outline a chemical alternatives assessment blueprint structured around three broad steps: Scope, Assessment, and Selection and Implementation. Specific tasks and tools are identified for each of these three steps. While it is recognized that on-going practice will further refine and develop the method and tools, it is important that the structure of the assessment process remain flexible, adaptive, and focused on the substitution of chemicals of concern with safer alternatives. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Inverse Transformation: Unleashing Spatially Heterogeneous Dynamics with an Alternative Approach to XPCS Data Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Ross N; Narayanan, Suresh; Zhang, Fan; Kuzmenko, Ivan; Ilavsky, Jan

2018-02-01

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS), an extension of dynamic light scattering (DLS) in the X-ray regime, detects temporal intensity fluctuations of coherent speckles and provides scattering vector-dependent sample dynamics at length scales smaller than DLS. The penetrating power of X-rays enables probing dynamics in a broad array of materials with XPCS, including polymers, glasses and metal alloys, where attempts to describe the dynamics with a simple exponential fit usually fails. In these cases, the prevailing XPCS data analysis approach employs stretched or compressed exponential decay functions (Kohlrausch functions), which implicitly assume homogeneous dynamics. In this paper, we propose an alternative analysis scheme based upon inverse Laplace or Gaussian transformation for elucidating heterogeneous distributions of dynamic time scales in XPCS, an approach analogous to the CONTIN algorithm widely accepted in the analysis of DLS from polydisperse and multimodal systems. Using XPCS data measured from colloidal gels, we demonstrate the inverse transform approach reveals hidden multimodal dynamics in materials, unleashing the full potential of XPCS.

Alternative energies updates on progress

CERN Document Server

Ferreira, Germán

2013-01-01

This book examines the key pillars of alternative energy, including biomass, hydrogen, solar and geothermal. It features life cycle assessment and thermoeconomic analysis as tools for evaluating and optimising environmental and cost subjects.

FMDP reactor alternative summary report: Volume 4, Evolutionary LWR alternative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-09-01

Significant quantities of weapons-usable fissile materials [primarily plutonium and highly enriched uranium (HEU)] have become surplus to national defense needs both in the United States and Russia. These stocks of fissile materials pose significant dangers to national and international security. The dangers exist not only in the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons but also in the potential for environmental, safety, and health (ES&H) consequences if surplus fissile materials are not properly managed. The purpose of this report is to provide schedule, cost, and technical information that will be used to support the Record of Process (ROD). Following the screening process, DOE/MD via its national laboratories initiated a more detailed analysis activity to further evaluate each of the ten plutonium disposition alternatives that survived the screening process. Three ``Alternative Teams,`` chartered by DOE and comprised of technical experts from across the DOE national laboratory complex, conducted these analyses. One team was chartered for each of the major disposition classes (borehole, immobilization, and reactors). During the last year and a half, the Fissile Materials Disposition Program (FMDP) Reactor Alternative Team (RxAT) has conducted extensive analyses of the cost, schedule, technical maturity, S&S, and other characteristics of reactor-based plutonium disposition. The results of the RxAT`s analyses of the existing LWR, CANDU, and partially complete LWR alternatives are documented in Volumes 1-3 of this report. This document (Volume 4) summarizes the results of these analyses for the ELWR-based plutonium disposition option.

Single molecule analysis of c-myb alternative splicing reveals novel classifiers for precursor B-ALL.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye E Zhou

Full Text Available The c-Myb transcription factor, a key regulator of proliferation and differentiation in hematopoietic and other cell types, has an N-terminal DNA binding domain and a large C-terminal domain responsible for transcriptional activation, negative regulation and determining target gene specificity. Overexpression and rearrangement of the c-myb gene (MYB has been reported in some patients with leukemias and other types of cancers, implicating activated alleles of c-myb in the development of human tumors. Alternative RNA splicing can produce variants of c-myb with qualitatively distinct transcriptional activities that may be involved in transformation and leukemogenesis. Here, by performing a detailed, single molecule assay we found that c-myb alternative RNA splicing was elevated and much more complex in leukemia samples than in cell lines or CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells from normal donors. The results revealed that leukemia samples express more than 60 different c-myb splice variants, most of which have multiple alternative splicing events and were not detectable by conventional microarray or PCR approaches. For example, the single molecule assay detected 21 and 22 splice variants containing the 9B and 9S exons, respectively, most of which encoded unexpected variant forms of c-Myb protein. Furthermore, the detailed analysis identified some splice variants whose expression correlated with poor survival in a small cohort of precursor B-ALL samples. Our findings indicate that single molecule assays can reveal complexities in c-myb alternative splicing that have potential as novel biomarkers and could help explain the role of c-Myb variants in the development of human leukemia.

Two-step rating-based 'double-faced applicability' test for sensory analysis of spread products as an alternative to descriptive analysis with trained panel.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, In-Ah; den-Hollander, Elyn; Lee, Hye-Seong

2018-03-01

Descriptive analysis with a trained sensory panel has thus far been the most well defined methodology to characterize various products. However, in practical terms, intensive training in descriptive analysis has been recognized as a serious defect. To overcome this limitation, various novel rapid sensory profiling methodologies have been suggested in the literature. Among these, attribute-based methodologies such as check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions showed results comparable to those of conventional sensory descriptive analysis. Kim, Hopkinson, van Hout, and Lee (2017a, 2017b) have proposed a novel attribute-based methodology termed the two-step rating-based 'double-faced applicability' test with a novel output measure of applicability magnitude (d' A ) for measuring consumers' product usage experience throughout various product usage stages. In this paper, the potential of the two-step rating-based 'double-faced applicability' test with d' A was investigated as an alternative to conventional sensory descriptive analysis in terms of sensory characterization and product discrimination. Twelve commercial spread products were evaluated using both conventional sensory descriptive analysis with a trained sensory panel and two-step rating-based 'double-faced applicability' test with an untrained sensory panel. The results demonstrated that the 'double-faced applicability' test can be used to provide a direct measure of the applicability magnitude of sensory attributes of the samples tested in terms of d' A for sensory characterization of individual samples and multiple sample comparisons. This suggests that when the appropriate list of attributes to be used in the questionnaire is already available, the two-step rating-based 'double-faced applicability' test with d' A can be used as a more efficient alternative to conventional descriptive analysis, without requiring any intensive training process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional vs. Traditional Analysis in Biomechanical Gait Data: An Alternative Statistical Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jihong; Seeley, Matthew K; Francom, Devin; Reese, C Shane; Hopkins, J Ty

2017-12-01

In human motion studies, discrete points such as peak or average kinematic values are commonly selected to test hypotheses. The purpose of this study was to describe a functional data analysis and describe the advantages of using functional data analyses when compared with a traditional analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach. Nineteen healthy participants (age: 22 ± 2 yrs, body height: 1.7 ± 0.1 m, body mass: 73 ± 16 kg) walked under two different conditions: control and pain+effusion. Pain+effusion was induced by injection of sterile saline into the joint capsule and hypertonic saline into the infrapatellar fat pad. Sagittal-plane ankle, knee, and hip joint kinematics were recorded and compared following injections using 2×2 mixed model ANOVAs and FANOVAs. The results of ANOVAs detected a condition × time interaction for the peak ankle (F1,18 = 8.56, p = 0.01) and hip joint angle (F1,18 = 5.77, p = 0.03), but did not for the knee joint angle (F1,18 = 0.36, p = 0.56). The functional data analysis, however, found several differences at initial contact (ankle and knee joint), in the mid-stance (each joint) and at toe off (ankle). Although a traditional ANOVA is often appropriate for discrete or summary data, in biomechanical applications, the functional data analysis could be a beneficial alternative. When using the functional data analysis approach, a researcher can (1) evaluate the entire data as a function, and (2) detect the location and magnitude of differences within the evaluated function.

Functional vs. Traditional Analysis in Biomechanical Gait Data: An Alternative Statistical Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Park Jihong

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In human motion studies, discrete points such as peak or average kinematic values are commonly selected to test hypotheses. The purpose of this study was to describe a functional data analysis and describe the advantages of using functional data analyses when compared with a traditional analysis of variance (ANOVA approach. Nineteen healthy participants (age: 22 ± 2 yrs, body height: 1.7 ± 0.1 m, body mass: 73 ± 16 kg walked under two different conditions: control and pain+effusion. Pain+effusion was induced by injection of sterile saline into the joint capsule and hypertonic saline into the infrapatellar fat pad. Sagittal-plane ankle, knee, and hip joint kinematics were recorded and compared following injections using 2×2 mixed model ANOVAs and FANOVAs. The results of ANOVAs detected a condition × time interaction for the peak ankle (F1,18 = 8.56, p = 0.01 and hip joint angle (F1,18 = 5.77, p = 0.03, but did not for the knee joint angle (F1,18 = 0.36, p = 0.56. The functional data analysis, however, found several differences at initial contact (ankle and knee joint, in the mid-stance (each joint and at toe off (ankle. Although a traditional ANOVA is often appropriate for discrete or summary data, in biomechanical applications, the functional data analysis could be a beneficial alternative. When using the functional data analysis approach, a researcher can (1 evaluate the entire data as a function, and (2 detect the location and magnitude of differences within the evaluated function.

A multi-criteria decision analysis of management alternatives for anaerobically digested kraft pulp mill sludge.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martijn Eikelboom

Full Text Available The Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA procedure was used to compare waste management options for kraft pulp mill sludge following its anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion of sludge is advantageous because it produces biogas that may be used to generate electricity, heat and biofuels. However, adequate management of the digested sludge is essential. Landfill disposal is a non-sustainable waste management alternative. Kraft pulp mill digested sludge applied to land may pose risks to the environment and public health if the sludge has not been properly treated. This study is aimed to compare several recycling alternatives for anaerobically digested sludge from kraft pulp mills: land application, landfill disposal, composting, incineration, pyrolysis/gasification, and biofuel production by algae. The MCDA procedure considered nine criteria into three domains to compare digested sludge recycling alternatives in a kraft pulp mill: environmental (CO2 emission, exposure to pathogens, risk of pollution, material and energy recovery, economic (overall costs, value of products and technical (maintenance and operation, feasibility of implementation. The most suitable management options for digested sludge from kraft pulp mills were found to be composting and incineration (when the latter was coupled with recycling ash to the cement industry. Landfill disposal was the worst option, presenting low performance in feasibility of implementation, risk of pollution, material and energy recovery.

A multi-criteria decision analysis of management alternatives for anaerobically digested kraft pulp mill sludge

Science.gov (United States)

Eikelboom, Martijn; Lopes, Alice do Carmo Precci; Silva, Claudio Mudadu; Rodrigues, Fábio de Ávila; Zanuncio, José Cola

2018-01-01

The Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) procedure was used to compare waste management options for kraft pulp mill sludge following its anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion of sludge is advantageous because it produces biogas that may be used to generate electricity, heat and biofuels. However, adequate management of the digested sludge is essential. Landfill disposal is a non-sustainable waste management alternative. Kraft pulp mill digested sludge applied to land may pose risks to the environment and public health if the sludge has not been properly treated. This study is aimed to compare several recycling alternatives for anaerobically digested sludge from kraft pulp mills: land application, landfill disposal, composting, incineration, pyrolysis/gasification, and biofuel production by algae. The MCDA procedure considered nine criteria into three domains to compare digested sludge recycling alternatives in a kraft pulp mill: environmental (CO2 emission, exposure to pathogens, risk of pollution, material and energy recovery), economic (overall costs, value of products) and technical (maintenance and operation, feasibility of implementation). The most suitable management options for digested sludge from kraft pulp mills were found to be composting and incineration (when the latter was coupled with recycling ash to the cement industry). Landfill disposal was the worst option, presenting low performance in feasibility of implementation, risk of pollution, material and energy recovery. PMID:29298296

The relationships between market orientation and alternative strategic orientations : A meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grinstein, A.

2008-01-01

Purpose - One of the strongest convictions in marketing is that market orientation contributes to firms' performance substantially more than alternative strategic orientations such as innovation and entrepreneurial orientations. Still, some studies show that alternative orientations can also

Teacher Implementation of Trial-Based Functional Analysis and Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior for Students with Challenging Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Susan D.; Lo, Ya-yu

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a training package on three middle school special education teachers' accurate implementation of trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) with their students with autism spectrum disorders or emotional and behavioral disorders in the…

Alternative security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weston, B.H.

1990-01-01

This book contains the following chapters: The Military and Alternative Security: New Missions for Stable Conventional Security; Technology and Alternative Security: A Cherished Myth Expires; Law and Alternative Security: Toward a Just World Peace; Politics and Alternative Security: Toward a More Democratic, Therefore More Peaceful, World; Economics and Alternative Security: Toward a Peacekeeping International Economy; Psychology and Alternative Security: Needs, Perceptions, and Misperceptions; Religion and Alternative Security: A Prophetic Vision; and Toward Post-Nuclear Global Security: An Overview

Shearography: An alternative method of NDE for analysis of corrosion in petroleum pipeline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Yusnisyam Yusof; Wan Saffiey Wan Abdullah

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the use of shearography as an alternative method of NDE for analysis of corrosion in petroleum pipeline. Shearography reveals direct information about defect induced stress which utilized the laser wave front pattern on the inspected object. In this study, the laser shearography technique was used to measure the derivative displacement of 7 mm thickness carbon steel pipe wall surface with simulated corrosion area at internal wall. The wave front pattern of internal wall corrosion in petroleum pipeline will be constructed to 3D image profiles in order to measure the severity and magnitude of material deformation. The process may involve of optical phase stepping procedure and the image processing algorithm for wrapped and unwrapped phase image at the deformation area. The unwrapped phase image can be meshed plot which finally lead to 3D image profiles. The phase stepping procedure in this analysis was selected by utilizing four phase stepping procedure using piezoelectric transducer (PZT) attached with optical mirror. (author)

Semi-Markov reliability analysis of alternating systems in a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.N.; Cho, N.Z.

1992-01-01

Nuclear power plant operations that follow current testing and maintenance requirements sometimes result in inadvertent reactor trips, and operating staffs devote a significant amount of time and effort in complying with these requirements. Significant benefits could result from changes in current technical specifications. In this paper the benefits and impacts of changes in allowed outage times (AOTs) and surveillance test intervals (STIs) are evaluated for an alternative system that consists of multiple trains and whose operation is alternated train by train. because of testing and AOT requirements, the alternating system exhibits semi-Markovian characteristics that change states in accordance with a Markov process but take an arbitrarily distributed amount of time between changes. The state probabilities are quantified by memorizing the necessary number of past state probabilities. Two measures of plant performance, namely, core damage probability and plant unavailability (reactor downtime), were calculated for the evaluation of AOT and STI. Results indicate that there is an optimal point that gives the lowest core damage probability and that the methodology developed in this study can be applied to existing alternating systems to evaluate accurately the various alternatives in the technical specifications

Analysis of decision alternatives of the deep borehole filter restoration problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdildin, Yerkin G.; Abbas, Ali E.

2016-01-01

The energy problem is one of the biggest challenges facing the world in the 21st century. The nuclear energy is the fastest-growing contributor to the world energy and uranium mining is the primary step in its chain. One of the fundamental problems in the uranium extraction industry is the deep borehole filter restoration problem. This decision problem is very complex due to multiple objectives and various uncertainties. Besides the improvement of uranium production, the decision makers often need to meet internationally recognized standards (ISO 14001) of labor protection, safety measures, and preservation of environment. The problem can be simplified by constructing the multiattribute utility function, but the choice of the appropriate functional form requires the practical evaluation of different methods. In present work, we evaluate the alternatives of this complex problem by two distinct approaches for analyzing decision problems. The decision maker and the assessor is a Deputy Director General of a transnational corporation. - Highlights: • Analyzes 5 borehole recovery methods across the 4 most important attributes (criteria). • Considers financial, technological, environmental, and safety factors. • Compares two decision analysis approaches and the profit analysis. • Illustrates the assessments of the decision maker's preferences. • Determines that the assumption of independence of attributes yields imprecise recommendations.

State alternative route designations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-07-01

Pursuant to the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA), the Department of Transportation (DOT) has promulgated a comprehensive set of regulations regarding the highway transportation of high-level radioactive materials. These regulations, under HM-164 and HM-164A, establish interstate highways as the preferred routes for the transportation of radioactive materials within and through the states. The regulations also provide a methodology by which a state may select alternative routes. First,the state must establish a ''state routing agency,'' defined as an entity authorized to use the state legal process to impose routing requirements on carriers of radioactive material (49 CFR 171.8). Once identified, the state routing agency must select routes in accordance with Large Quantity Shipments of Radioactive Materials or an equivalent routing analysis. Adjoining states and localities should be consulted on the impact of proposed alternative routes as a prerequisite of final route selection. Lastly, the states must provide written notice of DOT of any alternative route designation before the routes are deemed effective

Alternative method for intramuscular fat analysis using common laboratory equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Segura, J; Calvo, L; Óvilo, C; González-Bulnes, A; Olivares, A; Cambero, M I; López-Bote, C J

2015-05-01

A procedure to quantify intramuscular fat was developed using common inexpensive laboratory equipment. Three homogenization methods of lyophilized muscle samples (Ball-mill, Grinder and Mortar) and two extraction methods (Ball-mill or Vortex) were used in turkey meat and pork. Two-hundred mg of lyophilized and homogenized samples were accurately weighed and mixed with 1.5 mL of dichloromethane-methanol (8:2) and shaken either in a Mixer Mill (MM400, Retsch Technology) or in a Vortex. The final mixture was separated by centrifugation. Solvent was evaporated under a nitrogen stream and lipid content was gravimetrically determined. Besides, it was checked that the fatty acid profile was not altered by the protocol used. Moreover, the analysis of 4 replicas from the same sample showed different variation coefficients (16-29%) for the new procedures proposed over a wide range of IMF content. The combination of Grinder and Vortex methodologies can be proposed as a simple and inexpensive alternative to previous ones. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Examining Pedestrian Injury Severity Using Alternative Disaggregate Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abay, Kibrom Araya

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the injury severity of pedestrians considering detailed road user characteristics and alternative model specification using a high-quality Danish road accident data. Such detailed and alternative modeling approach helps to assess the sensitivity of empirical inferences...... to the choice of these models. The empirical analysis reveals that detailed road user characteristics such as crime history of drivers and momentary activities of road users at the time of the accident provides an interesting insight in the injury severity analysis. Likewise, the alternative analytical...... specification of the models reveals that some of the conventionally employed fixed parameters injury severity models could underestimate the effect of some important behavioral attributes of the accidents. For instance, the standard ordered logit model underestimated the marginal effects of some...

An analysis of news media coverage of complementary and alternative medicine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Billie Bonevski

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To examine the accuracy and adequacy of lay media news stories about complementary and alternative medicines and therapies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A descriptive analysis of news stories about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM in the Australian media using a national medical news monitoring website, mediadoctor.org.au. Each story was rated against 10 criteria by two individuals. Consensus scores of 222 news articles reporting therapeutic claims about complementary medicines posted on mediadoctor.org.au between 1 January 2004 and 1 September 2007 were calculated. The overall rating score for 222 CAM articles was 50% (95% CI 47% to 53%. There was a statistically significant (F = 3.68, p = 0.006 difference in cumulative mean scores according to type of therapy: biologically based practices (54%, 95% CI 50% to 58%; manipulative body based practices (46%, 95% CI 39% to 54%, whole medical systems (45%, 95% CI 32% to 58%, mind body medicine (41%, 95% CI 31% to 50% and energy medicine (33%, 95% CI 11% to 55%. There was a statistically significant difference in cumulative mean scores (F = 3.72, p = 0.0001 according to the clinical outcome of interest with stories about cancer treatments (62%, 95% CI 54% to 70% scoring highest and stories about treatments for children's behavioural and mental health concerns scoring lowest (31%, 95% CI 19% to 43%. Significant differences were also found in scores between media outlets. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There is substantial variability in news reporting practices about CAM. Overall, although they may be improving, the scores remain generally low. It appears that much of the information the public receives about CAM is inaccurate or incomplete.

A qualitative model for strategic analysis of organizations. Application and alternative proposal on a study case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santiago Ferro Moreno

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The strategic analysis of organizations is based on the internal and external environments, in order to identify positive and negative variables and factors. The interrelation and timing of these strategic forces are essential to create alternative solutions that tend to achieve the organizational objectives.The normative prospective has theorical and methodological foundations to create a desired future and from it, be able to identify impelling and restraining forces that have influence on the particular problematic situation (go from the current situation to a better one in a certain time.The aim of this article is to analyze on a strategic way a real case with a normative-prospective model that considers the temporal dynamics of the factors impact and variables in time allowing to suggest alternative solutions.Semi-structured interviews were performed with all the employees of this case and structured observations and workshops with the commercial and general management.In consequence, with the results, the desired, current and improved situations were built. Additionally, forces were identified classified and appreciated and lastly solutions were suggested. With the proposed prospective method, alternative solutions could be constructed in order to settle temporary organizational objectives. No constraints were found to use the current method in other cases.Keywords: Strategic forces, Normative prospective, Problematic situations, Strategies

Alternate breeding cycles for nuclear power: an analysis (revised August 1980). Report prepared for the Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, Second Session

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1980-01-01

The purpose of this analysis by the Congressional Research Service is to provide the Committee on Science and Technology with a working tool for future consideration of the development of alternative breeder reactors. The analysis considers five alternatives, including two breeders that could produce plutonium or uranium-233 - the liquid metal cooled and the gas cooled fast neutron reactors; and three that would produce only uranium-233 - the light water ''breeder,'' the molten salt breeder, and possibly a heavy water breeder. The CRS analysis focuses on four of the factors likely to affect decisions by Congress on future development and use of alternative breeders. These four are the stages of technological development, safety, commercial attractiveness, and proliferation risks. Omitted are factors such as radioactive waste management, environmental effects, occupational health and safety risks, public attitudes, and licensability. These commonly affect all alternatives, with little discernible difference seen in the analysis. It should be noted that each of the breeder alternatives involves some kind of processing of used fuels, whether it be called reprocessing, coprocessing or by some other term

An energy-economic scenario analysis of alternative fuels for personal transport using the Global Multi-regional MARKAL model (GMM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guel, Timur; Kypreos, Socrates; Turton, Hal; Barreto, Leonardo

2009-01-01

This paper deals with the long-term prospects of alternative fuels in global personal transport. It aims at assessing key drivers and key bottlenecks for their deployment, focusing particularly on the role of biofuels and hydrogen in meeting climate policy objectives. The analysis is pursued using the Global Multi-regional MARKAL model (GMM), a perfect foresight ''bottom-up'' model of the global energy system with a detailed representation of alternative fuel chains, linked to the Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Induced Climate Change (MAGICC). The analysis shows that biofuels are limited by the regional availability of low-cost biomass, but can be important for meeting mild climate policy targets. If policy-makers intend to pursue more stringent climate policy, then hydrogen becomes a competitive option. However, the analysis finds that the use of hydrogen in personal transport is restricted to very stringent climate policy, as only such policy provides enough incentive to build up the required delivery infrastructure. An analysis of costs additionally shows that ''keeping the hydrogen option open'' does not take considerable investments compared to the investment needs in the power sector within the next decades, but allows the use of hydrogen for the pursuit of stringent climate policy in the second half of the century. (author)

FMDP reactor alternative summary report: Volume 4, Evolutionary LWR alternative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-09-01

Significant quantities of weapons-usable fissile materials [primarily plutonium and highly enriched uranium (HEU)] have become surplus to national defense needs both in the United States and Russia. These stocks of fissile materials pose significant dangers to national and international security. The dangers exist not only in the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons but also in the potential for environmental, safety, and health (ES ampersand H) consequences if surplus fissile materials are not properly managed. The purpose of this report is to provide schedule, cost, and technical information that will be used to support the Record of Process (ROD). Following the screening process, DOE/MD via its national laboratories initiated a more detailed analysis activity to further evaluate each of the ten plutonium disposition alternatives that survived the screening process. Three ''Alternative Teams,'' chartered by DOE and comprised of technical experts from across the DOE national laboratory complex, conducted these analyses. One team was chartered for each of the major disposition classes (borehole, immobilization, and reactors). During the last year and a half, the Fissile Materials Disposition Program (FMDP) Reactor Alternative Team (RxAT) has conducted extensive analyses of the cost, schedule, technical maturity, S ampersand S, and other characteristics of reactor-based plutonium disposition. The results of the RxAT's analyses of the existing LWR, CANDU, and partially complete LWR alternatives are documented in Volumes 1-3 of this report. This document (Volume 4) summarizes the results of these analyses for the ELWR-based plutonium disposition option

Hanford tanks initiative alternatives generation and analysis plan for AX tank farm closure basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaus, P.S.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this document is: (1) to review the HTI Mission Analysis and related documents to determine their suitability for use in developing performance measures for AX Tank Farm closure, (2) to determine the completeness and representativeness of selected alternative closure scenarios, (3) to determine the completeness of current plans for development of tank end-state criteria, and (4) to analyze the activities that are necessary and sufficient to recommend the end-state criteria and performance measures for the AX Tank Farm and recommend activities not currently planned to support establishment of its end-state criteria

The fission-track analysis: An alternative technique for provenance studies of prehistoric obsidian artefacts

CERN Document Server

Bellot-Gurlet, L; Dorighel, O; Oddone, M; Poupeau, G; Yegingil, Z

1999-01-01

Comparison of fission-track parameters - age and track densities - is an alternative tool for correlating obsidian artefacts with their potential natural sources. This method was applied by different fission-track groups in various regions and results were compared with those obtained using the more popular provenance identification techniques based on chemical composition studies. Hundreds of analyses prove that fission-track dating is a complementary technique which turns out to be very useful, specially when the chemical composition does not fully discriminate different sources. Archaeologically significant results were obtained applying the fission-track analysis in various regions of earth.

The fission-track analysis: An alternative technique for provenance studies of prehistoric obsidian artefacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellot-Gurlet, L.; Bigazzi, G.; Dorighel, O.; Oddone, M.; Poupeau, G.; Yegingil, Z.

1999-01-01

Comparison of fission-track parameters - age and track densities - is an alternative tool for correlating obsidian artefacts with their potential natural sources. This method was applied by different fission-track groups in various regions and results were compared with those obtained using the more popular provenance identification techniques based on chemical composition studies. Hundreds of analyses prove that fission-track dating is a complementary technique which turns out to be very useful, specially when the chemical composition does not fully discriminate different sources. Archaeologically significant results were obtained applying the fission-track analysis in various regions of earth

Cost-benefit analysis of alternative fuels and motive designs.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-01

This project was funded by the Federal Railroad Administration to better understand the potential cost and benefits of using alternative fuels for U.S. freight and passenger locomotive operations. The framework for a decision model was developed by T...

How alternative are alternative fuels?

OpenAIRE

Soffritti, Tiziana; Danielis, Romeo

1998-01-01

Could alternative fuel vehicles contribute to a substantial reduction of air pollution? Is there a market for alternative fuel vehicles? Could a market be created via a pollution tax? The article answers these questions on the basis of the available estimates.

Performance analysis of nitride alternative plasmonic materials for localized surface plasmon applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guler, U.; Naik, G. V.; Boltasseva, Alexandra

2012-01-01

. Titanium nitride and zirconium nitride, which were recently suggested as alternative plasmonic materials in the visible and near-infrared ranges, are compared to the performance of gold. In contrast to the results from quasistatic methods, both nitride materials are very good alternatives to the usual...

Alternative splicing of human elastin mRNA indicated by sequence analysis of cloned genomic and complementary DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Indik, Z.; Yeh, H.; Ornstein-goldstein, N.; Sheppard, P.; Anderson, N.; Rosenbloom, J.C.; Peltonen, L.; Rosenbloom, J.

1987-01-01

Poly(A) + RNA, isolated from a single 7-mo fetal human aorta, was used to synthesize cDNA by the RNase H method, and the cDNA was inserted into λgt10. Recombinant phage containing elastin sequences were identified by hybridization with cloned, exon-containing fragments of the human elastin gene. Three clones containing inserts of 3.3, 2.7, and 2.3 kilobases were selected for further analysis. Three overlapping clones containing 17.8 kilobases of the human elastin gene were also isolated from genomic libraries. Complete sequence analysis of the six clones demonstrated that: (i) the cDNA encompassed the entire translated portion of the mRNA encoding 786 amino acids, including several unusual hydrophilic amino acid sequences not previously identified in porcine tropoelastin, (ii) exons encoding either hydrophobic or crosslinking domains in the protein alternated in the gene, and (iii) a great abundance of Alu repetitive sequences occurred throughout the introns. The data also indicated substantial alternative splicing of the mRNA. These results suggest the potential for significant variation in the precise molecular structure of the elastic fiber in the human population

Evaluation of alternatives for the disposition of surplus weapons-usable plutonium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyer, J.S.; Butler, J.C.; Edmunds, T.

1997-01-01

The Department of Energy Record of Decision (ROD) selected alternatives for disposition of surplus, weapons grade plutonium. A major objective of this decision was to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Other concerns addressed included economic, technical, institutional, schedule, environmental, and health and safety issues. The analysis reported here was conducted in parallel with technical, environmental, and nonproliferation analyses; it uses multiattribute utility theory to combine these considerations in order to facilitate an integrated evaluation of alternatives. This analysis is intended to provide additional insight regarding alternative evaluation and to assist in understanding the rationale for the choice of alternatives recommended in the ROD. Value functions were developed for objectives of disposition, and used to rank alternatives. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the ranking of alternatives for the base case was relatively insensitive to changes in assumptions over reasonable ranges. The analyses support the recommendation of the ROD to pursue parallel development of the vitrification immobilization alternative and the use of existing light water reactors alternative. 27 refs., 109 figs., 20 tabs

MARAS - a computer code for semi-Markov reliability analysis of alternating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kwang Nam; Cho, Nam Zin

1989-01-01

It is now recognized that current testing and maintenance requirements invoke too many inadvertent reactor trips and that operating staff must devote significant amount of time and effort to comply with the requirements. With this recognition, the value and the impact of the proposed changes in the allowed outage time (AOT) and surveillance test interval(STI) are evaluated for the alternating system. Because of the testing and AOT requirements, the alternating system exhibits semi-Markovian characteristics which change states in accordance with a Markov chain but take a nonexponentially distributed amount of time between changes. It is observed from the results that there is an optimal point that gives lowest core damage probability and that the optimal point depends on input parameters. With these results, we can conclude that the methodology developed in this study can be applied to the existing alternating systems to evaluate accurately the various alternatives in the technical specifications

NIRS as an alternative to conventional soil analysis for Greenland soils (focus on SOC)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knadel, Maria; Ogric, Mateja; Adhikari, Kabindra

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important soil property. It is the main constituents of soil organic matter and a good indicator of soil quality. The estimation and mapping of SOC content could be used to select potential agricultural areas in the Arctic areas. However, conventional analysis of SOC...... are time consuming and expensive. They involve a lot of sample preparation, and chemicals and are destructive. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the range between 400 and 2500 nm is an alternative method for SOC analysis. It is fast and non-destructive. The aims of this study where to test...... the feasibility of using NIRS to estimate SOC content on a landscape and field scale in Greenland. Partial Least squares regression models were built to correlated soil spectra and their reference SOC data to develop calibration models. Very good predictive ability for both landscape and field scale were obtained...

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Structure of Statistics Anxiety Measure: An Examination of Four Alternative Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Bevrani, PhD

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the confirmatory factor analysis results of the Persian adaptation of Statistics Anxiety Measure (SAM, proposed by Earp.Method: The validity and reliability assessments of the scale were performed on 298 college students chosen randomly from Tabriz University in Iran. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA was carried out to determine the factor structures of the Persian adaptation of SAM.Results: As expected, the second order model provided a better fit to the data than the three alternative models. Conclusions: Hence, SAM provides an equally valid measure for use among college students. The study both expands and adds support to the existing body of math anxiety literature.

Three-D Flow Analysis of the Alternate SSME HPOT TAD

Science.gov (United States)

Kubinski, Cheryl A.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the results of numerical flow analyses performed in support of design development of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Alternate High Pressure Oxidizer Turbine Turn-around duct (TAD). The flow domain has been modeled using a 3D, Navier-Stokes, general purpose flow solver. The goal of this effort is to achieve an alternate TAD exit flow distribution which closely matches that of the baseline configuration. 3D Navier Stokes CFD analyses were employed to evaluate numerous candidate geometry modifications to the TAD flowpath in order to achieve this goal. The design iterations are summarized, as well as a description of the computational model, numerical results and the conclusions based on these calculations.

Flued head replacement alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smetters, J.L.

1987-01-01

This paper discusses flued head replacement options. Section 2 discusses complete flued head replacement with a design that eliminates the inaccessible welds. Section 3 discusses alternate flued head support designs that can drastically reduce flued head installation costs. Section 4 describes partial flued head replacement designs. Finally, Section 5 discusses flued head analysis methods. (orig./GL)

Cost estimating for CERCLA remedial alternatives a unit cost methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brettin, R.W.; Carr, D.J.; Janke, R.J.

1995-06-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance for Conducting Remedial Investigations and Feasibility Studies Under CERCLA, Interim Final, dated October 1988 (EPA 1988) requires a detailed analysis be conducted of the most promising remedial alternatives against several evaluation criteria, including cost. To complete the detailed analysis, order-of-magnitude cost estimates (having an accuracy of +50 percent to -30 percent) must be developed for each remedial alternative. This paper presents a methodology for developing cost estimates of remedial alternatives comprised of various technology and process options with a wide range of estimated contaminated media quantities. In addition, the cost estimating methodology provides flexibility for incorporating revisions to remedial alternatives and achieves the desired range of accuracy. It is important to note that the cost estimating methodology presented here was developed as a concurrent path to the development of contaminated media quantity estimates. This methodology can be initiated before contaminated media quantities are estimated. As a result, this methodology is useful in developing cost estimates for use in screening and evaluating remedial technologies and process options. However, remedial alternative cost estimates cannot be prepared without the contaminated media quantity estimates. In the conduct of the feasibility study for Operable Unit 5 at the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP), fourteen remedial alternatives were retained for detailed analysis. Each remedial alternative was composed of combinations of remedial technologies and processes which were earlier determined to be best suited for addressing the media-specific contaminants found at the FEMP site, and achieving desired remedial action objectives

Alternative international currencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rozhentsova Vladimirovna Elena

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The modern international monetary system has a number of flaws and therefore needs cardinal change. Hence, economists from all over the world are suggesting alternative international currencies that would make the international monetary system more efficient. However, it is essential when approaching the creation of a new international currency to analyze and take into account the experience of all the past international currencies. Therefore this paper begins with an exploration of the drawbacks of each of the past and present international currencies. Drawing on this analysis a justification will be made for the necessity of introducing a new international currency, pointing to the requirements it should meet. Further on, this paper proposes an alternative theoretically possible variant of the international currency, with a fixed value relative to a commodity basket. An abstract example is used to demonstrate its composition and circulation mechanism.

An Alternate Approach to Optimal L 2 -Error Analysis of Semidiscrete Galerkin Methods for Linear Parabolic Problems with Nonsmooth Initial Data

KAUST Repository

Goswami, Deepjyoti; Pani, Amiya K.

2011-01-01

In this article, we propose and analyze an alternate proof of a priori error estimates for semidiscrete Galerkin approximations to a general second order linear parabolic initial and boundary value problem with rough initial data. Our analysis

Quantifying alternative splicing from paired-end RNA-sequencing data

OpenAIRE

Rossell, David; Stephan-Otto Attolini, Camille; Kroiss, Manuel; Stöcker, Almond

2014-01-01

RNA-sequencing has revolutionized biomedical research and, in particular, our ability to study gene alternative splicing. The problem has important implications for human health, as alternative splicing may be involved in malfunctions at the cellular level and multiple diseases. However, the high-dimensional nature of the data and the existence of experimental biases pose serious data analysis challenges. We find that the standard data summaries used to study alternative splicing are severely...

Methodological approaches to analysis of agricultural countermeasures on radioactive contaminated areas: Estimation of effectiveness and comparison of different alternatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yatsalo, B.I.; Hedemann Jensen, P.; Alexakhin, R.M.

1997-01-01

Methodological aspects of countermeasure analysis in the long-term period after a nuclear accident are discussed for agriculture countermeasures for illustrative purposes. The estimates of effectiveness fbr specific countermeasures as well as methods of justified action levels assessments...... and comparison of different alternatives (countermeasures) based on the use of several criteria are considered....

Preferences for alternative fuel vehicles by Dutch local governments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijnsoever, F.J. van; Hagen, P.; Willems, M

2013-01-01

Using a choice model, we estimate the preferences for alternative fuel vehicles by Dutch local governments. The analysis shows that local governments are willing to pay between 25% and 50% extra for an alternative fuel vehicle without a serious loss of utility. Further, local emissions are an

Potential of renewable and alternative energy sources

Science.gov (United States)

Konovalov, V.; Pogharnitskaya, O.; Rostovshchikova, A.; Matveenko, I.

2015-11-01

The article deals with application potential of clean alternative renewable energy sources. By means of system analysis the forecast for consumption of electrical energy in Tomsk Oblast as well as main energy sources of existing energy system have been studied up to 2018. Engineering potential of renewable and alternative energy sources is evaluated. Besides, ranking in the order of their efficiency descending is performed. It is concluded that Tomsk Oblast has high potential of alternative and renewable energy sources, among which the most promising development perspective is implementation of gasification stations to save fuel consumed by diesel power stations as well as building wind-power plants.

Summary of EPA's risk assessment results from the analysis of alternative methods of low-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandrowski, M.S.; Hung, C.Y.; Meyer, G.L.; Rogers, V.C.

1987-01-01

Evaluation of the potential health risk and individual exposure from a broad number of disposal alternatives is an important part of EPA's program to develop generally applicable environmental standards for the land disposal of low-level radioactive wastes (LLW). The Agency has completed an analysis of the potential population health risks and maximum individual exposures from ten disposal methods under three different hydrogeological and climatic settings. This paper briefly describes the general input and analysis procedures used in the risk assessment for LLW disposal and presents their preliminary results. Some important lessons learned from simulating LLW disposal under a large variety of methods and conditions are identified

SustainPro - A tool for systematic process analysis, generation and evaluation of sustainable design alternatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carvalho, Ana; Matos, Henrique A.; Gani, Rafiqul

2013-01-01

the user through the necessary steps according to work-flow of the implemented methodology. At the end the design alternatives, are evaluated using environmental impact assessment tools and safety indices. The extended features of the methodology incorporate Life Cycle Assessment analysis and economic....... The software tool is based on the implementation of an extended systematic methodology for sustainable process design (Carvalho et al. 2008 and Carvalho et al. 2009). Using process information/data such as the process flowsheet, the associated mass / energy balance data and the cost data, SustainPro guides...... analysis. The application and the main features of SustainPro are illustrated through a case study of ß-Galactosidase production....

A cost-benefit analysis of alternatively fueled buses with special considerations for V2G technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirazi, Yosef; Carr, Edward; Knapp, Lauren

2015-01-01

Motivated by climate, health and economic considerations, alternatively-fueled bus fleets have emerged worldwide. Two popular alternatives are compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles. The latter provides the opportunity to generate revenue through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services if properly equipped. This analysis conducts a robust accounting of the costs of diesel, CNG and battery-electric powertrains for school buses. Both marginal and fleet-wide scenarios are explored. Results indicate that the marginal addition of neither a small CNG nor a small V2G-enabled electric bus is cost effective at current prices. Contrary to previous findings, a small V2G-enabled electric bus increases net present costs by $7,200/seat relative to diesel for a Philadelphia, PA school district. A small CNG bus increases costs by $1,200/seat relative to diesel. This analysis is the first to quantify and include the economic implications of cold temperature extremes on electric vehicle battery operations, and the lower V2G revenues that result. Additional costs and limitations imposed by electric vehicles performing V2G are frequently overlooked in the literature and are explored here. If a variety of technical, legal, and economic challenges are overcome, a future eBus may be economical. - Highlights: • We present a robust cost-benefit analysis of various bus technologies. • Diesel is a low-cost technology at current prices. • CNG represents slightly higher costs on a marginal bus basis. • V2G-enabled electric buses are not cost-effective at current prices. • We identify frequently overlooked costs and challenges to V2G implementation.

Alternatives to Center of Gravity Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-04

20 Figure 11. SWOT Analysis ...COMPARISON BETWEEN COG ANALYSIS AND SMTS ......................................................22 Benefits of using SMT in COG Analysis ...Opportunities, and Threats ( SWOT ) analysis . SWOT identifies external and internal factors that impinge on the business (Figure 11). SWOT can be as

An alternative method for noise analysis using pixel variance as part of quality control procedures on digital mammography systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouwman, R; Broeders, M; Van Engen, R; Young, K; Lazzari, B; Ravaglia, V

2009-01-01

According to the European Guidelines for quality assured breast cancer screening and diagnosis, noise analysis is one of the measurements that needs to be performed as part of quality control procedures on digital mammography systems. However, the method recommended in the European Guidelines does not discriminate sufficiently between systems with and without additional noise besides quantum noise. This paper attempts to give an alternative and relatively simple method for noise analysis which can divide noise into electronic noise, structured noise and quantum noise. Quantum noise needs to be the dominant noise source in clinical images for optimal performance of a digital mammography system, and therefore the amount of electronic and structured noise should be minimal. For several digital mammography systems, the noise was separated into components based on the measured pixel value, standard deviation (SD) of the image and the detector entrance dose. The results showed that differences between systems exist. Our findings confirm that the proposed method is able to discriminate systems based on their noise performance and is able to detect possible quality problems. Therefore, we suggest to replace the current method for noise analysis as described in the European Guidelines by the alternative method described in this paper.

Rapid architecture alternative modeling (RAAM): A framework for capability-based analysis of system of systems architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Iacobucci, Joseph V.

The research objective for this manuscript is to develop a Rapid Architecture Alternative Modeling (RAAM) methodology to enable traceable Pre-Milestone A decision making during the conceptual phase of design of a system of systems. Rather than following current trends that place an emphasis on adding more analysis which tends to increase the complexity of the decision making problem, RAAM improves on current methods by reducing both runtime and model creation complexity. RAAM draws upon principles from computer science, system architecting, and domain specific languages to enable the automatic generation and evaluation of architecture alternatives. For example, both mission dependent and mission independent metrics are considered. Mission dependent metrics are determined by the performance of systems accomplishing a task, such as Probability of Success. In contrast, mission independent metrics, such as acquisition cost, are solely determined and influenced by the other systems in the portfolio. RAAM also leverages advances in parallel computing to significantly reduce runtime by defining executable models that are readily amendable to parallelization. This allows the use of cloud computing infrastructures such as Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud and the PASTEC cluster operated by the Georgia Institute of Technology Research Institute (GTRI). Also, the amount of data that can be generated when fully exploring the design space can quickly exceed the typical capacity of computational resources at the analyst's disposal. To counter this, specific algorithms and techniques are employed. Streaming algorithms and recursive architecture alternative evaluation algorithms are used that reduce computer memory requirements. Lastly, a domain specific language is created to provide a reduction in the computational time of executing the system of systems models. A domain specific language is a small, usually declarative language that offers expressive power focused on a particular

Alternative Practice Dental Hygiene in California: Past, Present, and Future

Science.gov (United States)

MERTZ, ELIZABETH; GLASSMAN, PAUL

2012-01-01

This study examines the development of the registered dental hygienist in alternative practice in California through an analysis of archival documents, stakeholder interviews, and two surveys of the registered dental hygienist in alternative practice. Designing, testing and implementing a new practice model for dental hygienists took 23 years. Today, registered dental hygienists in alternative practice have developed viable alternative methods for delivering preventive oral health care services in a range of settings with patients who often have no other source of access to care. PMID:21337961

[Alternatives to animal testing].

Science.gov (United States)

Fabre, Isabelle

2009-11-01

The use of alternative methods to animal testing are an integral part of the 3Rs concept (refine, reduce, replace) defined by Russel & Burch in 1959. These approaches include in silico methods (databases and computer models), in vitro physicochemical analysis, biological methods using bacteria or isolated cells, reconstructed enzyme systems, and reconstructed tissues. Emerging "omic" methods used in integrated approaches further help to reduce animal use, while stem cells offer promising approaches to toxicologic and pathophysiologic studies, along with organotypic cultures and bio-artificial organs. Only a few alternative methods can so far be used in stand-alone tests as substitutes for animal testing. The best way to use these methods is to integrate them in tiered testing strategies (ITS), in which animals are only used as a last resort.

Alternative Educational Futures for a Knowledge Society

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Michael

2010-01-01

This article offers a critical analysis of recent trends in educational policy with particular reference to their assumptions about the knowledge society. It examines the implications of the analysis for the issue of elitism and the promotion of greater educational equality. The article concludes by offering an alternative approach to educational…

An alternative method for performing pressurized thermal shock analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, B.A.; Meyer, T.A.; Carter, R.G.; Gamble, R.M.

1997-01-01

This paper describes how Probability of Crack Initiation and acceptable Pressurized Thermal Shock frequency were correlated with a c and summarizes several example applications, including evaluation of potential plant modifications. Plans for an industry supported pilot-plant application of the alternative Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics method for RG 1.154 are also discussed. 9 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

An alternative method for performing pressurized thermal shock analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bishop, B A; Meyer, T A [Westinghouse Energy Systems, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Carter, R G [Electric Power Research Inst., Charlotte, NC (United States); Gamble, R M [Sartrex Corp., Rockville, MD (United States)

1997-09-01

This paper describes how Probability of Crack Initiation and acceptable Pressurized Thermal Shock frequency were correlated with a{sub c} and summarizes several example applications, including evaluation of potential plant modifications. Plans for an industry supported pilot-plant application of the alternative Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics method for RG 1.154 are also discussed. 9 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab.

LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE CLOSURE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO WARFARIN FOR STROKE PREVENTION IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A PATIENT¬LEVEL META¬ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Holmes D.R. Jr, Doshi S.K., Kar S., et al. Left Atrial Appendage Closure as an Alternative to Warfarin for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: A Patient­Level Meta­Analysis // J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. – 2015. – Vol. 65. – P. 2614–2623.

Automatic Generation of User Interface Layouts for Alternative Screen Orientations

OpenAIRE

Zeidler , Clemens; Weber , Gerald; Stuerzlinger , Wolfgang; Lutteroth , Christof

2017-01-01

Part 1: Adaptive Design and Mobile Applications; International audience; Creating multiple layout alternatives for graphical user interfaces to accommodate different screen orientations for mobile devices is labor intensive. Here, we investigate how such layout alternatives can be generated automatically from an initial layout. Providing good layout alternatives can inspire developers in their design work and support them to create adaptive layouts. We performed an analysis of layout alternat...

Three-dimensional analysis of the Pratt and Whitney alternate design SSME fuel turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Kirtley, K. R.; Beach, T. A.; Adamczyk, J. J.

1991-01-01

The three dimensional viscous time-mean flow in the Pratt and Whitney alternate design space shuttle main engine fuel turbine is simulated using the average passage Navier-Stokes equations. The migration of secondary flows generated by upstream blade rows and their effect on the performance of downstream blade rows is studied. The present simulation confirms that the flow in this two stage turbine is highly three dimensional and dominated by the tip leakage flow. The tip leakage vortex generated by the first blade persists through the second blade and adversely affects its performance. The greatest mixing of the inlet total temperature distortion occurs in the second vane and is due to the large leakage vortex generated by the upstream rotor. It is assumed that the predominant spanwise mixing mechanism in this low aspect ratio turbine is the radial transport due to the deterministically unsteady vortical flow generated by upstream blade rows. A by-product of the analysis is accurate pressure and heat loads for all blade rows under the influence of neighboring blade rows. These aero loads are useful for advanced structural analysis of the vanes and blades.

Towards for Analyzing Alternatives of Interaction Design Based on Verbal Decision Analysis of User Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marília Soares Mendes

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In domains (as digital TV, smart home, and tangible interfaces that represent a new paradigm of interactivity, the decision of the most appropriate interaction design solution is a challenge. HCI researchers have promoted in their works the validation of design alternative solutions with users before producing the final solution. User experience with technology is a subject that has also gained ground in these works in order to analyze the appropriate solution(s. Following this concept, a study was accomplished under the objective of finding a better interaction solution for an application of mobile TV. Three executable applications of mobile TV prototypes were built. A Verbal Decision Analysis model was applied on the investigations for the favorite characteristics in each prototype based on the user’s experience and their intentions of use. This model led a performance of a qualitative analysis which objectified the design of a new prototype.

FMDP reactor alternative summary report. Volume 1 - existing LWR alternative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, S.R.; Bevard, B.B.

1996-01-01

Significant quantities of weapons-usable fissile materials [primarily plutonium and highly enriched uranium (HEU)] are becoming surplus to national defense needs in both the United States and Russia. These stocks of fissile materials pose significant dangers to national and international security. The dangers exist not only in the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons but also in the potential for environmental, safety, and health (ES ampersand H) consequences if surplus fissile materials are not properly managed. This document summarizes the results of analysis concerned with existing light water reactor plutonium disposition alternatives

FMDP reactor alternative summary report. Volume 1 - existing LWR alternative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greene, S.R.; Bevard, B.B. [and others

1996-10-07

Significant quantities of weapons-usable fissile materials [primarily plutonium and highly enriched uranium (HEU)] are becoming surplus to national defense needs in both the United States and Russia. These stocks of fissile materials pose significant dangers to national and international security. The dangers exist not only in the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons but also in the potential for environmental, safety, and health (ES&H) consequences if surplus fissile materials are not properly managed. This document summarizes the results of analysis concerned with existing light water reactor plutonium disposition alternatives.

Exchange program. Alternative options for purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles in Stockholm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rader Olsson, Amy [Inregia AB, Stockholm (Sweden); Elam, N. [Atrax Energi AB, Goeteborg (Sweden)

1999-11-01

The city of Stockholm has decided to exchange 300 of its gasoline-driven vehicles for vehicles which emit fewer hazardous pollutants. A vehicle exchange program is being developed based on analyses which describe the driving patterns of Stockholm's vehicles, alternative fuel technology status, and financing alternatives. This report comprises the first two analyses, that of Stockholm's fleet driving patterns and alternative fuel technology options. The report has four major sections: * a technical analysis of the status of certain fuels and vehicles, including prognoses of availability in Sweden and the future development potential of each. (electric, biogas, ethanol, RME), * a driving study, which identifies those vehicles currently in Stockholm's fleet which could be exchanged for alternatively-fueled vehicles, * an analysis of five purchase package alternatives, and * a location analysis, which describes the accessibility of vehicles in each alternative to alternative fuel refueling facilities in Stockholm. Given current prices and availability of the alternative fuels and vehicles studied, we recommend a high share of electric and biogas vehicles for purchases during 1997. The cost-effectiveness of different vehicle types in their reduction of various hazardous pollutants, may however change dramatically as prices and availability of vehicles changes and the market for alternative fuels develops. Accessibility to alternative fuel refueling facilities is adequate in Stockholm, though not always ideal. To improve the accessibility of biogas vehicles further, we suggest a third biogas refueling facility in the city's northeastern area (Ropsten, Vaertahamnen). If MFO chooses to purchase a significant number of diesel passenger vehicles to be driven on RME; we propose that a facility in the northeastern area would improve accessibility more than another facility in southern Stockholm.

Diverse alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing landscape of circular RNAs

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Ou; Dong, Rui; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Jia-Lin; Luo, Zheng; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Ling-Ling; Yang, Li

2016-01-01

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) derived from back-spliced exons have been widely identified as being co-expressed with their linear counterparts. A single gene locus can produce multiple circRNAs through alternative back-splice site selection and/or alternative splice site selection; however, a detailed map of alternative back-splicing/splicing in circRNAs is lacking. Here, with the upgraded CIRCexplorer2 pipeline, we systematically annotated different types of alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing events in circRNAs from various cell lines. Compared with their linear cognate RNAs, circRNAs exhibited distinct patterns of alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing. Alternative back-splice site selection was correlated with the competition of putative RNA pairs across introns that bracket alternative back-splice sites. In addition, all four basic types of alternative splicing that have been identified in the (linear) mRNA process were found within circRNAs, and many exons were predominantly spliced in circRNAs. Unexpectedly, thousands of previously unannotated exons were detected in circRNAs from the examined cell lines. Although these novel exons had similar splice site strength, they were much less conserved than known exons in sequences. Finally, both alternative back-splicing and circRNA-predominant alternative splicing were highly diverse among the examined cell lines. All of the identified alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing in circRNAs are available in the CIRCpedia database (http://www.picb.ac.cn/rnomics/circpedia). Collectively, the annotation of alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing in circRNAs provides a valuable resource for depicting the complexity of circRNA biogenesis and for studying the potential functions of circRNAs in different cells. PMID:27365365

Alternatives Analysis Amchitka Island Mud Pit Cap Repair, Amchitka, Alaska January 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darr, Paul S. [US Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Legacy Management

2016-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) manages the Nevada Offsites program, which includes a series of reclaimed drilling mud impoundments on Amchitka Island, Alaska (Figure 1). Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc. is the Legacy Management Support contractor (the Contractor) for LM. The Contractor has procured Tetra Tech, Inc. to provide engineering support to the Amchitka mud pit reclamation project. The mud pit caps were damaged during a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that occurred in 2014. The goals of the current project are to investigate conditions at the mud pit impoundments, identify feasible alternatives for repair of the cover systems and the contents, and estimate relative costs of repair alternatives. This report presents descriptions of the sites and past investigations, existing conditions, summaries of various repair/mitigation alternatives, and direct, unburdened, order-of-magnitude (-15% to +50%) associated costs.

Alternative Fuel Guidelines for Alternative Transportation Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-31

The Volpe Center documented the increased use of alternative fuels on vehicles owned and operated by federal land management agencies. For each alternative fuel type, the Volpe Center documented the availability of vehicles, fueling mechanisms and pr...

Alternative fuels for vehicles; Alternative drivmidler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2012-02-15

Up until 2020 and onwards the analysis indicates that especially electricity, biogas and natural gas as propellants is economically attractive compared to conventional gasoline and diesel while other fuels have the same or higher costs for petrol and diesel. Especially biogas and electricity will also offer significant reductions in CO{sub 2} emissions, but also hydrogen, methanol, DME and to a lesser extent the second generation bioethanol and most of the other alternative fuels reduce CO{sub 2} emissions. Use of the traditional food-based first generation biofuels involves, at best, only modest climate benefits if land use changes are counted, and at worst, significant negative climate effects. Natural gas as a propellant involves a moderate climate gain, but may play a role for building infrastructure and market for gaseous fuels in large fleets, thereby contributing to the phasing in of biogas for transport. The electric-based automotive fuels are the most effective due to a high efficiency of the engine and an increasing proportion of wind energy in the electricity supply. The methanol track also has a relatively high efficiency. Among the others, the track based on diesel engines (biodiesel) is more effective than the track based on gasoline/Otto engines (gas and ethanol) as a result of the diesel engine's better efficiency. For the heavy vehicles all the selected alternative fuels to varying degrees reduce emissions of CO{sub 2}, particularly DME based on wood. The only exception to this is - as for passenger cars - the propellant synthetic diesel based on coal. (LN).

Phrasal alternation in the Pondok Tinggi dialect of Kerinci; An intergenerational analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Ernanda

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the implications of language contact in a Malay sub-variety known as Pondok Tinggi, spoken in Sumatra. My focus is on the grammatical phenomenon of phrasal alternation. Phrasal alternation is characterized by the presence of two distinct forms for nearly all lexical items, whose final syllables differ in shape. These are termed absolute and oblique (Steinhauer and Usman 1978: 485. The intergenerational transmission of this uncommon feature offers a way to measure the degree of contact-induced language change in Pondok Tinggi. An experiment was conducted to elicit the usage of the absolute and the oblique forms in order to find out how the distribution of phrasal alternation has changed within the last two generations. I reveal a grammatical simplification caused by contact between Pondok Tinggi and Bahasa Indonesia, a related Malayic variety serving as Indonesia’s prestigious official language. This adds a dimension of loss of local linguistic diversity to more familiar tropes of the national success of Bahasa Indonesia.

Language Alternation in University Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Taha, T. A.

2008-01-01

This paper examines the alternate use of Arabic and English in the context of a university classroom, where a policy to use the former language in place of the latter was being implemented. Analysis of a sample of recorded university lectures of English and Arabic medium classes in sciences and humanities reveals that teachers use code switching,…

Analysis of alternative methods and price politic of icewine production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Ostapenko

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The artificial methods of must concentration were discussed in current study: the microwave vacuum dehydration, reverse osmosis and cryoextraction. The main factor of using of alternative ways is deficiently low temperatures in winter period that are necessary for freezing grapes on vine according to the classical technology. The benefits and disadvantages of using of non-classic processes to obtain sweet musts were shown. The physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of wine made from grapes previously frozen by alternative and natural ways were analyzed. Indicators influencing on price of icewines and dessert wines bottle including agricultural climatic, technological and marketing factors were determined.  Detailed indicators highlight specificity of used technology and represent consumer preferences. Producers of winemaking regions of Argentina, New Zealand, Israel, Ukraine and Australia adhere to provisions that are inconsistent with the standards of Canada and the European countries regarding the icewine output. These instruments determine the processing of grapes and parameters reflect on parameters of the finished product.

Neutron activation analysis of alternative phosphate rocks used in animal nutrition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canella, Artur A.; Ferreira, Walter M.

2005-01-01

Since 1980's, Bovine Sponghiform Encephalophaty has insidiously created a fierce battleground between farmers, scientists, environmentalists and consumers. The use of meat and bone meals is currently prohibited in ruminant feeds throughout the world. Some inorganic sources offer the combination of high phosphorus content and acceptable animal digestibility make them options as supplemental phosphorus, for instance phosphate rocks, general term applied to minerals valued chiefly for their phosphorus content. However, phosphate rocks are long been known containing hazardous elements, make them sometimes unsuitable for animal nutrition. Neutron Activation Analysis has been supportive to the mineral evaluation of alternative phosphate rocks. This evaluation is subject of on-going doctoral thesis which has been carried-out by the main author. The NAA method has been very efficient due to its highly sensitive and multi-elemental nature. In this paper results of Vanadium content from three different phosphate rocks are presented. Their values have been pointed out that Brazilian phosphate rocks present hazardous elements at the same levels of phosphate rocks from some countries of Africa, North America and Middle East, data from our study (Brazilian data) and FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization (others countries). (author)

Mental disorders frequency alternative and complementary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-05-01

May 1, 2014 ... This study is to determine the prevalence of mental disorders among patients diagnosed ... Key words: Alternative medicine, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, mental disorder ..... Engum A, Mykletun A, Midthjell K, Holen A, Dahl AA. ... or undiagnosed diabetes: A systematic review and meta‑analysis of the.

Summary: analysis of alternative FBR development strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnham, J.B.

1981-12-01

This report summarizes the comparative evaluation of alternative strategies for the development of the commercial fast breeder reactor (FBR) in the United States. For planning purposes, a range of possible FBR development paths called strategies were selected for evaluation. These strategies, designed to be technically and economically feasible, were expressed in terms of the timing and nature of facilities/research and development programs required to reach full power operation of the first commercial FBR. Four of the seven strategies resulted in a large (1457 MWe) FBR as an end point, the other three in a 1000-MWe plant. Probability distributions were calculated for total strategy costs and time to completion. For the seven strategies analyzed, the costs (discounted 1980 dollars) ranged from $1.8 billion to $4.9 billion; the completion times ranged from 24 to 55 years

An alternative bifurcation analysis of the Rose-Hindmarsh model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolov, Svetoslav

2005-01-01

The paper presents an alternative study of the bifurcation behavior of the Rose-Hindmarsh model using Lyapunov-Andronov's theory. This is done on the basis of the obtained analytical formula expressing the first Lyapunov's value (this is not Lyapunov exponent) at the boundary of stability. From the obtained results the following new conclusions are made: Transition to chaos and the occurrence of chaotic oscillations in the Rose-Hindmarsh system take place under hard stability loss

ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT DESIGNS FOR FARMLAND DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS

OpenAIRE

Hanson, Steven D.

1999-01-01

Four alternative payment rules were examined to evaluate their ability to accomplish the objectives of the development rights purchase program. Paying the true economic value for the development rights does not allow the program to target high quality agricultural land. Modifying the payment strategy by offering a minimum payment will provide some extra incentive for high quality agricultural land in areas with little development pressure, but will provide little help in areas with high devel...

Analysis of long-term impacts of TRU waste remaining at generator/storage sites for No Action Alternative 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buck, J.W.; Bagaasen, L.M.; Bergeron, M.P.; Streile, G.P.

1997-09-01

This report is a supplement to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Disposal-Phase Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS-II). Described herein are the underlying information, data, and assumptions used to estimate the long-term human-health impacts from exposure to radionuclides and hazardous chemicals in transuranic (TRU) waste remaining at major generator/storage sites after loss of institutional control under No Action Alternative 2. Under No Action Alternative 2, TRU wastes would not be emplaced at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) but would remain at generator/storage sites in surface or near-surface storage. Waste generated at smaller sites would be consolidated at the major generator/storage sites. Current TRU waste management practices would continue, but newly generated waste would be treated to meet the WIPP waste acceptance criteria. For this alternative, institutional control was assumed to be lost 100 years after the end of the waste generation period, with exposure to radionuclides and hazardous chemicals in the TRU waste possible from direct intrusion and release to the surrounding environment. The potential human-health impacts from exposure to radionuclides and hazardous chemicals in TRU waste were analyzed for two different types of scenarios. Both analyses estimated site-specific, human-health impacts at seven major generator/storage sites: the Hanford Site (Hanford), Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS), and Savannah River Site (SRS). The analysis focused on these seven sites because 99 % of the estimated TRU waste volume and inventory would remain there under the assumptions of No Action Alternative 2

SplicingTypesAnno: annotating and quantifying alternative splicing events for RNA-Seq data.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaoyong; Zuo, Fenghua; Ru, Yuanbin; Guo, Jiqiang; Yan, Xiaoyan; Sablok, Gaurav

2015-04-01

Alternative splicing plays a key role in the regulation of the central dogma. Four major types of alternative splicing have been classified as intron retention, exon skipping, alternative 5 splice sites or alternative donor sites, and alternative 3 splice sites or alternative acceptor sites. A few algorithms have been developed to detect splice junctions from RNA-Seq reads. However, there are few tools targeting at the major alternative splicing types at the exon/intron level. This type of analysis may reveal subtle, yet important events of alternative splicing, and thus help gain deeper understanding of the mechanism of alternative splicing. This paper describes a user-friendly R package, extracting, annotating and analyzing alternative splicing types for sequence alignment files from RNA-Seq. SplicingTypesAnno can: (1) provide annotation for major alternative splicing at exon/intron level. By comparing the annotation from GTF/GFF file, it identifies the novel alternative splicing sites; (2) offer a convenient two-level analysis: genome-scale annotation for users with high performance computing environment, and gene-scale annotation for users with personal computers; (3) generate a user-friendly web report and additional BED files for IGV visualization. SplicingTypesAnno is a user-friendly R package for extracting, annotating and analyzing alternative splicing types at exon/intron level for sequence alignment files from RNA-Seq. It is publically available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/splicingtypes/files/ or http://genome.sdau.edu.cn/research/software/SplicingTypesAnno.html. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

on some properties of the alternating sylvester series and alternating

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DJFLEX

. (iii) above is known in literature as the alternating Sylvester series while (iv) is known as the alternating Engel expansion (Kalpazidou and Ganatsiou (1991)). We are interested in studying the properties of these alternating series. Theorem 2: ...

Alternative routes to improved fuel utilization: Analysis of near-term economic incentives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salo, J.P.; Vieno, T.; Vira, J.

1984-01-01

The potential for savings in the nuclear fuel cycle costs is discussed from the point of view of a single utility. The analysis is concentrated on the existing and near-term economic incentives for improved fuel utilization, and the context is that of a small country without domestic fuel cycle services. In the uranium fuel cycle the extended burnup produces savings in the uranium feed as well as in the fuel fabrication and waste management requirements. The front-end fuel cycle cost impact is evaluated for BWRs. In the back-end part the situation is more specific of the concrete back-end solution. Estimates for savings in the cost of direct disposal of spent fuel are presented for a Finnish case. The economics of recycle is reviewed from a recent study on the use of MOX fuel in the Finnish BWRs. The results from a comparison with once-through alternative show that spent fuel reprocessing with consequent recycle of uranium and plutonium would be economically justified only with very high uranium prices. (author)

Life cycle cost analysis of alternative vehicles and fuels in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goedecke, Martin; Therdthianwong, Supaporn; Gheewala, Shabbir H.

2007-01-01

High crude oil prices and pollution problems have drawn attention to alternative vehicle technologies and fuels for the transportation sector. The question is: What are the benefits/costs of these technologies for society? To answer this question in a quantitative way, a web-based model (http://vehiclesandfuels.memebot.com) has been developed to calculate the societal life cycle costs, the consumer life cycle costs and the tax for different vehicle technologies. By comparing these costs it is possible to draw conclusions about the social benefit and the related tax structure. The model should help to guide decisions toward optimality, which refers to maximum social benefit. The model was applied to the case of Thailand. The life cycle cost of 13 different alternative vehicle technologies in Thailand have been calculated and the tax structure analyzed

Apprenticeships: Useful Alternative, Tough to Implement. Policy Analysis No. 805

Science.gov (United States)

Heriot, Gail

2016-01-01

A college education is not everyone's cup of tea. The United States needs other ways to instill job skills in the younger generation. The German apprenticeship system is sometimes viewed as an appealing alternative. But substantially increasing apprenticeship opportunities in the United States may not be as easy or inviting as it sounds. The…

Cost-effectiveness evaluation of alternatives in environmental impact statements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiser, A.L.

1977-01-01

Although it has been Federal government officials who have been accused in courts of law with mismanagement with regard to the consideration of alternatives in the environmental impact statement, the responsibility for systematically considering all alternatives to a proposed project remains with project decisionmakers in the Federal, state, or local levels of government and in industry. By applying the techniques of system cost-effectiveness analysis to the assessment of alternatives, it is believed that management will be able to clearly demonstrate that the selection of the proposed approach was neither arbitrary nor capricious. A rational approach to the assessment of alternatives should aid in meeting the mandates of environmental legislation and EIS guidelines, and it should eliminate the merit of any plaintiff's charge of mismanagement with regard to management's consideration of alternatives. Even though many interfaces between the proposed system and the environment cannot as yet be objectively quantified, application of CE techniques will demonstrate that a rigorous exploration and objective evaluation has been applied to the consideration of alternatives with respect to project objectives, financial conditions, and adverse environmental impacts

Seismic stops vs. snubbers, a reliable alternative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cloud, R.L.; Anderson, P.H.; Leung, J.S.M.

1988-01-01

The Seismic Stops methodology has been developed to provide a reliable alternative for providing seismic support to nuclear power plant piping. The concept is based on using rigid passive supports with large clearances. These gaps permit unrestrained thermal expansion while limiting excessive seismic displacements. This type of restraint has performed successfully in fossil fueled power plants. A simplified production analysis tool has been developed which evaluates the nonlinear piping response including the effect of the gapped supports. The methodology utilizes the response spectrum approach and has been incorporated into a piping analysis computer program RLCA-GAP. Full scale shake table tests of piping specimens were performed to provide test correlation with the developed methodology. Analyses using RLCA-GAP were in good agreement with test results. A sample piping system was evaluated using the Seismic Stops methodology to replace the existing snubbers with passive gapped supports. To provide further correlation data, the sample system was also evaluated using nonlinear time history analysis. The correlation comparisons showed RLCA-GAP to be a viable methodology and a reliable alternative for snubber optimization and elimination. (orig.)

Analysis of alternative flow sheets for the hybrid chlorine cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gooding, Charles H. [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 209 Earle Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0909 (United States)

2009-05-15

This paper reports the results of the most complete conceptual study conducted to date on hydrogen production using the hybrid chlorine cycle. Three alternative process flow sheets were developed, each capable of producing hydrogen at 35 C (308 K) and 21 bar. The alternative approaches differ primarily in the way HCl is isolated and converted to hydrogen and chlorine gases. Aspen Plus trademark simulation software was used to model the unit processes, supplemented where necessary by custom Excel spreadsheets. Major equipment was sized for a 200-million kg/yr plant; feasible materials of construction were identified; fixed capital investments and variable costs were estimated. Estimated net thermal efficiencies of the flow sheets range from 30% to 36%, based on the lower heating value of the hydrogen produced. With electrical power valued at $0.05/kWh, the cost of hydrogen produced by the hybrid chlorine cycle would be at least $3/kg. These results indicate that direct electrolysis of water is a more attractive way to produce hydrogen than any presently conceived version of the hybrid chlorine cycle. (author)

Consumer Preferences Expressed via Shopping in Alternative Food Chains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Miškolci

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years an increasing consumer interest in shopping in alternative food chains can be observed also in the Czech Republic. For the successful development of alternative food networks, it is important to understand what motivates consumers to shop there. This paper is aimed to define and discuss the key aspects of the preference determinants of AFN shoppers. The empirical analysis was conducted on 333 shoppers at two alternative food chains in Brno, Czech Republic. The consumer survey was designed to examine cognitive, normative and affective determinants of preference for purchased food. First findings confirm, that by the shopping at alternative food chains consumers demonstrate preferences not only for fresh and tasty food, but also their normative position of willingness to support local production and community.

Introducing linear functions: an alternative statistical approach

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Caroline; Herbert, Sandra

2015-12-01

The introduction of linear functions is the turning point where many students decide if mathematics is useful or not. This means the role of parameters and variables in linear functions could be considered to be `threshold concepts'. There is recognition that linear functions can be taught in context through the exploration of linear modelling examples, but this has its limitations. Currently, statistical data is easily attainable, and graphics or computer algebra system (CAS) calculators are common in many classrooms. The use of this technology provides ease of access to different representations of linear functions as well as the ability to fit a least-squares line for real-life data. This means these calculators could support a possible alternative approach to the introduction of linear functions. This study compares the results of an end-of-topic test for two classes of Australian middle secondary students at a regional school to determine if such an alternative approach is feasible. In this study, test questions were grouped by concept and subjected to concept by concept analysis of the means of test results of the two classes. This analysis revealed that the students following the alternative approach demonstrated greater competence with non-standard questions.

Business Case Analysis of the Joint Strike Fighter's Alternate Engine Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Shick, BethAnn

2007-01-01

.... The JSF will serve the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as many of our key international allies In 1998, the DoD initiated the JSF alternate engine program in an effort to achieve cost...

Advancing Risk Analysis for Nanoscale Materials: Report from an International Workshop on the Role of Alternative Testing Strategies for Advancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Shatkin, J A; Ong, Kimberly J; Beaudrie, Christian; Clippinger, Amy J; Hendren, Christine Ogilvie; Haber, Lynne T; Hill, Myriam; Holden, Patricia; Kennedy, Alan J; Kim, Baram; MacDonell, Margaret; Powers, Christina M; Sharma, Monita; Sheremeta, Lorraine; Stone, Vicki; Sultan, Yasir; Turley, Audrey; White, Ronald H

2016-08-01

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) has a history of bringing thought leadership to topics of emerging risk. In September 2014, the SRA Emerging Nanoscale Materials Specialty Group convened an international workshop to examine the use of alternative testing strategies (ATS) for manufactured nanomaterials (NM) from a risk analysis perspective. Experts in NM environmental health and safety, human health, ecotoxicology, regulatory compliance, risk analysis, and ATS evaluated and discussed the state of the science for in vitro and other alternatives to traditional toxicology testing for NM. Based on this review, experts recommended immediate and near-term actions that would advance ATS use in NM risk assessment. Three focal areas-human health, ecological health, and exposure considerations-shaped deliberations about information needs, priorities, and the next steps required to increase confidence in and use of ATS in NM risk assessment. The deliberations revealed that ATS are now being used for screening, and that, in the near term, ATS could be developed for use in read-across or categorization decision making within certain regulatory frameworks. Participants recognized that leadership is required from within the scientific community to address basic challenges, including standardizing materials, protocols, techniques and reporting, and designing experiments relevant to real-world conditions, as well as coordination and sharing of large-scale collaborations and data. Experts agreed that it will be critical to include experimental parameters that can support the development of adverse outcome pathways. Numerous other insightful ideas for investment in ATS emerged throughout the discussions and are further highlighted in this article. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Beregnede fugtforhold i konstruktioner:Del af "Varme- og fugttekniske undersøgelser af alternative isoelringsmaterialer"

OpenAIRE

Rode, Carsten; Rasmussen, Niels T.

1999-01-01

Calculated Moisture Conditions in Building Constructions. Part of "Hygrothermal Properties of Alternative Insulation Materials".The hygrothermal performance of constructions with alternative insulation products has been analysed with the 1-dimensional computer model MATCH for combined heat and moisture transfer. The analysis concerns both traditional wall and roof constructions with the alternative insulation products, and some alternative designs prescribed by manufacturers of alternative in...

A study on the alternative option for nuclear policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, J. W.; Choi, H. J.; Lee, J. Y.; Cho, D. K.; Jeon, K. S.; Park, S. W.; Hahn, D. H.; Yoon, J. S.; Lee, K. S.

2008-02-01

Since a decision-making by intuitive judgement under uncertain future conditions can not select an optimum alternative, reaching an agreement for alternatives between experts requires a development of several scientific opinion collection methodologies and performing these methodologies. Therefore, opinion collection for all points related to the nuclear energy, public hearing induction related researches and the acts, procedure, etc. performed in developed countries such as U.S, U.K, France, etc. are reviewed and analyzed in this research. And after the analysis of domestic spent nuclear fuel management plan, Task Force Team composed of experts in several related areas is organized to suggest strategies and directions which are necessary for making a national policy. Beside, Task Force Team selects an optimum technical alternative by the analysis and comparison in depth between these technical alternatives to establish the policy direction. They also established the procedures such as opinion collecting, etc. through policy conference and forum and suggested the technical data related nuclear policy which supports the nuclear policy conference. Results from this research are expected to decrease the trial and error that has been occurred in the present policy-making procedure such as radioactive waste repository related procedure and contribute for socio-cultural stability. Moreover, opinion collection plan for developing a nuclear policy alternative is expected to contribute for making a nuclear policy in the nuclear policy conference so that the nuclear technology will be enhanced more

A study on the alternative option for nuclear policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, J. W.; Choi, H. J.; Lee, J. Y.; Cho, D. K.; Jeon, K. S.; Park, S. W.; Hahn, D. H.; Yoon, J. S.; Lee, K. S. [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2008-02-15

Since a decision-making by intuitive judgement under uncertain future conditions can not select an optimum alternative, reaching an agreement for alternatives between experts requires a development of several scientific opinion collection methodologies and performing these methodologies. Therefore, opinion collection for all points related to the nuclear energy, public hearing induction related researches and the acts, procedure, etc. performed in developed countries such as U.S, U.K, France, etc. are reviewed and analyzed in this research. And after the analysis of domestic spent nuclear fuel management plan, Task Force Team composed of experts in several related areas is organized to suggest strategies and directions which are necessary for making a national policy. Beside, Task Force Team selects an optimum technical alternative by the analysis and comparison in depth between these technical alternatives to establish the policy direction. They also established the procedures such as opinion collecting, etc. through policy conference and forum and suggested the technical data related nuclear policy which supports the nuclear policy conference. Results from this research are expected to decrease the trial and error that has been occurred in the present policy-making procedure such as radioactive waste repository related procedure and contribute for socio-cultural stability. Moreover, opinion collection plan for developing a nuclear policy alternative is expected to contribute for making a nuclear policy in the nuclear policy conference so that the nuclear technology will be enhanced more.

Alternative education programmes and middle school dropout in Honduras

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Jeffery H.; Aguilar, Claudia R.; Alas, Mario; Castellanos, Renán Rápalo; Castro, Levi; Enamorado, Ramón; Fonseca, Esther

2014-05-01

Honduras has made steady progress in expanding post-primary school coverage in recent years, but many rural communities still do not provide a middle (lower secondary) school. As a result, Honduras has implemented a number of middle school alternative programmes designed to meet the needs of at-risk populations throughout the country. This article analyses dropout in three of the four main alternative lower secondary school programmes in Honduras over a three-year period for a cohort of roughly 5,500 students. The results show that these programmes are indeed reaching a vulnerable population in the country, but dropout rates are generally very high - upwards of 50 per cent in some cases - between Grades 7 and 9. Furthermore, even in the control school comparison samples made up of formal lower secondary schools, about 25 per cent of children leave school between Grades 7 and 9. The authors' analysis includes propensity score matching (PSM) methods that make more focused comparisons between students in alternative programmes and control samples. These results show that dropout rates in alternative programmes are not much different than in control schools, and only significant in one programme comparison, when taking into account family background characteristics like socioeconomic status (SES). Multivariate analysis within alternative programme samples finds that attrition is lower in those learning centres which have adopted key features of formal schools, such as university-educated teachers. The results highlight the tremendous variation in the alternative middle school sector in terms of programme features, school quality and student outcomes, as well as the challenges of expanding this sector to meet the growing demand for lower secondary schooling in Honduras.

Use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems in Preschool: teacher perceptions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Munique Massaro

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Augmentative and Alternative Communication Resources have proven to be helpful in the insertion of students with disabilities and complex communication needs into a variety of pedagogical activities and expand the skills and competencies of the teacher in the teaching-learning. The objective of this research was to identify the perception of teachers regarding the use of augmentative and alternative communication during an intervention program in Preschool. Participants were a special class of Preschool students with disabilities and severe communication complexity, along with their teacher and the researcher. For the development of this research, a Alternative Communication Program was applied. The teacher was provided with systematic guidance concerning language and communication. In a collaborative process, three children’s songs were selected according to the teacher’s pedagogical planning and adapted resources through Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems. During the intervention program, assisted evaluations also took place immediately after the activities with the music. The data were collected in audio recordings. For data analysis, content analysis was carried out resulting in the outlining of themes and sub-themes. Results indicated that the teacher identified that Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems can to facilitate expression abilities of students with disabilities; that Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems can be used by children in Preschool; and that resources adapted through augmentative and alternative communication systems should be in accordance with the specificities of students.

Targeted gene panels and microbiota analysis provide insight into the effects of effects of alternative production diet formulations on channel catfish nutritional physiology

Science.gov (United States)

The present research evaluated targeted gene panels and microbiota analysis to provide greater insight into the effects of alternatively-sourced dietary ingredients on production indices, gut health, changes in the gut microbiota and genes involved in the regulation of appetite, growth, metabolism, ...

Analysis of removal alternatives for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor at the Savannah River Site. Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owen, M.B.

1997-04-01

This engineering study evaluates different alternatives for decontamination and decommissioning of the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR). Cooled and moderated with pressurized heavy water, this uranium-fueled nuclear reactor was designed to test fuel assemblies for heavy water power reactors. It was operated for this purpose from march of 1962 until December of 1964. Four alternatives studied in detail include: (1) dismantlement, in which all radioactive and hazardous contaminants would be removed, the containment dome dismantled and the property restored to a condition similar to its original preconstruction state; (2) partial dismantlement and interim safe storage, where radioactive equipment except for the reactor vessel and steam generators would be removed, along with hazardous materials, and the building sealed with remote monitoring equipment in place to permit limited inspections at five-year intervals; (3) conversion for beneficial reuse, in which most radioactive equipment and hazardous materials would be removed and the containment building converted to another use such as a storage facility for radioactive materials, and (4) entombment, which involves removing hazardous materials, filling the below-ground structure with concrete, removing the containment dome and pouring a concrete cap on the tomb. Also considered was safe storage, but this approach, which has, in effect, been followed for the past 30 years, did not warrant detailed evaluation. The four other alternatives were evaluate, taking into account factors such as potential effects on the environment, risks, effectiveness, ease of implementation and cost. The preferred alternative was determined to be dismantlement. This approach is recommended because it ranks highest in the comparative analysis, would serve as the best prototype for the site reactor decommissioning program and would be most compatible with site property reuse plans for the future.

Analysis of removal alternatives for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor at the Savannah River Site. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, M.B.

1997-04-01

This engineering study evaluates different alternatives for decontamination and decommissioning of the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR). Cooled and moderated with pressurized heavy water, this uranium-fueled nuclear reactor was designed to test fuel assemblies for heavy water power reactors. It was operated for this purpose from march of 1962 until December of 1964. Four alternatives studied in detail include: (1) dismantlement, in which all radioactive and hazardous contaminants would be removed, the containment dome dismantled and the property restored to a condition similar to its original preconstruction state; (2) partial dismantlement and interim safe storage, where radioactive equipment except for the reactor vessel and steam generators would be removed, along with hazardous materials, and the building sealed with remote monitoring equipment in place to permit limited inspections at five-year intervals; (3) conversion for beneficial reuse, in which most radioactive equipment and hazardous materials would be removed and the containment building converted to another use such as a storage facility for radioactive materials, and (4) entombment, which involves removing hazardous materials, filling the below-ground structure with concrete, removing the containment dome and pouring a concrete cap on the tomb. Also considered was safe storage, but this approach, which has, in effect, been followed for the past 30 years, did not warrant detailed evaluation. The four other alternatives were evaluate, taking into account factors such as potential effects on the environment, risks, effectiveness, ease of implementation and cost. The preferred alternative was determined to be dismantlement. This approach is recommended because it ranks highest in the comparative analysis, would serve as the best prototype for the site reactor decommissioning program and would be most compatible with site property reuse plans for the future

Hair as an alternative matrix in bioanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Joana; Faria, Juliana; Carvalho, Félix; Pedro, Madalena; Queirós, Odília; Moreira, Roxana; Dinis-Oliveira, Ricardo Jorge

2013-04-01

Alternative matrices are steadily gaining recognition as biological samples for toxicological analyses. Hair presents many advantages over traditional matrices, such as urine and blood, since it provides retrospective information regarding drug exposure, can distinguish between chronic and acute or recent drug use by segmental analysis, is easy to obtain, and has considerable stability for long periods of time. For this reason, it has been employed in a wide variety of contexts, namely to evaluate workplace drug exposure, drug-facilitated sexual assault, pre-natal drug exposure, anti-doping control, pharmacological monitoring and alcohol abuse. In this article, issues concerning hair structure, collection, storage and analysis are reviewed. The mechanisms of drug incorporation into hair are briefly discussed. Analytical techniques for simultaneous drug quantification in hair are addressed. Finally, representative examples of drug quantification using hair are summarized, emphasizing its potentialities and limitations as an alternative biological matrix for toxicological analyses.

Advancing Risk Analysis for Nanoscale Materials: Report from an International Workshop on the Role of Alternative Testing Strategies for Advancement: Advancing Risk Analysis for Nanoscale Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shatkin, J. A. [Vireo Advisors, Boston MA USA; Ong, Kimberly J. [Vireo Advisors, Boston MA USA; Beaudrie, Christian [Compass RM, Vancouver CA USA; Clippinger, Amy J. [PETA International Science Consortium Ltd, London UK; Hendren, Christine Ogilvie [Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology, Duke University, Durham NC USA; Haber, Lynne T. [TERA, Cincinnati OH USA; Hill, Myriam [Health Canada, Ottawa Canada; Holden, Patricia [UC Santa Barbara, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, ERI, and UC CEIN, University of California, Santa Barbara CA USA; Kennedy, Alan J. [U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg MS USA; Kim, Baram [Independent, Somerville MA USA; MacDonell, Margaret [Argonne National Laboratory, Environmental Science Division, Argonne IL USA; Powers, Christina M. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Ann Arbor MI USA; Sharma, Monita [PETA International Science Consortium Ltd, London UK; Sheremeta, Lorraine [Alberta Ingenuity Labs, Edmonton Alberta Canada; Stone, Vicki [John Muir Building Gait 1 Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Scotland UK; Sultan, Yasir [Environment Canada, Gatineau QC Canada; Turley, Audrey [ICF International, Durham NC USA; White, Ronald H. [RH White Consultants, Silver Spring MD USA

2016-08-01

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) has a history of bringing thought leadership to topics of emerging risk. In September 2014, the SRA Emerging Nanoscale Materials Specialty Group convened an international workshop to examine the use of alternative testing strategies (ATS) for manufactured nanomaterials (NM) from a risk analysis perspective. Experts in NM environmental health and safety, human health, ecotoxicology, regulatory compliance, risk analysis, and ATS evaluated and discussed the state of the science for in vitro and other alternatives to traditional toxicology testing for NM. Based on this review, experts recommended immediate and near-term actions that would advance ATS use in NM risk assessment. Three focal areas-human health, ecological health, and exposure considerations-shaped deliberations about information needs, priorities, and the next steps required to increase confidence in and use of ATS in NM risk assessment. The deliberations revealed that ATS are now being used for screening, and that, in the near term, ATS could be developed for use in read-across or categorization decision making within certain regulatory frameworks. Participants recognized that leadership is required from within the scientific community to address basic challenges, including standardizing materials, protocols, techniques and reporting, and designing experiments relevant to real-world conditions, as well as coordination and sharing of large-scale collaborations and data. Experts agreed that it will be critical to include experimental parameters that can support the development of adverse outcome pathways. Numerous other insightful ideas for investment in ATS emerged throughout the discussions and are further highlighted in this article.

Alternative Remedies

Science.gov (United States)

... Home › Aging & Health A to Z › Alternative Remedies Font ... medical treatment prescribed by their healthcare provider. Using this type of alternative therapy along with traditional treatments is ...

Analysis of the prospects of solar energy and other alternative energy sources in Ukraine

OpenAIRE

Mogylko, O.

2010-01-01

The need to develop an alternative energy sources in Ukraine to increase energy efficiency and energy security it is explained in the article. The international experience of development of solar energy are analyzed. The prospects and other alternative energy sources in Ukraine are defined. The conclusions and recommendations to address the problems are identified.

An alternative methodology for the mathematical treatment of GPS positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aly M. El-naggar

2011-12-01

In this paper a simple alternative method is developed to solve the GPS navigation equations directly without linearization and iteration. A practical study was done to evaluate the new model. Performance analysis was conducted using data collected by Trimble 4000SSE dual frequency receiver. The results indicated that the alternative methodology is simple, fast, and accurate as compared to Taylor method.

Alternative Fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Alternative fuels include gaseous fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas, and propane; alcohols such as ethanol, methanol, and butanol; vegetable and waste-derived oils; and electricity. Overview of alternative fuels is here.

Review and analysis of potential safety impacts of and regulatory barriers to fuel efficiency technologies and alternative fuels in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

This report summarizes a safety analysis of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MD/HDVs) equipped with fuel efficiency (FE) technologies and/or using alternative fuels (natural gas-CNG and LNG, propane, biodiesel and power train electrification). The st...

Conditional Poisson models: a flexible alternative to conditional logistic case cross-over analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Ben G; Gasparrini, Antonio; Tobias, Aurelio

2014-11-24

The time stratified case cross-over approach is a popular alternative to conventional time series regression for analysing associations between time series of environmental exposures (air pollution, weather) and counts of health outcomes. These are almost always analyzed using conditional logistic regression on data expanded to case-control (case crossover) format, but this has some limitations. In particular adjusting for overdispersion and auto-correlation in the counts is not possible. It has been established that a Poisson model for counts with stratum indicators gives identical estimates to those from conditional logistic regression and does not have these limitations, but it is little used, probably because of the overheads in estimating many stratum parameters. The conditional Poisson model avoids estimating stratum parameters by conditioning on the total event count in each stratum, thus simplifying the computing and increasing the number of strata for which fitting is feasible compared with the standard unconditional Poisson model. Unlike the conditional logistic model, the conditional Poisson model does not require expanding the data, and can adjust for overdispersion and auto-correlation. It is available in Stata, R, and other packages. By applying to some real data and using simulations, we demonstrate that conditional Poisson models were simpler to code and shorter to run than are conditional logistic analyses and can be fitted to larger data sets than possible with standard Poisson models. Allowing for overdispersion or autocorrelation was possible with the conditional Poisson model but when not required this model gave identical estimates to those from conditional logistic regression. Conditional Poisson regression models provide an alternative to case crossover analysis of stratified time series data with some advantages. The conditional Poisson model can also be used in other contexts in which primary control for confounding is by fine

Expression analysis of an evolutionarily conserved alternative splicing factor, Sfrs10, in age-related macular degeneration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devi Krishna Priya Karunakaran

Full Text Available Age-related macular degeneration (AMD is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly population. Hypoxic stress created in the micro-environment of the photoreceptors is thought to be the underlying cause that results in the pathophysiology of AMD. However, association of AMD with alternative splicing mediated gene regulation is not well explored. Alternative Splicing is one of the primary mechanisms in humans by which fewer protein coding genes are able to generate a vast proteome. Here, we investigated the expression of a known stress response gene and an alternative splicing factor called Serine-Arginine rich splicing factor 10 (Sfrs10. Sfrs10 is a member of the serine-arginine (SR rich protein family and is 100% identical at the amino acid level in most mammals. Immunoblot analysis on retinal extracts from mouse, rat, and chicken showed a single immunoreactive band. Further, immunohistochemistry on adult mouse, rat and chicken retinae showed pan-retinal expression. However, SFRS10 was not detected in normal human retina but was observed as distinct nuclear speckles in AMD retinae. This is in agreement with previous reports that show Sfrs10 to be a stress response gene, which is upregulated under hypoxia. The difference in the expression of Sfrs10 between humans and lower mammals and the upregulation of SFRS10 in AMD is further reflected in the divergence of the promoter sequence between these species. Finally, SFRS10+ speckles were independent of the SC35+ SR protein speckles or the HSF1+ stress granules. In all, our data suggests that SFRS10 is upregulated and forms distinct stress-induced speckles and might be involved in AS of stress response genes in AMD.

Alternative approaches to providing engineering expertise on shift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, J.; Schreiber, R.E.; Melber, B.D.

1984-05-01

This report represents the conclusions of a project studying the role of engineering expertise on shift in nuclear power plants. Using the present shift technical advisor (STA) position as the base case, several alternatives are analyzed. On-shift alternatives included the STA, the SS (shift supervisor), and the SE (shift engineer). The SE is degreed, experienced, trained, and licensed as a Senior Reactor Operator. Some non-shift alternatives were also studied. These included a cadre of on-call engineers and specialists within continual contact and easy reach of the plant; a technical system of phone and data lines linking the plant with a facility similar to an on-site technical support center; and finally, an SPDS (safety parameter display system) to agument technical upgrading of operator aids presently available. Potential problems considered in the analysis of implementation of these alternatives included job content constraints, problems of crew acceptance, and problems of labor supply and retention. Of the considered alternatives, the SE and SS options appear superior to the current STA approach. The SE approach appears the easiest to implement and the most effective under varied plant conditions. The SE may also serve as liaison to off-site support facilities

Regional economic analysis of current and proposed management alternatives for Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Science.gov (United States)

Koontz, Lynne; Sexton, Natalie; Donovan, Ryan

2009-01-01

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 requires all units of the National Wildlife Refuge System to be managed under a Comprehensive Conservation Plan. The Comprehensive Conservation Plan must describe the desired future conditions of a refuge and provide long-range guidance and management direction to achieve refuge purposes. The Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge (refuge) is in the process of developing a range of management goals, objectives, and strategies for the Comprehensive Conservation Plan. The Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the refuge must contain an analysis of expected effects associated with current and proposed refuge management strategies. The purpose of this study was to assess the regional economic implications associated with draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan management strategies. Special interest groups and local residents often criticize a change in refuge management, especially if there is a perceived negative impact to the local economy. Having objective data on economic impacts may show that these fears are overstated. Quite often, the extent of economic benefits a refuge provides to a local community is not fully recognized, yet at the same time the effects of negative changes is overstated. Spending associated with refuge recreational activities, such as wildlife viewing and hunting, can generate considerable tourist activity for surrounding communities. Additionally, refuge personnel typically spend considerable amounts of money purchasing supplies in local stores, repairing equipment and purchasing fuel at the local service stations, and reside and spend their salaries in the local community. For refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan planning, a regional economic assessment provides a means of estimating how current management (no action alternative) and proposed management activities (alternatives) could affect the local economy. This type of analysis provides two critical pieces of

Ranking of sabotage/tampering avoidance technology alternatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrews, W.B.; Tabatabai, A.S.; Powers, T.B.; Daling, P.M.; Fecht, B.A.; Gore, B.F.; Overcast, T.D.; Rankin, W.R.; Schreiber, R.E.; Tawil, J.J.

1986-01-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a study to evaluate alternatives to the design and operation of nuclear power plants, emphasizing a reduction of their vulnerability to sabotage. Estimates of core melt accident frequency during normal operations and from sabotage/tampering events were used to rank the alternatives. Core melt frequency for normal operations was estimated using sensitivity analysis of results of probabilistic risk assessments. Core melt frequency for sabotage/tampering was estimated by developing a model based on probabilistic risk analyses, historic data, engineering judgment, and safeguards analyses of plant locations where core melt events could be initiated. Results indicate the most effective alternatives focus on large areas of the plant, increase safety system redundancy, and reduce reliance on single locations for mitigation of transients. Less effective options focus on specific areas of the plant, reduce reliance on some plant areas for safe shutdown, and focus on less vulnerable targets.

Ranking of sabotage/tampering avoidance technology alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, W.B.; Tabatabai, A.S.; Powers, T.B.

1986-01-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a study to evaluate alternatives to the design and operation of nuclear power plants, emphasizing a reduction of their vulnerability to sabotage. Estimates of core melt accident frequency during normal operations and from sabotage/tampering events were used to rank the alternatives. Core melt frequency for normal operations was estimated using sensitivity analysis of results of probabilistic risk assessments. Core melt frequency for sabotage/tampering was estimated by developing a model based on probabilistic risk analyses, historic data, engineering judgment, and safeguards analyses of plant locations where core melt events could be initiated. Results indicate the most effective alternatives focus on large areas of the plant, increase safety system redundancy, and reduce reliance on single locations for mitigation of transients. Less effective options focus on specific areas of the plant, reduce reliance on some plant areas for safe shutdown, and focus on less vulnerable targets

Second law analysis of reverse osmosis desalination plants: An alternative design using pressure retarded osmosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharqawy, Mostafa H.; Zubair, Syed M.; Lienhard, John H.

2011-01-01

A second law analysis of a reverse osmosis desalination plant is carried out using reliable seawater exergy formulation instead of a common model in literature that represents seawater as an ideal mixture of liquid water and solid sodium chloride. The analysis is performed using reverse osmosis desalination plant data and compared with results previously published using the ideal mixture model. It is demonstrated that the previous model has serious shortcomings, particularly with regard to calculation of the seawater flow exergy, the minimum work of separation, and the second law efficiency. The most up-to-date thermodynamic properties of seawater, as needed to conduct an exergy analysis, are given as correlations in this paper. From this new analysis, it is found that the studied reverse osmosis desalination plant has very low second law efficiency (<2%) even when using the available energy recovery systems. Therefore, an energy recovery system is proposed using the (PRO) pressure retarded osmotic method. The proposed alternative design has a second law efficiency of 20%, and the input power is reduced by 38% relative to original reverse osmosis system. -- Highlights: ► A previously proposed model for the calculation of seawater flow exergy gives incorrect values. ► Reverse osmosis desalination plants have very low second law efficiency (<2%) even when using the available energy recovery systems. ► A PRO energy recovery device increases the RO plant’s second law efficiency to 20% and reduces the input power.

Alternating Hemiplegia

Science.gov (United States)

... to the symptoms of the disorder. View Full Definition Treatment Drug therapy including verapamil may help to reduce the ... the more serious form of alternating hemiplegia × ... Definition Alternating hemiplegia is a rare neurological disorder that ...

Portfolio theory and the alternative decision rule of cost-effectiveness analysis: theoretical and practical considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sendi, Pedram; Al, Maiwenn J; Gafni, Amiram; Birch, Stephen

2004-05-01

Bridges and Terris (Soc. Sci. Med. (2004)) critique our paper on the alternative decision rule of economic evaluation in the presence of uncertainty and constrained resources within the context of a portfolio of health care programs (Sendi et al. Soc. Sci. Med. 57 (2003) 2207). They argue that by not adopting a formal portfolio theory approach we overlook the optimal solution. We show that these arguments stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of the alternative decision rule of economic evaluation. In particular, the portfolio theory approach advocated by Bridges and Terris is based on the same theoretical assumptions that the alternative decision rule set out to relax. Moreover, Bridges and Terris acknowledge that the proposed portfolio theory approach may not identify the optimal solution to resource allocation problems. Hence, it provides neither theoretical nor practical improvements to the proposed alternative decision rule.

Analysis of the use of biomass as an energy alternative for the Portuguese textile dyeing industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes, L.J.R.; Matias, J.C.O.; Catalão, J.P.S.

2015-01-01

The energy efficiency and the development of environmentally correct policies are current topics, especially when applied to the industrial sector with the objective of increasing the competitiveness of the enterprises. Portuguese textile dyeing sector, being a major consumer sector of primary energy, needs to adopt measures to improve its competitiveness. Biomass appears to be a viable and preferred alternative energy source for the sector, while simultaneously develops an entire forest industry devoted to the supply of forest solid fuels. This work carries out a comprehensive PEST (political, economic, social and technological) analysis, which analyses Political, Economic, Social and Technological aspects of the replacement of the fossil fuels traditionally used in this sector by biomass, providing a framework of environmental factors that influence the strategic management of the companies. The main advantages are the reduction of external dependence on imported fuel due to the use of an endogenous renewable resource, the creation and preservation of jobs, the increased competitiveness of the sector by reducing energy costs, the use of national technology and the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. - Highlights: • The Portuguese textile dyeing sector, being a major consumer sector of primary energy, is addressed. • Biomass is a viable and preferred alternative energy source for the sector. • A PEST (political, economic, social and technological) analysis is carried out. • The implications of the replacement of fossil fuels with biomass are studied

Economic and market issues on the sustainability of egg production in the United States: analysis of alternative production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Sumner, D A; Gow, H; Hayes, D; Matthews, W; Norwood, B; Rosen-Molina, J T; Thurman, W

2011-01-01

Conventional cage housing for laying hens evolved as a cost-effective egg production system. Complying with mandated hen housing alternatives would raise marginal production costs and require sizable capital investment. California data indicate that shifts from conventional cages to barn housing would likely cause farm-level cost increases of about 40% per dozen. The US data on production costs of such alternatives as furnished cages are not readily available and European data are not applicable to the US industry structure. Economic analysis relies on key facts about production and marketing of conventional and noncage eggs. Even if mandated by government or buyers, shifts to alternative housing would likely occur with lead times of at least 5 yr. Therefore, egg producers and input suppliers would have considerable time to plan new systems and build new facilities. Relatively few US consumers now pay the high retail premiums required for nonconventional eggs from hens housed in alternative systems. However, data from consumer experiments indicate that additional consumers would also be willing to pay some premium. Nonetheless, current data do not allow easy extrapolation to understand the willingness to pay for such eggs by the vast majority of conventional egg consumers. Egg consumption in the United States tends to be relatively unresponsive to price changes, such that sustained farm price increases of 40% would likely reduce consumption by less than 10%. This combination of facts and relationships suggests that, unless low-cost imports grew rapidly, requirements for higher cost hen housing systems would raise US egg prices considerably while reducing egg consumption marginally. Eggs are a low-cost source of animal protein and low-income consumers would be hardest hit. However, because egg expenditures are a very small share of the consumer budget, real income loss for consumers would be small in percentage terms. Finally, the high egg prices imposed by

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer in northern Turkey: analysis of cost and satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin Avci, Ilknur; Koç, Zeliha; Sağlam, Zeynep

2012-03-01

The aims of this study were to determine (1) the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with cancer, (2) the method of use of the particular therapy, (3) the reasons for using complementary and alternative medicine therapies, (4) the benefits experienced by the use of complementary and alternative medicine, (5) the source of information about complementary and alternative medicine therapies and, (6) the satisfaction and cost of complementary and alternative medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine consists of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices and products that are not considered at present to be a part of conventional medicine. The majority of patients who use complementary and alternative medicine use more than one method. Complementary and alternative medicine use is more common in cases of advanced disease or poor prognosis. This is a descriptive study of complementary and alternative medicine. This study was conducted in the Chemotherapy Unit at Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey, between 18 March 2008-30 June 2008. Two hundred fifty-three patients with cancer, among 281 patients who applied to the chemotherapy clinic between these dates, agreed to take part in the study with whom contact could be made were included. A questionnaire including descriptive characteristics in collecting data, characteristics about diseases and their treatments, complementary and alternative medicine information and implementation situations and a control list about complementary and alternative medicine implementations were given. The collected data were evaluated by computer using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and Student's t-test. In this study, 94·1% of the patients were content with medical treatment, 58·9% of them used complementary and alternative medicine treatments, 41·1% did not use any complementary and alternative medicine treatments. The satisfaction level of the

Neutron activation analysis of alternative waste forms at the Savannah River Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johns, R.A.

1981-01-01

A remotely controlled system for neutron activation of candidate high-level waste (HLW) isolation forms was built by the Savannah River Laboratory at a Savannah River Plant reactor. With this system, samples can be irradiated for up to 24 hours and transferred through pneumatic tubing to a shielded repository unitl their activity is low enough for them to be handled in a radiobench. The principal use of the system is to support the Alternative Waste Forms Leach Testing (AWFLT) Program in which the comparative leachability of the various waste forms will be determined. The experimental method used in this work is based on neutron activation analysis techniques. Neutron irradiation of the solid waste form containing simulated HLW sludge activates elements in the sample. After suitable leaching of the solid matrix in standard solutions, the leachate and solid are assayed for gamma-emitting nuclides. From these measurements, the fraction of a specific element leached can be determined al half-lives with experimental ones, over a range of 24 orders of magnitude was obtained. This is a strong argument that the alpha decay could be considered a fission process with very high mass asymmetry and charge density asymmetry

Experimental analysis of a diffusion absorption refrigeration system used alternative energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soezen, A.; Oezbas, E.

2009-01-01

The continuous-cycle absorption refrigeration device is widely used in domestic refrigerators, and recreational vehicles. It is also used in year-around air conditioning of both homes and larger buildings. The unit consists of four main parts the boiler, condenser, evaporator and the absorber. When the unit operates on kerosene or gas, the heat is supplied by a burner. This element is fitted underneath the central tube. When operating on electricity, the heat is supplied by an element inserted in the pocket. No moving parts are employed. The operation of the refrigerating mechanism is based on Dalton's law. In this study, experimental analysis was performed of a diffusion absorption refrigeration system (DARS) used alternative energy sources such as solar, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) sources. Two basic DAR cycles were set up and investigated: i) In the first cycle (DARS-1), the condensate is sub-cooled prior to the evaporator entrance by the coupled evaporator/gas heat exchanger similar with manufactured by Electrolux Sweden. ii) In the second cycle (DARS-2), the condensate is not sub-cooled prior to the evaporator entrance and gas heat exchanger is separated from the evaporator. (author)

Comparative phylogenetic analysis of male alternative reproductive tactics in ray-finned fishes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mank, Judith E; Avise, John C

2006-06-01

Using comparative phylogenetic analysis, we analyzed the evolution of male alternative reproductive tactics (MARTs) in ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). Numerous independent origins for each type of MART (involving sneaker males, female mimics, pirates, and satellite males) indicate that these behaviors have been highly labile across actinopterygiian evolution, consistent with a previous notion that convergent selection in fishes can readily mold the underlying suites of reproductive hormones into similar behaviors. The evolutionary appearance of MARTs was significantly correlated with the presence of sexually selected traits in bourgeois males (P = 0.001) but not with the presence of male parental care. This suggests that MARTs often arise from selection on some males to circumvent bourgeois male investment in mate monopolization, rather than to avoid male brood care per se. We found parsimony evidence for an evolutionary progression of MARTs wherein sneaking is usually the evolutionary precursor to the presumably more complex MARTs of female mimicry and cooperative satellite behavior. Nest piracy appears not to be part of this evolutionary progression, possibly because its late onset in the life cycle of most ray-finned fishes reduces the effects of selection on this reproductive tactic.

Self-analysis, an alternative to theorizing?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Donin

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In addition to the renowned treatises and articles written by composer-theorists of the twentieth century (e.g., Schoenberg, Boulez or Lachenmann there is a category of writings by composers that is less known and familiar: self-analysis. We distinguish these texts for their openly subjective/introspective, descriptive character situated in the context of a work or specific project. Unlike theoretical texts that develop formal, general (or generalizable theses, independent of all the particularities of works, self-analysis proposes foremost, accounts of or commentaries on the creative experience of the composer. Through this paper, we introduce and discuss a number of these texts that cover various genres and formats: analysis of the composer’s own music, work diary, and philosophical dialogue. Finally, we question its theoretical potential and relationship to the current development of "research in art".

Alternative Schools. An Analysis of Their Impact on Administrators: Part II

Science.gov (United States)

Sachs, David; Codding, Judy

1976-01-01

Extensive interviews with school personnel of alternative programs reveal that it is in the process of defining their essence with regard to decision-making, admissions, policies, responsibility, freedom, calendars, and programs vs. school identity that planning problems arise. (A related document is EA 507 273.) (Author/MLF)

Alternative protections for loss of coolant accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estevez, E.A.

1997-01-01

One way to mitigate a small loss of coolant accident (LOCA) is by depressurizing the primary system, in order to turn the accident into a sequence where water is fed to a low pressure system. It can be achieved by two different ways: by incorporating a valve system (ADS - Automatic Depressurization System) to the design, which helps to diminish the pressure, obtaining a bigger LOCA, or by extracting heat from the system. Our analysis is centered in integrated reactors. The first characterization performed was on CAREM reactor. The idea was then to observe its behavior with LOCAs for different thermal power relations, water volume and rupture area. A simple depressurization model is presented, which enables us to find the parameter relationships which characterize this process, from which some particular cases will arise. ADS implementation is then analyzed, giving the criteria for the triggering time. A study on its reliability and the probability of a spurious opening is made, taking into account independent and dependent failures. An analysis on heat extraction as alternative for depressurizing is also made. Finally, the different reasons to choose between ADS or heat extraction as alternative are given, and the meaning of the parameters found are discussed. An alternative to classify LOCAs, instead of the traditional classification, by fracture size, is suggested. (author)

Alternate design of ITER cryostat skirt support system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, Manish Kumar; Gupta, Girish Kumar; Bhardwaj, Anil Kumar; Jha, Saroj Kumar

2015-01-01

The skirt support of ITER cryostat is a support system which takes all the load of cryostat cylinder and dome during normal and operational condition. The present design of skirt support has full penetration weld joints at the bottom (shell to horizontal plate joint). To fulfill the requirements of tolerances and control the welding distortions, we have proposed to change the full penetration weld into fillet weld. A detail calculation is done to check the feasibility and structural impact due to proposed design. The calculations provide the size requirements of fillet weld. To verify the structural integrity during most severe load case, finite element analysis (FEA) has been done in line with ASME section VIII division 2. By FEA 'Plastic Collapse' and 'Local Failure' modes has been assessed. 5° sector of skirt clamp has been modeled in CATIA V5 R21 and used in FEA. Fillet weld at shell to horizontal plate joint has been modeled and symmetry boundary condition at ± 2.5° applied. 'Elastic Plastic Analysis' has been performed for the most severe loading case i.e. Category IV loading. The alternate design of Cryostat Skirt support system has been found safe by analysis against Plastic collapse and Local Failure Modes with load proportionality factor 2.3. Alternate design of Cryostat skirt support system has been done and validated by FEA. As per alternate design, the proposal of fillet weld has been implemented in manufacturing. (author)

An Alternative Methodological Approach for Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and Decision Making in Genomic Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Fragoulakis, Vasilios; Mitropoulou, Christina; van Schaik, Ron H; Maniadakis, Nikolaos; Patrinos, George P

2016-05-01

Genomic Medicine aims to improve therapeutic interventions and diagnostics, the quality of life of patients, but also to rationalize healthcare costs. To reach this goal, careful assessment and identification of evidence gaps for public health genomics priorities are required so that a more efficient healthcare environment is created. Here, we propose a public health genomics-driven approach to adjust the classical healthcare decision making process with an alternative methodological approach of cost-effectiveness analysis, which is particularly helpful for genomic medicine interventions. By combining classical cost-effectiveness analysis with budget constraints, social preferences, and patient ethics, we demonstrate the application of this model, the Genome Economics Model (GEM), based on a previously reported genome-guided intervention from a developing country environment. The model and the attendant rationale provide a practical guide by which all major healthcare stakeholders could ensure the sustainability of funding for genome-guided interventions, their adoption and coverage by health insurance funds, and prioritization of Genomic Medicine research, development, and innovation, given the restriction of budgets, particularly in developing countries and low-income healthcare settings in developed countries. The implications of the GEM for the policy makers interested in Genomic Medicine and new health technology and innovation assessment are also discussed.

Are patients who use alternative medicine dissatisfied with orthodox medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, W J; Spykerboer, J E; Thong, Y H

1985-05-13

Approximately 45% of asthmatic families and 47% of non-asthmatic families had consulted an alternative-medicine practitioner at some time. The most popular form of alternative medicine was chiropractic (21.1% and 26.4%, respectively), followed by homoeopathy/naturopathy (18.8% and 12.7%, respectively), acupuncture (9.4% and 10.9%, respectively), and herbal medicine (4.7% and 6.4%, respectively), while the remainder (20.3% and 11.8% respectively) was distributed among iridology, osteopathy, hypnosis, faith healing and megavitamin therapy. More families were satisfied with orthodox medicine (87.1% and 93.6%, respectively) than with alternative medicine (84.2% and 75.1%, respectively). Crosstabulation analysis of pooled data both from asthma and from non-asthma groups showed that 76.4% were satisfied both with orthodox and with alternative medicine, and 16.4% were satisfied with orthodox, but not with alternative, medicine. In contrast, only 2.7% were dissatisfied with orthodox medicine and satisfied with alternative medicine (chi2 = 9.33; P less than 0.01). These findings do not support the view that patients who use alternative medicine are those who are disgruntled with orthodox medicine.

Alternative energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, P.

1978-01-01

It is suggested that the development of alternative energy sources has made them more attractive than nuclear power, due to their characteristics, such as small scale and short lead times, moderate costs and minimal environmental impact. The objectives of energy policy are discussed in relation to forecasts of energy demand. Tables show (a) projected useful energy demands UK; (b) patterns of end-use of energy; (c) costs of heating fuels; (d) net present value of gas purchases; (e) useful-energy by end-use analysis; and (f) primary fuel summary 2025. The contributions of hydro, nuclear, waves, solar, oil, gas and coal are estimated to 2025. (U.K.)

EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF POLICY OPTIONS ON AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES: AN ALTERNATIVE-FUTURES APPROACH

Science.gov (United States)

Alternative-futures analysis was used to analyze different scenarios of future growth patterns and attendant resource allocations on the agricultural system of Oregon's Willamette River Basin. A stakeholder group formulated three policy alternatives: a continuation of current tr...

76 FR 21673 - Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternate Rating Methods

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-18

... EERE-2011-BP-TP-00024] RIN 1904-AC46 Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternate Rating Methods AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of... and data related to the use of computer simulations, mathematical methods, and other alternative...

Alternative wastewatersystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dyck-Madsen, Søren; Hoffmann, Birgitte; Gabriel, Søren

1999-01-01

The report:-  Communicates experiences from Swedish buildings from the establishment and running of alternative wastewater systems. Communicates pictures of alternative buildings and wastewater systems in Sweden. Gives a short evaluation of the performance and the sustainability of the systems....

Natural gas as an alternative to crude oil in automotive fuel chains well-to-wheel analysis and transition strategy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hekkert, M.P.; Hendriks, F.H.J.F.; Faaij, A.P.C.; Neelis, M.L.

2005-01-01

Road transport produces significant amounts of CO 2 by using crude oil as primary energy source. A reduction of CO 2 emissions can be achieved by implementing alternative fuel chains. This article studies CO 2 emissions and energy efficiencies by means of a well to wheel analysis of alternative automotive fuel chains, using natural gas (NG) as an alternative primary energy source to replace crude oil. The results indicate that NG-based hydrogen applied in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) lead to largest CO 2 emission reductions (up to 40% compared to current practice). However, large implementation barriers for this option are foreseen, both technically and in terms of network change. Two different transition strategies are discussed to gradually make the transition to these preferred fuel chains. Important transition technologies that are the backbone of these routes are traditional engine technology fuelled by compressed NG and a FCV fuelled by gasoline. The first is preferred in terms of carbon emissions. The results furthermore indicate that an innovation in the conventional chain, the diesel hybrid vehicle, is more efficient than many NG-based chains. This option scores well in terms of carbon emissions and implementation barriers and is a very strong option for the future

Alternative Energy Development and China's Energy Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Nina; Fridley, David

2011-06-15

In addition to promoting energy efficiency, China has actively pursued alternative energy development as a strategy to reduce its energy demand and carbon emissions. One area of particular focus has been to raise the share of alternative energy in China’s rapidly growing electricity generation with a 2020 target of 15% share of total primary energy. Over the last ten years, China has established several major renewable energy regulations along with programs and subsidies to encourage the growth of non-fossil alternative energy including solar, wind, nuclear, hydro, geothermal and biomass power as well as biofuels and coal alternatives. This study thus seeks to examine China’s alternative energy in terms of what has and will continue to drive alternative energy development in China as well as analyze in depth the growth potential and challenges facing each specific technology. This study found that despite recent policies enabling extraordinary capacity and investment growth, alternative energy technologies face constraints and barriers to growth. For relatively new technologies that have not achieved commercialization such as concentrated solar thermal, geothermal and biomass power, China faces technological limitations to expanding the scale of installed capacity. While some alternative technologies such as hydropower and coal alternatives have been slowed by uneven and often changing market and policy support, others such as wind and solar PV have encountered physical and institutional barriers to grid integration. Lastly, all alternative energy technologies face constraints in human resources and raw material resources including land and water, with some facing supply limitations in critical elements such as uranium for nuclear, neodymium for wind and rare earth metals for advanced solar PV. In light of China’s potential for and barriers to growth, the resource and energy requirement for alternative energy technologies were modeled and scenario analysis

Microarray Meta-Analysis of RNA-Binding Protein Functions in Alternative Polyadenylation

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Wenchao; Liu, Yuting; Yan, Jun

2014-01-01

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a post-transcriptional mechanism to generate diverse mRNA transcripts with different 3′UTRs from the same gene. In this study, we systematically searched for the APA events with differential expression in public mouse microarray data. Hundreds of genes with over-represented differential APA events and the corresponding experiments were identified. We further revealed that global APA differential expression occurred prevalently in tissues such as brain comparing to peripheral tissues, and biological processes such as development, differentiation and immune responses. Interestingly, we also observed widespread differential APA events in RNA-binding protein (RBP) genes such as Rbm3, Eif4e2 and Elavl1. Given the fact that RBPs are considered as the main regulators of differential APA expression, we constructed a co-expression network between APAs and RBPs using the microarray data. Further incorporation of CLIP-seq data of selected RBPs showed that Nova2 represses and Mbnl1 promotes the polyadenylation of closest poly(A) sites respectively. Altogether, our study is the first microarray meta-analysis in a mammal on the regulation of APA by RBPs that integrated massive mRNA expression data under a wide-range of biological conditions. Finally, we present our results as a comprehensive resource in an online website for the research community. PMID:24622240

A clinical analysis of 500 medico-legal claims evaluating the causes and assessing the potential benefit of alternative dispute resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

B-Lynch, C; Coker, A; Dua, J A

1996-12-01

1. To evaluate the common causes of medico-legal dispute in obstetrics and gynaecology. 2. To assess the potential benefit of early alternative dispute resolution. A prospective analysis of over 500 cases submitted from over 100 solicitors between 1984 and 1994 for medical expert opinion on potential medico-legal claims. Five hundred consecutive cases that met the inclusion criteria: 488 from the United Kingdom and 12 from abroad (Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland). The main principles underlining medico-legal disputes and causes of such claims. Analysis of 500 claims show 46% were misguided allegations, 19% incompetent care, 12% error of judgement, 9% lack of expertise, 7% failure of communication, 6% poor supervision and 1% inadequate staffing. Of the misguided allegations 119/225 cases (59%) were obstetric and 111/275 (40%) cases were gynaecological. The most common cause of obstetric dispute was "cerebral palsy' (22%), while the commonest cause of gynaecological dispute was failed sterilisation (19%). Settled claims were under-reported by solicitors. Because of the high percentage (46%) of misguided allegations, an alternative course of dispute resolution must be a realistic way forward. This course of action, combined with improved communication, could result in a major reduction in the costs of potential medical litigation. Early alternative dispute resolution should be considered in an attempt to reduce the escalating quantum of damages and costs. We recommend recruiting independent, experienced and unbiased consultants in active practice within the appropriate specialty to review such cases at the level of hospital complaints management as an in house review procedure, particularly for small and moderate-sized claims, as a means whereby doctors can retain control of medico-legal disputes, in contrast to control by the legal profession.

Using expert judgments to explore robust alternatives for forest management under climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniels, Timothy; Mills, Tamsin; Gregory, Robin; Ohlson, Dan

2012-12-01

We develop and apply a judgment-based approach to selecting robust alternatives, which are defined here as reasonably likely to achieve objectives, over a range of uncertainties. The intent is to develop an approach that is more practical in terms of data and analysis requirements than current approaches, informed by the literature and experience with probability elicitation and judgmental forecasting. The context involves decisions about managing forest lands that have been severely affected by mountain pine beetles in British Columbia, a pest infestation that is climate-exacerbated. A forest management decision was developed as the basis for the context, objectives, and alternatives for land management actions, to frame and condition the judgments. A wide range of climate forecasts, taken to represent the 10-90% levels on cumulative distributions for future climate, were developed to condition judgments. An elicitation instrument was developed, tested, and revised to serve as the basis for eliciting probabilistic three-point distributions regarding the performance of selected alternatives, over a set of relevant objectives, in the short and long term. The elicitations were conducted in a workshop comprising 14 regional forest management specialists. We employed the concept of stochastic dominance to help identify robust alternatives. We used extensive sensitivity analysis to explore the patterns in the judgments, and also considered the preferred alternatives for each individual expert. The results show that two alternatives that are more flexible than the current policies are judged more likely to perform better than the current alternatives on average in terms of stochastic dominance. The results suggest judgmental approaches to robust decision making deserve greater attention and testing. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

Simulating the Use of Alternative Fuels in a Turbofan Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Litt, Jonathan S.; Chin, Jeffrey Chevoor; Liu, Yuan

2013-01-01

The interest in alternative fuels for aviation has created a need to evaluate their effect on engine performance. The use of dynamic turbofan engine simulations enables the comparative modeling of the performance of these fuels on a realistic test bed in terms of dynamic response and control compared to traditional fuels. The analysis of overall engine performance and response characteristics can lead to a determination of the practicality of using specific alternative fuels in commercial aircraft. This paper describes a procedure to model the use of alternative fuels in a large commercial turbofan engine, and quantifies their effects on engine and vehicle performance. In addition, the modeling effort notionally demonstrates that engine performance may be maintained by modifying engine control system software parameters to account for the alternative fuel.

Alternative detox.

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, E

2012-01-01

The concept that alternative therapies can eliminate toxins and toxicants from the body, i.e. 'alternative detox' (AD) is popular. Selected textbooks and articles on the subject of AD. The principles of AD make no sense from a scientific perspective and there is no clinical evidence to support them. The promotion of AD treatments provides income for some entrepreneurs but has the potential to cause harm to patients and consumers. In alternative medicine, simplistic but incorrect concepts such as AD abound. AREAS TIMELY FOR RESEARCH: All therapeutic claims should be scientifically tested before being advertised-and AD cannot be an exception.

ALTERNATIVE OAK IN THE MATURATION OF WINES CABERNET SAUVIGNON

OpenAIRE

T. B. Hamm; R. A. G. Kohn; E. P. Pinto; L. Lucchetta; V. Manfroi; C. V. Rombaldi

2014-01-01

The wine maturation with classic oak is a practice used for a long time, but recently the alternative means (fragments) has been used for its lower cost and practicality. In this study, the alternative wooden barrel was evaluated sit tested two types of oak fragment (chip and cube) and two doses (1 and 2 g L-1). The variables analyzed were as physicochemical characteristics and sensory analysis. The wines showed positive characteristics in general quality, highlighting the conditions of body ...

Properties of realized variance under alternative sampling schemes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oomen, R.C.A.

2006-01-01

This paper investigates the statistical properties of the realized variance estimator in the presence of market microstructure noise. Different from the existing literature, the analysis relies on a pure jump process for high frequency security prices and explicitly distinguishes among alternative

77 FR 31756 - Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternative Rating...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-30

...-AC46 Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternative Rating... regulations authorizing the use of alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption... alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption of various consumer products and...

The next $120,000: a case study to illustrate analysis of alternative farm investments in fixed assets.

Science.gov (United States)

St-Pierre, N R; Shoemaker, D; Jones, L R

2000-05-01

Dairy scientists specializing in the area of farm management are increasingly involved in analysis of farm investments in fixed assets. There have been instances where the wrong procedures were used to assess investments in fixed assets, leading to erroneous and possibly disastrous conclusions. A detailed case study of a dairy farm facing the decision of where best to invest an unexpected $120,000 windfall is used to illustrate the various facets of financial analysis. Indicators of profitability, liquidity, solvency, repayment capacity, and financial efficiency are explained and applied to the farm case to produce a detailed analysis of the current financial position of the firm. Long-range budgets of four alternate investment options and their impact on all financial indicators are presented. The four options are: 1) to pay down debt, 2) to purchase an additional 100 cows, 3) to install automatic milk yield recording in the parlor, and 4) to build new heifer facilities. All four investments are profitable. Therefore, an analysis limited to profitability indicators would conclude that any of the four options is a good investment. However, liquidity and financial efficiency issues showed that the option of purchasing 100 cows is far superior to the three others. We conclude that a complete and thorough financial analysis is required to evaluate the impact of long-run investments in fixed assets.

Alternate superior Julia sets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Anju; Rani, Mamta

2015-01-01

Alternate Julia sets have been studied in Picard iterative procedures. The purpose of this paper is to study the quadratic and cubic maps using superior iterates to obtain Julia sets with different alternate structures. Analytically, graphically and computationally it has been shown that alternate superior Julia sets can be connected, disconnected and totally disconnected, and also fattier than the corresponding alternate Julia sets. A few examples have been studied by applying different type of alternate structures

Effect of alternate-vortex on flow-induced in-line oscillation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, Masaya; Anoda, Yoshinari

1999-01-01

Experiments were performed to study the in-line oscillations of a flexible cylinder in a water crossflow to estimate the effects of alternate-vortex. The measured oscillations were analyzed using the Gabor wavelet function to define the temporal phase relation between the in-line displacement and the vortex-induced force. The analysis shows that 1) the stability region located between two excited regions is generated by alternate vortex effect, 2) the phase relation, which was changed as the crossflow velocity increased, can be classified into three categories, 3) though the contribution of the alternate vortex at the excited region was positive, the contribution at the stability region was negative. (author)

Energy security and climate change: How oil endowment influences alternative vehicle innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Eun

2014-01-01

Fast growing global energy needs raise concerns on energy supply security and climate change. Although policies addressing the two issues sometimes benefit one at the expense of the other, technology innovation, especially in alternative energy, provides a win–win solution to tackle both issues. This paper examines the effect of oil endowment on the patterns of technology innovation in the transportation sector, attempting to identify drivers of technology innovation in alternative energy. The analysis employs panel data constructed from patent data on five different types of automobile-related technologies from 1990 to 2002: oil extraction, petroleum refining, fuel cells, electric and hybrid vehicles (EHV) and vehicle energy efficiency. I find that countries with larger oil endowments perform less innovation on refining and alternative technologies. Conversely, higher gasoline prices positively impact the patent counts of alternative technologies and energy efficiency technology. The findings highlight the challenges and importance of policy designs in international climate change agreements. - Highlights: • I examine the effect of oil endowment on technology innovation in the transportation sector. • An empirical model was developed for a cross-country analysis of oil endowments. • A country's oil endowment is a negative driver of alternative technologies. • Energy price is a positive driver of alternative technologies and energy efficiency technology. • Implications for domestic and international climate policy are discussed

Alternative Fabrication of Recycling Fast Reactor Metal Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ki-Hwan; Kim, Jong Hwan; Song, Hoon; Kim, Hyung-Tae; Lee, Chan-Bock

2015-01-01

Metal fuels such as U-Zr/U-Pu-Zr alloys have been considered as a nuclear fuel for a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) related to the closed fuel cycle for managing minor actinides and reducing a high radioactivity levels since the 1980s. In order to develop innovative fabrication method of metal fuel for preventing the evaporation of volatile elements such as Am, modified casting under inert atmosphere has been applied for metal fuel slugs for SFR. Alternative fabrication method of fuel slugs has been introduced to develop an improved fabrication process of metal fuel for preventing the evaporation of volatile elements. In this study, metal fuel slugs for SFR have been fabricated by modified casting method, and characterized to evaluate the feasibility of the alternative fabrication method. In order to prevent evaporation of volatile elements such as Am and improve quality of fuel slugs, alternative fabrication methods of metal fuel slugs have been studied in KAERI. U-10Zr-5Mn fuel slug containing volatile surrogate element Mn was soundly cast by modified injection casting under modest pressure. Evaporation of Mn during alternative casting could not be detected by chemical analysis. Mn element was most recovered with prevention of evaporation by alternative casting. Modified injection casting has been selected as an alternative fabrication method in KAERI, considering evaporation prevention, and proven benefits of high productivity, high yield, and good remote control

Genome-wide association between DNA methylation and alternative splicing in an invertebrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flores Kevin

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene bodies are the most evolutionarily conserved targets of DNA methylation in eukaryotes. However, the regulatory functions of gene body DNA methylation remain largely unknown. DNA methylation in insects appears to be primarily confined to exons. Two recent studies in Apis mellifera (honeybee and Nasonia vitripennis (jewel wasp analyzed transcription and DNA methylation data for one gene in each species to demonstrate that exon-specific DNA methylation may be associated with alternative splicing events. In this study we investigated the relationship between DNA methylation, alternative splicing, and cross-species gene conservation on a genome-wide scale using genome-wide transcription and DNA methylation data. Results We generated RNA deep sequencing data (RNA-seq to measure genome-wide mRNA expression at the exon- and gene-level. We produced a de novo transcriptome from this RNA-seq data and computationally predicted splice variants for the honeybee genome. We found that exons that are included in transcription are higher methylated than exons that are skipped during transcription. We detected enrichment for alternative splicing among methylated genes compared to unmethylated genes using fisher’s exact test. We performed a statistical analysis to reveal that the presence of DNA methylation or alternative splicing are both factors associated with a longer gene length and a greater number of exons in genes. In concordance with this observation, a conservation analysis using BLAST revealed that each of these factors is also associated with higher cross-species gene conservation. Conclusions This study constitutes the first genome-wide analysis exhibiting a positive relationship between exon-level DNA methylation and mRNA expression in the honeybee. Our finding that methylated genes are enriched for alternative splicing suggests that, in invertebrates, exon-level DNA methylation may play a role in the construction of splice

Waste management project’s alternatives: A risk-based multi-criteria assessment (RBMCA) approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karmperis, Athanasios C.; Sotirchos, Anastasios; Aravossis, Konstantinos; Tatsiopoulos, Ilias P.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We examine the evaluation of a waste management project’s alternatives. ► We present a novel risk-based multi-criteria assessment (RBMCA) approach. ► In the RBMCA the evaluation criteria are based on the quantitative risk analysis of the project’s alternatives. ► Correlation between the criteria weight values and the decision makers’ risk preferences is examined. ► Preference to the multi-criteria against the one-criterion evaluation process is discussed. - Abstract: This paper examines the evaluation of a waste management project’s alternatives through a quantitative risk analysis. Cost benefit analysis is a widely used method, in which the investments are mainly assessed through the calculation of their evaluation indicators, namely benefit/cost (B/C) ratios, as well as the quantification of their financial, technical, environmental and social risks. Herein, a novel approach in the form of risk-based multi-criteria assessment (RBMCA) is introduced, which can be used by decision makers, in order to select the optimum alternative of a waste management project. Specifically, decision makers use multiple criteria, which are based on the cumulative probability distribution functions of the alternatives’ B/C ratios. The RBMCA system is used for the evaluation of a waste incineration project’s alternatives, where the correlation between the criteria weight values and the decision makers’ risk preferences is analyzed and useful conclusions are discussed.

Analysis on perception of nuclear power plant and the preference of its policy alternatives for public acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Young Sung; Lee, Byong Whi

1995-01-01

Public acceptance has become an important factor in nuclear power program particularly after Chernobyl accident and recent rapid democratization in Korea. Methods reflection public opinions in order to improve public acceptance are firstly to understand what the public think about nuclear power plant and secondly to find out the public preference values for its policies. For this purpose, simplified multi-attribute utility(MAU) model was applied to analyze the public perception for five power production system. And the conjoint analysis was applied to find out he quantitative values of public preferences for twelve policy alternatives to improve the safety and support communities surrounding nuclear power plants in Korea. To implement these perception and preference analyses, mail survey was conducted to the qualified sample who had the experience of visiting nuclear power plant. Diagnosis of their perception pattern for five power production systems was made by the simplified MAU model. Estimation of the quantitative preference values for potential policy alternatives was made by the conjoint measurement technique, which made it possible to forecast the effectiveness of each option. The results from the qualified sample and the methods used in this study would be helpful to set up new policy of nuclear power plant. 4 figs., 7 tabs., 18 refs. (Author)

An alternative to the crystallographic reconstruction of austenite in steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernier, Nicolas; Bracke, Lieven; Malet, Loïc; Godet, Stéphane

2014-01-01

An alternative crystallographic austenite reconstruction programme written in Matlab is developed by combining the best features of the existing models: the orientation relationship refinement, the local pixel-by-pixel analysis and the nuclei identification and spreading strategy. This programme can be directly applied to experimental electron backscatter diffraction mappings. Its applicability is demonstrated on both quenching and partitioning and as-quenched lath-martensite steels. - Highlights: • An alternative crystallographic austenite reconstruction program is developed. • The method combines a local analysis and a nuclei identification/spreading strategy. • The validity of the calculated orientation relationship is verified on a Q and P steel. • The accuracy of the reconstructed microtexture is investigated on a martensite steel

Multi-attribute evaluation and choice of alternatives for surplus weapons-usable plutonium disposition at uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosterev, V.V.; Bolyatko, V.V.; Khajretdinov, S.I.; Averkin, A.N.

2014-01-01

The problem of surplus weapons-usable plutonium disposition is formalized as a multi-attribute problem of a choice of alternatives from a set of possible alternatives under fuzzy conditions. Evaluation and ordering of alternatives for the surplus weapons-usable plutonium disposition and sensitivity analysis are carried out at uncertainty [ru

SEASTAR: systematic evaluation of alternative transcription start sites in RNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Zhiyi; Stoilov, Peter; Zhang, Xuegong; Xing, Yi

2018-05-04

Alternative first exons diversify the transcriptomes of eukaryotes by producing variants of the 5' Untranslated Regions (5'UTRs) and N-terminal coding sequences. Accurate transcriptome-wide detection of alternative first exons typically requires specialized experimental approaches that are designed to identify the 5' ends of transcripts. We developed a computational pipeline SEASTAR that identifies first exons from RNA-seq data alone then quantifies and compares alternative first exon usage across multiple biological conditions. The exons inferred by SEASTAR coincide with transcription start sites identified directly by CAGE experiments and bear epigenetic hallmarks of active promoters. To determine if differential usage of alternative first exons can yield insights into the mechanism controlling gene expression, we applied SEASTAR to an RNA-seq dataset that tracked the reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells. We observed dynamic temporal changes in the usage of alternative first exons, along with correlated changes in transcription factor expression. Using a combined sequence motif and gene set enrichment analysis we identified N-Myc as a regulator of alternative first exon usage in the pluripotent state. Our results demonstrate that SEASTAR can leverage the available RNA-seq data to gain insights into the control of gene expression and alternative transcript variation in eukaryotic transcriptomes.

SF6-alternative gases for application in gas-insulated switchgear

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xingwen; Zhao, Hu; Murphy, Anthony B.

2018-04-01

The environmental problems caused by greenhouse gases have received unprecedented attention. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which is the preferred gas for use in gas-insulated switchgear (circuit breakers, disconnect switches, etc. for high-voltage electrical circuits), has a very high global warming potential, and there is a large international effort to find alternative gases. Recently, this effort has made important progress, with promising alternative gases being identified and tested. An overview, in particular the current state of the art, of the study of SF6-alternative gases is presented in the paper. The review focuses on the application of the SF6-alternative gases in gas-insulated switchgear, with detailed analysis of calculations and measurements of their basic physical properties, dielectric strengths, and arc-quenching capabilities. Finally, a discussion of and perspectives on current research and future research directions are presented.

Comparison of Alternate and Original Items on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebedeva, Elena; Huang, Mei; Koski, Lisa

2016-03-01

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly individuals. We hypothesized that measurement error when using the new alternate MoCA versions to monitor change over time could be related to the use of items that are not of comparable difficulty to their corresponding originals of similar content. The objective of this study was to compare the difficulty of the alternate MoCA items to the original ones. Five selected items from alternate versions of the MoCA were included with items from the original MoCA administered adaptively to geriatric outpatients (N = 78). Rasch analysis was used to estimate the difficulty level of the items. None of the five items from the alternate versions matched the difficulty level of their corresponding original items. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of a Rasch analysis-based approach for selecting items during the process of development of parallel forms. The results suggest that better match of the items from different MoCA forms by their difficulty would result in higher sensitivity to changes in cognitive function over time.

Baseline energy forecasts and analysis of alternative strategies for airline fuel conservation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1976-01-01

The objectives of this study were to identify measures to reduce airline fuel consumption and to evaluate the impact of these alternatives on fuel consumption through 1990. To evaluate the impact of fuel conservation strategies, baseline forecasts of airline activity and energy consumption to 1990 were developed. Alternative policy options to reduce fuel consumption were identified and analyzed for three baseline levels of aviation activity within the framework of an aviation activity/energy consumption model. By combining the identified policy options, a strategy was developed to provide incentives for airline fuel conservation. Strategies and policy options were evaluated in terms of their impact on airline fuel conservation and the functioning of the airline industry as well as the associated social, environmental, and economic costs. The need for strategies to conserve airline fuel is based on air transportation's dependence upon petroleum; the current lack of alternative energy sources; the potential for disruption of air service due to crises in fuel availability such as experienced during the OPEC oil embargo; and the overall national goal of energy independence through energy conservation in all consuming sectors. The transition from the current situation to that described by strategies and policy options may require difficult adjustments by the airline industry in the short term. In the long term, however, conservation strategies can enhance the health of the airline industry as well as its fuel efficiency.

Consonant Alternations in Changing Verb Forms in Modern Russian

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Alekseevna Gracheva

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to consonant alternations in the verbal final basis that is associated with the processes of verbal form changes. It presents some results of the verbal form analysis that are being conjugated as types 4-8. The source of the material was "Grammatical dictionary of the Russian language" by A.A. Zaliznyak. It is proved that the alternation in verbal forms of modern Russian depends on the character of language levels coordination thus performing the following functions: grammar meaning intensification, lexical homonyms differentiation, and grammar form identification including. The novelty of the data presented in the article consists in defining the principle statement that there exists some variations in the balance between regularity and predictiveness of consonant alternations in verbal forms: the alternation is more predictable if the number of grammema clusters in a paradigm that they mark is lower (type 4 with inflection -ить; on the contrary, the less predictable the alternations are, the bigger grammema clusters in the paradigm are, (i.e. when used for intensifying type 6 (with inflection -ать. The comparison of verbal forms with and without alternations resulted in the following conclusion: an infinitive form of a verb will predict with greater certainly types of alternations in the final basis and point to a definite kind of morphological meaning. The regularities revealed might be used in a descriptive morphology of modern Russian and in practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language.

Lower growth temperature increases alternative pathway capacity and alternative oxidase protein in tobacco.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanlerberghe, G C; McIntosh, L

1992-09-01

Suspension cells of NT1 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv bright yellow) have been used to study the effect of growth temperature on the CN-resistant, salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive alternative pathway of respiration. Mitochondria isolated from cells maintained at 30 degrees C had a low capacity to oxidize succinate via the alternative pathway, whereas mitochondria isolated from cells 24 h after transfer to 18 degrees C displayed, on average, a 5-fold increase in this capacity (from 7 to 32 nanoatoms oxygen per milligram protein per minute). This represented an increase in alternative pathway capacity from 18 to 45% of the total capacity of electron transport. This increased capacity was lost upon transfer of cells back to 30 degrees C. A monoclonal antibody to the terminal oxidase of the alternative pathway (the alternative oxidase) from Sauromatum guttatum (T.E. Elthon, R.L. Nickels, L. McIntosh [1989] Plant Physiology 89: 1311-1317) recognized a 35-kilodalton mitochondrial protein in tobacco. There was an excellent correlation between the capacity of the alternative path in isolated tobacco mitochondria and the levels of this 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein. Cycloheximide could inhibit both the increased level of the 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein and the increased alternative pathway capacity normally seen upon transfer to 18 degrees C. We conclude that transfer of tobacco cells to the lower temperature increases the capacity of the alternative pathway due, at least in part, to de novo synthesis of the 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein.

Alternative Therapy of Animals – Homeopathy and Other Alternative Methods of Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Løken Torleiv

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Alternative therapy of animals is described, in the meaning of alternatives to veterinary therapy traditionally accepted by veterinary faculties and schools and included in their curricula. Alternative therapy composes of different disciplines, of which homeopathy is emphasised in this presentation. Information is given on the use and interest of such therapy among veterinarians and animal owners. Homeopathy as other alternative therapies, may offer great advances, if they induce any effect. Some of the disciplines are based on a scientifically accepted documentation. Others, and homeopathy in particular, are missing such a documentation of effect. The justification of including alternative therapy in treating animals is discussed. Research in alternative therapy of animals is greatly needed, in particular to evaluate therapeutic methods which are in extensive use without any documented effect. An ongoing research project in Norway on the effect of homeopathic treatment of mastitis in cows is shortly presented.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Indiana Transportation Data for Alternative

Science.gov (United States)

(nameplate, MW) 1,430 Source: BioFuels Atlas from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Case Studies Video Alternative Fuels Save Money in Indy April 1, 2012 More Case Studies Videos Text Version More Indiana Videos on YouTube Video thumbnail for Indiana Beverage Company Invests in Alternative Fuels Indiana Beverage

Application of 'C.A.R.B. financial methodology' analysis for alternative energy technologies into UK housing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spanos, Ioannis; Duckers, Les; Holmes, Kenneth L.

2007-01-01

Current energy trends in UK housing are reviewed and then assessed by introducing the 'CARB financial analysis' methodology. CARB is an acronym for 'Carbon Abatement', as it evaluates the potential carbon-dioxide reduction from different technologies; 'Relative', as all the technologies examined are dependant on various primary sources; and 'Balance', as the cost of surplus CO 2 is quantified. According to conventional financial analysis, most of the technologies examined have the potential to provide positive returns on the investments especially for those with an environmentally conscious agenda. Further reduction of up to 30% of most installed alternative energy systems cost is required to compete with an investment in, e.g., a UK pension scheme. Using the 'CARB financial analysis' the cost of reducing CO 2 has been quantified, and compared with the potential cost of climate change impact. Conventional installed solar technologies are not financially attractive both with a pay back period calculations and 'CARB financial analysis' under current market costs and governmental subsidy regimes. Heat recovery technologies could be sensible investments, both in financial and environmental terms under particular assumptions; especially if the investment budget is small. The use of cogeneration technologies provides a financial advantage in the attempt to minimise the cost of climate change impact, as pay back period of such investment could be less than 7 yr, and the cost of CO 2 saved could be two to seven times less than the global damage cost of carbon emissions. (author)

Simulation-Based Analysis of the Potential of Alternative Fuels towards Reducing CO2 Emissions from Aviation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karsten Kieckhäfer

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The mid-term framework of global aviation is shaped by air travel demand growth rates of 2–5% p.a. and ambitious targets to reduce aviation-related CO2 emissions by up to 50% until 2050. Alternative jet fuels such as bio- or electrofuels can be considered as a potential means towards low-emission aviation. While these fuels offer significant emission reduction potential, their market success depends on manifold influencing factors like the maturity of the production technology or the development of the price of conventional jet fuel. To study the potential for adoption of alternative jet fuels in aviation and the extent to which alternative fuels can contribute to the reduction targets, we deploy a System Dynamics approach. The results indicate that the adoption of alternative fuels and therefore their potential towards low-emissions aviation is rather limited in most scenarios considered since current production processes do not allow for competitive prices compared to conventional jet fuel. This calls for the development of new production processes that allow for economic feasibility of converting biomass or hydrogen into drop-in fuels as well as political measures to promote the adoption of alternative fuels.

Total life-cycle cost analysis of conventional and alternative fueled vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardullo, M.W.

1993-01-01

Total Life-Cycle Cost (TLCC) Analysis can indicate whether paying higher capital costs for advanced technology with low operating and/or environmental costs is advantageous over paying lower capital costs for conventional technology with higher operating and/or environmental costs. While minimizing total life-cycle cost is an important consideration, the consumer often identifies non-cost-related benefits or drawbacks that make more expensive options appear more attractive. The consumer is also likely to heavily weigh initial capital costs while giving limited consideration to operating and/or societal costs, whereas policy-makers considering external costs, such as those resulting from environmental impacts, may reach significantly different conclusions about which technologies are most advantageous to society. This paper summarizes a TLCC model which was developed to facilitate consideration of the various factors involved in both individual and societal policy decision making. The model was developed as part of a US Department of Energy Contract and has been revised to reflect changes necessary to make the model more realistic. The model considers capital, operating, salvage, and environmental costs for cars, vans, and buses using conventional and alternative fuels. The model has been developed to operate on an IBM or compatible personal computer platform using the commercial spreadsheet program MicroSoft Excell reg-sign Version 4 for Windows reg-sign and can be easily kept current because its modular structure allows straightforward access to embedded data sets for review and update

Lightweight linear alternators with and without capacitive tuning

Science.gov (United States)

Niedra, Janis M.

1993-06-01

Permanent magnet excited linear alternators rated tens of kW and coupled to free-piston Stirling engines are presently viewed as promising candidates for long term generation of electric power in both space and terrestrial applications. Series capacitive cancellation of the internal inductive reactance of such alternators was considered a viable way to both increase power extraction and to suppress unstable modes of the thermodynamic oscillation. Idealized toroidal and cylindrical alternator geometries are used for a comparative study of the issues of specific mass and capacitive tuning, subject to stability criteria. The analysis shows that the stator mass of an alternator designed to be capacitively tuned is always greater than the minimum achievable stator mass of an alternator designed with no capacitors, assuming equal utilization of materials ratings and the same frequency and power to a resistive load. This conclusion is not substantially altered when the usually lesser masses of the magnets and of any capacitors are added. Within the reported stability requirements and under circumstances of normal materials ratings, this study finds no clear advantage to capacitive tuning. Comparative plots of the various constituent masses are presented versus the internal power factor taken as a design degree of freedom. The explicit formulas developed for stator core, coil, capacitor, and magnet masses and for the degree of magnet utilization provide useful estimates of scaling effects.

Summary of Plutonium-238 Production Alternatives Analysis Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

James Werner; Wade E. Bickford; David B. Lord; Chadwick D. Barklay

2013-03-01

The Team implemented a two-phase evaluation process. During the first phase, a wide variety of past and new candidate facilities and processing methods were assessed against the criteria established by DOE for this assessment. Any system or system element selected for consideration as an alternative within the project to reestablish domestic production of Pu-238 must meet the following minimum criteria: Any required source material must be readily available in the United States, without requiring the development of reprocessing technologies or investments in systems to separate material from identified sources. It must be cost, schedule, and risk competitive with existing baseline technology. Any identified facilities required to support the concept must be available to the program for the entire project life cycle (notionally 35 years, unless the concept is so novel as to require a shorter duration). It must present a solution that can generate at least 1.5 Kg of Pu-238 oxide per year, for at least 35 years. It must present a low-risk, near-term solution to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s urgent mission need. DOE has implemented this requirement by eliminating from project consideration any alternative with key technologies at less than Technology Readiness Level 5. The Team evaluated the options meeting these criteria using a more detailed assessment of the reasonable facility variations and compared them to the preferred option, which consists of target irradiation at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), target fabrication and chemical separations processing at the ORNL Radiochemical Engineering Development Center, and neptunium 237 storage at the Materials and Fuels Complex at INL. This preferred option is consistent with the Records of Decision from the earlier National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation

Efficiency analysis of alternative refrigerants for ejector cooling cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil, Bartosz; Kasperski, Jacek

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Advantages of using alternative refrigerants as ejector refrigerants were presumed. • Computer software basing on theoretical model of Huang et al. (1999) was prepared. • Optimal temperature range of primary vapor for each working fluid was calculated. - Abstract: Computer software, basing on the theoretical model of Huang et al. with thermodynamic properties of selected refrigerants, was prepared. Investigation was focused on alternative refrigerants that belong to two groups of substances: common solvents (acetone, benzene, cyclopentane, cyclohexane and toluene) and non-flammable synthetic refrigerants applied in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) (R236ea, R236fa, R245ca, R245fa, R365mfc and RC318). Refrigerants were selected to detect a possibility to use them in ejector cooling system powered by a high-temperature heat source. A series of calculations were carried out for the generator temperature between 70 and 200 °C, with assumed temperatures of evaporation 10 °C and condensation 40 °C. Investigation revealed that there is no single refrigerant that ensures efficient operation of the system in the investigated temperature range of primary vapor. Each substance has its own maximum entrainment ratio and COP at its individual temperature of the optimum. The use of non-flammable synthetic refrigerants allows obtaining higher COP in the low primary vapor temperature range. R236fa was the most beneficial among the non-flammable synthetic refrigerants tested. The use of organic solvents can be justified only for high values of motive steam temperature. Among the solvents, the highest values of entrainment ratio and COP throughout the range of motive temperature were noted for cyclopentane. Toluene was found to be an unattractive refrigerant from the ejector cooling point of view

Alternative energy development strategies for China towards 2030

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Linwei MA; Zheng LI; Feng FU; Xiliang ZHANG; Weidou NI

2009-01-01

The purposes, objectives and technology path-ways for alternative energy development are discussed with the aim of reaching sustainable energy development in China. Special attention has been paid to alternative power and alternative vehicle fuels. Instead of limiting alternative energy to energy sources such as nuclear and renewable energy, the scope of discussion is extended to alternative technologies such as coal power with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), electric and hydrogen vehicles. In order to take account of the fact that China's sustainable energy development involves many dimen-sions, a six-dimensional indicator set has been established and applied with the aim of comprehensively evaluating different technology pathways in a uniform way. The ana-lysis reaches the following conclusions: (a) in the power sector, wind power, nuclear power and hydro power should be developed as much as possible, while R&D of solar power and coal power with CCS should be strengthened continuously for future deployment. (b) in the transporta-tion sector, there is no foreseeable silver bullet to replace oil on a large scale within the time frame of 20 to 30 years. To ease the severe energy security situation, expedient choices like coal derived fuels could be developed. However, its scale should be optimized in accordance to the trade-off of energy security benefits, production costs and environmental costs. Desirable alternative fuels (or technologies) like 2nd generation biofuels and electrical vehicles should be the subject of intensive R&D with the objective to be cost effective as early as possible.

Understanding alternative fluxes/effluxes through comparative metabolic pathway analysis of phylum actinobacteria using a simplified approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Mansi; Lal, Devi; Saxena, Anjali; Anand, Shailly; Kaur, Jasvinder; Kaur, Jaspreet; Lal, Rup

2013-12-01

Actinobacteria are known for their diverse metabolism and physiology. Some are dreadful human pathogens whereas some constitute the natural flora for human gut. Therefore, the understanding of metabolic pathways is a key feature for targeting the pathogenic bacteria without disturbing the symbiotic ones. A big challenge faced today is multiple drug resistance by Mycobacterium and other pathogens that utilize alternative fluxes/effluxes. With the availability of genome sequence, it is now feasible to conduct the comparative in silico analysis. Here we present a simplified approach to compare metabolic pathways so that the species specific enzyme may be traced and engineered for future therapeutics. The analyses of four key carbohydrate metabolic pathways, i.e., glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, tri carboxylic acid cycle and pentose phosphate pathway suggest the presence of alternative fluxes. It was found that the upper pathway of glycolysis was highly variable in the actinobacterial genomes whereas lower glycolytic pathway was highly conserved. Likewise, pentose phosphate pathway was well conserved in contradiction to TCA cycle, which was found to be incomplete in majority of actinobacteria. The clustering based on presence and absence of genes of these metabolic pathways clearly revealed that members of different genera shared identical pathways and, therefore, provided an easy method to identify the metabolic similarities/differences between pathogenic and symbiotic organisms. The analyses could identify isoenzymes and some key enzymes that were found to be missing in some pathogenic actinobacteria. The present work defines a simple approach to explore the effluxes in four metabolic pathways within the phylum actinobacteria. The analysis clearly reflects that actinobacteria exhibit diverse routes for metabolizing substrates. The pathway comparison can help in finding the enzymes that can be used as drug targets for pathogens without effecting symbiotic organisms

Toxic emissions from mobile sources: a total fuel-cycle analysis for conventional and alternative fuel vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Winebrake, J J; Wang, M Q; He, D

2001-07-01

Mobile sources are among the largest contributors of four hazardous air pollutants--benzene, 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde--in urban areas. At the same time, federal and state governments are promoting the use of alternative fuel vehicles as a means to curb local air pollution. As yet, the impact of this movement toward alternative fuels with respect to toxic emissions has not been well studied. The purpose of this paper is to compare toxic emissions from vehicles operating on a variety of fuels, including reformulated gasoline (RFG), natural gas, ethanol, methanol, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), and electricity. This study uses a version of Argonne National Laboratory's Greenhouse Gas, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model, appropriately modified to estimate toxic emissions. The GREET model conducts a total fuel-cycle analysis that calculates emissions from both downstream (e.g., operation of the vehicle) and upstream (e.g., fuel production and distribution) stages of the fuel cycle. We find that almost all of the fuels studied reduce 1,3-butadiene emissions compared with conventional gasoline (CG). However, the use of ethanol in E85 (fuel made with 85% ethanol) or RFG leads to increased acetaldehyde emissions, and the use of methanol, ethanol, and compressed natural gas (CNG) may result in increased formaldehyde emissions. When the modeling results for the four air toxics are considered together with their cancer risk factors, all the fuels and vehicle technologies show air toxic emission reduction benefits.

Emission and Performance analysis of hydrotreated refined sunflower oil as alternate fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Hemanandh

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The experiments were conducted by using the hydrotreated refined sunflower oil as alternative fuel in a 4-stroke, stationary DI diesel engine at a constant speed of 1500 rpm. The effects of hydrotreated vegetable oil blends on diesel engine emission and performance were studied. The emission and performance were studied for different proportions such as HTSF B25 and HTSF B100 and at different loading conditions and comparison was made with petrodiesel. The emission and performance results of HTSF B25 and HTSF B100 showed that decrease in CO by 9% and 37%, HC by 42% and 55%, NOx by 10% and 18.18%, BSFC by 25% and 12.5%. The increase in brake thermal efficiency was by 10% and 38%. It was observed from the study that hydrotreatment of refined sunflower oil could be one of the best alternative fuels for the diesel engine.

Quantification of margins and uncertainties: Alternative representations of epistemic uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helton, Jon C.; Johnson, Jay D.

2011-01-01

In 2001, the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with the national security laboratories (i.e., Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories) initiated development of a process designated Quantification of Margins and Uncertainties (QMU) for the use of risk assessment methodologies in the certification of the reliability and safety of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. A previous presentation, 'Quantification of Margins and Uncertainties: Conceptual and Computational Basis,' describes the basic ideas that underlie QMU and illustrates these ideas with two notional examples that employ probability for the representation of aleatory and epistemic uncertainty. The current presentation introduces and illustrates the use of interval analysis, possibility theory and evidence theory as alternatives to the use of probability theory for the representation of epistemic uncertainty in QMU-type analyses. The following topics are considered: the mathematical structure of alternative representations of uncertainty, alternative representations of epistemic uncertainty in QMU analyses involving only epistemic uncertainty, and alternative representations of epistemic uncertainty in QMU analyses involving a separation of aleatory and epistemic uncertainty. Analyses involving interval analysis, possibility theory and evidence theory are illustrated with the same two notional examples used in the presentation indicated above to illustrate the use of probability to represent aleatory and epistemic uncertainty in QMU analyses.

Depleted uranium management alternatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hertzler, T.J.; Nishimoto, D.D.

1994-08-01

This report evaluates two management alternatives for Department of Energy depleted uranium: continued storage as uranium hexafluoride, and conversion to uranium metal and fabrication to shielding for spent nuclear fuel containers. The results will be used to compare the costs with other alternatives, such as disposal. Cost estimates for the continued storage alternative are based on a life-cycle of 27 years through the year 2020. Cost estimates for the recycle alternative are based on existing conversion process costs and Capital costs for fabricating the containers. Additionally, the recycle alternative accounts for costs associated with intermediate product resale and secondary waste disposal for materials generated during the conversion process.

Depleted uranium management alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hertzler, T.J.; Nishimoto, D.D.

1994-08-01

This report evaluates two management alternatives for Department of Energy depleted uranium: continued storage as uranium hexafluoride, and conversion to uranium metal and fabrication to shielding for spent nuclear fuel containers. The results will be used to compare the costs with other alternatives, such as disposal. Cost estimates for the continued storage alternative are based on a life-cycle of 27 years through the year 2020. Cost estimates for the recycle alternative are based on existing conversion process costs and Capital costs for fabricating the containers. Additionally, the recycle alternative accounts for costs associated with intermediate product resale and secondary waste disposal for materials generated during the conversion process

Intuitions in Epistemology: Towards a Naturalistic Alternative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristoffer Ahlstrom

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The present paper revisits the main methodological problems with conceptual analysis and considers two attempts to rectify them in terms of prototypes and reflective equilibria, respectively. Finding both wanting for the purposes of epistemological analysis, a naturalistic alternative is then sketched that explores the positive implications of aforementioned problems for the demarcation of the respective roles of intuitions and empirical investigation within three epistemological domains, viz., the evaluation of epistemological hypotheses, the amelioration of epistemic practices, and the construction of a theory of epistemic value.

Lack of SLC2A1 (glucose transporter 1) mutations in 30 Italian patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

De Grandis, Elisa; Stagnaro, Michela; Biancheri, Roberta; Giannotta, Melania; Gobbi, Giuseppe; Traverso, Monica; Veneselli, Edvige; Zara, Federico

2013-07-01

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood is a rare, predominantly sporadic disorder. Diagnosis is clinical, and little is known about genetics. Glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome shares with alternating hemiplegia of childhood paroxysmal and nonparoxysmal symptoms. The aim of the study was to investigate glucose transporter 1 mutations in 30 Italian patients. Genetic material was analyzed by DNA amplification and glucose transporter 1 region sequencing. Mutational analysis findings of the SLC2A1 gene were negative in all patients. The pattern of movement disorders was reviewed. Interictal dystonia and multiple paroxysmal events were typical of alternating hemiplegia of childhood. In conclusion, alternating hemiplegia of childhood is a heterogeneous clinical condition, and although glucose transporter 1 deficiency can represent an undiagnosed cause of this disorder, mutational analysis is not routinely recommended. Alternatively, a careful clinical analysis and the 3-O-methyl-D-glucose uptake test can allow prompt identification of a subgroup of patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood treatable with a ketogenic diet.

Alternative Administrative Certification: Socializing Factors Influencing Program Choice

Science.gov (United States)

Bickmore, Dana L.; Bickmore, Steven T.; Raines, Sarah

2013-01-01

This study used an organizational socialization lens to examine factors influencing participants' decision to pursue the principalship and choice to engage in an alternate administration certification program. Through an analysis of participant focus groups and interviews, factors emerged from the codes that were compared with dimensions of…

On the analysis of clonogenic survival data: Statistical alternatives to the linear-quadratic model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unkel, Steffen; Belka, Claus; Lauber, Kirsten

2016-01-01

the extraction of scores of radioresistance, which displayed significant correlations with the estimated parameters of the regression models. Undoubtedly, LQ regression is a robust method for the analysis of clonogenic survival data. Nevertheless, alternative approaches including non-linear regression and multivariate techniques such as cluster analysis and principal component analysis represent versatile tools for the extraction of parameters and/or scores of the cellular response towards ionizing irradiation with a more intuitive biological interpretation. The latter are highly informative for correlation analyses with other types of data, including functional genomics data that are increasingly beinggenerated

Alternative Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

West, M.; Duckers, L.; Lockett, P.; Loughridge, B.; Peatfield, T.; White, P.

1984-01-01

The Coventry (Lanchester) Polytechnic Wave Energy Group has been involved in the United Kingdom wave energy research programme since its inception in 1975. Whilst the work of the group is mainly concerned with wave energy, and currently is directed towards the design of a wave energy device tailored to the needs of isolated/island communities, it has some involvement with other aspects of the alternatives. This conference, dealing with alternative energy systems and their electrical integration and utilisation was engendered by the general interest which the Polytechnic group members have in the alternatives and their use. The scope for electrical integration and utilisation is very broad. Energy for family groups may be provided in a relatively unsophisticated way which is acceptable to them. Small population centres, for example island communities relying upon diesel equipment, can reap the benefits of the alternatives through their ability to accept novel integration schemes and a flexible approach to the use of the energy available. Consumers already enjoying the benefits of a 'firm' electricity grid supply can use energy from a variety of alternative systems, via the grid, without having to modify their energy consumption habits. In addition to the domestic and industrial applications and coastal possibilities, specialist applications in isolated environments have also emerged. The Proceedings detail practical, technical and economic aspects of the alternatives and their electrical integration and utilisation.

Socio-economic impact analysis: Centralia mine fire abatement alternatives. Draft report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-11-07

The overall purpose of information contained in the following text is to document the likely social and economic impacts upon the Borough of Centralia through implementation of various mine fire abatement alternatives. Much of the data presented herein and utilized in preparing conclusions and recommendations have been derived from those individuals whose lives are now, or may eventually be, impacted by the underground mine fire.

An Alternative Approach to the Extended Drude Model

Science.gov (United States)

Gantzler, N. J.; Dordevic, S. V.

2018-05-01

The original Drude model, proposed over a hundred years ago, is still used today for the analysis of optical properties of solids. Within this model, both the plasma frequency and quasiparticle scattering rate are constant, which makes the model rather inflexible. In order to circumvent this problem, the so-called extended Drude model was proposed, which allowed for the frequency dependence of both the quasiparticle scattering rate and the effective mass. In this work we will explore an alternative approach to the extended Drude model. Here, one also assumes that the quasiparticle scattering rate is frequency dependent; however, instead of the effective mass, the plasma frequency becomes frequency-dependent. This alternative model is applied to the high Tc superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) with Tc = 92 K, and the results are compared and contrasted with the ones obtained from the conventional extended Drude model. The results point to several advantages of this alternative approach to the extended Drude model.

Slip initiation in alternative and slip-resistant footwear.

Science.gov (United States)

Chander, Harish; Wade, Chip; Garner, John C; Knight, Adam C

2017-12-01

Slips occur as a result of failure of normal locomotion. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of alternative footwear (Crocs™, flip-flops) and an industry standard low-top slip-resistant shoe (SRS) under multiple gait trials (normal dry, unexpected slip, alert slip and expected slip) on lower extremity joint kinematics, kinetics and muscle activity. Eighteen healthy male participants (age: 22.28 ± 2.2 years; height: 177.66 ± 6.9 cm; mass: 79.27 ± 7.6 kg) completed the study. Kinematic, kinetic and muscle activity variables were analyzed using a 3(footwear) × 4(gait trials) repeated-measures analysis of variance at p = 0.05. Greater plantar flexion angles, lower ground reaction forces and greater muscle activity were seen on slip trials with the alternative footwear. During slip events, SRS closely resembled normal dry biomechanics, suggesting it to be a safer footwear choice compared with alternative footwear.

Field study plan for alternate barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeman, H.D.; Gee, G.W.; Relyea, J.F.

1989-05-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is providing technical assistance in selecting, designing, evaluating, and demonstrating protective barriers. As part of this technical assistance effort, asphalt, clay, and chemical grout will be evaluated for use as alternate barriers. The purpose of the subsurface layer is to reduce the likelihood that extreme events (i.e., 100-year maximum storms, etc.) will cause significant drainage through the barrier. The tests on alternate barriers will include laboratory and field analysis of the subsurface layer performance. This field test plan outlines the activities required to test and design subsurface moisture barriers. The test plan covers activities completed in FY 1988 and planned through FY 1992 and includes a field-scale test of one or more of the alternate barriers to demonstrate full-scale application techniques and to provide performance data on a larger scale. Tests on asphalt, clay, and chemical grout were initiated in FY 1988 in small (30.5 cm diameter) tube-layer lysimeters. The parameters used for testing the materials were different for each one. The tests had to take into account the differences in material characteristics and response to change in conditions, as well as information provided by previous studies. 33 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

The History Of Youth Academy Within The Context And History Of Alternative Schooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew HODGMAN

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Alternative education in America has existed for several decades. Born from egalitarian ideology and calls for social progressivity during the Civil Rights Movement, alternative education has assumed many forms including institutions specifically established to assist students with disciplinary issues, attendance troubles, substance abuse problems, and learning difficulties. Through an in-depth analysis of one such alternative education institution (Youth Academy in West Virginia, this article aims to explain what alternative education is, what it has become, and why alternative education institutions are necessary to help combat problematic social and educational issues in America. The philosophy of re-education is discussed as a theoretical teaching tool and the significance of Youth Academy as a model alternative education institution within its state and nationally is stressed. It was concluded that those entrusted with decision- making power within Americas school systems would be wise to consider the potential benefits of establishing alternative education institutions by using Youth Academy as a possible blueprint.

Analysis of operational, institutional and international limitations for alternative fuel vehicles and technologies: Means/methods for implementing changes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-07-01

This project focused upon the development of an approach to assist public fleet managers in evaluating the characteristics and availability of alternative fuels (AF`s) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFV`s) that will serve as possible replacements for vehicles currently serving the needs of various public entities. Also of concern were the institutional/international limitations for alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles. The City of Detroit and other public agencies in the Detroit area were the particular focus for the activities. As the development and initial stages of use of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles proceeds, there will be an increasing need to provide information and guidance to decision-makers regarding differences in requirements and features of these fuels and vehicles. There wig be true differences in requirements for servicing, managing, and regulating. There will also be misunderstanding and misperception. There have been volumes of data collected on AFV`S, and as technology is improved, new data is constantly added. There are not, however, condensed and effective sources of information for public vehicle fleet managers on vehicle and equipment sources, characteristics, performance, costs, and environmental benefits. While theoretical modeling of public fleet requirements has been done, there do not seem to be readily available ``practical``. There is a need to provide the best possible information and means to minimize the problems for introducing the effective use of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles.

Doctor-patient communication and cancer patients' choice of alternative therapies as supplement or alternative to conventional care.

Science.gov (United States)

Salamonsen, Anita

2013-03-01

Cancer patients' use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread, despite the fact that clinical studies validating the efficacy of CAM remain sparse in the Nordic countries. The purpose of this study was to explore possible connections between cancer patients' communication experiences with doctors and the decision to use CAM as either supplement or alternative to conventional treatment (CT). The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics and the Norwegian Data Inspectorate approved the study. From a group of 52 cancer patients with self-reported positive experiences from use of CAM, 13 were selected for qualitative interviews. Six used CAM as supplement, and seven as alternative to CT, periodically or permanently. Communication experiences with 46 doctors were described. The analysis revealed three connections between doctor-patient communication and patients' treatment decisions: (i) negative communication experiences because of the use of CAM; (ii) negative communication experiences resulted in the decision to use CAM, and in some cases to decline CT; and (iii) positive communication experiences led to the decision to use CAM as supplement, not alternative to CT. The patients, including the decliners of CT, wanted to discuss treatment decisions in well-functioning interpersonal processes with supportive doctors. In doctors' practices and education of doctors, a greater awareness of potential positive and negative outcomes of doctor-patient communication that concern CAM issues could be of importance. More research is needed to safeguard CAM users' treatment decisions and their relationship to conventional health care. © 2012 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Multiple criteria decision making of alternative fuels for waste collection vehicles in southeast region of Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrović Goran S.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper multiple criteria decision making approach of alternative fuels for waste collection vehicles in southeast region of Serbia was presented. Eight alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies were ranked according to thirteen criteria, including financial, socio-technical, and environmental. Assessment of alternatives was performed by using the weighted aggregated sum product assessment method and results were verified using multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis method. Considered criteria were obtained from previous researches and by assessment of professional experts from manufacturing industries, public utility companies, and academics institutions. The analysis showed that both biodiesel fuels - derived from used cooking oil or from vegetable oils are the best alternative fuels for Serbian waste collection vehicles in this point of time. Compressed natural gas-powered vehicles were also ranked high in this analysis, but due to the lack of financial capability for their purchase (especially in southeast region of Serbia, their gradual introduction into the waste collection fleet was proposed.

Use of complementary and alternative medicines during the third trimester.

Science.gov (United States)

Pallivalapila, Abdul Rouf; Stewart, Derek; Shetty, Ashalatha; Pande, Binita; Singh, Rajvir; McLay, James S

2015-01-01

To estimate the prevalence, indications, and associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use during the last trimester of pregnancy. A questionnaire survey was conducted of women with a live birth (N=700) admitted to the postnatal unit at the Royal Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, northeast Scotland. Outcome measures included: complementary and alternative medicine used; vitamins and minerals used; reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use; independent associated factors for use; views; and experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed. The response rate was 79.6% of eligible women. Two thirds of respondents (61.4%) reported using complementary and alternative medicine, excluding vitamins and minerals, during the third trimester. Respondents reported using a total of 30 different complementary and alternative medicine modalities, of which oral herbal products were the most common (38% of respondents, 40 different products). The independent associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use identified were: complementary and alternative medicine use before pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 4.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.39-7.95, Palternative medicine use by family or friends (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.61-3.47, Palternative medicines were safer than prescribed medicines (P=.006), less likely to be associated with side effects (P≤.001), and could interfere with conventional medicines (P≤.001). Despite the majority of respondents, and notably users, being uncertain about their safety and effectiveness, complementary and alternative medicine modalities and complementary and alternative medicine products are widely used during the third trimester of pregnancy in this study population. Although prior use was the most significant independent associated factor, the role of family and friends, rather than health professionals, in the decision to use complementary and alternative medicine may be of concern

Lower Growth Temperature Increases Alternative Pathway Capacity and Alternative Oxidase Protein in Tobacco 1

Science.gov (United States)

Vanlerberghe, Greg C.; McIntosh, Lee

1992-01-01

Suspension cells of NT1 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv bright yellow) have been used to study the effect of growth temperature on the CN-resistant, salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive alternative pathway of respiration. Mitochondria isolated from cells maintained at 30°C had a low capacity to oxidize succinate via the alternative pathway, whereas mitochondria isolated from cells 24 h after transfer to 18°C displayed, on average, a 5-fold increase in this capacity (from 7 to 32 nanoatoms oxygen per milligram protein per minute). This represented an increase in alternative pathway capacity from 18 to 45% of the total capacity of electron transport. This increased capacity was lost upon transfer of cells back to 30°C. A monoclonal antibody to the terminal oxidase of the alternative pathway (the alternative oxidase) from Sauromatum guttatum (T.E. Elthon, R.L. Nickels, L. McIntosh [1989] Plant Physiology 89: 1311-1317) recognized a 35-kilodalton mitochondrial protein in tobacco. There was an excellent correlation between the capacity of the alternative path in isolated tobacco mitochondria and the levels of this 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein. Cycloheximide could inhibit both the increased level of the 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein and the increased alternative pathway capacity normally seen upon transfer to 18°C. We conclude that transfer of tobacco cells to the lower temperature increases the capacity of the alternative pathway due, at least in part, to de novo synthesis of the 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein. Images Figure 3 Figure 4 PMID:16652932

Deep Sequence Analysis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Integrated Analysis of Gene Expression, Alternative Splicing, and Single Nucleotide Variations in Lung Adenocarcinomas with and without Oncogenic KRAS Mutations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalari, Krishna R.; Rossell, David; Necela, Brian M.; Asmann, Yan W.; Nair, Asha

2012-01-01

KRAS mutations are highly prevalent in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and tumors harboring these mutations tend to be aggressive and resistant to chemotherapy. We used next-generation sequencing technology to identify pathways that are specifically altered in lung tumors harboring a KRAS mutation. Paired-end RNA-sequencing of 15 primary lung adenocarcinoma tumors (8 harboring mutant KRAS and 7 with wild-type KRAS) were performed. Sequences were mapped to the human genome, and genomic features, including differentially expressed genes, alternate splicing isoforms and single nucleotide variants, were determined for tumors with and without KRAS mutation using a variety of computational methods. Network analysis was carried out on genes showing differential expression (374 genes), alternate splicing (259 genes), and SNV-related changes (65 genes) in NSCLC tumors harboring a KRAS mutation. Genes exhibiting two or more connections from the lung adenocarcinoma network were used to carry out integrated pathway analysis. The most significant signaling pathways identified through this analysis were the NFκB, ERK1/2, and AKT pathways. A 27 gene mutant KRAS-specific sub network was extracted based on gene–gene connections from the integrated network, and interrogated for druggable targets. Our results confirm previous evidence that mutant KRAS tumors exhibit activated NFκB, ERK1/2, and AKT pathways and may be preferentially sensitive to target therapeutics toward these pathways. In addition, our analysis indicates novel, previously unappreciated links between mutant KRAS and the TNFR and PPARγ signaling pathways, suggesting that targeted PPARγ antagonists and TNFR inhibitors may be useful therapeutic strategies for treatment of mutant KRAS lung tumors. Our study is the first to integrate genomic features from RNA-Seq data from NSCLC and to define a first draft genomic landscape model that is unique to tumors with oncogenic KRAS mutations.

Alternative fuels: a Brazilian outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, J.R.; Serra, G.E.

1990-01-01

This paper focuses on studies and information related to the use of alternative fuels in Brazil. The first part of this paper deals with the economics of different biomass technologies. The analysis consists of a careful costing of all operations involved. The study deals with wood, sugar cane and cassava, since these crops are exploited for commercial purposes in Brazil. Corn, although a useful raw material for producing ethanol in the United States, is not used for this purpose in Brazil. The second part deals with the industrial technologies used to convert biomass into energy. We consider several forms of energy derived from biomass and evaluate the economics of the processes. When opportune, we compare costs with those of the North American market. Market analysis and displacement of conventional energy are the subject of the third part of the paper. While the cost of each product is evaluated in most cases; in others the current market price is used. Finally, we raise the issues of institutional problems and planning and offer some conclusions on the future of biomass as an alternative energy source. The technological discussion in this paper is based on the Brazilian experience in producing ethanol and other fuels from biomass. It is possible to extrapolate the Brazilian experience to other developing countries. The observations made in this chapter are based on the conditions prevalent in the Brazilian south-central agricultural region, specifically the state of Sao Paulo. (author). 91 refs., 16 figs., 11 tabs

Alternative Investments: Valuation of Wine as a Means for Portfolio Diversification

OpenAIRE

Jurevičienė, Daiva; Jakavonytė, Agnė

2015-01-01

This article analyses wine as an alternative investment tool and its relevance for investment portfolio diversification. Advantages and disadvantages of alternatives, benefits and weakness and peculiarities of investing in wine are systemised. In addition, the article looks at statistical data analysis of fine wine market and compares wine with other investment tools. The examination is based on three investment instruments: US equities (using S&P 500 index), bonds (using US 20-Year treasury ...

Proteogenomic analysis reveals alternative splicing and translation as part of the abscisic acid response in Arabidopsis seedlings.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Fu-Yuan; Chen, Mo-Xian; Ye, Neng-Hui; Shi, Lu; Ma, Kai-Long; Yang, Jing-Fang; Cao, Yun-Ying; Zhang, Youjun; Yoshida, Takuya; Fernie, Alisdair R; Fan, Guang-Yi; Wen, Bo; Zhou, Ruo; Liu, Tie-Yuan; Fan, Tao; Gao, Bei; Zhang, Di; Hao, Ge-Fei; Xiao, Shi; Liu, Ying-Gao; Zhang, Jianhua

2017-08-01

In eukaryotes, mechanisms such as alternative splicing (AS) and alternative translation initiation (ATI) contribute to organismal protein diversity. Specifically, splicing factors play crucial roles in responses to environment and development cues; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well investigated in plants. Here, we report the parallel employment of short-read RNA sequencing, single molecule long-read sequencing and proteomic identification to unravel AS isoforms and previously unannotated proteins in response to abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Combining the data from the two sequencing methods, approximately 83.4% of intron-containing genes were alternatively spliced. Two AS types, which are referred to as alternative first exon (AFE) and alternative last exon (ALE), were more abundant than intron retention (IR); however, by contrast to AS events detected under normal conditions, differentially expressed AS isoforms were more likely to be translated. ABA extensively affects the AS pattern, indicated by the increasing number of non-conventional splicing sites. This work also identified thousands of unannotated peptides and proteins by ATI based on mass spectrometry and a virtual peptide library deduced from both strands of coding regions within the Arabidopsis genome. The results enhance our understanding of AS and alternative translation mechanisms under normal conditions, and in response to ABA treatment. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analysis of different alternatives for a reactor aimed to produce Co60. Neutronic part

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Relloso, J.M.

1990-01-01

Different alternatives are presented for a reactor aimed to produce radioisotopes with a low enrichment fuel element geometrically equal to those of low enrichment. Different alternatives are presented which essentially differ in the core's configuration, fuel management and 'meat' fuel material: U3O8, U3Si or U3Si2 in aluminium matrix. Fluxes at different irradiation positions and power full peak factors are described for each case. The main aspects to be taken into account for cobalt irradiation and the method to be followed to measure the reactor as a function of a required production are presented. (Author) [es

FEM numerical analysis of excimer laser induced modification in alternating multi-layers of amorphous and nano-crystalline silicon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conde, J.C.; Martín, E.; Stefanov, S.; Alpuim, P.; Chiussi, S.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► nc-Si:H is a material with growing importance for a large-area of nano-electronic, photovoltaic or biomedical devices. ► UV-ELA technique causes a rapid heating that provokes the H 2 desorption from the Si surface and bulk material. ► Next, diffusion of P doped nc-Si films and eventually, for high energy densities would be possible to reach the melting point. ► These multilayer structures consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) films deposited on SiO 2 . ► To optimize parameters involved in this processing, FEM numerical analysis of multilayer structures have been performed. ► The numerical results are compared with exhaustive characterization of the experimental results. - Abstract: UV excimer laser annealing (UV-ELA) is an alternative annealing process that, during the last few years, has gained enormous importance for the CMOS nano-electronic technologies, with the ability to provide films and alloys with electrical and optical properties to fit the desired device performance. The UV-ELA of amorphous (a-) and/or doped nano-crystalline (nc-) silicon films is based on the rapid (nanoseconds) formation of temperature profiles caused by laser radiation that is absorbed in the material and lead to crystallisation, diffusion in solid or even in liquid phase. To achieve the desired temperature profiles and to optimize the parameters involved in the processing of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films with the UV-ELA, a numerical analysis by finite element method (FEM) of a multilayer structure has been performed. The multilayer structures, consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) layers, deposited on a glass substrate, has also been experimentally analyzed. Temperature profiles caused by 193 nm radiation with 25 ns pulse length and energy densities ranging from 50 mJ/cm 2 to 400 mJ/cm 2 have been calculated. Numerical results allowed us to estimate the dehydrogenation

HL-LHC alternatives

CERN Document Server

Tomás, R; White, S

2014-01-01

The HL-LHC parameters assume unexplored regimes for hadron colliders in various aspects of accelerator beam dynamics and technology. This paper reviews three alternatives that could potentially improve the LHC performance: (i) the alternative filling scheme 8b+4e, (ii) the use of a 200 MHz RF system in the LHC and (iii) the use of proton cooling methods to reduce the beam emittance (at top energy and at injection). The alternatives are assessed in terms of feasibility, pros and cons, risks versus benefits and the impact on beam availability.

Analysis of air return alternatives for CRS-type open volumetric receiver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcos, Ma. Jesus; Romero, Manuel; Palero, Silvia

2004-01-01

Even though air-cooled receivers provide substantial benefits, such as low inertia and quick sun-following dispatchability, and the volumetric effect leads to designs with aperture areas similar to those used in molten salt or water/steam receivers, some concern persists regarding absorber durability, reduction of radiation losses and improvement of the air return ratio (ARR). The paper focuses on this last issue, since the ARR is a source of significant receiver losses in current designs. Today's scaled-up receivers claim values between 45 and 70% for ARR, which means, in terms of energy loss, between 5 and 15%. As a consequence of ARR and the radiation loss stemming from high working temperatures, open volumetric receivers efficiencies below 75% are reported at temperatures usable by the power block. Those values may be acceptable for a first demonstration plant, but are categorically not competitive for commercial schemes in which receiver efficiency should approach 90%. This paper discusses the impact of several geometrical properties of the absorber and air injection system used. The study was performed by CFD with the FLUENT code. The assessment considered such alternatives as modularity of the air return system (HITREC receiver concept), outer ring injection with air curtain effect or cavity aperture (with and without secondary concentrator). A detailed analysis reveals that some parts of the receiver aperture achieve an ARR above 90% at well-selected operating conditions, but average values hardly surpass 70%. Therefore, a careful design should keep in mind important variables such as the effects of receiver edge and lateral wind, as well as air injection angle

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Biodiesel

Science.gov (United States)

Biodiesel Printable Version Share this resource Send a link to Alternative Fuels Data Center : Biodiesel to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Biodiesel on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Biodiesel on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center: Biodiesel on

Alternative approach for establishing the Nacelle Transfer Function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krishna, Vinay B.; Ormel, Frank; Hansen, Kurt Schaldemose

2016-01-01

The IEC 61400-12-2:2013 is an alternative for all the power performance measurements and analysis when the requirements of the IEC 61400-12-1:2005 are not met. The methodology in the IEC 61400-12-2 standard is solely based on the nacelle anemometry instead of the more traditional methods involving...

Determination of Flood Reduction Alternatives for Climate Change Adaptation in Gyeongancheon basin

Science.gov (United States)

Han, D.; Joo, H. J.; Jung, J.; Kim, H. S.

2017-12-01

Recently, the frequency of extreme rainfall event has increased due to the climate change and the impermeable area in an urban watershed has also increased due to the rapid urbanization. Therefore, the flood risk is increasing and we ought to prepare countermeasures for flood damage reduction. For the determination of appropriate measures or alternatives, firstly, this study estimated the frequency based rainfall considering the climate change according to the each target period(reference : 1971˜2010, Target period Ⅰ : 2011˜2040, Target period Ⅱ : 2041˜2070, Target period Ⅲ : 2071˜2100). Then the future flood discharge was computed by using HEC-HMS model. We set 5 sizes of drainage pumps and detention ponds respectively as the flood reduction alternatives and the flood level in the river was obtained by each alternative through HEC-RAS model. The flood inundation map was constructed using topographical data and flood water level in the river and the economic analysis was conducted for the flood damage reduction studies using Multi Dimensional Flood Damage Analysis (MD-FDA) tool. As a result of the effectiveness analysis of the flood reduction alternatives, the flood level by drainage pump was reduced by 0.06m up to 0.44m while it was reduced by 0.01m up to 1.86m in the case of the detention pond. The flooded area was shrunk by up to 32.64% from 0.3% and inundation depth was also dropped. As a result of a comparison of the Benefit/Cost ratio estimated by the economic analysis, a detention pond E in the target period Ⅰ and the pump D in the periods Ⅱ and Ⅲ were considered as the appropriate alternatives for the flood damage reduction under the climate change. AcknowledgementsThis research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning(2017R1A2B3005695)

Risk Analyses of Charging Pump Control Improvements for Alternative RCP Seal Cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eun-Chan [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

There are two events that significantly affect the plant risk during a TLOCCW event. One is an event in which the seal assembly of a reactor coolant pump (RCP) fails due to heating stress from the loss of cooling water; the other is an event in which the operators fail to conduct alternative cooling for the RCP seal during the accident. KHNP reviewed the replacement of the RCP seal with a qualified shutdown seal in order to remove the risk due to RCP seal failure during a TLOCCW. As an optional measure, a design improvement in the alternative cooling method for the RCP seal is being considered. This analysis presents the alternative RCP seal cooling improvement and its safety effect. K2 is a nuclear power plant with a Westinghouse design, and it has a relatively high CDF during TLOCCW events because it has a different CCW system design and difficulty in preparing alternative cooling water sources. This analysis confirmed that an operator action providing cold water to the RWST as RCP seal injection water during a TLOCCW event is very important in K2. The control circuit improvement plan for the auxiliary charging pump was established in order to reduce the failure probability of this operator action. This analysis modeled the improvement as a fault tree and evaluated the resulting CDF change. The consequence demonstrated that the RCP seal injection failure probability was reduced by 89%, and the CDF decreased by 28%.

Attitude and practice of patients and doctors towards complementary and alternative medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Junaid, Rabyyan; Abaas, Mustafa; Fatima, Batool; Anis, Irma; Hussain, Mehwish

2012-08-01

To determine the attitude towards complementary and alternative medicine among the doctors and patients. The study was carried out at Civil Hospital Karachi and Liaquat National University Hospital, Karachi during April to September 2010. Two sets of questionnaires were developed separately for doctors and patients. Each set consisted of queries regarding demographic data of patients and doctors. The questionnaire for the patients contained questions reflecting the general attitude, mode of complimentary and alternative medicine usage, disease referred and the underlined reasons behind pricking the options. The questionnaires for doctors in general laid focus on the personal opinion about the practice not only for their own use, but also related to their concern towards those patients who used complimentary and alternative medicine. Predictive analysis software statistics 18 was used for statistical analysis. Of the patients, 237 (59.3%) used complimentary and alternative medicine. Herbal medicine followed by homeopathic medicine were the most commonly used therapies. Fever and cough were the most common diseases for which patients used the options. The preference was mainly based on inter-personal communications, reliance on complimentary and alternative medicine, and financial restriction. Concealing from the doctors was common in patients. Only 62 (34.4%) out of 180 doctors used complimentary and alternative medicine themselves. Refusal by other doctors was because they considered the option ineffective, obsolete and unsatisfactory. About half of the doctors forbade the patients to use such therapies, but 31% (n=73) patients ignored the doctor's advice. The use of complimentary and alternative medicine is highly prevalent in our society by patients irrespective of their social class. Preference for such therapies, on the other hand, is quite low among medical doctors as they consider allopathic medicine to be effective.

Life-cycle analysis on energy consumption and GHG emission intensities of alternative vehicle fuels in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ou, Xunmin; Yan, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Xiliang; Liu, Zhen

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We analyzed the life cycle energy intensity and GHG emissions of about 40 pathways of alternative vehicle fuels in China. ► Coal-based liquid fuel has higher life cycle energy intensities and first generation technology bio-fuel has relatively lower intensity. ► By 2020 electricity will have significantly lower GHG intensity and second generation technology bio-fuel will have near zero intensities. -- Abstract: Fossil energy consumption (FEC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensities of major alternative vehicle fuels (AVFs) in China are calculated and compared with conventional fuels by means of full life-cycle analysis. Currently most of the AVFs have not relatively obvious GHG emission reduction when compared to the gasoline pathway: (1) coal-based AVF has higher intensities in terms of both the FEC and GHG emissions; (2) electricity from the average Chinese grid has the GHG emission intensity similar to that of gasoline pathway although relatively lower FEC intensity; and (3) first generation technology bio-fuel has relatively lower GHG emission intensity and substantially lower FEC intensity. It is forecasted that by 2020 when still comparing to the gasoline pathway: (1) coal-based AVF will still have FEC and GHG emission intensities that are 1.5–1.8 and 1.8–2.5 time those of gasoline pathway, and the application of carbon capture and storage technology can reduce the GHG emission intensity of coal-based AVF; (2) electricity will have significantly lower GHG intensity; and (3) second generation technology bio-fuel will have near zero FEC and GHG intensities.

BOOST QUALITY OF ENGINEERING PROJECT SOLUTIONS THROUGH ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND COMPARING ALTERNATIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Vukčević

2008-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper the principles and applications of money-time relationships are given. Economic profitability of engineering projects, using more methodes is analised. On the bases those methodes, comparing mutually exclusive alternatives of projects was done, because of optimization of decision. The emphasized theoretical states in this paper are applicated.

An Empirical Analysis of an Alternative Configuration of the Academic Motivation Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kenneth J.; Davy, Jeanette A.; Rosenberg, Donald L.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine an alternative configuration of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), a psychometric instrument used as a measure of academic motivation in various academic environments. The analyses utilised data from a convenience sample of 2354 business students, broken into two random subsamples of 1177 cases.…

Alternative way of life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, C.

1980-01-01

The volume describes the reasons why more and more people seek alternative ways of life, the theoretical background and what alternative life means in practice as well as the sociological significance and history of the alternative movement. It also contains statements of persons who have 'got out' and advice on energy-saving. (HSCH) [de

Alternative gravity theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francaviglia, M.

1990-01-01

Although general relativity is a well-established discipline the theory deserves efforts aimed at producing alternative or more general frameworks for investigating the classical properties of gravity. These are either devoted to producing alternative viewpoints or interpretations of standard general relativity, or at constructing, discussing and proposing experimental tests for alternative descriptions of the dynamics of the gravitational field and its interaction (or unification) with external matter fields. Classical alternative theories of gravitation can roughly classified as follows; theories based on a still 4-dimensional picture, under the assumption that the dynamics of the gravitational field is more complicated than Einstein's and theories based on higher-dimensional pictures. This leads to supergravity and strings which are not included here. Theories based on higher-dimensional pictures on the assumption that space-time is replaced by a higher-dimensional manifold. Papers on these classifications are reviewed. (author)

Dimethylether. Diesel alternative for the future?; Dimethylether. Dieselalternative der Zukunft?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Werner, Martin; Wachtmeister, Georg [Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Verbrennungskraftmaschinen

2010-07-15

Due to dwindling resources, heavy price volatility and the unilateral dependency on crude oil, the demand for alternatives to diesel and gas fuels is increasing. Dimethylether (DME) seems to present a promising option. Early 2009, within the framework of a six month FVV project (keyword 'DME - Alternative Fuels', purpose No. 1005), a potential analysis of DME as a fuel was carried out at the Chair of Combustion Engines (LVK) at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM). This paper concludes important information about DME from the point of view of heavy duty engine development. (orig.)

Assessment of alternatives to correct inventory difference statistical treatment deficiencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byers, K.R.; Johnston, J.W.; Bennett, C.A.; Brouns, R.J.; Mullen, M.F.; Roberts, F.P.

1983-11-01

This document presents an analysis of alternatives to correct deficiencies in the statistical treatment of inventory differences in the NRC guidance documents and licensee practice. Pacific Northwest Laboratory's objective for this study was to assess alternatives developed by the NRC and a panel of safeguards statistical experts. Criteria were developed for the evaluation and the assessment was made considering the criteria. The results of this assessment are PNL recommendations, which are intended to provide NRC decision makers with a logical and statistically sound basis for correcting the deficiencies

Alternative loop rings

CERN Document Server

Goodaire, EG; Polcino Milies, C

1996-01-01

For the past ten years, alternative loop rings have intrigued mathematicians from a wide cross-section of modern algebra. As a consequence, the theory of alternative loop rings has grown tremendously. One of the main developments is the complete characterization of loops which have an alternative but not associative, loop ring. Furthermore, there is a very close relationship between the algebraic structures of loop rings and of group rings over 2-groups. Another major topic of research is the study of the unit loop of the integral loop ring. Here the interaction between loop rings and group ri

Analysis of Alternative Rework Strategies for Printed Wiring Assembly Manufacturing Systems

OpenAIRE

Driels, Morris; Klegka, John S.

1991-01-01

This paper presents a model for predicting the cost of test, diagnosis, and rework activities in the manufacture of printed wiring assemblies (PWA's). Rework is defined as all actions taken to correct or improve the basic assembly process. These actions may include those of inspectors and solder touchup technicians who do not add value to the PWA, but whose actions are required in order to produce acceptable yields from the manufacturing process. Two alternative rework strategies for cont...

Aiding alternatives assessment with an uncertainty-tolerant hazard scoring method.

Science.gov (United States)

Faludi, Jeremy; Hoang, Tina; Gorman, Patrick; Mulvihill, Martin

2016-11-01

This research developed a single-score system to simplify and clarify decision-making in chemical alternatives assessment, accounting for uncertainty. Today, assessing alternatives to hazardous constituent chemicals is a difficult task-rather than comparing alternatives by a single definitive score, many independent toxicological variables must be considered at once, and data gaps are rampant. Thus, most hazard assessments are only comprehensible to toxicologists, but business leaders and politicians need simple scores to make decisions. In addition, they must balance hazard against other considerations, such as product functionality, and they must be aware of the high degrees of uncertainty in chemical hazard data. This research proposes a transparent, reproducible method to translate eighteen hazard endpoints into a simple numeric score with quantified uncertainty, alongside a similar product functionality score, to aid decisions between alternative products. The scoring method uses Clean Production Action's GreenScreen as a guide, but with a different method of score aggregation. It provides finer differentiation between scores than GreenScreen's four-point scale, and it displays uncertainty quantitatively in the final score. Displaying uncertainty also illustrates which alternatives are early in product development versus well-defined commercial products. This paper tested the proposed assessment method through a case study in the building industry, assessing alternatives to spray polyurethane foam insulation containing methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). The new hazard scoring method successfully identified trade-offs between different alternatives, showing finer resolution than GreenScreen Benchmarking. Sensitivity analysis showed that different weighting schemes in hazard scores had almost no effect on alternatives ranking, compared to uncertainty from data gaps. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rethinking borders in a mobile world: An alternative model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walther, Olivier; Retaillé, Denis

2015-01-01

national borders. The second section elaborates the fundamentals of an alternative model that is not reliant, as is classical spatial analysis, on points, lines and surfaces to represent movement. The article then presents three types of limits: the confines, the threshold and the horizon, which result...

Rethinking borders in a mobile world: An alternative model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walther, Olivier; Retaillé, Denis

national borders. The second section elaborates the fundamentals of an alternative model that is not reliant, as is classical spatial analysis, on points, lines and surfaces to represent movement. The article then presents three types of limits: the confines, the threshold and the horizon, which result...

Loneliness and solitude in adolescence: A confirmatory factor analysis of alternative models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goossens, Luc; Lasgaard, Mathias; Luyckx, Koen

2009-01-01

completed by a sample of mid-adolescents (N = 534) from Grades 10 through 12 (aged 15-18 years) in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. As expected, the four-factor solution provided a better fit to the data than did alternative models that comprised just a single factor, or two and three factors. Use...

A hybrid of fuzzy FMEA-AHP to determine factors affecting alternator failure causes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Kiani Aslani

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a method to determine factors influencing alternator failure causes. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA is one of the first systematic techniques for failure analysis based on three factors including Probability (P, Severity (S and Detection (D. Traditional FMEA method considers equal weights for all three factors, however, in read-world cases; one may wish to consider various weights. The proposed study develops a mathematical model to determine optimal weights based on analytical hierarchy process technique. The implementation of the proposed study has been demonstrated for a read-world case study of alternator failure causes.

Ordering alternatives in MCDM problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Baets, B.

1994-01-01

A new approach to the study of a set of alternatives in a multi-criteria decision making problem is presented. Alternatives are described by means of fuzzy sets in the set of criteria, expressing the degrees to which they fulfill the different criteria. The concept of a fuzzy inclusion is introduced and is discussed from an axiomatic point of view. To each implication operator corresponds a fuzzy inclusion. The fuzzy inclusion corresponding to the Goedel operator is used to measure the degree to which the scores of one alternative are contained in the scores of another one. Repeating this for all couples of alternatives yields a fuzzy quasi-order relation in a set of alternatives. The cuts of this fuzzy relation are then classical quasi-order relations: they express orderings of the alternatives, allowing alternatives to be indifferent or incomparable, corresponding to different degrees of confidence

An approach to evaluating alternatives for wind power plant locations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rehman, Ateekh Ur

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Multi-criteria decision approaches are preferred for achieving multi-dimensional sustainable renewable energy goals. A more critical issue faced by the wind power industry is the selection of a location to tap prospective energy, which needs to be evaluated on multiple measures. In this paper, the aim is to assess and rank alternative wind power plant locations in Saudi Arabia. The approach presented here takes multiple criteria into consideration, such as wind speed, wind availability, site advantages, terrain details, risk and uncertainty, technology used, third party support, projected demand, types of customers, and government policies. A comparative analysis of feasible alternatives that satisfy all multi- criteria objectives is carried out. The results obtained are subjected to sensitivity analysis. Concepts such as ‘threshold values’ and ‘attribute weights’ make the approach more sensitive.

Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) Process Improvement Study

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED...analysis, cost analysis, sustainment considerations, early systems engineering analyses, threat projections, and market research. UNCLASSIFIED CAA...primarily the Equipping (EE), Sustaining (SS) and Training (TT) Program Evaluation Groups (PEGs) and Long-range Investment Requirements Analysis

Bayesian Alternation During Tactile Augmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caspar Mathias Goeke

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A large number of studies suggest that the integration of multisensory signals by humans is well described by Bayesian principles. However, there are very few reports about cue combination between a native and an augmented sense. In particular, we asked the question whether adult participants are able to integrate an augmented sensory cue with existing native sensory information. Hence for the purpose of this study we build a tactile augmentation device. Consequently, we compared different hypotheses of how untrained adult participants combine information from a native and an augmented sense. In a two-interval forced choice (2 IFC task, while subjects were blindfolded and seated on a rotating platform, our sensory augmentation device translated information on whole body yaw rotation to tactile stimulation. Three conditions were realized: tactile stimulation only (augmented condition, rotation only (native condition, and both augmented and native information (bimodal condition. Participants had to choose one out of two consecutive rotations with higher angular rotation. For the analysis, we fitted the participants’ responses with a probit model and calculated the just notable difference (JND. Then we compared several models for predicting bimodal from unimodal responses. An objective Bayesian alternation model yielded a better prediction (χred2 = 1.67 than the Bayesian integration model (χred2= 4.34. Slightly higher accuracy showed a non-Bayesian winner takes all model (χred2= 1.64, which either used only native or only augmented values per subject for prediction. However the performance of the Bayesian alternation model could be substantially improved (χred2= 1.09 utilizing subjective weights obtained by a questionnaire. As a result, the subjective Bayesian alternation model predicted bimodal performance most accurately among all tested models. These results suggest that information from augmented and existing sensory modalities in

Cost-benefit analysis of alternative LNG vapor-mitigation measures. Topical report, September 14, 1987-January 15, 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atallah, S.

1992-01-01

A generalized methodology is presented for comparing the costs and safety benefits of alternative hazard mitigation measures for a large LNG vapor release. The procedure involves the quantification of the risk to the public before and after the application of LNG vapor mitigation measures. In the study, risk was defined as the product of the annual accident frequency, estimated from a fault tree analysis, and the severity of the accident. Severity was measured in terms of the number of people who may be exposed to 2.5% or higher concentration. The ratios of the annual costs of the various mitigation measures to their safety benefits (as determined by the differences between the risk before and after mitigation measure implementation), were then used to identify the most cost-effective approaches to vapor cloud mitigation

Visual reconciliation of alternative similarity spaces in climate modeling

Science.gov (United States)

J Poco; A Dasgupta; Y Wei; William Hargrove; C.R. Schwalm; D.N. Huntzinger; R Cook; E Bertini; C.T. Silva

2015-01-01

Visual data analysis often requires grouping of data objects based on their similarity. In many application domains researchers use algorithms and techniques like clustering and multidimensional scaling to extract groupings from data. While extracting these groups using a single similarity criteria is relatively straightforward, comparing alternative criteria poses...

Chinese and Indian women's experience with alternative medications for menopause related symptoms: A qualitative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohn Mar, Saw; Malhi, Fatehpal Singh; Syed Rahim, Syed Hamid; Soe, Myint Myint

2017-09-15

To explore women's rationalization for using alternative medications, their experience and view on safety of long-term use. Two focus group discussions, involving 5 participants each for Chinese and Indian groups, were conducted separately. Participant's personal information was collected anonymously. The discussion covered 5 areas: determinants for taking medications; reason for choosing alternative medications rather than hormone replacement therapy (HRT); how these medications help them; their view on cost-effectiveness and concerns over long-term use. The discussions were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed. Chinese participants took supplements for controlling symptoms while Indian participants used herbs as a preventive measure during menopause according to their tradition. Women of both groups mentioned that they did not take HRT because of fear of side effects. Chinese group mentioned that medications remarkably improved their symptoms whereas Indian participants appreciated their herbals more for improvement in general wellbeing than for specific symptoms. All members agreed that using alternative medication was cost-effective. Both Chinese and Indian participants were quite confident in saying that long-term use will not be associated with any side effects. However, Indian group emphasized that proper preparation of herbal compound using different types of leaves, is essential in order to avoid untoward effects. Chinese and Indian women used alternative medicine in prevention and treatment of menopause-related problems even as they were avoiding HRT because of the fear of side effects. They believed that their supplements were effective, safe and cost-beneficial even with long-term use.

A Repeatable Collaboration Process for Exploring Business Process Improvement Alternatives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sol, H G; Amiyo, Mercy; Nabukenya, J.

2012-01-01

The dynamic nature of organisations has increased demand for business process agility leading to the adoption of continuous Business Process Improvement (BPI). Success of BPI projects calls for continuous process analysis and exploration of several improvement alternatives. These activities are

Productive Resources in Students' Ideas about Energy: An Alternative Analysis of Watts' Original Interview Transcripts

Science.gov (United States)

Harrer, Benedikt W.; Flood, Virginia J.; Wittmann, Michael C.

2013-01-01

For over 30 years, researchers have investigated students' ideas about energy with the intent of reforming instructional practice. In this pursuit, Watts contributed an influential study with his 1983 paper "Some alternative views of energy" ["Phys. Educ." 18, 213 (1983)]. Watts' "alternative frameworks"…

The Political Construction of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Alternatives to Incarceration.

Science.gov (United States)

Palumbo, Dennis J.; And Others

1994-01-01

This discussion of evaluations of mediation programs at seven sites and of shock incarceration and home arrest focuses on the similarities in the interpretations of alternative dispute-resolution programs to interpretations of alternatives to incarceration programs. The political construction of the two approaches, which are both designed to…

Application of wavelet and Fuorier transforms as powerful alternatives for derivative spectrophotometry in analysis of binary mixtures: A comparative study

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Said A.; Abdel-Gawad, Sherif A.

2018-02-01

Two signal processing methods, namely, Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and the second was Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) were introduced as alternatives to the classical Derivative Spectrophotometry (DS) in analysis of binary mixtures. To show the advantages of these methods, a comparative study was performed on a binary mixture of Naltrexone (NTX) and Bupropion (BUP). The methods were compared by analyzing laboratory prepared mixtures of the two drugs. By comparing performance of the three methods, it was proved that CWT and DFT methods are more efficient and advantageous in analysis of mixtures with overlapped spectra than DS. The three signal processing methods were adopted for the quantification of NTX and BUP in pure and tablet forms. The adopted methods were validated according to the ICH guideline where accuracy, precision and specificity were found to be within appropriate limits.

Small media, big network: alternative media and social movements on the internet

OpenAIRE

O'Donnell, Susan

2000-01-01

This thesis explores alternative media on the Internet by drawing on a range of theoretical literatures - particularly in the areas of the public sphere, social movements and globalisation. Parallel to this theoretical exploration, a significant body of published research is reviewed on Internet use by social movements and groups in global, national, and local contexts. From this review and analysis, an original conceptual framework for analysing alternative media on the Internet is developed...

Evaluation of alternative methods for the disposal of low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macbeth, P.; Wehmann, G.; Thamer, B.J.; Card, D.H.

1979-07-01

A comparative analysis of the most viable alternatives for disposal of solid low-level radioactive wastes is presented to aid in evaluating national waste management options. Four basic alternative methods are analyzed and compared to the present practice of shallow land burial. These include deeper burial, disposal in mined cavities, disposal in engineered structures, and disposal in the oceans. Some variations in the basic methods are also presented. Technical, socio-political, and economic factors are assigened relative importances (weights) and evaluated for the various alternatives. Based on disposal of a constant volume of waste with given nuclear characteristics, the most desirable alternatives to shallow land burial in descending order of desirability appear to be: improving present practices, deeper burial, use of acceptable abandoned mines, new mines, ocean dumping, and structural disposal concepts. It must be emphasized that the evaluations reported here are generic, and use of other weights or different values for specific sites could change the conclusions and ordering of alternatives determined in this study. Impacts and costs associated with transportation over long distances predominate over differences among alternatives, indicating the desireability of establishing regional waste disposal locations. The impacts presented are for generic comparisons among alternatives, and are not intended to be predictive of the performance of any actual waste disposal facility

Systematic profiling of alternative splicing signature reveals prognostic predictor for ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Junyong; Chen, Zuhua; Yong, Lei

2018-02-01

The majority of genes are alternatively spliced and growing evidence suggests that alternative splicing is modified in cancer and is associated with cancer progression. Systematic analysis of alternative splicing signature in ovarian cancer is lacking and greatly needed. We profiled genome-wide alternative splicing events in 408 ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV) patients in TCGA. Seven types of alternative splicing events were curated and prognostic analyses were performed with predictive models and splicing network built for OV patients. Among 48,049 mRNA splicing events in 10,582 genes, we detected 2,611 alternative splicing events in 2,036 genes which were significant associated with overall survival of OV patients. Exon skip events were the most powerful prognostic factors among the seven types. The area under the curve of the receiver-operator characteristic curve for prognostic predictor, which was built with top significant alternative splicing events, was 0.937 at 2,000 days of overall survival, indicating powerful efficiency in distinguishing patient outcome. Interestingly, splicing correlation network suggested obvious trends in the role of splicing factors in OV. In summary, we built powerful prognostic predictors for OV patients and uncovered interesting splicing networks which could be underlying mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alternate modal combination methods in response spectrum analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezler, P.; Curreri, J.R.; Wang, Y.K.; Gupta, A.K.

1990-10-01

In piping analyses using the response spectrum method Square Root of the Sum of the Squares (SRSS) with clustering between closely spaced modes is the combination procedure most commonly used to combine between the modal response components. This procedure is simple to apply and normally yields conservative estimates of the time history results. The purpose of this study is to investigate alternate methods to combine between the modal response components. These methods are mathematically based to properly account for the combination between rigid and flexible modal responses as well as closely spaced modes. The methods are those advanced by Gupta, Hadjian and Lindely-Yow to address rigid response modes and the Double Sum Combination (DSC) method and the Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC) method to account for closely spaced modes. A direct comparison between these methods as well as the SRSS procedure is made by using them to predict the response of six piping systems. The results provided by each method are compared to the corresponding time history estimates of results as well as to each other. The degree of conservatism associated with each method is characterized. 19 refs., 16 figs., 10 tabs

Catalysis for alternative energy generation

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

Summarizes recent problems in using catalysts in alternative energy generation and proposes novel solutions  Reconsiders the role of catalysis in alternative energy generation  Contributors include catalysis and alternative energy experts from across the globe

The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes in Ontario

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Wendy; Hodwitz, Kathryn; Thakkar, Niels; Martimianakis, Maria Athina (Tina); Faulkner, Dan

2016-01-01

The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO’s alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed. PMID:28344705

The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes in Ontario.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Wendy; Hodwitz, Kathryn; Thakkar, Niels; Martimianakis, Maria Athina Tina; Faulkner, Dan

2016-12-01

The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO's alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed.

The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes in Ontario

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wendy Yen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO’s alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed.

Compensated pulsed alternator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weldon, W.F.; Driga, M.D.; Woodson, H.H.

1980-01-01

This invention relates to an electromechanical energy converter with inertial energy storage. The device, a single phase, two or multi-pole alternator with stationary field coils, and a rotating armature is provided. The rotor itself may be of laminated steel for slower pulses or for faster pulses should be nonmagnetic and electrically nonconductive in order to allow rapid penetration of the field as the armature coil rotates. The armature coil comprises a plurality of power generating conductors mounted on the rotor. The alternator may also include a stationary or counterrotating compensating coil to increase the output voltage thereof and to reduce the internal impedance of the alternator at the moment of peak output. As the machine voltage rises sinusoidally, an external trigger switch is adapted to be closed at the appropriate time to create the desired output current from said alternator to an external load circuit, and as the output current passes through zero a self-commutating effect is provided to allow the switch to disconnect the generator from the external circuit

Alternative therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Aaron S; Cabot, Peter; Wallwork, Ben; Panizza, Ben

2018-03-01

The use of alternative medicine in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) continues to increase in popularity, for the most part without meeting the burden of being based on sound clinical evidence. New and emerging treatments, both natural and developed, are numerous, and it remains a challenge for otolaryngologists as well as general practitioners to keep up to date with these therapies and their efficacy. In this systematic review, we discuss a number of alternative therapies for CRS, their proposed physiologic mechanisms, and evidence supporting their use. This analysis is based on our review of the English-language literature on alternative therapies for CRS (we did not include any therapies that are already recommended by accepted professional bodies). Data collection was performed using the PubMed database (not restricted to MEDLINE due to the nature of the subject matter), the Cochrane databases, and bibliography searches. We found that while many of the alternative therapies we reviewed might have a firm basis in science, they lack any clinical evidence to support their use specifically for CRS. Some emerging therapies, such as therapeutic ultrasonography and phonophoresis, show some promise, based on a growing body of positive evidence. In addition, the use of baby shampoo, thyme honey, and bromelain additives to saline lavage in CRS are all supported by clinical evidence, as is Sinupret, an oral preparation that contains echinacea. However, higher levels of evidence gleaned from large, well-designed, prospective, randomized, controlled trials are needed before any of these therapies can be recommended.

Alternative additives; Alternative additiver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-08-15

In this project a number of industrial and agricultural waste products have been characterised and evaluated in terms of alkali-getter performance. The intended use is for biomass-fired power stations aiming at reducing corrosion or slagging related problems. The following products have been obtained, characterised and evaluated: 1) Brewery draff 2) Danish de-gassed manure 3) Paper sludge 4) Moulding sand 5) Spent bleaching earth 6) Anorthosite 7) Sand 8) Clay-sludge. Most of the above alternative additive candidates are deemed unsuitable due to insufficient chemical effect and/or expensive requirements for pre-treatment (such as drying and transportation). 3 products were selected for full-scale testing: de-gassed manure, spent bleaching earth and clay slugde. The full scale tests were undertaken at the biomass-fired power stations in Koege, Slagelse and Ensted. Spent bleaching earth (SBE) and clay sludge were the only tested additive candidates that had a proven ability to react with KCl, to thereby reduce Cl-concentrations in deposits, and reduce the deposit flux to superheater tubes. Their performance was shown to nearly as good as commercial additives. De-gassed manure, however, did not evaluate positively due to inhibiting effects of Ca in the manure. Furthermore, de-gassed manure has a high concentration of heavy metals, which imposes a financial burden with regard to proper disposal of the ash by-products. Clay-sludge is a wet clay slurring, and drying and transportation of this product entails substantial costs. Spent bleaching does not require much pre-treatment and is therefore the most promising alternative additive. On the other hand, bleaching earth contains residual plant oil which means that a range of legislation relating to waste combustion comes into play. Not least a waste combustion fee of 330 DKK/tonne. For all alternative (and commercial) additives disposal costs of the increase ash by-products represents a significant cost. This is

FEM numerical analysis of excimer laser induced modification in alternating multi-layers of amorphous and nano-crystalline silicon films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conde, J.C., E-mail: jconde@uvigo.es [Dpto. Fisica Aplicada, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain); Martin, E. [Dpto. Mecanica, Maquinas, Motores Termicos y Fluidos, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain); Stefanov, S. [Dpto. Fisica Aplicada, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain); Alpuim, P. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade do Minho, 4800-058 Guimaraes (Portugal); Chiussi, S. [Dpto. Fisica Aplicada, Universidade de Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Campus Universitario Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Spain)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer nc-Si:H is a material with growing importance for a large-area of nano-electronic, photovoltaic or biomedical devices. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer UV-ELA technique causes a rapid heating that provokes the H{sub 2} desorption from the Si surface and bulk material. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Next, diffusion of P doped nc-Si films and eventually, for high energy densities would be possible to reach the melting point. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These multilayer structures consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) films deposited on SiO{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer To optimize parameters involved in this processing, FEM numerical analysis of multilayer structures have been performed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The numerical results are compared with exhaustive characterization of the experimental results. - Abstract: UV excimer laser annealing (UV-ELA) is an alternative annealing process that, during the last few years, has gained enormous importance for the CMOS nano-electronic technologies, with the ability to provide films and alloys with electrical and optical properties to fit the desired device performance. The UV-ELA of amorphous (a-) and/or doped nano-crystalline (nc-) silicon films is based on the rapid (nanoseconds) formation of temperature profiles caused by laser radiation that is absorbed in the material and lead to crystallisation, diffusion in solid or even in liquid phase. To achieve the desired temperature profiles and to optimize the parameters involved in the processing of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) films with the UV-ELA, a numerical analysis by finite element method (FEM) of a multilayer structure has been performed. The multilayer structures, consisting of thin alternating a-Si:H(10 nm) and n-doped nc-Si:H(60 nm) layers, deposited on a glass substrate, has also been experimentally analyzed. Temperature profiles caused by 193 nm radiation with 25

Alternative policy study. Environment and energy in Europe and Central Asia 1990-2010. Energy-related environmental impacts of policy scenarios. GEO 2000 alternative policy study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Vuuren, D.P.; Bakkes, J.A.

2000-01-01

The GEO-2000 study into alternative policy options for Europe and Central Asia focuses on energy use as an important driver for environmental problems across the region. The problems analyzed are climate change, acidification, summer smog, urban air pollution and risks of reactor accidents associated with nuclear power generation. The analysis includes the effects on biodiversity and population health. It considers the question of what can be achieved by moderate measures, and whether this will be enough. Similar Geo-2000 region-specific studies on alternative policies have been compiled other world regions. This report outliners the general methodology for these reports

Alternative future analysis for assessing the potential impact of climate change on urban landscape dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chunyang; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Huang, Qingxu; Zhang, Qiaofeng; Zhang, Da

2015-11-01

Assessing the impact of climate change on urban landscape dynamics (ULD) is the foundation for adapting to climate change and maintaining urban landscape sustainability. This paper demonstrates an alternative future analysis by coupling a system dynamics (SD) and a cellular automata (CA) model. The potential impact of different climate change scenarios on ULD from 2009 to 2030 was simulated and evaluated in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan megalopolis cluster area (BTT-MCA). The results suggested that the integrated model, which combines the advantages of the SD and CA model, has the strengths of spatial quantification and flexibility. Meanwhile, the results showed that the influence of climate change would become more severe over time. In 2030, the potential urban area affected by climate change will be 343.60-1260.66 km(2) (5.55 -20.37 % of the total urban area, projected by the no-climate-change-effect scenario). Therefore, the effects of climate change should not be neglected when designing and managing urban landscape. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of electrical power alternatives for the Pacific Northwest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-09-01

This study evaluates the concept of implementation of large-scale energy conservation to reduce end-use demand for electrical energy as an alternative to the need for continued construction of new power plants to meet projected energy requirements for the Pacific Northwest. In particular, the numerical accuracy, economic feasibility, and institutional impact of a conservation-oriented scenario developed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., is assessed, relative to the energy forecast prepared by the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Commission. The results of this study are presented in four detailed sections following an introductory and summary section: Reconstruction and Numerical Evaluation of Alternative Scenario; Economic Analysis; Institutional Impact; and Impact of New National Energy Policy.

The Problem of Privacy in Capitalism and the Alternative Social Networking Site Diaspora*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Sevignani

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, l examine the alternative social networking site Diaspora* from a Marxist standpoint. The investigation focuses on privacy, and contributes to a better understanding of this issue within the context of capitalism in general. First, I describe Diaspora*’s way of production by pointing out its alternative character as part of the free software and copyleft movement. Second, dominant theories of privacy related to individual control, exclusion, and property are introduced. Third, the problem of privacy in capitalism is described wherein dominant concepts of privacy will be contextualised on behalf of a critical political economy analysis that refers to the Marxian concept of ideology critique, Marx’s differentiation between a societal sphere of production and a societal sphere of circulation, and his analysis of capitalist fetishisms. Fourth, taking into account the problem of privacy in capitalism, the alternative potential of Diaspora* is evaluated. Finally, a brief outline of a Marxist theory of privacy is proposed.

Interplay between estrogen receptor and AKT in estradiol-induced alternative splicing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat-Nakshatri, Poornima; Song, Eun-Kyung; Collins, Nikail R; Uversky, Vladimir N; Dunker, A Keith; O'Malley, Bert W; Geistlinger, Tim R; Carroll, Jason S; Brown, Myles; Nakshatri, Harikrishna

2013-06-11

Alternative splicing is critical for generating complex proteomes in response to extracellular signals. Nuclear receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and their ligands promote alternative splicing. The endogenous targets of ERα:estradiol (E2)-mediated alternative splicing and the influence of extracellular kinases that phosphorylate ERα on E2-induced splicing are unknown. MCF-7 and its anti-estrogen derivatives were used for the majority of the assays. CD44 mini gene was used to measure the effect of E2 and AKT on alternative splicing. ExonHit array analysis was performed to identify E2 and AKT-regulated endogenous alternatively spliced apoptosis-related genes. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to verify alternative splicing. ERα binding to alternatively spliced genes was verified by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Bromodeoxyuridine incorporation-ELISA and Annexin V labeling assays were done to measure cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. We identified the targets of E2-induced alternative splicing and deconstructed some of the mechanisms surrounding E2-induced splicing by combining splice array with ERα cistrome and gene expression array. E2-induced alternatively spliced genes fall into at least two subgroups: coupled to E2-regulated transcription and ERα binding to the gene without an effect on rate of transcription. Further, AKT, which phosphorylates both ERα and splicing factors, influenced ERα:E2 dependent splicing in a gene-specific manner. Genes that are alternatively spliced include FAS/CD95, FGFR2, and AXIN-1. E2 increased the expression of FGFR2 C1 isoform but reduced C3 isoform at mRNA level. E2-induced alternative splicing of FAS and FGFR2 in MCF-7 cells correlated with resistance to FAS activation-induced apoptosis and response to keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), respectively. Resistance of MCF-7 breast cancer cells to the anti-estrogen tamoxifen was associated with ER�

The role of alternative Polyadenylation in regulation of rhythmic gene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Ptitsyna, Natalia; Boughorbel, Sabri; El Anbari, Mohammed; Ptitsyn, Andrey

2017-08-04

Alternative transcription is common in eukaryotic cells and plays important role in regulation of cellular processes. Alternative polyadenylation results from ambiguous PolyA signals in 3' untranslated region (UTR) of a gene. Such alternative transcripts share the same coding part, but differ by a stretch of UTR that may contain important functional sites. The methodoogy of this study is based on mathematical modeling, analytical solution, and subsequent validation by datamining in multiple independent experimental data from previously published studies. In this study we propose a mathematical model that describes the population dynamics of alternatively polyadenylated transcripts in conjunction with rhythmic expression such as transcription oscillation driven by circadian or metabolic oscillators. Analysis of the model shows that alternative transcripts with different turnover rates acquire a phase shift if the transcript decay rate is different. Difference in decay rate is one of the consequences of alternative polyadenylation. Phase shift can reach values equal to half the period of oscillation, which makes alternative transcripts oscillate in abundance in counter-phase to each other. Since counter-phased transcripts share the coding part, the rate of translation becomes constant. We have analyzed a few data sets collected in circadian timeline for the occurrence of transcript behavior that fits the mathematical model. Alternative transcripts with different turnover rate create the effect of rectifier. This "molecular diode" moderates or completely eliminates oscillation of individual transcripts and stabilizes overall protein production rate. In our observation this phenomenon is very common in different tissues in plants, mice, and humans. The occurrence of counter-phased alternative transcripts is also tissue-specific and affects functions of multiple biological pathways. Accounting for this mechanism is important for understanding the natural and engineering

Cosmic alternatives?

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, Ruth

2009-04-01

"Cosmologists are often in error but never in doubt." This pithy characterization by the Soviet physicist Lev Landau sums up the raison d'être of Facts and Speculations in Cosmology. Authors Jayant Narlikar and Geoffrey Burbidge are proponents of a "steady state" theory of cosmology, and they argue that the cosmological community has become fixated on a "Big Bang" dogma, suppressing alternative viewpoints. This book very much does what it says on the tin: it sets out what is known in cosmology, and puts forward the authors' point of view on an alternative to the Big Bang.

SpliceSeq: a resource for analysis and visualization of RNA-Seq data on alternative splicing and its functional impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Michael C; Cleland, James; Kim, RyangGuk; Wong, Wing Chung; Weinstein, John N

2012-09-15

SpliceSeq is a resource for RNA-Seq data that provides a clear view of alternative splicing and identifies potential functional changes that result from splice variation. It displays intuitive visualizations and prioritized lists of results that highlight splicing events and their biological consequences. SpliceSeq unambiguously aligns reads to gene splice graphs, facilitating accurate analysis of large, complex transcript variants that cannot be adequately represented in other formats. SpliceSeq is freely available at http://bioinformatics.mdanderson.org/main/SpliceSeq:Overview. The application is a Java program that can be launched via a browser or installed locally. Local installation requires MySQL and Bowtie. mryan@insilico.us.com Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Well-to-wheels life-cycle analysis of alternative fuels and vehicle technologies in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Wei; Han Weijian; Chock, David; Chai Qinhu; Zhang Aling

2012-01-01

A well-to-wheels life cycle analysis on total energy consumptions and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions for alternative fuels and accompanying vehicle technologies has been carried out for the base year 2010 and projected to 2020 based on data gathered and estimates developed for China. The fuels considered include gasoline, diesel, natural gas, liquid fuels from coal conversion, methanol, bio-ethanol and biodiesel, electricity and hydrogen. Use of liquid fuels including methanol and Fischer–Tropsch derived from coal will significantly increase GHG emissions relative to use of conventional gasoline. Use of starch-based bio-ethanol will incur a substantial carbon disbenefit because of the present highly inefficient agricultural practice and plant processing in China. Electrification of vehicles via hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle technologies offers a progressively improved prospect for the reduction of energy consumption and GHG emission. However, the long-term carbon emission reduction is assured only when the needed electricity is generated by zero- or low-carbon sources, which means that carbon capture and storage is a necessity for fossil-based feedstocks. A PHEV that runs on zero- or low-carbon electricity and cellulosic ethanol may be one of the most attractive fuel-vehicle options in a carbon-constrained world. - Highlights: ► Data and estimates unique to China are used in this analysis. ► Use of starch-based bio-ethanol will incur a substantial carbon disbenefit in China. ► Use of methanol derived from coal will incur even more carbon disbenefit. ► Plug-in-hybrid with cellulosic ethanol and clean electricity may be a viable option.

A framework for an alternatives assessment dashboard for evaluating chemical alternatives applied to flame retardants for electronic applications

Science.gov (United States)

The goal of alternatives assessment (AA) is to facilitate a comparison of alternatives to a chemical of concern, resulting in the identification of safer alternatives. A two-stage methodology for comparing chemical alternatives was developed. In the first stage, alternatives are ...

Generalization of the disruptive effects of alternative stimuli when combined with target stimuli in extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Podlesnik, Christopher A; Miranda-Dukoski, Ludmila; Jonas Chan, C K; Bland, Vikki J; Bai, John Y H

2017-09-01

Differential-reinforcement treatments reduce target problem behavior in the short term but at the expense of making it more persistent long term. Basic and translational research based on behavioral momentum theory suggests that combining features of stimuli governing an alternative response with the stimuli governing target responding could make target responding less persistent. However, changes to the alternative stimulus context when combining alternative and target stimuli could diminish the effectiveness of the alternative stimulus in reducing target responding. In an animal model with pigeons, the present study reinforced responding in the presence of target and alternative stimuli. When combining the alternative and target stimuli during extinction, we altered the alternative stimulus through changes in line orientation. We found that (1) combining alternative and target stimuli in extinction more effectively decreased target responding than presenting the target stimulus on its own; (2) combining these stimuli was more effective in decreasing target responding trained with lower reinforcement rates; and (3) changing the alternative stimulus reduced its effectiveness when it was combined with the target stimulus. Therefore, changing alternative stimuli (e.g., therapist, clinical setting) during behavioral treatments that combine alternative and target stimuli could reduce the effectiveness of those treatments in disrupting problem behavior. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Improvement of national legislation in alternative resolution of legal disputes area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ярослав Павлович Любченко

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Problem setting. Current legislation does not adequately regulate using of alternative dispute resolution. The article emphasizes the need for amending existing legislation to ensure its compliance with international standards, its obligations in connection with the signing of the Association Agreement and ensure efficient use of alternative dispute resolution (hereinafter - ADR party relations. Recent research and publications analysis. Problems of alternative dispute resolution were viewed in their works viewed N. Bondarenko-Zelinska, Y. Pritika, O. Spectr, A. Shypilova, V. Yakovleva and others. Paper objective The article goal is to analyze the proposals of the Constitutional Commission in the field of justice, as well as analysis of bills related to ADR, research of problems of legal regulation, which will help optimize procedures and improve the law in general. The paper main body. Realization of economic, political, governmental, legal and other reforms in society lead to a significant strengthening of social and legal tensions, the emergence of a large number of conflicts in the legal field. Traditionally, parties use courts that are organized and funded by the state in order to protect rights and legal interests. However, justice for many obvious advantages has several disadvantages: a large workload of courts, length and complexity of the proceedings, considerable legal costs not properly worked out mechanism of the principle of competition and equality. Conclusions of the research. Problems of alternative dispute resolution in domestic legal literature are mostly synthesis and theoretical. Various alternative forms, procedures, and methods are used by foreign countries, along with the traditional proceedings. They do not replace justice and do not deprive the persons right for judicial protection. Instead, give them a choice between public or non-governmental (private forms of resolving legal disputes, allowing parties to decide which

Alternate modal combination methods in response spectrum analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y.K.; Bezler, P.

1989-01-01

In piping analyses using the response spectrum method Square Root of the Sum of the Squares (SRSS) with clustering between closely spaced modes is the combination procedure most commonly used to combine between the modal response components. This procedure is simple to apply and normally yields conservative estimates of the time history results. The purpose of this study is to investigate alternate methods to combine between the modal response components. These methods are mathematically based to properly account for the combination between rigid and flexible modal responses as well as closely spaced modes. The methods are those advanced by Gupta, Hadjian and Lindley-Yow to address rigid response modes and the Double Sum Combination (DSC) method and the Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC) method to account for closely spaced modes. A direct comparison between these methods as well as the SRSS procedure is made by using them to predict the response of six piping systems. For two piping systems thirty-three earthquake records were considered to account for the impact of variations in the characteristics of the excitation. The results provided by each method are compared to the corresponding time history estimates of results as well as to each other. The degree of conservatism associated with each method is characterized. 7 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

rMATS: robust and flexible detection of differential alternative splicing from replicate RNA-Seq data.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Shihao; Park, Juw Won; Lu, Zhi-xiang; Lin, Lan; Henry, Michael D; Wu, Ying Nian; Zhou, Qing; Xing, Yi

2014-12-23

Ultra-deep RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) has become a powerful approach for genome-wide analysis of pre-mRNA alternative splicing. We previously developed multivariate analysis of transcript splicing (MATS), a statistical method for detecting differential alternative splicing between two RNA-Seq samples. Here we describe a new statistical model and computer program, replicate MATS (rMATS), designed for detection of differential alternative splicing from replicate RNA-Seq data. rMATS uses a hierarchical model to simultaneously account for sampling uncertainty in individual replicates and variability among replicates. In addition to the analysis of unpaired replicates, rMATS also includes a model specifically designed for paired replicates between sample groups. The hypothesis-testing framework of rMATS is flexible and can assess the statistical significance over any user-defined magnitude of splicing change. The performance of rMATS is evaluated by the analysis of simulated and real RNA-Seq data. rMATS outperformed two existing methods for replicate RNA-Seq data in all simulation settings, and RT-PCR yielded a high validation rate (94%) in an RNA-Seq dataset of prostate cancer cell lines. Our data also provide guiding principles for designing RNA-Seq studies of alternative splicing. We demonstrate that it is essential to incorporate biological replicates in the study design. Of note, pooling RNAs or merging RNA-Seq data from multiple replicates is not an effective approach to account for variability, and the result is particularly sensitive to outliers. The rMATS source code is freely available at rnaseq-mats.sourceforge.net/. As the popularity of RNA-Seq continues to grow, we expect rMATS will be useful for studies of alternative splicing in diverse RNA-Seq projects.

An Alternative View of Privacy on Facebook

OpenAIRE

Christian Fuchs

2011-01-01

The predominant analysis of privacy on Facebook focuses on personal information revelation. This paper is critical of this kind of research and introduces an alternative analytical framework for studying privacy on Facebook, social networking sites and web 2.0. This framework is connecting the phenomenon of online privacy to the political economy of capitalism—a focus that has thus far been rather neglected in research literature about Internet and web 2.0 privacy. Liberal privacy philosophy ...

Analysis of the dynamic response improvement of a turbocharged diesel engine driven alternating current generating set

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katrasnik, Tomaz; Medica, Vladimir; Trenc, Ferdinand

2005-01-01

Reliability of electric supply systems is among the most required necessities of modern society. Turbocharged diesel engine driven alternating current generating sets are often used to prevent electric black outs and/or as prime electric energy suppliers. It is well known that turbocharged diesel engines suffer from an inadequate response to a sudden load increase, this being a consequence of the nature of the energy exchange between the engine and the turbocharger. The dynamic response of turbocharged diesel engines could be improved by electric assisting systems, either by direct energy supply with an integrated starter-generator-booster (ISG) mounted on the engine flywheel, or by an indirect energy supply with an electrically assisted turbocharger. An experimentally verified zero dimensional computer simulation method was used for the analysis of both types of electrical assistance. The paper offers an analysis of the interaction between a turbocharged diesel engine and different electric assisting systems, as well as the requirements for the supporting electric motors that could improve the dynamic response of a diesel engine while driving an AC generating set. When performance class compliance is a concern, it is evident that an integrated starter-generator-booster outperforms an electrically assisted turbocharger for the investigated generating set. However, the electric energy consumption and frequency recovery times are smaller when an electrically assisted turbocharger is applied

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

... for Educators Search English Español Complementary and Alternative Medicine KidsHealth / For Teens / Complementary and Alternative Medicine What's ... a replacement. How Is CAM Different From Conventional Medicine? Conventional medicine is based on scientific knowledge of ...

Bisphenol A and alternatives in thermal paper receipts - a German market analysis from 2015 to 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckardt, Martin; Simat, Thomas J

2017-11-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) was commonly used as color developer for thermal paper such as cash register receipts, labels or tickets. Therefore, thermal paper was considered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as the main source of human exposure to BPA beside epoxy based food contact materials. In this study, a German market analysis on the use of BPA and alternative color developers in thermal paper receipts is provided for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017.114 (2015), 98 (2016) and 99 (2017) samples were randomly collected and analyzed by HPLC-DAD. In summary, BPA was still the most frequently found color developer (48.2% in 2015, 46.9% in 2016 and 52.5% in 2017). The most commonly used alternative was the phenol-free substance Pergafast ® 201 (34.2%, 33.7%, 40.4%). The bisphenol analogs bisphenol S (BPS; 11.4%, 9.2%, 6.1%) and D8 (6.1%, 7.1%, 1.0%) were less common. Another phenol-free substituent, a urea urethane compound (UU), was also detected (3.1% in 2016). Concentrations of color developers in thermal paper ranged from 1.4 to 32.4 mg/g (median values between 2.5 and 15.9 mg/g). Concentrations of BPA were found to be highest followed by BPS, UU, Pergafast ® 201 and D8. In addition, two pharmacologically active substances, dapsone (6.0 mg/g) and tolbutamide (5.5 mg/g), were detected in a non-marketed thermal paper, that was supposed to use ascorbic acid as initial color developer. Different release experiments of the detected color developers were performed. Sensitizers 1,2-diphenoxy-ethane, 1-phenylmethoxy-naphthalene and diphenylsulfone, used frequently in the thermal paper processes, were quantified. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Alternative approaches in thyroid surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Maurer, E; Wächter, S; Bartsch, D K

2017-08-01

In thyroid surgery multiple different cervical minimally invasive (partly endoscopically assisted) and extracervical endoscopic (partly robot-assisted) approaches have been developed in the last 20 years. The aim of all these alternative approaches to the thyroid gland is optimization of the cosmetic result. The indications for the use of alternative and conventional approaches are principally the same. Important requirements for the use of alternative methods are nevertheless a broad experience in conventional thyroid operations of the thyroid and adequate patient selection under consideration of the size of the thyroid and the underlying pathology. Contraindications for the use of alternative approaches are a large size of the thyroid gland including local symptoms, advanced carcinomas, reoperations and previous radiations of the anterior neck. The current article gives an overview of the clinically implemented alternative approaches for thyroid surgery. Of those the majority must still be considered as experimental. The alternative approaches to the thyroid gland can be divided in cervical minimally invasive, extracervical endosopic (robot-assisted) and transoral operations (natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, NOTES). Since conventional thyroid operations are standardized procedures with low complication rates, alternative approaches to the thyroid gland are considered critically in Germany. The request for a perfect cosmetic result should not overweigh patients' safety. Only a few alternative approaches (e. g. MIVAT, RAT) can yet be considered as a safe addition in experienced hands in highly selected patients.

Special Section: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM):Quiz on Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

... Special Section CAM Quiz on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Past Issues / Winter 2009 Table of Contents For ... low back pain. True False Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes: Meditation Chiropractic Use of natural products, ...

Alternative Enzymes Lead to Improvements in Sequence Coverage and PTM Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, Kyle; Rosenblatt, Michael; Urh, Marjeta; Saveliev, Sergei; Hosfield, Chris; Kobs, Gary; Ford, Michael; Jones, Richard; Amunugama, Ravi; Allen, David; Brazas, Robert

2013-01-01

The profiling of proteins using biological mass spectrometry (bottom up proteomics) most commonly requires trypsin. Trypsin is advantageous in that it produces peptides of optimal charge and size. However, for applications in which the proteins under investigation are part of a complex mixture or not isolated at high levels (i.e. low ng from an immunoprecipitation), sequence coverage is rarely complete. In addition, we have found that in several cases, like phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation, alternative proteases are required to prepare peptides suitable for MS detection. This poster will provide specific examples which demonstrate this observation. For example, the application of a combined Trypsin/ Lys-C mixture reduces the number of missed cleavages by more than 3-fold producing samples with lower CV's (for biological replicates). The mixture is also well-suited for the complete proteolysis of hydrophobic, compact proteins. The addition of chymotrypsin and elastase has been found to be useful for identifying phosphorylation sites on proteins, especially on sequences where the site of phosphorylation inhibits trypsin (i.e. proximal to K or R). Many epigenetic applications have focused on histone modifications, like lysine acetylation and arginine methylation. Alternative proteases like Asp-N, Glu-C, and chymotrypsin have been especially useful given the fact that the modified K and R residues are resistant to c-terminal cleavage by trypsin. Finally, in the case of serum profiling, the addition of the endoglycosidase, PNGase F has been found to improve sequence coverage due to the removal of N-linked glycans.

Alternative RNA splicing and cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Sali; Cheng, Chonghui

2015-01-01

Alternative splicing of pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) is a fundamental mechanism by which a gene can give rise to multiple distinct mRNA transcripts, yielding protein isoforms with different, even opposing, functions. With the recognition that alternative splicing occurs in nearly all human genes, its relationship with cancer-associated pathways has emerged as a rapidly growing field. In this review, we summarize recent findings that have implicated the critical role of alternative splicing in cancer and discuss current understandings of the mechanisms underlying dysregulated alternative splicing in cancer cells. PMID:23765697

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Natural Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Natural Gas Printable Version Share this resource Send a link to Alternative Fuels Data Center : Natural Gas to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Natural Gas on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Natural Gas on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center: Natural Gas on

An alternative methodology for the analysis of electrical resistivity data from a soil gas study

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Sara; Rosqvist, Hâkan; Svensson, Mats; Dahlin, Torleif; Leroux, Virginie

2011-08-01

The aim of this paper is to present an alternative method for the analysis of resistivity data. The methodology was developed during a study to evaluate if electrical resistivity can be used as a tool for analysing subsurface gas dynamics and gas emissions from landfills. The main assumption of this study was that variations in time of resistivity data correspond to variations in the relative amount of gas and water in the soil pores. Field measurements of electrical resistivity, static chamber gas flux and weather data were collected at a landfill in Helsingborg, Sweden. The resistivity survey arrangement consisted of nine lines each with 21 electrodes in an investigation area of 16 ×20 m. The ABEM Lund Imaging System provided vertical and horizontal resistivity profiles every second hour. The data were inverted in Res3Dinv using L1-norm-based optimization method with a standard least-squares formulation. Each horizontal soil layer was then represented as a linear interpolated raster model. Different areas underneath the gas flux measurement points were defined in the resistivity model of the uppermost soil layer, and the vertical extension of the zones could be followed at greater depths in deeper layer models. The average resistivity values of the defined areas were calculated and plotted on a time axis, to provide graphs of the variation in resistivity with time in a specific section of the ground. Residual variation of resistivity was calculated by subtracting the resistivity variations caused by the diurnal temperature variations from the measured resistivity data. The resulting residual resistivity graphs were compared with field data of soil moisture, precipitation, soil temperature and methane flux. The results of the study were qualitative, but promising indications of relationships between electrical resistivity and variations in the relative amount of gas and water in the soil pores were found. Even though more research and better data quality is

Alternative measure of multifractal content and its application in finance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grech, Dariusz

2016-01-01

An alternative method for analysis of multifractal properties of time series is provided. We propose a new kind of measure of multifractality strength which takes into account the behavior of multifractal profile of the generalized Hurst exponent h(q) for all moment orders q and is not limited only to the edge values of moment orders describing the scaling properties of smallest and largest fluctuations of a given signal in multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA). The meaning of this new measure is clarified and its performance is investigated for synthetic multifractal data and also for examples of real signals originating from stock markets. We provide also the interpretation of the alternative method following the scaling law that links together the geometric mean value of properly normalized standard q-fluctuation function F"2(q; τ) in MFDFA and the window length τ in which detrending of a signal is performed. We discuss in this context the influence of multifractal bias on the new measure, i.e., the influence of effects which give similar observed features as multiscaling properties however, are not generated by temporal multiscaling autocorrelation in data. It is shown that the proposed alternative measure is robust in some extend to nonstationarity in data. As a result one may avoid problems with interpretation of multifractal profile h(q) encountered in many real nonstationary signals investigated in the standard way.

Economic analysis of the use of coronary calcium scoring as an alternative to stress ECG in the non-invasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raman, Vivek; McWilliams, Eric T.M.; Holmberg, Stephen R.M.; Miles, Ken

2012-01-01

To conduct an economic analysis (EA) of coronary calcium scoring (CCS) using a 0 score, as alternative to stress electrocardiography (sECG) in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). A decision tree was constructed to compare four strategies for investigation of suspected CAD previously assessed in the formulation of clinical guidelines for the United Kingdom (UK) to two new strategies incorporating CCS. Sensitivity (96%; 95% CI 95.4-96.4%) and specificity (40%; 95% CI 38.7-41.4%) values for CCS were derived from a meta-analysis of 10,760 patients. Other input variables were obtained from a previous EA and average prices for hospital procedures in the UK. A threshold of pound 30,000/Quality-adjusted Life Year (QALY) was considered cost-effective. Using net monetary benefit calculations, CCS-based strategies were found to be cost-effective compared to sECG equivalents at all assessed prevalence of CAD. Using CCS prior to myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and catheter angiography (CA) was found to be cost-effective at pre-test probabilities (PTP) below 30%. Adoption of CCS as an alternative to sECG in investigating suspected stable angina in low PTP population ( 30%, proceeding to MPS or CA would be more cost-effective than performing either CCS or sECG. (orig.)

Alternative Fuels in Cement Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Morten Boberg

The substitution of alternative for fossil fuels in cement production has increased significantly in the last decade. Of these new alternative fuels, solid state fuels presently account for the largest part, and in particular, meat and bone meal, plastics and tyre derived fuels (TDF) accounted...... for the most significant alternative fuel energy contributors in the German cement industry. Solid alternative fuels are typically high in volatile content and they may differ significantly in physical and chemical properties compared to traditional solid fossil fuels. From the process point of view......, considering a modern kiln system for cement production, the use of alternative fuels mainly influences 1) kiln process stability (may accelerate build up of blockages preventing gas and/or solids flow), 2) cement clinker quality, 3) emissions, and 4) decreased production capacity. Kiln process stability...

Deterministic and stochastic analysis of alternative climate targets under differentiated cooperation regimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loulou, Richard; Labriet, Maryse; Kanudia, Amit

2009-01-01

This article analyzes the feasibility of attaining a variety of climate targets during the 21st century, under alternative cooperation regimes by groups of countries. Five climate targets of increasing severity are analyzed, following the EMF-22 experiment. Each target is attempted under two cooperation regimes, a First Best scenario where all countries fully cooperate from 2012 on, and a Second Best scenario where the World is partitioned into three groups, and each group of countries enters the cooperation at a different date, and implement emission abatement actions in a progressive manner, once in the coalition. The resulting ten combinations are simulated via the ETSAP-TIAM technology based, integrated assessment model. In addition to the 10 separate case analyses, the article proposes a probabilistic treatment of three targets under the First Best scenario, and shows that the three forcing targets may in fact be interpreted as a single target on global temperature change, while assuming that the climate sensitivity C s is uncertain. It is shown that such an interpretation is possible only if the probability distribution of C s is carefully chosen. The analysis of the results shows that the lowest forcing level is unattainable unless immediate coordinated action is undertaken by all countries, and even so only at a high global cost. The middle and the high forcing levels are feasible at affordable global costs, even under the Second Best scenario. Another original contribution of this article is to explain why certain combinations of technological choices are made by the model, and in particular why the climate target clearly supersedes the usually accepted objective of improving energy efficiency. The analysis shows that under some climate targets, it is not optimal to improve energy efficiency, but rather to take advantage of certain technologies that help to reach the climate objective, but that happen to be less energy efficient than even the technologies

Technology and alternative cancer therapies: an analysis of heterodoxy and constructivism.

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, D J

1996-12-01

Theories of the construction of technology are reviewed from the wider interdisciplinary conversation known as science and technology studies (STS) and from the growing field of the anthropology of science and technology. These theories are used to contribute to research situated at the intersection of the anthropology of alternative medicine and of medical technologies. Cases drawn from the research tradition on microbial theories of cancer are considered to show how unorthodox medical theories become embedded in technologies through choices in microscope design and treatment technologies. In turn, the technologies contribute to the heterodox standing of the researchers, their research, and their therapies.

Alternative pseudodifferential analysis with an application to modular forms

CERN Document Server

Unterberger, André

2008-01-01

This volume introduces an entirely new pseudodifferential analysis on the line, the opposition of which to the usual (Weyl-type) analysis can be said to reflect that, in representation theory, between the representations from the discrete and from the (full, non-unitary) series, or that between modular forms of the holomorphic and substitute for the usual Moyal-type brackets. This pseudodifferential analysis relies on the one-dimensional case of the recently introduced anaplectic representation and analysis, a competitor of the metaplectic representation and usual analysis. Besides researchers and graduate students interested in pseudodifferential analysis and in modular forms, the book may also appeal to analysts and physicists, for its concepts making possible the transformation of creation-annihilation operators into automorphisms, simultaneously changing the usual scalar product into an indefinite but still non-degenerate one.

49 CFR Appendix B to Part 222 - Alternative Safety Measures

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

.... 222, App. B Appendix B to Part 222—Alternative Safety Measures Introduction A public authority seeking... requirements associated with an SSM as listed in appendix A is revised or deleted, data or analysis supporting...); d. Photographic or video equipment deployed to capture images sufficient to document the violation...

An evaluation of light water breeder reactor system (LWBR) as an alternative for nuclear power generation in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauer, I.L.

1981-01-01

The LWBR system as an alternative for nuclear power generation in Brazil, was technically and economically evaluated. The LWBR system has been characterized comparatively with the Pressurized Water Reactors through technological and investment cost analysis and through the analysis of the processes and unit costs of the fuel cycle stages. The characteristics of the LWBR system in comparison to the PWR system, with respect to utilization and cumulative consumption of uranium and thorium resources, fuel cycle processes and associated costs have been determined for possible alternatives of nuclear power participation in the Brazilian hidro-thermal electricity generating system. The analysis concluded that the LWBR system does not represent an attractive alternative for nuclear power generation in Brazil and even has no potential to compete with conventional Pressurized Water Reactors. (Author) [pt

Using the baseline environmental management report (BEMR) to examine alternate program scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristofferson, K.

1995-01-01

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) released the first Baseline Environmental Management Report (BEMR) in March, 1995. The Congressionally-mandated report provides life-cycle cost estimates, tentative schedules, and projected activities necessary to complete DOE's Environmental Management Program. This ''base case'' estimate is based on current program assumptions and the most likely set of activities. However, since the future course of the Environmental Management Program depends upon a number of fundamental technical and policy choices, alternate program scenarios were developed. These alternate cases show the potential cost impacts of changing assumptions in four key areas: future land use, program funding and scheduling, technology development, and waste management configurations. Several cost and program evaluation tools were developed to support the analysis of these alternate cases. The objective of this paper is to describe the analytical tool kit developed to support the development of the 1995 Baseline Report and to discuss the application of these tools to evaluate alternate program scenarios

Use of augmentative and alternative communication strategies by family members in the intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Broyles, Lauren M; Tate, Judith A; Happ, Mary Beth

2012-03-01

Little is known about communication between patients and their family members during critical illness and mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit, including use of augmentative and alternative communication tools and strategies. To identify (1) which augmentative and alternative communication tools families use with nonspeaking intensive care patients and how they are used, and (2) what families and nurses say about communication of family members with nonspeaking intensive care patients. A qualitative secondary analysis was conducted of existing data from a clinical trial testing interventions to improve communication between nurses and intensive care patients. Narrative study data (field notes, intervention logs, nurses' interviews) from 127 critically ill adults were reviewed for evidence of family involvement with augmentative and alternative communication tools. Qualitative content analysis was applied for thematic description of family members' and nurses' accounts of patient-family communication. Family involvement with augmentative and alternative communication tools was evident in 44% of the 93 patients who completed the parent study protocol. Spouses or significant others communicated with patients most often. Main themes describing patient-family communication included (1) families being unprepared and unaware, (2) families' perceptions of communication effectiveness, (3) nurses deferring to or guiding patient-family communication, (4) patients' communication characteristics, and (5) families' experience with and interest in augmentative and alternative communication tools. Assessment by skilled bedside clinicians can reveal patients' communication potential and facilitate useful augmentative and alternative communication tools and strategies for patients and their families.

Seal design alternatives study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Sambeek, L.L.; Luo, D.D.; Lin, M.S.; Ostrowski, W.; Oyenuga, D.

1993-06-01

This report presents the results from a study of various sealing alternatives for the WIPP sealing system. Overall, the sealing system has the purpose of reducing to the extent possible the potential for fluids (either gas or liquid) from entering or leaving the repository. The sealing system is divided into three subsystems: drift and panel seals within the repository horizon, shaft seals in each of the four shafts, and borehole seals. Alternatives to the baseline configuration for the WIPP seal system design included evaluating different geometries and schedules for seal component installations and the use of different materials for seal components. Order-of-magnitude costs for the various alternatives were prepared as part of the study. Firm recommendations are not presented, but the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives are discussed. Technical information deficiencies are identified and studies are outlined which can provide required information

Prospects for alternative Fusion Fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glancy, J.

1986-01-01

The author has worked on three different magnetic confinement concepts for alternate fusion fueled reactors: tokamaks; tanden mirrors, and reversed field pinches. The focus of this article is on prospects for alternate fusion fuels as the author sees them relative to the other choices: increased numbers of coal plants, fission reactors, renewables, and D-T fusion. Discussion is limited on the consideration of alternate fusion fuels to the catalyzed deuterium-deuterium fuel cycle. Reasons for seeking an alternate energy source are cost, a more secure fuel supply, environmental impact and safety. The technical risks associated with development of fusion are examined briefly

Alternatives generation and analysis report for immobilized low-level waste interim storage architecture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burbank, D.A., Westinghouse Hanford

1996-09-01

The Immobilized Low-Level Waste Interim Storage subproject will provide storage capacity for immobilized low-level waste product sold to the U.S. Department of Energy by the privatization contractor. This report describes alternative Immobilized Low-Level Waste storage system architectures, evaluation criteria, and evaluation results to support the Immobilized Low-Level Waste storage system architecture selection decision process.

Alternative drugs of abuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutter, M E; Chenoweth, J; Albertson, T E

2014-02-01

The incidence of drug abuse with alternative agents is increasing. The term "alternative drugs of abuse" is a catch-all term for abused chemicals that do not fit into one of the classic categories of drugs of abuse. The most common age group abusing these agents range from 17 to 25 years old and are often associated with group settings. Due to their diverse pharmacological nature, legislative efforts to classify these chemicals as a schedule I drug have lagged behind the development of new alternative agents. The potential reason for abuse of these agents is their hallucinogenic, dissociative, stimulant, anti-muscarinic, or sedative properties. Some of these drugs are easily obtainable such as Datura stramonium (Jimson Weed) or Lophophora williamsii (Peyote) because they are natural plants indigenous to certain regions. The diverse pharmacology and clinical effects of these agents are so broad that they do not produce a universal constellation of signs and symptoms. Detailed physical exams are essential for identifying clues leading one to suspect an alternative drug of abuse. Testing for the presence of these agents is often limited, and even when available, the results do not return in a timely fashion. Intoxications from these agents pose unique challenges for health care providers. Physician knowledge of the physiological effects of these alternative agents and the local patterns of drug of abuse are important for the accurate diagnosis and optimal care of poisoned patients. This review summarizes the current knowledge of alternative drugs of abuse and highlights their clinical presentations.

An Analysis of Alternative Shore Activity Personnel Execution to Improve Productive Work

Science.gov (United States)

2014-06-01

Naval History and Heritage Command n.d.) 1 The Navy is also moving to align with civilian workforces, both in pay schedules and work life balance . Although...LEFT BLANK 8 III. ALTERNATIVE WORKWEEKS When considering work - life balance outcomes it is useful to delineate two dimensions of working time... life balance at non seagoing commands. The push for recognition of the Alfred P. Sloan award and their attempt to be one of the top 500 desired

Brandmodstandsbidrag for alternative isoleringsmaterialer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ernst Jan de Place

2001-01-01

Resume af rapport om alternative isoleringsmaterialers brandmodstandsbidrag, udarbejdet af Dansk Brandteknisk Institut under Energistyrelsens udviklingsprogram "Miljø- og arbejdsmiljøvenlig isolering"......Resume af rapport om alternative isoleringsmaterialers brandmodstandsbidrag, udarbejdet af Dansk Brandteknisk Institut under Energistyrelsens udviklingsprogram "Miljø- og arbejdsmiljøvenlig isolering"...

Acquisition of Voicing Alternations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerkhoff, Annemarie

"Morpho-phonological alternations are central to phonological theory, but little is known about how they are acquired. Acquiring alternations amounts to dealing with variation in a morpheme’s shape depending on its morphological context. It is generally assumed that children start with an initial

Allelic variation, alternative splicing and expression analysis of Psy1 gene in Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schult.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Rodríguez-Suárez

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The wild barley Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schult. is a valuable source of genes for increasing carotenoid content in wheat. Tritordeums, the amphiploids derived from durum or common wheat and H. chilense, systematically show higher values of yellow pigment colour and carotenoid content than durum wheat. Phytoene synthase 1 gene (Psy1 is considered a key step limiting the carotenoid biosynthesis, and the correlation of Psy1 transcripts accumulation and endosperm carotenoid content has been demonstrated in the main grass species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyze the variability of Psy1 alleles in three lines of H. chilense (H1, H7 and H16 representing the three ecotypes described in this species. Moreover, we analyze Psy1 expression in leaves and in two seed developing stages of H1 and H7, showing mRNA accumulation patterns similar to those of wheat. Finally, we identify thirty-six different transcripts forms originated by alternative splicing of the 5' UTR and/or exons 1 to 5 of Psy1 gene. Transcripts function is tested in a heterologous complementation assay, revealing that from the sixteen different predicted proteins only four types (those of 432, 370, 364 and 271 amino acids, are functional in the bacterial system. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The large number of transcripts originated by alternative splicing of Psy1, and the coexistence of functional and non functional forms, suggest a fine regulation of PSY activity in H. chilense. This work is the first analysis of H. chilense Psy1 gene and the results reported here are the bases for its potential use in carotenoid enhancement in durum wheat.

Cost-effective management alternatives for Snake River Chinook salmon: a biological-economic synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Halsing, David L; Moore, Michael R

2008-04-01

The mandate to increase endangered salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin of North America has created a complex, controversial resource-management issue. We constructed an integrated assessment model as a tool for analyzing biological-economic trade-offs in recovery of Snake River spring- and summer-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). We merged 3 frameworks: a salmon-passage model to predict migration and survival of smolts; an age-structured matrix model to predict long-term population growth rates of salmon stocks; and a cost-effectiveness analysis to determine a set of least-cost management alternatives for achieving particular population growth rates. We assessed 6 individual salmon-management measures and 76 management alternatives composed of one or more measures. To reflect uncertainty, results were derived for different assumptions of effectiveness of smolt transport around dams. Removal of an estuarine predator, the Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia), was cost-effective and generally increased long-term population growth rates regardless of transport effectiveness. Elimination of adult salmon harvest had a similar effect over a range of its cost estimates. The specific management alternatives in the cost-effective set depended on assumptions about transport effectiveness. On the basis of recent estimates of smolt transport effectiveness, alternatives that discontinued transportation or breached dams were prevalent in the cost-effective set, whereas alternatives that maximized transportation dominated if transport effectiveness was relatively high. More generally, the analysis eliminated 80-90% of management alternatives from the cost-effective set. Application of our results to salmon management is limited by data availability and model assumptions, but these limitations can help guide research that addresses critical uncertainties and information. Our results thus demonstrate that linking biology and economics through integrated models can

Methodology for the selection of alternatives to the waterfall division of hydro graphical basin, considering environmental impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha, S.H.F. da; Pires, S.H.; Rovere, E.L. La; Pereira, M.V.F.

1993-01-01

This paper presents the many stages of a new methodology propose to selection of alternatives of waterfall division of hydro graphical basin considering environmental impacts. The methodology uses the techniques of hierarchical analysis in evaluation of environmental impacts, simulation the individualized power plants in energy evaluation and multi-objective analysis in selection of better alternative of division of basin waterfall. The methodology still foresee moments and mechanisms to take into account the opinion of different social sectors. (C.M.)

Islamic Public Infrastructure Financing: An Analysis of Alternative Financing Instruments with Application in Developing Countries

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Islam, Saiful

2004-01-01

This project examines the structure of public infrastructure financing in Indonesia and examines whether financing based on Islamic principles is a feasible alternative to current financing mechanisms...

The no-project alternative analysis: An early product of the Tahoe Decision Support System

Science.gov (United States)

Halsing, David L.; Hessenflow, Mark L.; Wein, Anne

2005-01-01

We report on the development of a No-project alternative analysis (NPAA) or “business as usual” scenario with respect to a 20-year projection of 21 indicators of environmental and socioeconomic conditions in the Lake Tahoe Basin for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). Our effort was inspired by earlier work that investigated the tradeoffs between an environmental and an economic objective. The NPAA study has implications for a longer term goal of building a Tahoe Decision Support System (TDSS) to assist the TRPA and other Basin agencies in assessing the outcomes of management strategies. The NPAA assumes no major deviations from current management practices or from recent environmental or societal trends and planned Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) projects. Quantitative “scenario generation” tools were constructed to simulate site-specific land uses, various population categories, and associated vehicle miles traveled. Projections of each indicator’s attainment status were made by building visual conceptual models of the relevant natural and social processes, extrapolating trends, and using available models, research, and expert opinion. We present results of the NPAA, projected indicator status, key factors affecting the indicators, indicator functionality, and knowledge gaps. One important result is that current management practices may slow the loss or degradation of environmental qualities but not halt or reverse it. Our analysis also predicts an increase in recreation and commuting into and within the basin, primarily in private vehicles. Private vehicles, which are a critical mechanism by which the Basin population affects the surrounding environment, are a key determinant of air-quality indicators, a source of particulate matter affecting Secchi depth, a source of noise, and a factor in recreational and scenic quality, largely owing to congestion. Key uncertainties in the NPAA include climate change, EIP project effectiveness, and

Work zone simulator analysis : driver performance and acceptance of Missouri alternate lane shift configurations.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-13

The objective of this project is to evaluate MoDOTs alternate lane shift sign configuration for work zones. The single sign proposed by MoDOT provides the traveler with enough information to let them know that all lanes are available to shift arou...

Energy alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sweet, C.

1987-01-01

The designated successor to fossil fuels is nuclear fission/fusion and that turns out to be problematic. Alternative Energy Systems have great potential but political forces seem to be hampering their development and introduction. The technologies are flexible in their use and scale of operation. The learning curve will not be short but neither will it be as long and as costly as nuclear power. It is time that this is recognised and some serious rethinking takes place in what presently passes for energy policies both in the industrialised countries and in the Third World. Alternative energy systems are defined and some of them which are relevant to the United Kingdom are discussed. (author)

Usefulness of alternative integrative assessment methodologies in public decision making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erickson, L. E.; Litchfield, J. W.; Currie, J. W.; McDonald, C. L.; Adams, R. C.

1978-07-01

Many diverse social, economic, and environmental effects are associated with each of the available energy development alternatives. The assessment of the costs, risks, and benefits of these energy development options is an important function of the U. S. Department of Energy. This task is more difficult when no single alternative is better than the others in all respects. This paper compares benefit-cost and multi-attribute utility analysis as decision aids for these more difficult and more common assessment cases. PNL has developed expertise in making these assessments through its involvement since the Calvert Cliffs decision in both the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements and the development of methods to make these statements more thorough and responsive to the spirit of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). Since 1973 PNL has had continuing efforts to quantify, value, and compare all of the major factors which influence the overall impacts of energy development options. An important part of this work has been the measurement and incorporation of the relative values which community groups place on these conflicting factors. Such difficult assessment problems could be approached in many ways including the use of benefit-cost or multi-attribute utility analysis. This paper addresses the following questions: (1) Should an integrative assessment methodology be used for the overall assessment of these costs, risks, and benefits. (2) If an integrative assessment methodology is to be used, what alternative methods are available and what should be the basis for selecting a method. (3) Is it possible to use one of the available alternatives for one portion of the assessment and another for another portion of the assessment. The answers to these questions presented in this report are applicable to most public decision problems.

The alternative library

OpenAIRE

Collinson, Timothy; Williams, A.

2004-01-01

Much time and effort has been devoted to designing and developing library Web sites that are easy to navigate by both new students and experienced researchers. In a review of the Southampton Institute Library it was decided that in addition to updating the existing homepage an alternative would be offered. Drawing on theory relating to user interface design, learning styles and creative thinking, an Alternative Library navigation system was added to the more traditional library homepage. The ...

Regional LLRW [low-level radioactive waste] processing alternatives applying the DOE REGINALT systems analysis model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beers, G.H.

1987-01-01

The DOE Low-Level Waste Management Progam has developed a computer-based decision support system of models that may be used by nonprogrammers to evaluate a comprehensive approach to commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) management. REGINALT (Regional Waste Management Alternatives Analysis Model) implementation will be described as the model is applied to a hypothetical regional compact for the purpose of examining the technical and economic potential of two waste processing alternaties. Using waste from a typical regional compact, two specific regional waste processing centers will be compared for feasibility. Example 1 will assume will assume that a regional supercompaction facility is being developed for the region. Example 2 will assume that a regional facility with both supercompation and incineration is specified. Both examples will include identical disposal facilities, except that capacity may differ due to variation in volume reduction achieved. The two examples will be compared with regard to volume reduction achieved, estimated occupational exposure for the processing facilities, and life cylcle costs per generated unit waste. A base case will also illustrate current disposal practices. The results of the comparisons will be evaluated, and other steps, if necessary, for additional decision support will be identified

[Use of alternative medicine in the treatment of allergic diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Félix Berumen, José Alfredo; González Díaz, Sandra Nora; Canseco González, Carlos; Arias Cruz, Alfredo

2004-01-01

The alternative medicine and the complementary medicine are forms of treatment very spread and frequently demanded by patients with allergic diseases. According to recent studies, homeopathy, acupuncture and herbal medicine are the most commonly used types of alternative medicine. To know the frequency in the use of different types of alternative medicine for the treatment of allergic diseases in patients attended at the Centro Regional de Alergia e Immunologia Clínica of the Hospital Universitario de Monterrey, Nuevo León. A transversal, descriptive and observational study was done by the use of questionnaires applied to patients and/or patients' relatives attended in this Center. This survey included questions to focus the investigation in the use of a Iternative medicine for the treatment of any allergic disease. The data analysis was done by descriptive statistics. Four hundred one questionnaires were applied. The average age of the patients was of 14 years (range from 1 to 73 years). Fourty-seven percent (189 patients) were female and 58.2% (212 patients) were male. The diagnoses included: allergic rhinitis in 215 patients (53.6), asthma in 97 (24.2%), rhinitis and asthma in 73 (18.2) and atopic dermatitis in 16 (4%). Out of the patients 34.4% (138) had used at least one type of alternative medicine for the treatment of their allergic disease. Homeopathy was the most commonly used type of alternative medicine (78.2%), followed by the natural medicine (31.5%). Alternative medicine for the treatment of allergic diseases is frequent in patients who attend to this center. Homeopathy and the natural medicine are the most used.

Alternative fuelds in urban fleets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindsay, T.

1994-12-31

In this presentation the author addresses four main objectives. They are to: discuss programs that are driving the introduction of alternative fuels into fleet operations in urban areas around the country; define alternative fuels; quantify the present use and future projections on alternative fuel vehicles (AVFs) in the Chicago metropolitan statistical area; and discuss benefits of increased use of alternative fuels in urban areas. Factors which touch on these points include: present domestic dependence on petroleum for autos, with usage exceeding production; the large populations in urban areas which do not meet Clean Air Standards; recent legislative initiatives which give guidance and aid in the adoption of such strategies.

Alternative fuelds in urban fleets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindsay, T.

1994-01-01

In this presentation the author addresses four main objectives. They are to: discuss programs that are driving the introduction of alternative fuels into fleet operations in urban areas around the country; define alternative fuels; quantify the present use and future projections on alternative fuel vehicles (AVFs) in the Chicago metropolitan statistical area; and discuss benefits of increased use of alternative fuels in urban areas. Factors which touch on these points include: present domestic dependence on petroleum for autos, with usage exceeding production; the large populations in urban areas which do not meet Clean Air Standards; recent legislative initiatives which give guidance and aid in the adoption of such strategies

COST ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS FOR THE MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF MULTIPLE FOOD COMMODITIES

OpenAIRE

Epperson, James E.; Helmreich, D.P.; Moon, Leonard C.; Carley, Dale H.; Huang, Chung L.; Fletcher, Stanley M.

1981-01-01

The authors make cost comparisons among alternative computerized marketing systems. The systems described could encompass any number of commodities and stages of distribution involving cash and/or futures transactions.

The Case for Alternative Social Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert W. Gehl

2015-09-01

Full Text Available What are “alternative social media”? How can we distinguish alternative social media from mainstream social media? Why are social media alternatives important? How do they work? Why do people make them? What do they tell us about contemporary corporate social media and its related phenomena: surveillance, privacy, power, self-expression, and sociality? This essay answers these questions by theorizing alternative social media. The empirical data for this alternative social media theory are drawn from previous work on alternative sites such as Diaspora, rstat.us, Twister, GNU social, and the Dark Web Social Network. These cases are used to build a generalized conceptual framework. However, this article does not solely theorize from these examples, but rather seeks to contextualize and historicize alternative social media theory within larger bodies of work. In addition to generalization from examples, the theory is informed by two threads. The first thread is the work of alternative media scholars such as Nick Couldry, Chris Atton, and Clemencia Rodriguez, who have done the historical and theoretical work to define alternative media. The second thread is a synthesis of works exploring the technical side of contemporary media, coming from new fields such as software studies. The threads and empirical analyses of sites such as Diaspora, Quitter, and rstat.us are combined into a theoretical matrix that can account for the processes and technical infrastructures that comprise social media alternatives and explain why they are distinct from sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google, as well as why they are important.

Alternatives Analysis For Selecting ET 3 Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collard, L.; Hamm, L.

2012-01-01

Engineered trenches (ETs) are considered to be a cost-effective method for disposing Low Level Waste (LLW). Based on waste forecasts from waste generators, the last engineered trench in operation (ET No.2) is anticipated to close in FY14, requiring development of a new ET. Solid Waste requested that SRNL develop an assessment report that reviews four disposal options for this new ET (ET No.3) and determine which option would provide the 'best' Performance Assessment (PA) disposal limits for LLW (Appendix A). Those four options (see option footprint locations in Figure 1-1) are: (1) Disposal at grade on TRU Pads 7-13 where soil would be mounded over waste packages; (2) Excavation at a slightly modified SLIT No.13 location - near the Used Equipment Storage Area; (3) Excavation at a modified SLIT No.12 location - near the 643-26E Naval Reactor Component Disposal Area; and (4) Excavation east of TRU Pad No.26 that replaces northeast portions of four slit trench (ST) disposal units in the eastern set of STs. The assessment consisted of both quantitative and qualitative analyses. The quantitative analysis captured key aspects that were readily quantifiable and had predictable impacts on limits and doses. A simplified modeling strategy stemming from current Special Analysis (SA) practices was employed. Both inventory capacity for a specific nuclide (a quasi-inventory limit) and overall performance for specified inventory mixtures (doses resulting from historical inventories) were considered. The qualitative analysis evaluated other key aspects based on engineering judgment in the form of pros and cons.

Supporting Alternative Strategies for Learning Chemical Applications of Group Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Southam, Daniel C.; Lewis, Jennifer E.

2013-01-01

A group theory course for chemists was taught entirely with process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) to facilitate alternative strategies for learning. Students completed a test of one aspect of visuospatial aptitude to determine their individual approaches to solving spatial tasks, and were sorted into groups for analysis on the basis of…

MODEL OF INTEGRATED VALUE OF PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Наталія Ігорівна БОРИСОВА

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Development of alternative energy sources requires the implementation of complex problems, the solution of which is necessary to apply the project approach. The uniqueness of alternative energy projects (AEP necessitates individual approach to evaluating the effectiveness of each. The paper contains the results of the project management features's analysis in the field of alternative energy, determining the values and developing of the value management integrated conceptual model of AEP. In assessing the effectiveness of AEP considered the socio-economic and commercial aspects. Value management integrated conceptual model of AEP was obtained by combining the classical model of the project management goals with the project values model "Five "E" and two "A". The classical model of the project management goals have been complemented with risk parameters.

Alternative fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penn, W.J.

1979-05-01

Uranium resource utilization and economic considerations provide incentives to study alternative fuel cycles as future options to the PHWR natural uranium cycle. Preliminary studies to define the most favourable alternatives and their possible introduction dates are discussed. The important and uncertain components which influence option selection are reviewed, including nuclear capacity growth, uranium availability and demand, economic potential, and required technological developments. Finally, a summary of Ontario Hydro's program to further assess cycle selection and define development needs is given. (auth)

Anvendelse af alternative isoleringsmaterialer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ernst Jan de Place

2003-01-01

Resume af By og Byg Anvisning 207 om anvendelse af alternative isoleringsmaterialer, udarbejdet af Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut under udviklingsprogrammet "Miljø- og arbejdsmiljøvenlig isolering"......Resume af By og Byg Anvisning 207 om anvendelse af alternative isoleringsmaterialer, udarbejdet af Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut under udviklingsprogrammet "Miljø- og arbejdsmiljøvenlig isolering"...

Verb aspect, alternations and quantification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetla Koeva

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Verb aspect, alternations and quantification In this paper we are briefly discuss the nature of Bulgarian verb aspect and argue that the verb aspect pairs are different lexical units with different (although related meaning, different argument structure (reflecting categories, explicitness and referential status of arguments and different sets of semantic and syntactic alternations. The verb prefixes resulting in perfective verbs derivation in some cases can be interpreted as lexical quantifiers as well. Thus the Bulgarian verb aspect is related (in different way both with the potential for the generation of alternations and with the prefixal lexical quantification. It is shown that the scope of the lexical quantification by means of verbal prefixes is the quantified verb phrase and the scope remains constant in all derived alternations. The paper concerns the basic issues of these complex problems, while the detailed description of the conditions satisfying particular alternation or particular lexical quantification are subject of a more detailed study.

Thermodynamic comparison and efficiency enhancement mechanism of coal to alternative fuel systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Xiaozhou; Li, Sheng; Gao, Lin; Jin, Hongguang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Energy and exergy analysis are presented to three coal-to-alternative-fuels systems. • Internal reasons for performance differences for different systems are disclosed. • The temperature and heat release of synthesis reactions are key to plant efficiency. • The distillation unit and purge gas recovery are important to efficiency enhancement. - Abstract: Coal to alternative fuels is an important path to enforce energy security and to provide clean energy. In this paper, we use exergy analysis and energy utilization diagram (EUD) methods to disclose the internal reasons for performance differences in typical coal to alternative fuel processes. ASPEN plus software is used to simulate the coal-based energy systems, and the simulation results are verified with engineering data. Results show that coal to substitute natural gas (SNG) process has a higher exergy efficiency of 56.56%, while the exergy efficiency of traditional coal to methanol process is 48.65%. It is indicated that three key factors impact the performance enhancement of coal to alternative fuel process: (1) whether the fuel is distillated, (2) the synthesis temperature and the amount of heat release from reactions, and (3) whether the chemical purge gases from synthesis and distillation units are recovered. Distillation unit is not recommended and synthesis at high temperature and with large heat release is preferable for coal to alternative fuel systems. Gasification is identified as the main source of exergy destruction, and thereby how to decrease its destruction is the key direction of plant efficiency improvement in the future. Also, decreasing the power consumption in air separation unit by seeking for advanced technologies, i.e. membrane, or using another kind of oxidant is another direction to improve plant performance.

Exploiting science? A systematic analysis of complementary and alternative medicine clinic websites' marketing of stem cell therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch, Blake; Zarzeczny, Amy; Caulfield, Timothy

2018-02-28

To identify the frequency and qualitative characteristics of stem cell-related marketing claims made on websites of clinics featuring common types of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners. The involvement of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners in the marketing of stem cell therapies and stem cell-related interventions is understudied. This research explores the extent to which they are involved and collaborate with medical professionals. This knowledge will help with identifying and evaluating potential policy responses to this growing market. Systematic website analysis. Global. US and English-language bias due to methodology. Representations made on clinic websites in relation to practitioner types, stem cell therapies and their targets, stem cell-related interventions. Statements about stem cell therapies relating to evidence of inefficacy, limited evidence of efficacy, general procedural risks, risks specific to the mode of therapy, regulatory status, experimental or unproven nature of therapy. Use of hype language (eg, language that exaggerates potential benefits). 243 websites offered stem cell therapies. Many websites advertised stem cell transplantation from multiple sources, such as adipose-derived (112), bone marrow-derived (100), blood-derived (28), umbilical cord-derived (26) and others. Plant stem cell-based treatments and products (20) were also advertised. Purposes for and targets of treatment included pain, physical injury, a wide range of diseases and illnesses, cosmetic concerns, non-cosmetic ageing, sexual enhancement and others. Medical doctors (130), chiropractors (53) and naturopaths (44) commonly work in the clinics we found to be offering stem cell therapies. Few clinic websites advertising stem cell therapies included important additional information, including statements about evidence of inefficacy (present on only 12.76% of websites), statements about limited evidence of efficacy (18.93%), statements of

The comparison of alternatives for nuclear spent fuel management using multi-attribute utility function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, J. W.; Kang, C. S.

1999-01-01

It is necessary to find a solution immediately to nuclear spent fuel management that is temporarily stored in on-site spent fuel storage before the saturation of the storage. However the choice of alternative for nuclear spent fuel management consists of complex process that are affected by economic, technical and social factors. And it is not easy to quantify these factors; public opinion, probability of diplomatic problem and contribution to development of nuclear technology. Therefore the analysis of the affecting factors and assessment of alternatives are required. This study performed the comparison of the alternatives for nuclear spent fuel management using MAU (Multi-Attribute Utility Function) and AHP(Analytic Hierarchy Process)

Making sense of "alternative", "complementary", "unconventional" and "integrative" medicine: exploring the terms and meanings through a textual analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Jeremy Y; Boon, Heather S; Thompson, Alison K; Whitehead, Cynthia R

2016-05-20

Medical pluralism has flourished throughout the Western world in spite of efforts to legitimize Western biomedical healthcare as "conventional medicine" and thereby relegate all non-physician-related forms of healthcare to an "other" category. These "other" practitioners have been referred to as "unconventional", "alternative" and "complementary", among other terms throughout the past half century. This study investigates the discourses surrounding the changes in the terms, and their meanings, used to describe unconventional medicine in North America. Terms identified by the literature as synonymous to unconventional medicine were searched using the Scopus database. A textual analysis following the method described by Kripendorff 2013 was subsequently performed on the five most highly-cited unconventional medicine-related peer-reviewed literature published between 1970 and 2013. Five commonly-used, unconventional medicine-related terms were identified. Authors using "complementary and alternative", "complementary", "alternative", or "unconventional" tended to define them by what they are not (e.g., therapies not taught/used in conventional medicine, therapy demands not met by conventional medicine, and therapies that lack research on safety, efficacy and effectiveness). Authors defined "integrated/integrative" medicine by what it is (e.g., a new model of healthcare, the combining of both conventional and unconventional therapies, accounting for the whole person, and preventative maintenance of health). Authors who defined terms by "what is not" stressed that the purpose of conducting research in this area was solely to create knowledge. Comparatively, authors who defined terms by "what is" sought to advocate for the evidence-based combination of unconventional and conventional medicines. Both author groups used scientific rhetoric to define unconventional medical practices. This emergence of two groups of authors who used two different sets of terms to refer to the

Alternative Energy Sources

CERN Document Server

Michaelides, Efstathios E (Stathis)

2012-01-01

Alternative Energy Sources is designed to give the reader, a clear view of the role each form of alternative energy may play in supplying the energy needs of the human society in the near and intermediate future (20-50 years).   The two first chapters on energy demand and supply and environmental effects, set the tone as to why the widespread use of alternative energy is essential for the future of human society. The third chapter exposes the reader to the laws of energy conversion processes, as well as the limitations of converting one energy form to another. The sections on exergy give a succinct, quantitative background on the capability/potential of each energy source to produce power on a global scale. The fourth, fifth and sixth chapters are expositions of fission and fusion nuclear energy. The following five chapters (seventh to eleventh) include detailed descriptions of the most common renewable energy sources – wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric – and some of the less common sources...

Strategy alternatives for homeland air and cruise missile defense.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Eric M; Payne, Michael D; Vanderwoude, Glenn W

2010-10-01

Air and cruise missile defense of the U.S. homeland is characterized by a requirement to protect a large number of critical assets nonuniformly dispersed over a vast area with relatively few defensive systems. In this article, we explore strategy alternatives to make the best use of existing defense resources and suggest this approach as a means of reducing risk while mitigating the cost of developing and acquiring new systems. We frame the issue as an attacker-defender problem with simultaneous moves. First, we outline and examine the relatively simple problem of defending comparatively few locations with two surveillance systems. Second, we present our analysis and findings for a more realistic scenario that includes a representative list of U.S. critical assets. Third, we investigate sensitivity to defensive strategic choices in the more realistic scenario. As part of this investigation, we describe two complementary computational methods that, under certain circumstances, allow one to reduce large computational problems to a more manageable size. Finally, we demonstrate that strategic choices can be an important supplement to material solutions and can, in some cases, be a more cost-effective alternative. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

School Process and Teacher Job Satisfaction at Alternative Schools: A Multilevel Study Using SASS 2007-08 Data

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jiangang; Izumi, Masashi; Gao, Xingyuan

2015-01-01

This study examined the associations between public alternative schools' teacher job satisfaction and school processes. Based on a multilevel analysis of the national School and Staffing Survey 2007-08 data, we found that among the seven school processes, public alternative schools' administrative support, staff collegiality, career and working…

Mechanical Homogeneous Continuous Dynamical Systems Holor Algebra - Steady-State Alternating Velocity Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fijałkowski B.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this article, a new mathematical representation of the sinusoidal alternating velocity, force and power by means of some complex quantities, termed ‘holors’ is proposed. The word holor is a term to describe a mathematical entity that is made up of one or more independent quantities, and includes complex numbers, scalars, vectors, matrices, tensors and other hypernumbers. Holors, thus defined, have been known for centuries but each has been developed more or less independently, accompanied by separate nomenclature and theory.

Alternative Fuel for Portland Cement Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schindler, Anton K; Duke, Steve R; Burch, Thomas E; Davis, Edward W; Zee, Ralph H; Bransby, David I; Hopkins, Carla; Thompson, Rutherford L; Duan, Jingran; ; Venkatasubramanian, Vignesh; Stephen, Giles

2012-06-30

The production of cement involves a combination of numerous raw materials, strictly monitored system processes, and temperatures on the order of 1500 °C. Immense quantities of fuel are required for the production of cement. Traditionally, energy from fossil fuels was solely relied upon for the production of cement. The overarching project objective is to evaluate the use of alternative fuels to lessen the dependence on non-renewable resources to produce portland cement. The key objective of using alternative fuels is to continue to produce high-quality cement while decreasing the use of non-renewable fuels and minimizing the impact on the environment. Burn characteristics and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated with a laboratory burn simulator under conditions that mimic those in the preheater where the fuels are brought into a cement plant. A drop-tube furnace and visualization method were developed that show potential for evaluating time- and space-resolved temperature distributions for fuel solid particles and liquid droplets undergoing combustion in various combustion atmospheres. Downdraft gasification has been explored as a means to extract chemical energy from poultry litter while limiting the throughput of potentially deleterious components with regards to use in firing a cement kiln. Results have shown that the clinkering is temperature independent, at least within the controllable temperature range. Limestone also had only a slight effect on the fusion when used to coat the pellets. However, limestone addition did display some promise in regards to chlorine capture, as ash analyses showed chlorine concentrations of more than four times greater in the limestone infused ash as compared to raw poultry litter. A reliable and convenient sampling procedure was developed to estimate the combustion quality of broiler litter that is the best compromise between convenience and reliability by means of statistical analysis. Multi-day trial burns were conducted

Response of Syngonium podophyllum L. ‘White Butterfly’ shoot cultures to alternative media additives and gelling agents, and flow cytometric analysis of regenerants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JAIME A. TEIXEIRA DA SILVA

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Teixeira da Silva JA. 2015. Response of Syngonium podophyllum L. ‘White Butterfly’ shoot cultures to alternative media additives and gelling agents, and flow cytometric analysis of regenerants. Nusantara Bioscience 7: 26-32. Syngonium podophyllum L. (arrowhead vine is a popular leafy indoor pot plant whose tissue culture has been established, primarily through in vitro shoot culture, but several interesting aspects have not yet been explored. In this study, cv. ‘White Butterfly’ was used to investigate the response of shoot formation to alternative gelling agents and media additives. Gellan gum (Gelrite® at 2 g/L resulted in greater leaf production, plantlet fresh weight and higher chlorophyll content (SPAD value than all other gelling agents tested, including agar, Bacto agar, phytagel, oatmeal agar, potato dextrose agar, barley starch and corn starch, when on a basal Hyponex® (NPK = 6.5: 6: 19; 3 g/L medium. Several alternative liquid medium additives tested (low and full fat milk, Coca-Cola®, coffee, Japanese green, Oolong and Darjeeling teas negatively impacted plant growth, stunted roots and decreased chlorophyll content (SPAD value of leaves. Plant growth on medium with refined sucrose or table sugar responded similarly. Poor growth was observed when crude extract from a high rebaudioside-containing stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni line - an artificial sweetener - was used. Leaf tissue from the control did not show any endopolyploidy but low levels of endopolyploidy (8C were detected in some treatments.

Alternatives to Kronig-Kramers Transformation and Testing, and Estimation of Distributions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boukamp, Bernard A.; Ross macdonald, J.

1994-01-01

Two alternatives to Kronig-Kramers analysis of small-signal ac immittance data are discussed and illustrated using both synthetic and experimental data. The first, a derivative method of approximating imaginary-part response from real-part data, is found to be too approximate in regions where the

Salivary Creatinine Estimation as an Alternative to Serum Creatinine in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

OpenAIRE

Venkatapathy, Ramesh; Govindarajan, Vasupradha; Oza, Nirima; Parameswaran, Sreejith; Pennagaram Dhanasekaran, Balamurali; Prashad, Karthikshree V.

2014-01-01

Context. Sampling blood for serum analysis is an invasive procedure. A noninvasive alternative would be beneficial to patients and health care professionals. Aim. To correlate serum and salivary creatinine levels and evaluate the role of saliva as a noninvasive alternative to serum for creatinine estimation in chronic kidney disease patients. Study Design. Case-control study. Methods. Blood and saliva samples were collected from 37 healthy individuals and 105 chronic kidney disease patients...

Research Capabilities Directed to all Electric Engineering Teachers, from an Alternative Energy Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Víctor Hugo Ordóñez Navea

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to contemplate research capabilities directed to all electric engineering teachers from an alternative energy model intro the explanation of a semiconductor in the National Training Program in Electricity. Some authors, such as. Vidal (2016, Atencio (2014 y Camilo (2012 point out to technological applications with semiconductor electrical devices. In this way; a diagnostic phase is presented, held on this field research as a descriptive type about: a how to identify the necessities of alternative energies, and b The research competences in the alternatives energies of researcher from a solar cell model, to boost and innovate the academic praxis and technologic ingenuity. Themselves was applied a survey for a group of 15 teachers in the National Program of Formation in electricity to diagnose the deficiencies in the research area of alternatives energies. The process of data analysis was carried out through descriptive statistic. Later the conclusions are presented the need to generate strategies for stimulate and propose exploration of alternatives energies to the development of research competences directed to the teachers of electrical engineering for develop the research competences in the enforcement of the teachers exercise for the electric engineering, from an alternative energy model and boost the technologic research in the renewal energies field.

Economic analysis of the use of coronary calcium scoring as an alternative to stress ECG in the non-invasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raman, Vivek [Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Brighton (United Kingdom); Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton (United Kingdom); McWilliams, Eric T.M. [Conquest Hospital, Hastings (United Kingdom); Holmberg, Stephen R.M.; Miles, Ken [Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Brighton (United Kingdom)

2012-03-15

To conduct an economic analysis (EA) of coronary calcium scoring (CCS) using a 0 score, as alternative to stress electrocardiography (sECG) in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). A decision tree was constructed to compare four strategies for investigation of suspected CAD previously assessed in the formulation of clinical guidelines for the United Kingdom (UK) to two new strategies incorporating CCS. Sensitivity (96%; 95% CI 95.4-96.4%) and specificity (40%; 95% CI 38.7-41.4%) values for CCS were derived from a meta-analysis of 10,760 patients. Other input variables were obtained from a previous EA and average prices for hospital procedures in the UK. A threshold of pound 30,000/Quality-adjusted Life Year (QALY) was considered cost-effective. Using net monetary benefit calculations, CCS-based strategies were found to be cost-effective compared to sECG equivalents at all assessed prevalence of CAD. Using CCS prior to myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and catheter angiography (CA) was found to be cost-effective at pre-test probabilities (PTP) below 30%. Adoption of CCS as an alternative to sECG in investigating suspected stable angina in low PTP population (<30%) would be cost-effective. In patients with PTP of CAD >30%, proceeding to MPS or CA would be more cost-effective than performing either CCS or sECG. (orig.)

Standardization of Alternative Fuels. Phase 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-08-15

There are different interpretations of the term 'alternative fuels', depending on the part of the world in which the definition is used. In this report, alternative fuels mainly stand for fuels that can replace gasoline and diesel oil and at the same time contribute to lowered emissions with impact on health, environment and climate. The use of alternative vehicle fuels has increased during the last 30 years. However, the increase has developed slowly and today the use is very limited, compared to the use of conventional fuels. Although, the use in some special applications, often in rather small geographical areas, can be somewhat larger. The main interest for alternative fuels has for a long time been driven by supply security issues and the possibility to reduce emissions with a negative impact on health and environment. However, the development of reformulated gasoline and low sulphur diesel oil has contributed to substantially decreased emissions from these fuels without using any alternative fuel. This has reduced the environmental impact driving force for the introduction of alternative fuels. In line with the increased interest for climate effects and the connections between these effects and the emission of greenhouse gases, and then primarily carbon dioxide, the interest for biomass based alternative fuels has increased during the 1990s. Even though one of the driving forces for alternative fuels is small today, alternative fuels are more commonly accepted than ever before. The European Commission has for example in May 2003 agreed on a directive for the promotion of the use of bio fuels. In the directive there are goals for the coming 7 years that will increase the use of alternative fuels in Europe rather dramatically, from below 1 percent now up to almost 6 percent of the total vehicle fuel consumption in 2010. The increased use of alternative fuels in Europe and the rest of the world will create a need for a common interpretation of what we

Alternate-Fueled Combustion-Sector Emissions