Bezier-curve Navigation Guidance for Impact Time and Angle Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gun-Hee MOON

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses a novel impact time and angle control guidance law using a Bézier curve. The 2nd order Bézier curve consists of one control point and two boundary points; initial point P0, middle point P1 and end point P2. The curve is tangent to the line P0-P1 and the line P1-P2, respectively, and always exists in the convex hull of the control points. Proposed Bézier curve navigation guidance, makes the missile follow the Bézier curve with the feedback form of guidance command so that the missile hits the target on the desired time in the desired direction. We conducted numerical simulations on several terminal conditions to demonstrate the performance of proposed method.

Exploring the impact of constraints in quantum optimal control through a kinematic formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donovan, Ashley; Beltrani, Vincent; Rabitz, Herschel

2013-01-01

Highlights: • This work lays a foundation for studying constraints in quantum control simulations. • The underlying quantum control landscape in the presence of constraints is explored. • Constrained controls can encounter suboptimal traps in the landscape. • The controls are kinematic stand-ins for dynamic time-dependent controls. • A method is developed to transfer between constrained kinematic and dynamic controls. - Abstract: The control of quantum dynamics with tailored laser fields is finding growing experimental success. In practice, experiments will be subject to constraints on the controls that may prevent full optimization of the objective. A framework is presented for systematically investigating the impact of constraints in quantum optimal control simulations using a two-stage process starting with simple time-independent kinematic controls, which act as stand-ins for the traditional dynamic controls. The objective is a state-to-state transition probability, and constraints are introduced by restricting the kinematic control variables during optimization. As a second stage, the means to map from kinematic to dynamic controls is presented, thus enabling a simplified overall procedure for exploring how limited resources affect the ability to optimize the objective. A demonstration of the impact of imposing several types of kinematic constraints is investigated, thereby offering insight into constrained quantum controls

Radioactive demonstration of DWPF product control strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, M.K.; Bibler, N.E.

1994-01-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS) will vitrify high-level nuclear waste into borosilicate glass. The waste will be mixed with properly formulated glass-making frit and fed to a melter at 1150 degrees C. Process reliability and product quality are ensured by proper control of the melter feed composition. The effectiveness of the product and process control strategies that will be utilized by the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) was demonstrated during a campaign in the Shielded Cells Facility of the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC). The remotely operated process included the preparation of the melter feed, vitrification in a slurry-fed 1/100th scale melter an analysis of the glass product both for its composition an durability. The campaign processed approximately 10 kg (on a dry basis) of radioactive sludge from Tank 51. This sludge is representative of the first batch of sludge that will be sent to the DWPF for immobilization into borosilicate glass. Additions to the sludge were made based on calculations using the Product Composition Control System (PCCS). Analysis of the glass produced during the campaign showed that a durable glass was produced with a composition very close to that predicted using the PCCS. 10 refs., 4 tabs

Impact of wearing fixed orthodontic appliances on quality of life among adolescents: Case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Andréa A; Serra-Negra, Júnia M; Bendo, Cristiane B; Pordeus, Isabela A; Paiva, Saul M

2016-01-01

To investigate the impact of wearing a fixed orthodontic appliance on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among adolescents. A case-control study (1 ∶ 2) was carried out with a population-based randomized sample of 327 adolescents aged 11 to 14 years enrolled at public and private schools in the City of Brumadinho, southeast of Brazil. The case group (n  =  109) was made up of adolescents with a high negative impact on OHRQoL, and the control group (n  =  218) was made up of adolescents with a low negative impact. The outcome variable was the impact on OHRQoL measured by the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ 11-14) - Impact Short Form (ISF:16). The main independent variable was wearing fixed orthodontic appliances. Malocclusion and the type of school were identified as possible confounding variables. Bivariate and multiple conditional logistic regressions were employed in the statistical analysis. A multiple conditional logistic regression model demonstrated that adolescents wearing fixed orthodontic appliances had a 4.88-fold greater chance of presenting high negative impact on OHRQoL (95% CI: 2.93-8.13; P appliances. A bivariate conditional logistic regression demonstrated that malocclusion was significantly associated with OHRQoL (P  =  .017), whereas no statistically significant association was found between the type of school and OHRQoL (P  =  .108). Adolescents who wore fixed orthodontic appliances had a greater chance of reporting a negative impact on OHRQoL than those who did not wear such appliances.

A Comparison of Types of Robot Control for Programming by Demonstration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Kerstin; Kirstein, Franziska; Jensen, Lars Christian

2016-01-01

Programming by Demonstration (PbD) is an efficient way for non-experts to teach new skills to a robot. PbD can be carried out in different ways, for instance, by kinesthetic guidance, teleoperation or by using external controls. In this paper, we compare these three ways of controlling a robot in...

Development and demonstration program for dynamic nuclear materials control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augustson, R.H.; Baron, N.; Ford, R.F.; Ford, W.; Hagen, J.; Li, T.K.; Marshall, R.S.; Reams, V.S.; Severe, W.R.; Shirk, D.G.

1978-01-01

A significant portion of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Safeguards Program is directed toward the development and demonstration of dynamic nuclear materials control. The building chosen for the demonstration system is the new Plutonium Processing Facility in Los Alamos, which houses such operations as metal-to-oxide conversion, fuel pellet fabrication, and scrap recovery. A DYnamic MAterials Control (DYMAC) system is currently being installed in the facility as an integral part of the processing operation. DYMAC is structured around interlocking unit-process accounting areas. It relies heavily on nondestructive assay measurements made in the process line to draw dynamic material balances in near real time. In conjunction with the nondestructive assay instrumentation, process operators use interactive terminals to transmit additional accounting and process information to a dedicated computer. The computer verifies and organizes the incoming data, immediately updates the inventory records, monitors material in transit using elapsed time, and alerts the Nuclear Materials Officer in the event that material balances exceed the predetermined action limits. DYMAC is part of the United States safeguards system under control of the facility operator. Because of its advanced features, the system will present a new set of inspection conditions to the IAEA, whose response is the subject of a study being sponsored by the US-IAEA Technical Assistance Program. The central issue is how the IAEA can use the increased capabilities of such a system and still maintain independent verification

Test plan for the field evaluation and demonstration of the Contamination Control Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winberg, M.R.; Thompson, D.N.

1993-06-01

This report describes test details of a full demonstration of the Contamination Control Unit (CCU). The CCU is a mobile trailer capable of employing the use of soil fixatives, dust suppression agents, misting, and vacuum systems. These systems can perform a large number of contamination control functions to support the Office of Waste Technology Development (OTD) Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) projects, transuranic (TRU) waste retrieval operations, and emergency response for hazardous and radioactive materials incidents. The demonstration will include both performance testing at the North Holmes Laboratory Facility (NHLF) and field testing in conjunction with the Remote Excavation System Demonstration at the Cold Test Pit. The NHLF will test operational parameters using water only, and the field demonstration at the Cold Test Pit involves full scale operation of vacuum, fixant, misting, and dust suppression systems. Test objectives, detailed experimental procedures, and data quality objectives necessary to perform the field demonstration are included in this test plan

Demonstration of Intelligent Control and Fan Improvements in Computer Room Air Handlers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coles, Henry [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Greenberg, Steve [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Vita, Corinne [Vigilent, Oakland, CA (United States)

2012-11-30

This report documents a demonstration of the energy-efficiency improvement provided by a new control system for computer room air handling devices. It also analyzes measured and reported air handling device fan power associated with changing the fan type. A 135,000 square foot commercial data center was used for the demonstration. All air handling units were upgraded with improved efficiency fans, and a control system that automatically adjusts the fan speed for the air handling units was added. Power measurements were collected for a baseline and for a period with the fan speed control system active. Changing the fan type resulted in a savings of 47 percent of energy used by the air handling equipment and associated chiller plant energy needed to cool the air handlers themselves. The addition of the fan speed control resulted in an additional 37 percent savings in the same two categories. The combined savings for the two improvements for the same categories was 66 percent compared to the data center fitted with the original fans without a control system. The energy use reduction provided by the complete air handling device improvement program for the whole data center site is estimated to be 2.9 million kilowatt hours per year—an overall data center site savings of 8.0 percent. The reduced electrical energy use at the site provides a 1.9 million pound yearly reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. This demonstration showed that fan upgrades and a control system addition provide cost-effective improvements for data centers, with a payback reported to be under two years without utility incentives. In addition to the control system providing energy savings, the data collection and visual analysis capabilities provided immediate and long-term benefits. It is recommended that data center operators consider investing in fan upgrades and/or adding fan speed control for computer room air handlers.

Final Technical Report: Commercial Advanced Lighting Control (ALC) Demonstration and Deployment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnold, Gabe [Efficiency Forward, Inc. / DesignLights Consortium

2018-02-05

This three-year demonstration and deployment project sought to address market barriers to accelerating the adoption of Advanced Lighting Controls (ALCs), an underutilized technology with low market penetration. ALCs are defined as networked, addressable lighting control systems that utilize software or intelligent controllers to combine multiple energy-saving lighting control strategies in a single space (e.g., smart-time scheduling, daylight harvesting, task tuning, occupancy control, personal control, variable load-shedding, and plug-load control). The networked intelligent aspect of these systems allows applicable lighting control strategies to be combined in a single space, layered over one another, maximizing overall energy-savings. The project included five real building demonstrations of ALCs across the Northeast US region. The demonstrations provided valuable data and experience to support deployment tasks that are necessary to overcome market barriers. These deployment tasks included development of training resources for building designers, installers, and trades, as well as development of new energy efficiency rebates for the technology from Efficiency Forward’s utility partners. Educating designers, installers, and trades on ALCs is a critical task for reducing the cost of the technology that is currently inflated due to perceived complexity and unfamiliarity with how to design and install the systems. Further, utility and non-utility energy efficiency programs continue to relegate the technology to custom or ill-suited prescriptive program designs that do not effectively deploy the technology at scale. This project developed new, scalable rebate approaches for the technology. Efficiency Forward utilized their DesignLights Consortium® (DLC) brand and network of 81 DLC member utilities to develop and deploy the results of the project. The outputs of the project have included five published case studies, a six-hour ALC technology training curriculum

RM12-2703 Advanced Rooftop Unit Control Retrofit Kit Field Demonstration: Hawaii and Guam Energy Improvement Technology Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doebber, I. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dean, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dominick, J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Holland, G. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2014-03-01

As part of its overall strategy to meet its energy goals, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) partnered with U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to rapidly demonstrate and deploy cost-effective renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. This was one of several demonstrations of new and underutilized commercial energy efficiency technologies. The consistent year-round demand for air conditioning and dehumidification in Hawaii provides an advantageous demonstration location for advanced rooftop control (ARC) retrofit kits to packaged rooftop units (RTUs). This report summarizes the field demonstration of ARCs installed on nine RTUs serving a 70,000-ft² exchange store (large retail) and two RTUs, each serving small office buildings located on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH).

The heterogeneous impact of a successful tobacco control campaign: a case study of Mauritius.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Hana; Moussa, Leelmanee; Harris, Tom; Ajodhea, Rajive

2018-01-01

Mauritius has one of the highest smoking prevalences in Africa, contributing to its high burden of non-communicable diseases. Mauritius implemented a series of tobacco control measures from 2009 to 2012, including tobacco tax increases. There is evidence that these policies reduced tobacco consumption, but it is not clear what impact they had across different socioeconomic groups. The impact of tobacco control measures on different income groups was analysed by contrasting household tobacco expenditures reported in 2006-2007 and 2012 household expenditure surveys. We employed the seemingly unrelated regression model to assess the impact of tobacco use on other household expenditures and calculated Gini coefficients to assess tobacco expenditure inequality. From 2006 to 2012, excise taxes and retail cigarette prices increased by 40.6% and 15.3% in real terms, respectively. These increases were accompanied by numerous non-price tobacco control measures. The share of tobacco-consuming households declined from 35.7% to 29.3%, with the largest relative drop among low-income households. The Gini coefficient of household tobacco expenditures increased by 10.4% due to decreased spending by low-income households. Low-income households demonstrated the largest fall in their tobacco budget shares, and the impact of tobacco consumption on poverty decreased by 26.2%. Households that continued purchasing tobacco reduced their expenditures on transportation, communication, health, and education. These results suggest that tobacco control policies, including sizeable tax increases, were progressive in their impact. We conclude that tobacco use increases poverty and inequality, but stronger tobacco control policies can mitigate the impact of tobacco use on impoverishment. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Impact of Soil Conservation Measures on Erosion Control and Soil Quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-10-01

This publication summarises the lessons learnt from a FAO/IAEA coordinated research project on the impact of soil conservation measures on erosion control and soil quality over a five-year period across a wide geographic area and range of environments. It demonstrates the new trends in the use of fallout radionuclide-based techniques as powerful tools to assess the effectiveness of soil conservation measures. As a comprehensive reference material it will support IAEA Member States in the use of these techniques to identify practices that can enhance sustainable agriculture and minimize land degradation.

Advanced Grid-Friendly Controls Demonstration Project for Utility-Scale PV Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gevorgian, Vahan; O' Neill, Barbara

2016-01-21

A typical photovoltaic (PV) power plant consists of multiple power electronic inverters and can contribute to grid stability and reliability through sophisticated 'grid-friendly' controls. The availability and dissemination of actual test data showing the viability of advanced utility-scale PV controls among all industry stakeholders can leverage PV's value from being simply an energy resource to providing additional ancillary services that range from variability smoothing and frequency regulation to power quality. Strategically partnering with a selected utility and/or PV power plant operator is a key condition for a successful demonstration project. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Solar Energy Technologies Office selected the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to be a principal investigator in a two-year project with goals to (1) identify a potential partner(s), (2) develop a detailed scope of work and test plan for a field project to demonstrate the gird-friendly capabilities of utility-scale PV power plants, (3) facilitate conducting actual demonstration tests, and (4) disseminate test results among industry stakeholders via a joint NREL/DOE publication and participation in relevant technical conferences. The project implementation took place in FY 2014 and FY 2015. In FY14, NREL established collaborations with AES and First Solar Electric, LLC, to conduct demonstration testing on their utility-scale PV power plants in Puerto Rico and Texas, respectively, and developed test plans for each partner. Both Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas expressed interest in this project because of the importance of such advanced controls for the reliable operation of their power systems under high penetration levels of variable renewable generation. During FY15, testing was completed on both plants, and a large amount of test data was produced and analyzed that demonstrates the ability of

The impact of limbic system morphology on facial emotion recognition in bipolar I disorder and healthy controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bio DS

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Danielle Soares Bio,1 Márcio Gerhardt Soeiro-de-Souza,1 Maria Concepción Garcia Otaduy,2 Rodrigo Machado-Vieira,3 Ricardo Alberto Moreno11Mood Disorders Unit, 2Institute of Radiology, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 3Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch (ETPB, National Institute of Mental Health, NIMH NIH, Bethesda, MD, USAIntroduction: Impairments in facial emotion recognition (FER have been reported in bipolar disorder (BD subjects during all mood states. This study aims to investigate the impact of limbic system morphology on FER scores in BD subjects and healthy controls.Material and methods: Thirty-nine euthymic BD I (type I subjects and 40 healthy controls were subjected to a battery of FER tests and examined with 3D structural imaging of the amygdala and hippocampus.Results: The volume of these structures demonstrated a differential pattern of influence on FER scores in BD subjects and controls. In our control sample, larger left and right amygdala demonstrated to be associated to less recognition of sadness faces. In BD group, there was no impact of amygdala volume on FER but we observed a negative impact of the left hippocampus volume in the recognition of happiness while the right hippocampus volume positively impacted on the scores of happiness.Conclusion: Our results indicate that amygdala and hippocampus volumes have distinct effects on FER in BD subjects compared to controls. Knowledge of the neurobiological basis of the illness may help to provide further insights on the role of treatments and psychosocial interventions for BD. Further studies should explore how these effects of amygdala and hippocampus volumes on FER are associated with social networks and social network functioning.Keywords: bipolar disorder, social cognition, facial emotion recognition

40 CFR 450.24 - New source performance standards reflecting the best available demonstrated control technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... performance standards reflecting the best available demonstrated control technology (NSPS). Any new source... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards reflecting the best available demonstrated control technology (NSPS). 450.24 Section 450.24 Protection of...

Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stottler, Gary

2012-02-08

General Motors, LLC and energy partner Shell Hydrogen, LLC, deployed a system of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles integrated with a hydrogen fueling station infrastructure to operate under real world conditions as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Validation and Demonstration Project. This technical report documents the performance and describes the learnings from progressive generations of vehicle fuel cell system technology and multiple approaches to hydrogen generation and delivery for vehicle fueling.

Demonstration of sawtooth period control with EC waves in KSTAR plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeong J. H.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The sawtooth period control in tokamak is important issue in recent years because the sawtooth crash can trigger TM/NTM instabilities and drive plasmas unstable. The control of sawtooth period by the modification of local current profile near the q=1 surface using ECCD has been demonstrated in a number of tokamaks [1, 2] including KSTAR. As a result, developing techniques to control the sawtooth period as a way of controlling the onset of NTM has been an important area of research in recent years [3]. In 2012 KSTAR plasma campaign, the sawtooth period control is carried out by the different deposition position of EC waves across the q=1 surface. The sawtooth period is shortened by on-axis co-ECCD (destabilization, and the stabilization of the sawtooth is also observed by off-axis co-ECCD at outside q=1 surface. In 2013 KSTAR plasma campaign, the sawtooth locking experiment with periodic forcing of 170 GHz EC wave is carried out to control the sawtooth period. The optimal target position which lengthens the sawtooth period is investigated by performing a scan of EC beam deposition position nearby q=1 surface at the toroidal magnetic field of 2.9 T and plasma current of 0.7 MA. The sawtooth locking by the modulated EC beam is successfully demonstrated as in [3-5] with the scan of modulation-frequency and duty-ratio at the low beta (βN~0.5 plasma. In this paper, the sawteeth behavior by the location of EC beam and the preliminary result of the sawtooth locking experiments in KSTAR will be presented.

Design and simulation of a plant control system for a GCFR demonstration plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estrine, E.A.; Greiner, H.G.

1980-02-01

A plant control system is being designed for a 300 MW(e) Gas Cooled Fast Breeder Reactor (GCFR) demonstration plant. Control analysis is being performed as an integral part of the plant design process to ensure that control requirements are satisfied as the plant design evolves. Plant models and simulations are being developed to generate information necessary to further define control system requirements for subsequent plant design iterations

Design and Demonstration of Emergency Control Modes for Enhanced Engine Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yuan; Litt, Jonathan S.; Guo, Ten-Huei

2013-01-01

A design concept is presented for developing control modes that enhance aircraft engine performance during emergency flight scenarios. The benefits of increased engine performance to overall vehicle survivability during these situations may outweigh the accompanied elevated risk of engine failure. The objective involves building control logic that can consistently increase engine performance beyond designed maximum levels based on an allowable heightened probability of failure. This concept is applied to two previously developed control modes: an overthrust mode that increases maximum engine thrust output and a faster response mode that improves thrust response to dynamic throttle commands. This paper describes the redesign of these control modes and presents simulation results demonstrating both enhanced engine performance and robust maintenance of the desired elevated risk level.

Aversive emotional interference impacts behavior and prefronto-striatal activity during increasing attentional control.

Science.gov (United States)

Papazacharias, Apostolos; Taurisano, Paolo; Fazio, Leonardo; Gelao, Barbara; Di Giorgio, Annabella; Lo Bianco, Luciana; Quarto, Tiziana; Mancini, Marina; Porcelli, Annamaria; Romano, Raffaella; Caforio, Grazia; Todarello, Orlando; Popolizio, Teresa; Blasi, Giuseppe; Bertolino, Alessandro

2015-01-01

Earlier studies have demonstrated that emotional stimulation modulates attentional processing during goal-directed behavior and related activity of a brain network including the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the caudate nucleus. However, it is not clear how emotional interference modulates behavior and brain physiology during variation in attentional control, a relevant question for everyday life situations in which both emotional stimuli and cognitive load vary. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of negative emotions on behavior and activity in IFG and caudate nucleus during increasing levels of attentional control. Twenty two healthy subjects underwent event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a task in which neutral or fearful facial expressions were displayed before stimuli eliciting increasing levels of attentional control processing. Results indicated slower reaction time (RT) and greater right IFG activity when fearful compared with neutral facial expressions preceded the low level of attentional control. On the other hand, fearful facial expressions preceding the intermediate level of attentional control elicited faster behavioral responses and greater activity in the right and left sides of the caudate. Finally, correlation analysis indicated a relationship between behavioral correlates of attentional control after emotional interference and right IFG activity. All together, these results suggest that the impact of negative emotions on attentional processing is differentially elicited at the behavioral and physiological levels as a function of cognitive load.

Demonstration of advanced combustion NO(sub X) control techniques for a wall-fired boiler. Project performance summary, Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

None

2001-01-01

The project represents a landmark assessment of the potential of low-NO(sub x) burners, advanced overtire air, and neural-network control systems to reduce NO(sub x) emissions within the bounds of acceptable dry-bottom, wall-fired boiler performance. Such boilers were targeted under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). Testing provided valuable input to the Environmental Protection Agency ruling issued in March 1994, which set NO(sub x) emission limits for ''Group 1'' wall-fired boilers at 0.5 lb/10(sup 6) Btu to be met by January 1996. The resultant comprehensive database served to assist utilities in effectively implementing CAAA compliance. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program established to address energy and environmental concerns related to coal use. Five nationally competed solicitations sought cost-shared partnerships with industry to accelerate commercialization of the most advanced coal-based power generation and pollution control technologies. The Program, valued at over$5 billion, has leveraged federal funding twofold through the resultant partnerships encompassing utilities, technology developers, state governments, and research organizations. This project was one of 16 selected in May 1988 from 55 proposals submitted in response to the Program's second solicitation. Southern Company Services, Inc. (SCS) conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation's (FWEC) advanced overfire air (AOFA), low-NO(sub x) burners (LNB), and LNB/AOFA on wall-fired boiler NO(sub x) emissions and other combustion parameters. SCS also evaluated the effectiveness of an advanced on-line optimization system, the Generic NO(sub x) Control Intelligent System (GNOCIS). Over a six-year period, SCS carried out testing at Georgia Power Company's 500-MWe Plant Hammond Unit 4 in Coosa, Georgia. Tests proceeded in a logical sequence using rigorous statistical analyses to

Pre-Acting Control for Shock and Impact Isolation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.V. Balandin

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Pre-acting control in shock/impact isolation systems is studied. With pre-acting control, the isolation system begins to respond to an impact before this impact has been applied to the base. The limiting performance of the isolator with pre-acting control is investigated for a single-degree-of-freedom system subject to an instantaneous impact. The isolation performance index is defined as the maximum of the absolute value of the displacement of the object to be isolated relative to the base, provided that the magnitude of the control force transmitted to the object does not exceed a prescribed value. It is shown that there is a substantial advantage in the use of pre-acting isolators over isolators without pre-action. Particular attention is given to a pre-acting isolator based on a passive elastic element (a spring separating the object to be protected from the base. An example illustrates the calculation of the design parameters of such an isolator.

Demonstrative fractional order - PID controller based DC motor drive on digital platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Khubalkar, Swapnil W; Junghare, Anjali S; Aware, Mohan V; Chopade, Amit S; Das, Shantanu

2017-09-21

In industrial drives applications, fractional order controllers can exhibit phenomenal impact due to realization through digital implementation. Digital fractional order controllers have created wide scope as it possess the inherent advantages like robustness against the plant parameter variation. This paper provides brief design procedure of fractional order proportional-integral-derivative (FO-PID) controller through the indirect approach of approximation using constant phase technique. The new modified dynamic particle swarm optimization (IdPSO) technique is proposed to find controller parameters. The FO-PID controller is implemented using floating point digital signal processor. The building blocks are designed and assembled with all peripheral components for the 1.5kW industrial DC motor drive. The robust operation for parametric variation is ascertained by testing the controller with two separately excited DC motors with the same rating but different parameters. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shaping Societal Impact: between control and cooperation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Messemaker, M.; Wolbers, J.J.; Treurniet, W.; Boersma, F.K.; Comes, T; Fiedrich, F; Fortier, S; Geldermann, J; Muller, T

2013-01-01

In our modern society, the impact of large-scale safety and security incidents can be large and diverse. Yet, this societal impact is makeable and controllable to a limited extent. At best, the effect of concrete response actions is that the direct damage is somewhat reduced and that the recovery is

Impacts of Voltage Control Methods on Distribution Circuit’s Photovoltaic (PV Integration Limits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anamika Dubey

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The widespread integration of photovoltaic (PV units may result in a number of operational issues for the utility distribution system. The advances in smart-grid technologies with better communication and control capabilities may help to mitigate these challenges. The objective of this paper is to evaluate multiple voltage control methods and compare their effectiveness in mitigating the impacts of high levels of PV penetrations on distribution system voltages. A Monte Carlo based stochastic analysis framework is used to evaluate the impacts of PV integration, with and without voltage control. Both snapshot power flow and time-series analysis are conducted for the feeder with varying levels of PV penetrations. The methods are compared for their impacts on (1 the feeder’s PV hosting capacity; (2 the number of voltage violations and the magnitude of the largest bus voltage; (3 the net reactive power demand from the substation; and (4 the number of switching operations of feeder’s legacy voltage support devices i.e., capacitor banks and load tap changers (LTCs. The simulation results show that voltage control help in mitigating overvoltage concerns and increasing the feeder’s hosting capacity. Although, the legacy control solves the voltage concerns for primary feeders, a smart inverter control is required to mitigate both primary and secondary feeder voltage regulation issues. The smart inverter control, however, increases the feeder’s reactive power demand and the number of LTC and capacitor switching operations. For the 34.5-kV test circuit, it is observed that the reactive power demand increases from 0 to 6.8 MVAR on enabling Volt-VAR control for PV inverters. The total number of capacitor and LTC operations over a 1-year period also increases from 455 operations to 1991 operations with Volt-VAR control mode. It is also demonstrated that by simply changing the control mode of capacitor banks, a significant reduction in the unnecessary

Eight years of quality control in Bulgaria: impact on mammography practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Avramova-Cholakova, S; Lilkov, G; Kaneva, M; Terziev, K; Nakov, I; Mutkurov, N; Kovacheva, D; Ivanova, M; Vasilev, D

2015-07-01

The requirements for quality control (QC) in diagnostic radiology were introduced in Bulgarian legislation in 2005. Hospital medical physicists and several private medical physics groups provide QC services to radiology departments. The aim of this study was to analyse data from QC tests in mammography and to investigate the impact of QC introduction on mammography practice in the country. The study was coordinated by the National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection. All medical physics services were requested to fill in standardised forms with information about most important parameters routinely measured during QC. All QC service providers responded. Results demonstrated significant improvement of practice since the introduction of QC, with reduction of established deviations from 65 % during the first year to 7 % in the last year. The systems that do not meet the acceptability criteria were suspended from use. Performance of automatic exposure control and digital detectors are not regularly tested because of the absence of requirements in the legislation. The need of updated guidance and training of medical physicists to reflect the change in technology was demonstrated. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The impact of Chagas disease control in Latin America: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, J C P; Silveira, A C; Schofield, C J

2002-07-01

Discovered in 1909, Chagas disease was progressively shown to be widespread throughout Latin America, affecting millions of rural people with a high impact on morbidity and mortality. With no vaccine or specific treatment available for large-scale public health interventions, the main control strategy relies on prevention of transmission, principally by eliminating the domestic insect vectors and control of transmission by blood transfusion. Vector control activities began in the 1940s, initially by means of housing improvement and then through insecticide spraying following successful field trials in Brazil (Bambui Research Centre), with similar results soon reproduced in São Paulo, Argentina, Venezuela and Chile. But national control programmes only began to be implemented after the 1970s, when technical questions were overcome and the scientific demonstration of the high social impact of Chagas disease was used to encourage political determination in favour of national campaigns (mainly in Brazil). Similarly, large-scale screening of infected blood donors in Latin America only began in the 1980s following the emergence of AIDS. By the end of the last century it became clear that continuous control in contiguous endemic areas could lead to the elimination of the most highly domestic vector populations - especially Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus - as well as substantial reductions of other widespread species such as T. brasiliensis, T. sordida, and T. dimidiata, leading in turn to interruption of disease transmission to rural people. The social impact of Chagas disease control can now be readily demonstrated by the disappearance of acute cases and of new infections in younger age groups, as well as progressive reductions of mortality and morbidity rates in controlled areas. In economic terms, the cost-benefit relationship between intervention (insecticide spraying, serology in blood banks) and the reduction of Chagas disease (in terms of medical and

The impact of Chagas disease control in Latin America: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JCP Dias

2002-07-01

Full Text Available Discovered in 1909, Chagas disease was progressively shown to be widespread throughout Latin America, affecting millions of rural people with a high impact on morbidity and mortality. With no vaccine or specific treatment available for large-scale public health interventions, the main control strategy relies on prevention of transmission, principally by eliminating the domestic insect vectors and control of transmission by blood transfusion. Vector control activities began in the 1940s, initially by means of housing improvement and then through insecticide spraying following successful field trials in Brazil (Bambui Research Centre, with similar results soon reproduced in São Paulo, Argentina, Venezuela and Chile. But national control programmes only began to be implemented after the 1970s, when technical questions were overcome and the scientific demonstration of the high social impact of Chagas disease was used to encourage political determination in favour of national campaigns (mainly in Brazil. Similarly, large-scale screening of infected blood donors in Latin America only began in the 1980s following the emergence of AIDS. By the end of the last century it became clear that continuous control in contiguous endemic areas could lead to the elimination of the most highly domestic vector populations - especially Triatoma infestans and Rhodnius prolixus - as well as substantial reductions of other widespread species such as T. brasiliensis, T. sordida, and T. dimidiata, leading in turn to interruption of disease transmission to rural people. The social impact of Chagas disease control can now be readily demonstrated by the disappearance of acute cases and of new infections in younger age groups, as well as progressive reductions of mortality and morbidity rates in controlled areas. In economic terms, the cost-benefit relationship between intervention (insecticide spraying, serology in blood banks and the reduction of Chagas disease (in terms

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Kalina Geothermal Demonstration Project Steamboat Springs, Nevada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

N/A

1999-02-22

The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to provide the DOE and other public agency decision makers with the environmental documentation required to take informed discretionary action on the proposed Kalina Geothermal Demonstration project. The EA assesses the potential environmental impacts and cumulative impacts, possible ways to minimize effects associated with partial funding of the proposed project, and discusses alternatives to DOE actions. The DOE will use this EA as a basis for their decision to provide financial assistance to Exergy, Inc. (Exergy), the project applicant. Based on the analysis in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human or physical environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

Complete unconscious control: Using (in)action primes to demonstrate completely unconscious activation of inhibitory control mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Hepler, Justin; Albarracin, Dolores

2018-01-01

Although robust evidence indicates that action initiation can occur unconsciously and unintentionally, the literature on action inhibition suggests that inhibition requires both conscious thought and intentionality. In prior research demonstrating automatic inhibition in response to unconsciously processed stimuli, the unconscious stimuli had previously been consciously associated with an inhibitory response within the context of the experiment, and participants had consciously formed a goal to activate inhibition processes when presented with the stimuli (because task instructions required participants to engage in inhibition when the stimuli occurred). Therefore, prior work suggests that some amount of conscious thought and intentionality are required for inhibitory control. In the present research, we recorded event-related potentials during two go/no-go experiments in which participants were subliminally primed with general action/inaction concepts that had never been consciously associated with task-specific responses. We provide the first demonstration that inhibitory control processes can be modulated completely unconsciously and unintentionally. PMID:23747649

Computerized effluent control and evaluation of environmental impact for an industrial plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez de Angulo, L.F.; Garcia Gutierrez, M.S.

1993-01-01

Growing public interest and concern for the environment is translated at official level into regulatory standards to limit, control and evaluate the environmental impact produced by polluting facilities. This paper seeks to demonstrate the convenience of automatizing all these computerized systems. This philosophy has been put into practice to computerize processes in the industry with the most complex standards: the nuclear industry. The application used has the capacity to store and manage data on all the discharges, evaluate the effect produced by them and generate information to be sent periodically to the competent authority. The conceptual definition of the application can be adapted to any industrial or public utility facility releasing polluting effluents which must undergo control, monitoring and analysis of the environmental impact by the relevant regulatory body, bearing in mind the environmental standard applicable to the category of the facility and the type of polluting substance released. The application can be run interactively in a personal computer on the basis of menus and screens, under a relational Data Base Management System (DBMS). Its implementation is independent of the DBMS used and the hardware with supports it. (author)

Safety Impacts of the Actuated Signal Control at Urban Intersections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Hyuk Lee

2016-02-01

Full Text Available To reduce travel time, the actuated signal controls have been implemented at urban intersections. However, the safety impacts of actuated signal controls thus far have rarely been examined. In this assessment of the safety impact of urban intersections with semi-actuated signal controls, the safety performance functions and EB approaches were applied. The semi-actuated signal controls have increased injuries and total crashes in all crash types by around 5.9% and 3.8%, respectively. Regarding the most common crash types, such as angle, sideswipe & rear-end, and head-on crashes, semi-actuated signal controls have been seen to decrease injuries by 7.7%. Total crashes have been reduced by over 9.2% through the use of semi-actuated signal controls. This may be result of optimal signal timings considering traffic conditions during peak time periods. In conclusion, safety impact factors which have been established in this study can be used to improve safety and minimize travel times using semi-actuated signal controls.

The Japan Power Demonstration Reactor dismantling project. Radiation control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomii, Hiroyuki; Seiki, Yoshihiro

1996-01-01

In the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) dismantling project, radiation control was performed properly with routine and special monitoring to keep the occupational safety and to collect data necessary for future dismantling of nuclear facilities. This report describes a summary of radiation control in the dismantling activities and some results of parametric analysis on dose equivalent evaluation, and introduces the following knowledge on radiological protection effectiveness of the dismantling systems applied in the project. a) Use of remote dismantling systems was effective in reducing equivalent workplace exposure. b) Utilization of existing facilities as radiation shield or radioactivity containment was effective in reducing workplace exposure, and also in increasing work efficiency. c) Use of underwater cutting systems was useful to minimize air contamination, and to reduce the dose equivalent rate in the working area. d) In the planning of dismantling, it is necessary to optimize the radiation protection by analyzing dismantling work procedures and evaluating radiological features of the dismantling systems applied, including additional work which the systems require brought from such activities. (author)

A Research Framework for Demonstrating Benefits of Advanced Control Room Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Blanc, Katya [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Boring, Ronald [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Joe, Jeffrey [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Hallbert, Bruce [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Thomas, Kenneth [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-12-01

Control Room modernization is an important part of life extension for the existing light water reactor fleet. None of the 99 currently operating commercial nuclear power plants in the U.S. has completed a full-scale control room modernization to date. A full-scale modernization might, for example, entail replacement of all analog panels with digital workstations. Such modernizations have been undertaken successfully in upgrades in Europe and Asia, but the U.S. has yet to undertake a control room upgrade of this magnitude. Instead, nuclear power plant main control rooms for the existing commercial reactor fleet remain significantly analog, with only limited digital modernizations. Previous research under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program has helped establish a systematic process for control room upgrades that support the transition to a hybrid control. While the guidance developed to date helps streamline the process of modernization and reduce costs and uncertainty associated with introducing digital control technologies into an existing control room, these upgrades do not achieve the full potential of newer technologies that might otherwise enhance plant and operator performance. The aim of the control room benefits research presented here is to identify previously overlooked benefits of modernization, identify candidate technologies that may facilitate such benefits, and demonstrate these technologies through human factors research. This report serves as an outline for planned research on the benefits of greater modernization in the main control rooms of nuclear power plants.

A Research Framework for Demonstrating Benefits of Advanced Control Room Technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Blanc, Katya; Boring, Ronald; Joe, Jeffrey; Hallbert, Bruce; Thomas, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Control Room modernization is an important part of life extension for the existing light water reactor fleet. None of the 99 currently operating commercial nuclear power plants in the U.S. has completed a full-scale control room modernization to date. A full-scale modernization might, for example, entail replacement of all analog panels with digital workstations. Such modernizations have been undertaken successfully in upgrades in Europe and Asia, but the U.S. has yet to undertake a control room upgrade of this magnitude. Instead, nuclear power plant main control rooms for the existing commercial reactor fleet remain significantly analog, with only limited digital modernizations. Previous research under the U.S. Department of Energy's Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program has helped establish a systematic process for control room upgrades that support the transition to a hybrid control. While the guidance developed to date helps streamline the process of modernization and reduce costs and uncertainty associated with introducing digital control technologies into an existing control room, these upgrades do not achieve the full potential of newer technologies that might otherwise enhance plant and operator performance. The aim of the control room benefits research presented here is to identify previously overlooked benefits of modernization, identify candidate technologies that may facilitate such benefits, and demonstrate these technologies through human factors research. This report serves as an outline for planned research on the benefits of greater modernization in the main control rooms of nuclear power plants.

Demonstrating multi-layered MAS in control of offshore oil and gas production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindegaard Mikkelsen, Lars; Næumann, J. R.; Demazeau, Y.

2013-01-01

From a control perspective, offshore oil and gas production is very challenging due to the many and potentially conflicting production objectives that arise from the intrinsic complexity of the oil and gas domain. In this paper, we demonstrate how a multi-layered multi-agent system can be used in...

The economic impact of merger control legislation

OpenAIRE

Carletti, Elena; Hartmann, Philipp; Onega, Steven

2007-01-01

We construct a unique dataset of legislative reforms in merger control legislation that occurred in nineteen industrial countries in the period 1987-2004, and investigate the economic impact of these changes on stock prices. In line with the hypothesis that merger control should challenge anticompetitive mergers and thus limit future monopolistic profits, we find that the strengthening of merger control decreases the stock prices of non-financial firms. In contrast, we find that bank stock pr...

Review of the Research Literature on Defining and Demonstrating Quality Teaching and Impact in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Strang, Lucy; Bélanger, Julie; Manville, Catriona; Meads, Catherine

2016-01-01

In March 2016, the Higher Education Academy (HEA) commissioned RAND Europe to conduct a literature review of research published since 2012, with the aim of identifying and summarising the key trends and issues in the literature on how "quality teaching" and its impact are currently being defined and demonstrated at higher education…

Demonstration of Optically Controlled re-Routing in a Photonic Crystal Three-Port Switch

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Combrié, S.; Heuck, Mikkel; Xavier, S.

2012-01-01

We present an experimental demonstration of optically controlled re-routing of a signal in a photonic crystal cavity-waveguide structure with 3 ports. This represents a key functionality of integrated all-optical signal processing circuits....

Implementation of a Surface Electromyography-Based Upper Extremity Exoskeleton Controller Using Learning from Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Arenas, Ana M.; Sun, Tingxiao

2018-01-01

Upper-extremity exoskeletons have demonstrated potential as augmentative, assistive, and rehabilitative devices. Typical control of upper-extremity exoskeletons have relied on switches, force/torque sensors, and surface electromyography (sEMG), but these systems are usually reactionary, and/or rely on entirely hand-tuned parameters. sEMG-based systems may be able to provide anticipatory control, since they interface directly with muscle signals, but typically require expert placement of sensors on muscle bodies. We present an implementation of an adaptive sEMG-based exoskeleton controller that learns a mapping between muscle activation and the desired system state during interaction with a user, generating a personalized sEMG feature classifier to allow for anticipatory control. This system is robust to novice placement of sEMG sensors, as well as subdermal muscle shifts. We validate this method with 18 subjects using a thumb exoskeleton to complete a book-placement task. This learning-from-demonstration system for exoskeleton control allows for very short training times, as well as the potential for improvement in intent recognition over time, and adaptation to physiological changes in the user, such as those due to fatigue. PMID:29401754

Implementation of a Surface Electromyography-Based Upper Extremity Exoskeleton Controller Using Learning from Demonstration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho Chit Siu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Upper-extremity exoskeletons have demonstrated potential as augmentative, assistive, and rehabilitative devices. Typical control of upper-extremity exoskeletons have relied on switches, force/torque sensors, and surface electromyography (sEMG, but these systems are usually reactionary, and/or rely on entirely hand-tuned parameters. sEMG-based systems may be able to provide anticipatory control, since they interface directly with muscle signals, but typically require expert placement of sensors on muscle bodies. We present an implementation of an adaptive sEMG-based exoskeleton controller that learns a mapping between muscle activation and the desired system state during interaction with a user, generating a personalized sEMG feature classifier to allow for anticipatory control. This system is robust to novice placement of sEMG sensors, as well as subdermal muscle shifts. We validate this method with 18 subjects using a thumb exoskeleton to complete a book-placement task. This learning-from-demonstration system for exoskeleton control allows for very short training times, as well as the potential for improvement in intent recognition over time, and adaptation to physiological changes in the user, such as those due to fatigue.

‘Cheap & Cheerful’ – Demonstrating Control to 1st Year Engineering Students

OpenAIRE

McLoone, Seamus; Maloco, John

2015-01-01

• Illustrating the concept of system control to Electronic Engineering students is typically achieved through simulation and theory. However, we wanted a hardware demonstration ... • Existing commercial hardware products are simply too expensive and too bulky to adequately equip a typical undergraduate Engineering hardware-based laboratory … • So, we built our own !!

Estimating the Potential Impact of Tobacco Control Policies on Adverse Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in the United States Using the SimSmoke Tobacco Control Policy Simulation Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, David; Mohlman, Mary Katherine; Zhang, Yian

2016-05-01

Numerous studies document the causal relationship between prenatal smoking and adverse maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. Studies also reveal the impact that tobacco control policies have on prenatal smoking. The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of tobacco control policies on prenatal smoking prevalence and adverse MCH outcomes. The US SimSmoke simulation model was extended to consider adverse MCH outcomes. The model estimates prenatal smoking prevalence and, applying standard attribution methods, uses estimates of MCH prevalence and relative smoking risks to estimate smoking-attributable MCH outcomes over time. The model then estimates the effect of tobacco control policies on adverse birth outcomes averted. Different tobacco control policies have varying impacts on the number of smoking-attributable adverse MCH birth outcomes. Higher cigarette taxes and comprehensive marketing bans individually have the biggest impact with a 5% to 10% reduction across all outcomes for the period from 2015 to 2065. The policies with the lowest impact (2%-3% decrease) during this period are cessation treatment, health warnings, and complete smoke-free laws. Combinations of all policies with each tax level lead to 23% to 28% decreases across all outcomes. Our findings demonstrate the substantial impact of strong tobacco control policies for preventing adverse MCH outcomes, including long-term health implications for children exposed to low birth weight and preterm birth. These benefits are often overlooked in discussions of tobacco control. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of structured education on glucose control and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To assess the impact of structured education on glucose control and hypoglycaemia in the management of Type-2 diabetes. Methods: A systematic review was done using Medline via Ovid and EMBASE databases of published English literature between 1980 and 2014. Included studies were randomized control ...

Impact of Scheduling Policies on Control System Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiøler, Henrik; Ravn, Anders Peter; Nielsen, Jens Frederik Dalsgaard

2003-01-01

It is well known that jitter has an impact on control system performance, and this is often used as an argument for static scheduling policies, e.g. a time triggered architecture. However, it is only completion jitter that seriously disturbs standard linear control algorithms in a way similar to ...

Micronized Coal Reburning Demonstration for NOx Control: A DOE Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

National Energy Technology Laboratory

2001-08-15

The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Coal Technology (CCT) program is to furnish the energy marketplace with a number of advanced, more efficient, and environmentally responsible coal utilization technologies through demonstration projects. These projects seek to establish the commercial feasibility of the most promising advanced coal technologies that have developed beyond the proof-of-concept stage. This document serves as a DOE post-project assessment of a project selected in CCT Round IV, the Micronized Coal Reburning (MCR) Demonstration for NO{sub x} Control, as described in a report to Congress (U.S. Department of Energy 1999). The need to meet strict emissions requirements at a minimum cost prompted the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in conjunction with Fuller Company, Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (EER), and Fluor Daniel, to submit the proposal for this project to be sited at TVA's Shawnee Fossil Plant. In July 1992, TVA entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE to conduct the study. However, because of operational and environmental compliance strategy changes, the Shawnee site became unavailable.

The Impact of Family Control on Dividend Policy: Evidence from Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukas Setia Atmaja

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the relationship between family control and dividend policy in Indonesia. There are three possible explanations for the relationship. The expropriation hypothesis predicts that family control has a negative impact on dividend payouts. Meanwhile the reputation hypothesis and the family income hypothesis predict that family control has a positive impact on dividend payouts. Using a panel data of Indonesian publicly listed firms in the period of 2003-2009, the results shows that family control has a significant negative impact on dividend payouts, dividend yields and likelyhood to pay dividends. The results control for other variables that may potentially affect dividend payments such as growth opportunity, debt, profitability, firm size and firm age. From agency theory perspective, the finding is consistent with the argument that family controlling shareholders prefer lower dividends, in order to preserve cash flows that they can potentially expropriate (the expropriation hypothesis.

Demonstration of a Non-Toxic Reaction Control Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Philip J.; Turpin, Alicia A.; Veith, Eric M.

2007-01-01

T:hree non-toxic demonstration reaction control engines (RCE) were successfully tested at the Aerojet Sacramento facility under a technology contract sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The goals of the NASA MSFC contract (NAS8-01109) were to develop and expand the technical maturity of a non-toxic, on-orbit auxiliary propulsion system (APS) thruster under the auspices of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The demonstration engine utilized Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Ethanol as propellants to produce 870 lbf thrust. The Aerojet RCE's were successfully acceptance tested over a broad range of operating conditions. Steady state tests evaluated engine response to varying chamber pressures and mixture ratios. In addition to the steady state tests, a variety of pulsing tests were conducted over a wide range of electrical pulse widths (EPW). Each EPW condition was also tested over a range of percent duty cycles (DC), and bit impulse and pulsing specific impulse were determined for each of these conditions. Subsequent to acceptance testing at Aerojet, these three engines were delivered to the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) in April 2005 for incorporation into a cryogenic Auxiliary Propulsion System Test Bed (APSTB). The APSTB is a test article that will be utilized in an altitude test cell to simulate anticipated mission applications. The objectives of this APSTB testing included evaluation of engine performance over an extended duty cycle map of propellant pressure and temperature, as well as engine and system performance at typical mission duty cycles over extended periods of time. This paper provides acceptance test results and a status of the engine performance as part of the system level testing.

Does Certification Change the Trajectory of Tree Cover in Working Forests in The Tropics? An Application of the Synthetic Control Method of Impact Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pushpendra Rana

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC remains rare among forest management units (FMUs in natural tropical forests, presenting a challenge for impact evaluation. We demonstrate application of the synthetic control method (SCM to evaluate the impact of FSC certification on a single FMU in each of three tropical forest landscapes. Specifically, we estimate causal effects on tree cover change from the year of certification to 2012 using SCM and open-access, pan-tropical datasets. We demonstrate that it is possible to construct synthetic controls, or weighted combinations of non-certified FMUs, that followed the same path of tree cover change as the certified FMUs before certification. By using these synthetic controls to measure counterfactual tree cover change after certification, we find that certification reduced tree cover loss in the most recent year (2012 in all three landscapes. However, placebo tests show that in one case, this effect was not significant, and in another case, it followed several years in which certification had the opposite effect (increasing tree cover loss. We conclude that SCM has promise for identifying temporally varying impacts of small-N interventions on land use and land cover change.

First demonstration of single-mode MCF transport network with crosstalk-aware in-service optical channel control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pulverer, K.; Tanaka, T.; Häbel, U.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate the first crosstalk-aware traffic engineering as a use case in a multicore fibre transport network. With the help of a software-defined network controller, modulation format and channel route are adaptively changed using programmable devices with XT monitors.......We demonstrate the first crosstalk-aware traffic engineering as a use case in a multicore fibre transport network. With the help of a software-defined network controller, modulation format and channel route are adaptively changed using programmable devices with XT monitors....

The impact of a daily smartphone-based feedback system among women with gestational diabetes on compliance, glycemic control, satisfaction, and pregnancy outcome: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Miremberg, Hadas; Ben-Ari, Tal; Betzer, Tal; Raphaeli, Hagit; Gasnier, Rose; Barda, Giulia; Bar, Jacob; Weiner, Eran

2018-04-01

Patient compliance and tight glycemic control have been demonstrated to improve outcome in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus. The use of advanced technological tools, including smartphone-based platforms, to improve medical care and outcomes has been demonstrated in various fields of medicine, but only a few small studies were performed with gestational diabetes mellitus patients. We aimed to study the impact of introducing a smartphone-based daily feedback and communication platform between gestational diabetes mellitus patients and their physicians, on patient compliance, glycemic control, pregnancy outcome, and patient satisfaction. This is a prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial. Newly diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus patients presenting to our multidisciplinary diabetes-in-pregnancy clinic were randomized to: (1) routine biweekly prenatal clinic care (control group); or (2) additional daily detailed feedback on their compliance and glycemic control from the clinic team via an application installed on their smartphone (smartphone group). The primary outcome was patient compliance defined as the actual blood glucose measurements/instructed measurements ×100. The secondary outcomes included diabetes-control parameters, pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes. The study was adequately powered to detect a 20% difference in patient compliance, based on a preliminary phase that demonstrated 70% baseline compliance to glucose measurements. A total of 120 newly diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus patients were analyzed. The 2 groups did not differ in terms of age, parity, education, body mass index, family history, maternal comorbidities, oral glucose tolerance test values, and hemoglobin A1C at randomization. The smartphone group demonstrated higher level of compliance (84 ± 0.16% vs 66 ± 0.28%, P diabetes mellitus patients and the multidisciplinary diabetes-in-pregnancy clinic team improved patient compliance and

Pushing the Limits of Cubesat Attitude Control: A Ground Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Devon S.; Heater, Daniel L.; Peeples, Steven R.; Sules. James K.; Huang, Po-Hao Adam

2013-01-01

A cubesat attitude control system (ACS) was designed at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to provide sub-degree pointing capabilities using low cost, COTS attitude sensors, COTS miniature reaction wheels, and a developmental micro-propulsion system. The ACS sensors and actuators were integrated onto a 3D-printed plastic 3U cubesat breadboard (10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm) with a custom designed instrument board and typical cubesat COTS hardware for the electrical, power, and data handling and processing systems. In addition to the cubesat development, a low-cost air bearing was designed and 3D printed in order to float the cubesat in the test environment. Systems integration and verification were performed at the MSFC Small Projects Rapid Integration & Test Environment laboratory. Using a combination of both the miniature reaction wheels and the micro-propulsion system, the open and closed loop control capabilities of the ACS were tested in the Flight Robotics Laboratory. The testing demonstrated the desired sub-degree pointing capability of the ACS and also revealed the challenges of creating a relevant environment for development testin

Transgenic potatoes for potato cyst nematode control can replace pesticide use without impact on soil quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Jayne; Wang, Dong; Lilley, Catherine J; Urwin, Peter E; Atkinson, Howard J

2012-01-01

Current and future global crop yields depend upon soil quality to which soil organisms make an important contribution. The European Union seeks to protect European soils and their biodiversity for instance by amending its Directive on pesticide usage. This poses a challenge for control of Globodera pallida (a potato cyst nematode) for which both natural resistance and rotational control are inadequate. One approach of high potential is transgenically based resistance. This work demonstrates the potential in the field of a new transgenic trait for control of G. pallida that suppresses root invasion. It also investigates its impact and that of a second transgenic trait on the non-target soil nematode community. We establish that a peptide that disrupts chemoreception of nematodes without a lethal effect provides resistance to G. pallida in both a containment and a field trial when precisely targeted under control of a root tip-specific promoter. In addition we combine DNA barcoding and quantitative PCR to recognise nematode genera from soil samples without microscope-based observation and use the method for nematode faunal analysis. This approach establishes that the peptide and a cysteine proteinase inhibitor that offer distinct bases for transgenic plant resistance to G. pallida do so without impact on the non-target nematode soil community.

Transgenic potatoes for potato cyst nematode control can replace pesticide use without impact on soil quality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jayne Green

Full Text Available Current and future global crop yields depend upon soil quality to which soil organisms make an important contribution. The European Union seeks to protect European soils and their biodiversity for instance by amending its Directive on pesticide usage. This poses a challenge for control of Globodera pallida (a potato cyst nematode for which both natural resistance and rotational control are inadequate. One approach of high potential is transgenically based resistance. This work demonstrates the potential in the field of a new transgenic trait for control of G. pallida that suppresses root invasion. It also investigates its impact and that of a second transgenic trait on the non-target soil nematode community. We establish that a peptide that disrupts chemoreception of nematodes without a lethal effect provides resistance to G. pallida in both a containment and a field trial when precisely targeted under control of a root tip-specific promoter. In addition we combine DNA barcoding and quantitative PCR to recognise nematode genera from soil samples without microscope-based observation and use the method for nematode faunal analysis. This approach establishes that the peptide and a cysteine proteinase inhibitor that offer distinct bases for transgenic plant resistance to G. pallida do so without impact on the non-target nematode soil community.

JWST Wavefront Sensing and Control: Operations Plans, Demonstrations, and Status

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, Marshall; Acton, D. Scott; Lajoie, Charles-Philippe; Knight, J. Scott; Myers, Carey; Stark, Chris; JWST Wavefront Sensing & Control Team

2018-01-01

After JWST launches and unfolds in space, its telescope optics will be aligned through a complex series of wavefront sensing and control (WFSC) steps to achieve diffraction-limited performance. This iterative process will comprise about half of the observatory commissioning time (~ 3 out of 6 months). We summarize the JWST WFSC process, schedule, and expectations for achieved performance, and discuss our team’s activities to prepare for an effective & efficient telescope commissioning. During the recently-completed OTIS cryo test at NASA JSC, WFSC demonstrations showed the flight-like operation of the entire JWST active optics and WFSC system from end to end, including all hardware and software components. In parallel, the same test data were processed through the JWST Mission Operations Center at STScI to demonstrate the readiness of ground system components there (such as the flight operations system, data pipelines, archives, etc). Moreover, using the Astronomer’s Proposal Tool (APT), the entire telescope commissioning program has been implemented, reviewed, and is ready for execution. Between now and launch our teams will continue preparations for JWST commissioning, including further rehearsals and testing, to ensure a successful alignment of JWST’s telescope optics.

Impact Safety Control Strategy for the Battery System of an Example Electric Bus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhen-po Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a side impact safety control strategy for the battery system, aiming at defusing the hazards of unacceptable behaviors of the battery system such as high-voltage hazards. Based on some collision identification metrics, a side impact discrimination algorithm and a side impact severity algorithm are developed for electric buses. Based on the study on the time to break for power battery, the side impact discrimination algorithm response time is about 20 ms posing a great challenge to the side impact discrimination algorithm. At the same time, the reliability of the impact safety control strategy developed in this paper is evaluated for other plausible side impact signals generated by finite element analysis. The results verify that the impact safety control strategy exhibits robust performance and is able to trigger a breaking signal for power battery system promptly and accurately.

Output Control Technologies for a Large-scale PV System Considering Impacts on a Power Grid

Science.gov (United States)

Kuwayama, Akira

The mega-solar demonstration project named “Verification of Grid Stabilization with Large-scale PV Power Generation systems” had been completed in March 2011 at Wakkanai, the northernmost city of Japan. The major objectives of this project were to evaluate adverse impacts of large-scale PV power generation systems connected to the power grid and develop output control technologies with integrated battery storage system. This paper describes the outline and results of this project. These results show the effectiveness of battery storage system and also proposed output control methods for a large-scale PV system to ensure stable operation of power grids. NEDO, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan conducted this project and HEPCO, Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc managed the overall project.

A pilot scale demonstration of the DWPF process control and product verification strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutson, N.D.; Jantzen, C.M.; Beam, D.C.

1992-01-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) has been designed and constructed to immobilize Savannah River Site high level liquid waste within a durable borosilicate glass matrix for permanent storage. The DWPF will be operated to produce a glass product which must meet a number of product property constraints which are dependent upon the final product composition. During actual operations, the DWPF will control the properties of the glass product by the controlled blending of the waste streams with a glass-forming frit to produce the final melter feed slurry. The DWPF will verify control of the glass product through analysis of vitrified samples of slurry material. In order to demonstrate the DWPF process control and product verification strategy, a pilot-scale vitrification research facility was operated in three discrete batches using simulated DWPF waste streams. All of the DWPF process control methodologies were followed and the glass produce from each experiment was leached according to the Product Consistency Test. Results of the campaign are summarized

The potential impact of integrated malaria transmission control on entomologic inoculation rate in highly endemic areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Killeen, G F; McKenzie, F E; Foy, B D; Schieffelin, C; Billingsley, P F; Beier, J C

2000-05-01

We have used a relatively simple but accurate model for predicting the impact of integrated transmission control on the malaria entomologic inoculation rate (EIR) at four endemic sites from across sub-Saharan Africa and the southwest Pacific. The simulated campaign incorporated modestly effective vaccine coverage, bed net use, and larval control. The results indicate that such campaigns would reduce EIRs at all four sites by 30- to 50-fold. Even without the vaccine, 15- to 25-fold reductions of EIR were predicted, implying that integrated control with a few modestly effective tools can meaningfully reduce malaria transmission in a range of endemic settings. The model accurately predicts the effects of bed nets and indoor spraying and demonstrates that they are the most effective tools available for reducing EIR. However, the impact of domestic adult vector control is amplified by measures for reducing the rate of emergence of vectors or the level of infectiousness of the human reservoir. We conclude that available tools, including currently neglected methods for larval control, can reduce malaria transmission intensity enough to alleviate mortality. Integrated control programs should be implemented to the fullest extent possible, even in areas of intense transmission, using simple models as decision-making tools. However, we also conclude that to eliminate malaria in many areas of intense transmission is beyond the scope of methods which developing nations can currently afford. New, cost-effective, practical tools are needed if malaria is ever to be eliminated from highly endemic areas.

Proceedings of the 1978 symposium on instrumentation and control for fossil demonstration plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-01-01

The 1978 symposium on instrumentation and control for fossil demonstration plants was held at Newport Beach, California, June 19--21, 1978. It was sponsored by Argonne National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy - Fossil Energy, and the Instrument Society of America - Orange County Section. Thirty-nine papers have been entered individually into the data base. (LTN)

The Impact of Computer Simulations as Interactive Demonstration Tools on the Performance of Grade 11 Learners in Electromagnetism

Science.gov (United States)

Kotoka, Jonas; Kriek, Jeanne

2014-01-01

The impact of computer simulations on the performance of 65 grade 11 learners in electromagnetism in a South African high school in the Mpumalanga province is investigated. Learners did not use the simulations individually, but teachers used them as an interactive demonstration tool. Basic concepts in electromagnetism are difficult to understand…

Impact and cost-effectiveness of snail control to achieve disease control targets for schistosomiasis

OpenAIRE

Lo, Nathan C.; Gurarie, David; Yoon, Nara; Coulibaly, Jean T.; Bendavid, Eran; Andrews, Jason R.; King, Charles H.

2018-01-01

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that affects over 240 million people globally. To improve population-level disease control, there is growing interest in adding chemical-based snail control interventions to interrupt the lifecycle of Schistosoma in its snail host to reduce parasite transmission. However, this approach is not widely implemented, and given environmental concerns, the optimal conditions for when snail control is appropriate are unclear. We assessed the potential impact and...

Geostatistical evaluation of integrated marsh management impact on mosquito vectors using before-after-control-impact (BACI design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dempsey Mary E

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In many parts of the world, salt marshes play a key ecological role as the interface between the marine and the terrestrial environments. Salt marshes are also exceedingly important for public health as larval habitat for mosquitoes that are vectors of disease and significant biting pests. Although grid ditching and pesticides have been effective in salt marsh mosquito control, marsh degradation and other environmental considerations compel a different approach. Targeted habitat modification and biological control methods known as Open Marsh Water Management (OMWM had been proposed as a viable alternative to marsh-wide physical alterations and chemical control. However, traditional larval sampling techniques may not adequately assess the impacts of marsh management on mosquito larvae. To assess the effectiveness of integrated OMWM and marsh restoration techniques for mosquito control, we analyzed the results of a 5-year OMWM/marsh restoration project to determine changes in mosquito larval production using GIS and geostatistical methods. Methods The following parameters were evaluated using "Before-After-Control-Impact" (BACI design: frequency and geographic extent of larval production, intensity of larval production, changes in larval habitat, and number of larvicide applications. The analyses were performed using Moran's I, Getis-Ord, and Spatial Scan statistics on aggregated before and after data as well as data collected over time. This allowed comparison of control and treatment areas to identify changes attributable to the OMWM/marsh restoration modifications. Results The frequency of finding mosquito larvae in the treatment areas was reduced by 70% resulting in a loss of spatial larval clusters compared to those found in the control areas. This effect was observed directly following OMWM treatment and remained significant throughout the study period. The greatly reduced frequency of finding larvae in the treatment

Geostatistical evaluation of integrated marsh management impact on mosquito vectors using before-after-control-impact (BACI) design.

Science.gov (United States)

Rochlin, Ilia; Iwanejko, Tom; Dempsey, Mary E; Ninivaggi, Dominick V

2009-06-23

In many parts of the world, salt marshes play a key ecological role as the interface between the marine and the terrestrial environments. Salt marshes are also exceedingly important for public health as larval habitat for mosquitoes that are vectors of disease and significant biting pests. Although grid ditching and pesticides have been effective in salt marsh mosquito control, marsh degradation and other environmental considerations compel a different approach. Targeted habitat modification and biological control methods known as Open Marsh Water Management (OMWM) had been proposed as a viable alternative to marsh-wide physical alterations and chemical control. However, traditional larval sampling techniques may not adequately assess the impacts of marsh management on mosquito larvae. To assess the effectiveness of integrated OMWM and marsh restoration techniques for mosquito control, we analyzed the results of a 5-year OMWM/marsh restoration project to determine changes in mosquito larval production using GIS and geostatistical methods. The following parameters were evaluated using "Before-After-Control-Impact" (BACI) design: frequency and geographic extent of larval production, intensity of larval production, changes in larval habitat, and number of larvicide applications. The analyses were performed using Moran's I, Getis-Ord, and Spatial Scan statistics on aggregated before and after data as well as data collected over time. This allowed comparison of control and treatment areas to identify changes attributable to the OMWM/marsh restoration modifications. The frequency of finding mosquito larvae in the treatment areas was reduced by 70% resulting in a loss of spatial larval clusters compared to those found in the control areas. This effect was observed directly following OMWM treatment and remained significant throughout the study period. The greatly reduced frequency of finding larvae in the treatment areas led to a significant decrease (approximately 44%) in

Interactive computer-based instruction: Basic material control and accounting demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keisch, B.

1993-01-01

The use of interactive, computer-based training (CBT) courses can be a time- and resource-saving alternative to formal instruction in a classroom milieu. With CBT, students can proceed at their own pace, fit the study course into their schedule, and avoid the extra time and effort involved in travel and other special arrangements. The demonstration given here is an abbreviated, annotated version of a recently developed course in basic material control and accounting designed for the MC and A novice. The system used is ''Quest'' which includes multi-media capabilities, individual scoring, and built-in result-reporting capabilities for the course administrator. Efficient instruction and training are more important than ever because of the growing numbers of relatively inexperienced persons becoming active in safeguards

Environmental analysis for pipeline gas demonstration plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stinton, L.H.

1978-09-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has implemented programs for encouraging the development and commercialization of coal-related technologies, which include coal gasification demonstration-scale activities. In support of commercialization activities the Environmental Analysis for Pipeline Gas Demonstration Plants has been prepared as a reference document to be used in evaluating potential environmental and socioeconomic effects from construction and operation of site- and process-specific projects. Effluents and associated impacts are identified for six coal gasification processes at three contrasting settings. In general, impacts from construction of a high-Btu gas demonstration plant are similar to those caused by the construction of any chemical plant of similar size. The operation of a high-Btu gas demonstration plant, however, has several unique aspects that differentiate it from other chemical plants. Offsite development (surface mining) and disposal of large quantities of waste solids constitute important sources of potential impact. In addition, air emissions require monitoring for trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, and other emissions. Potential biological impacts from long-term exposure to these emissions are unknown, and additional research and data analysis may be necessary to determine such effects. Possible effects of pollutants on vegetation and human populations are discussed. The occurrence of chemical contaminants in liquid effluents and the bioaccumulation of these contaminants in aquatic organisms may lead to adverse ecological impact. Socioeconomic impacts are similar to those from a chemical plant of equivalent size and are summarized and contrasted for the three surrogate sites.

Impacts of Mesopredator Control on Conservation of Mesopredators and Their Prey.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Mike Conner

Full Text Available Declining large carnivore populations, increased habitat fragmentation, declining interests in fur trapping, and other anthropogenic factors can all lead to increased mesopredator populations and these may negatively impact biodiversity. Lethal mesopredator control potentially mitigates some of these effects but can be controversial, largely because impacts on mesopredator populations have not been evaluated. Estimating these impacts may reduce controversies while increasing our understanding of when lethal control may be beneficial. Therefore, we analyzed published mesopredator removal data to determine if mesopredator removal rates changed over time. Removals of medium,(e.g., raccoons (Procyon lotor or red foxes (Vulpes vulpes, and large, i.e., bobcats (Lynx rufus or coyotes (Canis latrans, mesopredators were consistent from year to year and over the duration of study (i.e., number removed during the first and last years of studies were similar. In contrast, removals of small mesopredators, e.g., weasels (Mustela spp. or spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius, declined over the duration of study. Study area size, number of species targeted for removal, and duration of removal effort were poor predictors of removal rates. Our analyses suggest that: (1 control, as typically implemented, is unlikely to cause negative long-term impacts on populations of medium and large mesopredators but may negatively impact small mesopredators, (2 if mesopredator control benefits prey, recurring removals will generally be needed to maintain benefits, and (3 timing of removals will be important to achieve management goals. We suggest that mesopredator control efforts are frequently spatially structured harvests from continuously distributed populations. This may explain (1 why removal of small mesopredators declined over time; whereas, medium and large mesopredator removals remained consistent, and (2 why some prey failed to respond to mesopredator control efforts.

A pilot scale demonstration of the DWPF process control and product verification strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutson, N.D.; Jantzen, C.M.; Beam, D.C.

1992-01-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) has been designed and constructed to immobilize Savannah River Site high level liquid waste within a durable borosilicate glass matrix for permanent storage. The DWPF will be operated to produce a glass product which must meet a number of product property constraints which are dependent upon the final product composition. During actual operations, the DWPF will control the properties of the glass product by the controlled blending of the waste streams with a glass-forming frit to produce the final melter feed slurry. The DWPF will verify control of the glass product through analysis of vitrified samples of slurry material. In order to demonstrate the DWPF process control and product verification strategy, a pilot-scale vitrification research facility was operated in three discrete batches using simulated DWPF waste streams. All of the DWPF process control methodologies were followed and the glass product from each experiment was leached according to the Product Consistency Test. In this paper results of the campaign are summarized

Micronized Coal Reburning Demonstration for NOx Control: A DOE Assessment; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

National Energy Technology Laboratory

2001-01-01

The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Coal Technology (CCT) program is to furnish the energy marketplace with a number of advanced, more efficient, and environmentally responsible coal utilization technologies through demonstration projects. These projects seek to establish the commercial feasibility of the most promising advanced coal technologies that have developed beyond the proof-of-concept stage. This document serves as a DOE post-project assessment of a project selected in CCT Round IV, the Micronized Coal Reburning (MCR) Demonstration for NO(sub x) Control, as described in a report to Congress (U.S. Department of Energy 1999). The need to meet strict emissions requirements at a minimum cost prompted the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in conjunction with Fuller Company, Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (EER), and Fluor Daniel, to submit the proposal for this project to be sited at TVA's Shawnee Fossil Plant. In July 1992, TVA entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE to conduct the study. However, because of operational and environmental compliance strategy changes, the Shawnee site became unavailable

Secure Interoperable Open Smart Grid Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magee, Thoman [Consolidated Edison Company Of New York, Inc., NY (United States)

2014-12-28

The Consolidated Edison, Inc., of New York (Con Edison) Secure Interoperable Open Smart Grid Demonstration Project (SGDP), sponsored by the United States (US) Department of Energy (DOE), demonstrated that the reliability, efficiency, and flexibility of the grid can be improved through a combination of enhanced monitoring and control capabilities using systems and resources that interoperate within a secure services framework. The project demonstrated the capability to shift, balance, and reduce load where and when needed in response to system contingencies or emergencies by leveraging controllable field assets. The range of field assets includes curtailable customer loads, distributed generation (DG), battery storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, building management systems (BMS), home area networks (HANs), high-voltage monitoring, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The SGDP enables the seamless integration and control of these field assets through a common, cyber-secure, interoperable control platform, which integrates a number of existing legacy control and data systems, as well as new smart grid (SG) systems and applications. By integrating advanced technologies for monitoring and control, the SGDP helps target and reduce peak load growth, improves the reliability and efficiency of Con Edison’s grid, and increases the ability to accommodate the growing use of distributed resources. Con Edison is dedicated to lowering costs, improving reliability and customer service, and reducing its impact on the environment for its customers. These objectives also align with the policy objectives of New York State as a whole. To help meet these objectives, Con Edison’s long-term vision for the distribution grid relies on the successful integration and control of a growing penetration of distributed resources, including demand response (DR) resources, battery storage units, and DG. For example, Con Edison is expecting significant long-term growth of DG

Using Travel Diary Data to Estimate the Emissions Impacts of Transportation Strategies: The Puget Sound Telecommuting Demonstration Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Dennis K; Koenig, Brett E; Mokhtarian, Patricia L

1996-01-01

Transportation control measures are often implemented for their environmental benefits, but there is a need to quantify what benefits actually occur. Telecommuting has the potential to reduce the number of daily trips and miles traveled with personal vehicles and, consequently, the overall emissions resulting from vehicle activity. This search studies the emissions impacts of telecommuting for the participants of the Puget Sound Telecommuting Demonstration Project (PSTDP). The California Air Resources Board's emissions models, EMFAC7F and BURDEN7F, are used to estimate the emissions on telecommuting days and non-telecommuting days, based on travel diaries completed by program participants. This study, among the first of its kind, represents the most sophisticated application of emissions models to travel diary data. Analysis of the travel diary data and the emissions model output supports the hypothesis that telecommuting has beneficial transportation and air quality impacts. The most important results are that telecommuting decreases the number of daily trips (by 30%), the vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) (by 63%), and the number of cold starts (by 44%), especially those taking place in early morning. These reductions are shown to have a large effect on daily emissions, with a 50% to 60% decrease in pollutants generated by a telecommuter's personal vehicle use on a telecommuting day. These net savings are almost entirely due to the elimination of commute trips, as non-commute trips increased by 0.33 trips per person-day (9% of the total trips), and the non-commute VMT increased by 2.2 miles. Overall reduc- tions in travel and emissions of this magnitude are observed because the telecommuters in this sample are long-distance commuters, with commutes twice as long as the regional average. However, even as telecommuting adoption moves into the mainstream, its net impacts are still expected to be beneficial- a reduction in VMT and in emissions. It is important to note

Multiobjective optimization of low impact development stormwater controls

Science.gov (United States)

Eckart, Kyle; McPhee, Zach; Bolisetti, Tirupati

2018-07-01

Green infrastructure such as Low Impact Development (LID) controls are being employed to manage the urban stormwater and restore the predevelopment hydrological conditions besides improving the stormwater runoff water quality. Since runoff generation and infiltration processes are nonlinear, there is a need for identifying optimal combination of LID controls. A coupled optimization-simulation model was developed by linking the U.S. EPA Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) to the Borg Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm (Borg MOEA). The coupled model is capable of performing multiobjective optimization which uses SWMM simulations as a tool to evaluate potential solutions to the optimization problem. The optimization-simulation tool was used to evaluate low impact development (LID) stormwater controls. A SWMM model was developed, calibrated, and validated for a sewershed in Windsor, Ontario and LID stormwater controls were tested for three different return periods. LID implementation strategies were optimized using the optimization-simulation model for five different implementation scenarios for each of the three storm events with the objectives of minimizing peak flow in the stormsewers, reducing total runoff, and minimizing cost. For the sewershed in Windsor, Ontario, the peak run off and total volume of the runoff were found to reduce by 13% and 29%, respectively.

[Effect of comprehensive control and prevention for chronic disease in demonstration plot of Chongqing].

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Li; Ding, Xian-bin; Mao, De-qiang; Feng, Lian-gui; Wang, Yu-lin; Jiao, Yan; Zhang, Chun-hua; Lü, Xiao-yan; Li, Hong; Xia, Yi-yin

2013-03-01

To evaluate the effect of comprehensive control and prevention for chronic diseases in demonstration plot of Chongqing. Residents were enrolled through multi-stage stratified random sampling method from 17 districts or counties which had successfully established demonstration plots and 21 districts or counties which had not established demonstration plots (non-demonstration plot for short) yet on May, 2012. Questionnaire was designed to survey awareness of health knowledge, health behaviors and utilization of health supportive tools. The results were analyzed by SPSS 15.0 software. We investigated 15 108 residents, 6156 of which were in demonstration plot and others (8951) were not. The findings revealed the percentage of the people who were aware the national action of health lifestyle in demonstration plot and in non-demonstration plot were 44.4% (2734/6157) and 40.2% (3598/8951), respectively, and the awareness of the hypertension risk of too much sodium were 72.4% (4458/6156) and 67.5% (6042/8951), respectively, and the awareness of the cardinal vascular disease (CVD) risk of obesity and overweight were 77.2% (4753/6157) and 69.6% (6230/8951), respectively. About the residents' health behaviors in demonstration plot and in non-demonstration plot, the utilization rates of salt restriction scoop or pot were 23.5% (1447/6157) and 17.9% (1602/8951), and the utilization rates of oil restriction pot were 16.7% (1028/6157) and 11.8% (1064/8951), respectively. Totally, 33 of the 37 indexes were shown higher in demonstration plot than that in non-demonstration plot (P plot was more effective, and the remarkable improvement of health knowledge and behaviors level had been achieved in demonstration plot.

Environmental assessment for the Waste Water Treatment Facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project and finding of no significant impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-12-31

The possible environmental impacts from the construction and operation of a waste water treatment facility for the West Valley Demonstration Project are presented. The West Valley Project is a demonstration project on the solidification of high-level radioactive wastes. The need for the facility is the result of a rise in the work force needed for the project which rendered the existing sewage treatment plant incapable of meeting the nonradioactive waste water treatment needs.

Environmental assessment for the Waste Water Treatment Facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project and finding of no significant impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The possible environmental impacts from the construction and operation of a waste water treatment facility for the West Valley Demonstration Project are presented. The West Valley Project is a demonstration project on the solidification of high-level radioactive wastes. The need for the facility is the result of a rise in the work force needed for the project which rendered the existing sewage treatment plant incapable of meeting the nonradioactive waste water treatment needs

Teleoperation for learning by demonstration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kukliński, Kamil; Fischer, Kerstin; Marhenke, Ilka

2014-01-01

Learning by demonstration is a useful technique to augment a robot's behavioral inventory, and teleoperation allows lay users to demonstrate novel behaviors intuitively to the robot. In this paper, we compare two modes of teleoperation of an industrial robot, the demonstration by means of a data...... glove and by means of a control object (peg). Experiments with 16 lay users, performing assembly task on the Cranfield benchmark objects, show that the control peg leads to more success, more efficient demonstration and fewer errors....

The impact of climate change and emissions control on future ozone levels: Implications for human health.

Science.gov (United States)

Stowell, Jennifer D; Kim, Young-Min; Gao, Yang; Fu, Joshua S; Chang, Howard H; Liu, Yang

2017-11-01

Overwhelming evidence has shown that, from the Industrial Revolution to the present, human activities influence ground-level ozone (O 3 ) concentrations. Past studies demonstrate links between O 3 exposure and health. However, knowledge gaps remain in our understanding concerning the impacts of climate change mitigation policies on O 3 concentrations and health. Using a hybrid downscaling approach, we evaluated the separate impact of climate change and emission control policies on O 3 levels and associated excess mortality in the US in the 2050s under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). We show that, by the 2050s, under RCP4.5, increased O 3 levels due to combined climate change and emission control policies, could contribute to an increase of approximately 50 premature deaths annually nationwide in the US. The biggest impact, however, is seen under RCP8.5, where rises in O 3 concentrations are expected to result in over 2,200 additional premature deaths annually. The largest increases in O 3 are seen in RCP8.5 in the Northeast, the Southeast, the Central, and the West regions of the US. Additionally, when O 3 increases are examined by climate change and emissions contributions separately, the benefits of emissions mitigation efforts may significantly outweigh the effects of climate change mitigation policies on O 3 -related mortality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential impact of reactive vaccination in controlling cholera ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. To contain ongoing cholera outbreaks, the World Health Organization has suggested that reactive vaccination should be considered in addition to its previous control measures. Objectives. To explore the potential impact of a hypothetical reactive oral cholera vaccination using the example of the recent ...

Controlled laboratory challenge demonstrates substantial additive genetic variation in resistance to Streptococcus iniae in Nile tilapia

Science.gov (United States)

Streptococcus iniae is an etiologic agent of streptococcal disease in tilapia and is one of several Streptococcus spp. that negatively impact worldwide tilapia production. Methods for the prevention and control of S. iniae include vaccines, management strategies, and antibiotics. An alternative and ...

Active vibration control testing of the SPICES program: final demonstration article

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, James P.; Jacobs, Jack H.

1996-05-01

The Synthesis and Processing of Intelligent Cost Effective Structures (SPICES) Program is a partnership program sponsored by the Advanced Research Projects Agency. The mission of the program is to develop cost effective material processing and synthesis technologies to enable new products employing active vibration suppression and control devices to be brought to market. The two year program came to fruition in 1995 through the fabrication of the final smart components and testing of an active plate combined with two trapezoidal rails, forming an active mount. Testing of the SPICES combined active mount took place at McDonnell Douglas facilities in St. Louis, MO, in October-December 1995. Approximately 15 dB reduction in overall response of a motor mounted on the active structure was achieved. Further details and results of the SPICES combined active mount demonstration testing are outlined. Results of numerous damping and control strategies that were developed and employed in the testing are presented, as well as aspects of the design and fabrication of the SPICES active mount components.

Milliken Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Project. Environmental monitoring report, July--September 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-05-01

New York State Electric and Gas Corporation (NYSEG) has installed and is presently operating a high-efficiency flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system to demonstrate innovative emissions control technology and comply with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The host facility for this demonstration project is NYSEG`s Milliken Station, in the Town of Lansing, New York. The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate a retrofit of energy-efficient SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} control systems with minimal impact on overall plant efficiency. The demonstration project has added a forced oxidation, formic acid-enhanced wet limestone FGD system, which is expected to reduce SO{sub 2} emissions by at least 90 percent. NYSEG also made combustion modifications to each boiler and plans to demonstrate selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) technology on unit 1, which will reduce NO{sub x} emissions. Goals of the proposed demonstration include up to 98 percent SO{sub 2} removal efficiency while burning high-sulfur coal, 30 percent NO{sub x} reductions through combustion modifications, additional NO{sub x} reductions using SNCR technology, production of marketable commercial-grade gypsum and calcium chloride by-products to minimize solid waste disposal, and zero wastewater discharge.

Control of humanoid robot motions with impacts : numerical experiments with reference spreading control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijnen, M.W.L.M.; De Mooij, E.B.C.; Traversaro, S.; Nori, F.; Van De Wouw, N.; Saccon, A.; Nijmeijer, H.

2017-01-01

This work explores the stabilization of desired dynamic motion tasks involving hard impacts at non-negligible speed for humanoid robots. To this end, a so-called reference spreading hybrid control law is designed showing promising results in simulation. The simulations are performed employing a

Grout disposal facility vault exhauster: Technical background document on demonstration of best available control technology for toxics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glissmeyer, J.A.; Glantz, C.S.; Rittman, P.D.

1994-09-01

The Grout Disposal Facility (GDF) is currently operated on the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site. The GDF is located near the east end of the Hanford Site's 200 East operations area, and is used for the treatment and disposal of low-level radioactive liquid wastes. In the grout treatment process, selected radioactive wastes from double-shell tanks are mixed with grout-forming solids; the resulting grout slurry is pumped to near-surface concrete vaults for solidification and permanent disposal. As part of this treatment process, small amounts of toxic particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may be released to the atmosphere through the GDF's exhaust system. This analysis constitutes a Best Available Control Technology for Toxics (T-BACT) study, as required in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 173-460) to support a Notice of Construction for the operation of the GDF exhaust system at a modified flow rate that exceeds the previously permitted value. This report accomplishes the following: assesses the potential emissions from the GDF; estimates air quality impacts to the public from toxic air pollutants; identifies control technologies that could reduce GDF emissions; evaluates impacts of the control technologies; and recommends appropriate emissions controls

Development and Evaluation of Sensor Concepts for Ageless Aerospace Vehicles: Report 5 - Phase 2 Implementation of the Concept Demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Batten, Adam; Dunlop, John; Edwards, Graeme; Farmer, Tony; Gaffney, Bruce; Hedley, Mark; Hoschke, Nigel; Isaacs, Peter; Johnson, Mark; Lewis, Chris;

Safety Impact of Average Speed Control in the UK

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lahrmann, Harry Spaabæk; Brassøe, Bo; Johansen, Jonas Wibert

2016-01-01

of automatic speed control was point-based, but in recent years a potentially more effective alternative automatic speed control method has been introduced. This method is based upon records of drivers’ average travel speed over selected sections of the road and is normally called average speed control...... in the UK. The study demonstrates that the introduction of average speed control results in statistically significant and substantial reductions both in speed and in number of accidents. The evaluation indicates that average speed control has a higher safety effect than point-based automatic speed control....

Heterogeneous impact of smoking on major salivary gland cancer according to histopathological subtype: A case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawabe, Michi; Ito, Hidemi; Takahara, Taishi; Oze, Isao; Kawakita, Daisuke; Yatabe, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Yasuhisa; Murakami, Shingo; Matsuo, Keitaro

2018-01-01

Major salivary gland cancers (M-SGCs) are rare, and have distinct heterogeneous histopathological subtypes. To the authors' knowledge, no consistent evidence of an association between cigarette smoking and the risk of M-SGCs has appeared to date. Furthermore, evidence of potential heterogeneity in the impact of smoking on histopathological subtypes is scarce, despite the fact that the histopathological subtypes of M-SGC exhibit different genetic features. The authors conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between smoking and M-SGC by histopathological subtype. Cases were 81 patients with M-SGCs and the controls were 810 age-matched and sex-matched first-visit outpatients without cancer treated at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital from 1988 to 2005. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were assessed by conditional logistic regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounders. Smoking was found to be associated with a significantly increased risk of M-SGC overall, with an OR of 3.45 (95% CI, 1.58-7.51; P =.001) for heavy smokers compared with never-smokers. A significant dose-response relationship was observed (P for trend, .001). When stratified by histological subtype, no obvious impact of smoking was observed among patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). In contrast, smoking demonstrated a significantly increased risk of M-SGCs other than MEC, with an OR of 5.15 (95% CI, 2.06-12.87; Psmoking on risk between MEC and M-SGCs other than MEC (P for heterogeneity, .052). The results of the current study demonstrate a significant positive association between cigarette smoking and the risk of M-SGC overall. However, the impact of smoking appeared to be limited to M-SGCs other than MEC. Cancer 2018;124:118-24. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Fuel Economy Impacts of Manual, Conventional Cruise Control, and Predictive Eco-Cruise Control Driving

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangjun Park

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of a field experiment that was designed to compare manual driving, conventional cruise control (CCC driving, and Eco-cruise control (ECC driving with regard to fuel economy. The field experiment was conducted on five test vehicles along a section of Interstate 81 that was comprised of ±4% uphill and downhill grade sections. Using an Onboard Diagnostic II reader, instantaneous fuel consumption rates and other driving parameters were collected with and without the CCC system enabled. The collected data were compared with regard to fuel economy, throttle control, and travel time. The results demonstrate that CCC enhances vehicle fuel economy by 3.3 percent on average relative to manual driving, however this difference was not found to be statistically significant at a 5 percent significance level. The results demonstrate that CCC driving is more efficient on downhill versus uphill sections. In addition, the study demonstrates that an ECC system can produce fuel savings ranging between 8 and 16 percent with increases in travel times ranging between 3 and 6 percent. These benefits appear to be largest for heavier vehicles (SUVs.

Optimal Force Control of Vibro-Impact Systems for Autonomous Drilling Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Aldrich, Jack B.; Okon, Avi B.

2012-01-01

The need to maintain optimal energy efficiency is critical during the drilling operations performed on future and current planetary rover missions (see figure). Specifically, this innovation seeks to solve the following problem. Given a spring-loaded percussive drill driven by a voice-coil motor, one needs to determine the optimal input voltage waveform (periodic function) and the optimal hammering period that minimizes the dissipated energy, while ensuring that the hammer-to-rock impacts are made with sufficient (user-defined) impact velocity (or impact energy). To solve this problem, it was first observed that when voice-coil-actuated percussive drills are driven at high power, it is of paramount importance to ensure that the electrical current of the device remains in phase with the velocity of the hammer. Otherwise, negative work is performed and the drill experiences a loss of performance (i.e., reduced impact energy) and an increase in Joule heating (i.e., reduction in energy efficiency). This observation has motivated many drilling products to incorporate the standard bang-bang control approach for driving their percussive drills. However, the bang-bang control approach is significantly less efficient than the optimal energy-efficient control approach solved herein. To obtain this solution, the standard tools of classical optimal control theory were applied. It is worth noting that these tools inherently require the solution of a two-point boundary value problem (TPBVP), i.e., a system of differential equations where half the equations have unknown boundary conditions. Typically, the TPBVP is impossible to solve analytically for high-dimensional dynamic systems. However, for the case of the spring-loaded vibro-impactor, this approach yields the exact optimal control solution as the sum of four analytic functions whose coefficients are determined using a simple, easy-to-implement algorithm. Once the optimal control waveform is determined, it can be used

[Evaluation on intervention measures of comprehensive control for parasitic diseases in demonstration plot of Xiangyun County].

Science.gov (United States)

Wen-Juan, Li; Shao-Rong, Chen; Yan-Hong, Li; Wen, Fang; Chun-Rong, Ke; Li-Bo, Wang

2011-10-01

To evaluate the effect of comprehensive intervention measures to control and prevent parasitic diseases in the demonstration plot of Xiangyun County, so as to provide the evidence for establishing appropriate measures of parasitic diseases control and prevention. The baseline data of soil-transmitted nematode infections were obtained in 2006. A series of intervention measures, including health education, deworming, drinking water improvement,latrine improvement, and environment reconstruction, were performed for three years and the effect of the comprehensive intervention measures was evaluated by the national expert group in 2009. The awareness rate of parasitic disease knowledge of residents in 2009 (86.96%) was significantly higher than that in 2006 (35.20%) (Chi2 = 122.95, P transmitted nematode infections, the infection rates of Ascaris lumbricoides in both 2006 and 2009 were the highest and the rates were 18.74% and 2.08%, respectively. In the demonstration plots for parasitic diseases control and prevention of Xiangyun County, the effect of the comprehensive intervention measures which take health education as the forerunner and give priority to control source of parasite infection is remarkable. The measures implemented can achieve the purpose to reduce the infection rates of parasites and improve human health.

Reduced-impact sliding pressure control valve for pneumatic hammer drill

Science.gov (United States)

Polsky, Yarom [Oak Ridge, TN; Grubelich, Mark C [Albuquerque, NM; Vaughn, Mark R [Albuquerque, NM

2012-05-15

A method and means of minimizing the effect of elastic valve recoil in impact applications, such as percussive drilling, where sliding spool valves used inside the percussive device are subject to poor positioning control due to elastic recoil effects experienced when the valve impacts a stroke limiting surface. The improved valve design reduces the reflected velocity of the valve by using either an energy damping material, or a valve assembly with internal damping built-in, to dissipate the compression stress wave produced during impact.

Energy efficient ventilation based on demand humidity control. Demonstration project with 49 apartments in Soenderborg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-09-01

The aim of the project is to demonstrate how the overall energy consumption in apartment buildings can be reduced through a combination of: 1) Energy efficient ventilation based on demand humidity control; 2) Energy efficient design of the building shell including passive solar and seasonally flexible sunspaces; 3) Use of low temperature heating system. The 3 blocks in the project, each with 16 apartments, are furnished with 3 different ventilation systems: 1) Standard exhaust system according to building codes; 2) Ventilation system with humidity control. Each room is furnished with an air inlet valve controlled by a processor, which monitors the humidity; 3) Standard ventilation system with heat recovery. (au)

Impacts of the use of institutional controls on risk assessments at Department of Energy facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, R.K.; Swindle, D.W. Jr.; Redfearn, A.; King, A.D.; Shaw, R.A.

1992-01-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the National Oil and Hazardous Waste Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), has determined that institutional controls cannot be applied when determining baseline human health risks from exposure to contaminants present at a hazardous waste site. Environmental restoration activities at DOE-OR/ER sites are primarily driven by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). Therefore, the report focuses on the approaches and assumptions relating to institutional controls under CERCLA. In order to demonstrate the implications of the use of institutional controls at DOE facilities, this report summarizes the approaches and results of the recent baseline risk assessment for Solid Waste Storage Area 6 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The report concludes with possible options on the use of institutional controls at DOE-OR/ER sites. This report summarizes some of the major issues related to the use of institutional controls at hazardous waste sites under the auspices of DOE-OR/ER. In particular, the report addresses the impacts that assumptions regarding institutional controls have on the results and interpretation of the risk assessment, [in both the Remedial Investigation (RI) and the FS] and provides a case study from an actual DOE site

Appetite control and energy balance: impact of exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Blundell, J E; Gibbons, C; Caudwell, P; Finlayson, G; Hopkins, M

2015-02-01

Exercise is widely regarded as one of the most valuable components of behaviour that can influence body weight and therefore help in the prevention and management of obesity. Indeed, long-term controlled trials show a clear dose-related effect of exercise on body weight. However, there is a suspicion, particularly fuelled by media reports, that exercise serves to increase hunger and drive up food intake thereby nullifying the energy expended through activity. Not everyone performing regular exercise will lose weight and several investigations have demonstrated a huge individual variability in the response to exercise regimes. What accounts for this heterogeneous response? First, exercise (or physical activity) through the expenditure of energy will influence the energy balance equation with the potential to generate an energy deficit. However, energy expenditure also influences the control of appetite (i.e. the physiological and psychological regulatory processes underpinning feeding) and energy intake. This dynamic interaction means that the prediction of a resultant shift in energy balance, and therefore weight change, will be complicated. In changing energy intake, exercise will impact on the biological mechanisms controlling appetite. It is becoming recognized that the major influences on the expression of appetite arise from fat-free mass and fat mass, resting metabolic rate, gastric adjustment to ingested food, changes in episodic peptides including insulin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide-1 and tyrosine-tyrosine, as well as tonic peptides such as leptin. Moreover, there is evidence that exercise will influence all of these components that, in turn, will influence the drive to eat through the modulation of hunger (a conscious sensation reflecting a mental urge to eat) and adjustments in postprandial satiety via an interaction with food composition. The specific actions of exercise on each physiological component will vary in strength from

Recall and Recognition of In-Game Advertising: The Impact of Game Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura eHerrewijn

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Digital gaming has become one of the largest entertainment sectors worldwide, increasingly turning the medium into a promising vehicle for advertisers. As a result, the inclusion of advertising messages in digital games or in-game advertising (IGA is expected to grow steadily over the course of the following years. However, much work is still needed to maximize the effectiveness of IGA. The aim of the study was to contribute to IGA effectiveness research by analyzing the impact of two factors on the processing of IGA in terms of brand awareness. The primary objective was to investigate the effect of a person’s sense of involvement related to the control and movement mechanisms in a game (i.e. kinesthetic involvement. A within-subjects experiment was conducted in which control over a racing game was varied by manipulating game controller type, resulting in two experimental conditions (symbolic versus mimetic controller. Results show that the variation in game controller has a significant effect on the recall and recognition of the brands integrated into the game, and that this effect can be partially brought back to players’ perceived control over the game: when a game is easier to control, the control mechanisms require less conscious attention, freeing attentional resources that can be subsequently spent on other elements of the game such as IGA. A second factor that was taken into account in the study was brand prominence. The influence of both the size and spatial position of in-game advertisements was examined. Findings demonstrate that there are significant changes in effectiveness between different types of placements. Spatial position seems to be the most important placement characteristic, with central brand placements obtaining the highest recall and recognition scores. The effect of ad size is much smaller, with the effectiveness of the large placements not differing significantly from the effectiveness of their smaller

On the Impact of information access delays on remote control of a wind turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jacob Theilgaard; Barradas Berglind, Jose de Jesus; Madsen, Tatiana Kozlova

2015-01-01

farm controller. The controller attempts to reduce fatigue on the wind turbine, which is used as a measure of the controller performance. Via simulation analysis, we show the degradation of the controller performance when subject to network delays. We analyse different access strategies useable...... by the controller to gather sensor information and and quantitatively characterize the impact of these access strategies on the controller performance......It is important to reduce the impact of renewable production in the power grid by means of control, due to increased frequency deviations and imbalances caused by these assets. Cost efficient deployment of asset control frequently results in a distributed control architecture where the controller...

Demonstration of the improved PID method for the accurate temperature control of ADRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinozaki, K.; Hoshino, A.; Ishisaki, Y.; Mihara, T.

2006-01-01

Microcalorimeters require extreme stability (-bar 10μK) of thermal bath at low temperature (∼100mK). We have developed a portable adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) system for ground experiments with TES microcalorimeters, in which we observed residual temperature between aimed and measured values when magnet current was controlled with the standard Proportional, Integral, and Derivative control (PID) method. The difference increases in time as the magnet current decreases. This phenomenon can be explained by the theory of the magnetic cooling, and we have introduced a new functional parameter to improve the PID method. With this improvement, long-term stability of the ADR temperature about 10μK rms is obtained up to the period of ∼15ks down to almost zero magnet current. We briefly describe our ADR system and principle of the improved PID method, showing the temperature control result. It is demonstrated that the controlled time of the aimed temperature can be extended by about 30% longer than the standard PID method in our system. The improved PID method is considered to be of great advantage especially in the range of small magnet current

Demonstrating electromagnetic control of free-surface, liquid-metal flows relevant to fusion reactors

Science.gov (United States)

Hvasta, M. G.; Kolemen, E.; Fisher, A. E.; Ji, H.

2018-01-01

Plasma-facing components (PFC’s) made from solid materials may not be able to withstand the large heat and particle fluxes that will be produced within next-generation fusion reactors. To address the shortcomings of solid PFC’s, a variety of liquid-metal (LM) PFC concepts have been proposed. Many of the suggested LM-PFC designs rely on electromagnetic restraint (Lorentz force) to keep free-surface, liquid-metal flows adhered to the interior surfaces of a fusion reactor. However, there is very little, if any, experimental data demonstrating that free-surface, LM-PFC’s can actually be electromagnetically controlled. Therefore, in this study, electrical currents were injected into a free-surface liquid-metal that was flowing through a uniform magnetic field. The resultant Lorentz force generated within the liquid-metal affected the velocity and depth of the flow in a controllable manner that closely matched theoretical predictions. These results show the promise of electromagnetic control for LM-PFC’s and suggest that electromagnetic control could be further developed to adjust liquid-metal nozzle output, prevent splashing within a tokamak, and alter heat transfer properties for a wide-range of liquid-metal systems.

Neuromechanical Control for Dynamic Bipedal Walking with Reduced Impact Forces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Widenka, Johannes; Xiong, Xiaofeng; Matthias Braun, Jan

2016-01-01

Human walking emerges from an intricate interaction of nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Inspired by this principle, we integrate neural control and muscle-like mechanisms to achieve neuromechanical control of the biped robot RunBot. As a result, the neuromechanical controller enables RunBot t......Bot to perform more human-like walking and reduce impact force during walking, compared to original neural control. Moreover, it also generates adaptive joint motions of RunBot; thereby allowing it to deal with different terrains...

SpaceWire- Based Control System Architecture for the Lightweight Advanced Robotic Arm Demonstrator [LARAD

Science.gov (United States)

Rucinski, Marek; Coates, Adam; Montano, Giuseppe; Allouis, Elie; Jameux, David

2015-09-01

The Lightweight Advanced Robotic Arm Demonstrator (LARAD) is a state-of-the-art, two-meter long robotic arm for planetary surface exploration currently being developed by a UK consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space Ltd under contract to the UK Space Agency (CREST-2 programme). LARAD has a modular design, which allows for experimentation with different electronics and control software. The control system architecture includes the on-board computer, control software and firmware, and the communication infrastructure (e.g. data links, switches) connecting on-board computer(s), sensors, actuators and the end-effector. The purpose of the control system is to operate the arm according to pre-defined performance requirements, monitoring its behaviour in real-time and performing safing/recovery actions in case of faults. This paper reports on the results of a recent study about the feasibility of the development and integration of a novel control system architecture for LARAD fully based on the SpaceWire protocol. The current control system architecture is based on the combination of two communication protocols, Ethernet and CAN. The new SpaceWire-based control system will allow for improved monitoring and telecommanding performance thanks to higher communication data rate, allowing for the adoption of advanced control schemes, potentially based on multiple vision sensors, and for the handling of sophisticated end-effectors that require fine control, such as science payloads or robotic hands.

Impact of Journaling on Students’ Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control

OpenAIRE

Krista K. Fritson, PsyD

2008-01-01

While considerable research has examined the academic and cognitive value of journaling, little has examined the psychological impact of journaling on the personal development of college students. Research on cognitive-behavioral therapy indicates that journaling can have a positive impact on individuals’ self-growth and intrapersonal characteristics. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of classroom-based journaling on students’ self-efficacy and locus of control. Students in t...

Training for Certification: Demonstration & Research Pest Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Mississippi State Univ., State College. Cooperative Extension Service.

This Cooperative Extension Service publication from Mississippi State University is a training guide for commercial pesticide applicators. Focusing on agricultural pest control, this publication includes a full range of topics from uses of pesticides for agricultural animal pest control to the toxicity of common pesticides to fish and bees.…

Measurement requirements for a Near-Earth Asteroid impact mitigation demonstration mission

Science.gov (United States)

Wolters, Stephen D.; Ball, Andrew J.; Wells, Nigel; Saunders, Christopher; McBride, Neil

2011-10-01

A concept for an Impact Mitigation Preparation Mission, called Don Quijote, is to send two spacecrafts to a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA): an Orbiter and an Impactor. The Impactor collides with the asteroid while the Orbiter measures the resulting change in the asteroid's orbit, by means of a Radio Science Experiment (RSE) carried out before and after the impact. Three parallel Phase A studies on Don Quijote were carried out for the European Space Agency: the research presented here reflects the outcomes of the study by QinetiQ. We discuss the mission objectives with regard to the prioritisation of payload instruments, with emphasis on the interpretation of the impact. The Radio Science Experiment is described and it is examined how solar radiation pressure may increase the uncertainty in measuring the orbit of the target asteroid. It is determined that to measure the change in orbit accurately a thermal IR spectrometer is mandatory, to measure the Yarkovsky effect. The advantages of having a laser altimeter are discussed. The advantages of a dedicated wide-angle impact camera are discussed and the field-of-view is initially sized through a simple model of the impact.

Controlling system for an experimental demonstration plant for energy conversion using PEMFCs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Culcer, Mihail; Iliescu, Mariana; Stefanescu, Ioan; Raceanu, Mircea; Enache, Adrian; Patularu, Laurentiu

2006-01-01

Full text: In the last decades of the previous century, due to global environmental problems, energy security and supply issues, many studies were conducted to investigate the uses for hydrogen energy and facilitate its penetration as an energy carrier. Subsequently, many industries worldwide began developing and producing hydrogen, hydrogen-powered vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, and other hydrogen-based technologies. In view of the substantial long-term public and private benefits arising from hydrogen and fuel cells, the European Union and national governments throughout Europe, including the Romanian one, are working towards developing a consistent policy framework preparing the transition to a hydrogen based economy. ICIT Rm Valcea developed a research program on energy conversion using fuel cells, a project supported by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research within the National R and D Program. An experimental demonstration pilot plant of energy conversion using PEMFCs and hydrogen producing via steam methane reforming (SMR) was achieved in order to investigate the development of small-scale SMR technologies and to allow testing and developing of specific components. The paper deals with the dedicated controlling system that provides automated data acquisition, manual or 'on line' operational control, gas management, humidification, temperature and flow controls of the pilot plant. (authors)

1-D Wavelet Signal Analysis of the Actuators Nonlinearities Impact on the Healthy Control Systems Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolae Tudoroiu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to investigate the use of the 1-D wavelet analysis to extract several patterns from signals data sets collected from healthy and faulty input-output signals of control systems as a preliminary step in real-time implementation of fault detection diagnosis and isolation strategies. The 1-D wavelet analysis proved that is an useful tool for signals processing, design and analysis based on wavelet transforms found in a wide range of control systems industrial applications. Based on the fact that in the real life there is a great similitude between the phenomena, we are motivated to extend the applicability of these techniques to solve similar applications from control systems field, such is done in our research work. Their efficiency will be demonstrated on a case study mainly chosen to evaluate the impact of the uncertainties and the nonlinearities of the sensors and actuators on the overall performance of the control systems. The proposed techniques are able to extract in frequency domain some pattern features (signatures of interest directly from the signals data set collected by data acquisition equipment from the control system.

Environmental impacts of mining: monitoring, restoration and control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sengupta, M.

1993-01-01

Contains 12 chapters with the following titles: mining and the environment; surface coal mining with reclamation; reclamation and revegetation of mined land; the acid mine drainage problem from coal mines; acid rock drainage and metal migration; hydrologic impact; erosion and sediment control; wetlands; blasting; mining subsidence; postmining land use; environmental effects of gold heap-leaching operations.

The impact of initiation: Early onset marijuana smokers demonstrate altered Stroop performance and brain activation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.A. Sagar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Marijuana (MJ use is on the rise, particularly among teens and emerging adults. This poses serious public health concern, given the potential deleterious effects of MJ on the developing brain. We examined 50 chronic MJ smokers divided into early onset (regular MJ use prior to age 16; n = 24 and late onset (age 16 or later; n = 26, and 34 healthy control participants (HCs. All completed a modified Stroop Color Word Test during fMRI. Results demonstrated that MJ smokers exhibited significantly poorer performance on the Interference subtest of the Stroop, as well as altered patterns of activation in the cingulate cortex relative to HCs. Further, early onset MJ smokers exhibited significantly poorer performance relative to both HCs and late onset smokers. Additionally, earlier age of MJ onset as well as increased frequency and magnitude (grams/week of MJ use were predictive of poorer Stroop performance. fMRI results revealed that while late onset smokers demonstrated a more similar pattern of activation to the control group, a different pattern was evident in the early onset group. These findings underscore the importance of assessing age of onset and patterns of MJ use and support the need for widespread education and intervention efforts among youth.

Irvine Smart Grid Demonstration, a Regional Smart Grid Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yinger, Robert [Southern California Edison Company, Rosemead, CA (United States); Irwin, Mark [Southern California Edison Company, Rosemead, CA (United States)

2015-12-29

ISGD was a comprehensive demonstration that spanned the electricity delivery system and extended into customer homes. The project used phasor measurement technology to enable substation-level situational awareness, and demonstrated SCE’s next-generation substation automation system. It extended beyond the substation to evaluate the latest generation of distribution automation technologies, including looped 12-kV distribution circuit topology using URCIs. The project team used DVVC capabilities to demonstrate CVR. In customer homes, the project evaluated HAN devices such as smart appliances, programmable communicating thermostats, and home energy management components. The homes were also equipped with energy storage, solar PV systems, and a number of energy efficiency measures (EEMs). The team used one block of homes to evaluate strategies and technologies for achieving ZNE. A home achieves ZNE when it produces at least as much renewable energy as the amount of energy it consumes annually. The project also assessed the impact of device-specific demand response (DR), as well as load management capabilities involving energy storage devices and plug-in electric vehicle charging equipment. In addition, the ISGD project sought to better understand the impact of ZNE homes on the electric grid. ISGD’s SENet enabled end-to-end interoperability between multiple vendors’ systems and devices, while also providing a level of cybersecurity that is essential to smart grid development and adoption across the nation. The ISGD project includes a series of sub-projects grouped into four logical technology domains: Smart Energy Customer Solutions, Next-Generation Distribution System, Interoperability and Cybersecurity, and Workforce of the Future. Section 2.3 provides a more detailed overview of these domains.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Video Education versus Skill Demonstration: Which Is More Effective in Teaching Sterile Surgical Technique?

Science.gov (United States)

Pilieci, Stephanie N; Salim, Saad Y; Heffernan, Daithi S; Itani, Kamal M F; Khadaroo, Rachel G

2018-04-01

Video education has many advantages over traditional education including efficiency, convenience, and individualized learning. Learning sterile surgical technique (SST) is imperative for medical students, because proper technique helps prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). We hypothesize that video education is at least as effective as traditional skill demonstration in teaching first-year medical students SST. A video series was created to demonstrate SST ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcRU-gvOmxE2mwMWkowouBkxGXkLZ8Uis ). A randomized controlled trial was designed to assess which education method best teaches SST: video education or skill demonstration. First-year medical students (n = 129) were consented and randomly assigned into two groups: those who attended a skill demonstration (control group; n = 70) and those who watched the video series (experimental group; n = 59). The control group attended a pre-existing 90-minute nurse educator-led skill demonstration. Participants then completed a 30-item multiple choice quiz to test their knowledge. Each group then received the alternate education method and completed a 23-item follow-up survey to determine their preferred method. Seven 2- to 6-minute videos (30 minutes total) were created on surgical attire, scrubbing, gowning and gloving, and maintaining sterility. The experimental group (n = 51) scored higher on the quiz compared with the control group (n = 63) (88% ± 1% versus 72% ± 1%; p < 0.0001). Students preferred the videos when it came to convenience, accessibility, efficiency, and review, and preferred the skill demonstration when it came to knowledge retention, preparedness, and ease of completion. Video education is superior to traditional skill demonstration in providing medical students with knowledge of SST. Students identified strengths to each method of teaching. Video education can augment medical students' knowledge prior to their operating room

Evaluation of maxillary arch morphology in children with unilaterally impacted incisors via three-dimensional analysis of digital dental casts: a controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavoni, Chiara; Franchi, Lorenzo; Buongiorno, Marco; Cozza, Paola

2016-01-01

The purpose of this work was to analyze variations in maxillary arch dimensions in subjects presenting unilaterally impacted maxillary permanent central incisors compared with a control group of subjects without eruption anomalies. A group of 23 Caucasian children [8 females and 15 males, mean age 9.7 years, standard deviation (SD) 1.6 years] displaying unilaterally impacted maxillary permanent central incisors (impacted incisor group: IIG) were compared with a control group (CG) of 23 subjects (9 females; 14 males, mean age 8.8 years, SD 1.9 years) presenting no eruption disorders. Pretreatment dental casts were taken from each subject and the upper arch was scanned using a three-dimensional scanner. Linear measurements were taken on each digital model to analyze maxillary arch dimensions. Significant between-group differences were tested with the Student's t test (p < 0.05). The transverse and sagittal upper-arch measurements were significantly smaller in the IIG than in the CG. In particular, the anterior arch was 1.35 mm shorter in the IIG, while intercanine width was decreased by 2.51 mm on the impacted side. Children revealing unilaterally impacted maxillary central incisors demonstrated a significantly constricted maxillary transverse width and shorter arch on the impacted side compared with subjects with no eruption disorders.

First demonstration of single-mode MCF transport network with crosstalk-aware in-service optical channel control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pulverer, K.; Tanaka, T.; Häbel, U.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate the first crosstalk-aware traffic engineering as a use case in a multicore fibre transport network. With the help of a software-defined network controller, modulation format and channel route are adaptively changed using programmable devices with XT monitors....

Macroeconomic impacts of Universal Health Coverage : Synthetic control evidence from Thailand

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Rieger (Matthias); N. Wagner (Natascha); A.S. Bedi (Arjun Singh)

2015-01-01

textabstractWe study the impact of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on various macroeconomic outcomes in Thailand using synthetic control methods. Thailand is compared to a weighted average of control countries in terms of aggregate health and economic performance over the period 1995 to 2012. Our

Quantifying the Impacts of Outlet Control Structures on Lake Hydrology and Ecology

Science.gov (United States)

Budd, B. M.; Kendall, A. D.; Martin, S. L.; Hyndman, D. W.

2012-12-01

There have been limited studies of the impacts of lake level control structures on stream ecology and lake property erosion. We examine the influence of historical lake level management strategies on Higgins Lake in Michigan, which is regionally known for recreation, fisheries, and scenery. Lake control structures have potentially increased shoreline erosion and seasonally-reduced flow through the outlets, likely impacting fish habitat. Concerns over these issues spurred local land owners to seek a study on the possible hydrologic and ecological impacts of the removal or modification of the control structure. Bathymetry maps are fundamental to understanding and managing lake ecosystems. From the 1930's through the 1950's, these maps were developed for thousands of Michigan inland lakes using soundings lowered through holes cut in winter lake ice. Increased land use change and alterations of lake outlets have likely modified erosion and sedimentation rates of these lake systems. Our research includes bathymetry surveys of Higgins Lake using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and side-scan sonar. The new higher-resolution bathymetry serves as the basis for simulating impacts of potential changes in lake management, on a verity of inpoint including shoreline position and fish habitat.

The impact of inclusive business on ethical values & internal control quality: an accounting perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamer A. El Nashar

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of inclusive business on the internal ethical values and the internal control quality while conceiving the accounting perspective. I construct the hypothesis for this paper based on the potential impact on the organizations’ awareness to be directed to the inclusive business approach that will significantly impact the culture of the organizations then the ethical values and the internal control quality. I use the approach of the expected value and variance of random variable test in order to analyze the potential impact of inclusive business. I support the examination by discrete probability distribution and continuous probability distribution. I find a probability of 85.5% to have a significant potential impact of the inclusive business by 100% score on internal ethical values and internal control quality. And to help contribute to sustainability growth, reduce poverty and improve organizational culture and learning.

Psychosocial impact of adolescent gynecomastia: a prospective case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nuzzi, Laura C; Cerrato, Felecia E; Erickson, Cameron R; Erikson, Cameron R; Webb, Michelle L; Rosen, Heather; Walsh, Erika M; DiVasta, Amy D; Greene, Arin K; Labow, Brian I

2013-04-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the physical and psychosocial impact of gynecomastia and its severity on adolescents seeking treatment as compared with healthy adolescent males. The following surveys were administered to adolescents with gynecomastia and healthy male controls, aged 12 to 21 years: Short Form-36 Version 2, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Eating Attitudes Test-26. Demographic variables were compared between the two groups, and controls were administered a short chest symptoms survey. Linear regression models, unadjusted and adjusted for body mass index category, were fit to determine the effect of case status and graded severity of gynecomastia on survey score. Forty-seven patients with gynecomastia and 92 male control subjects participated in this study. There was no difference in mean age between the groups, although patients with gynecomastia had a significantly higher body mass index. Gynecomastia subjects had three lower Short Form-36 domain and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scores independent of body mass index category as compared with controls, although there was no difference in Eating Attitudes Test-26 scores between the groups. Graded gynecomastia severity had no effect on survey scores, all independent of body mass index category. Gynecomastia has a significant negative impact on primarily the psychosocial well-being of affected adolescent patients, specifically in regard to social functioning, mental health, and self-esteem. Psychosocial impact was not affected by graded severity of disease. Health care providers and patients should be aware of the psychosocial impairments associated with gynecomastia and consider early treatment for adolescents suffering from this condition, regardless of severity.

Evaluating the Impact of Communication Network Performance on Supervisory Supermarket Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jacob Theilgaard; Minko, Tomasz; Madsen, Tatiana Kozlova

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the evaluation of the impact of non-ideal communication networks on system performance of hierarchical control systems. It develops a stepwise evaluation approach that is applied to the example scenario of a supervisory controller for supermarket temperature control, addressing...... of communication network performance on the supermarket refrigeration control and resulting energy costs using simulation models. The results show that the controller is resilient to downstream information delays, however upstream delays or up- and downstream information loss can cause significant performance...

AZ-101 Mixer Pump Demonstration Data Acquisition System and Gamma Cart Data Acquisition Control System Software Configuration Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WHITE, D.A.

1999-01-01

This Software Configuration Management Plan (SCMP) provides the instructions for change control of the AZ1101 Mixer Pump Demonstration Data Acquisition System (DAS) and the Sludge Mobilization Cart (Gamma Cart) Data Acquisition and Control System (DACS)

Analysis of Skylab IV fluid mechanic science demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Klett, M. G.; Bourgeois, S. V.

1975-01-01

Several science demonstrations performed on Skylab III and IV were concerned with the behavior of fluid drops free floating in microgravity. These demonstrations, with large liquid drops, included the oscillation, rotation, impact and coalescence, and air injection into the drops. Rayleigh's analysis of the oscillation of spherical drops of a liquid predicts accurately the effect of size and surface tension on the frequency of vibrated water globules in the Skylab demonstration. However, damping occurred much faster than predicted by Lamb's or Scriven's analyses of the damping time for spherical drops. The impact demonstrations indicated that a minimum velocity is necessary to overcome surface forces and effect a coalescence, but a precise criterion for the coalescence of liquids in low g could not be determined.

The impact of inclusive business on ethical values & internal control quality: an accounting perspective

OpenAIRE

Tamer A. El Nashar

2016-01-01

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of inclusive business on the internal ethical values and the internal control quality while conceiving the accounting perspective. I construct the hypothesis for this paper based on the potential impact on the organizations’ awareness to be directed to the inclusive business approach that will significantly impact the culture of the organizations then the ethical values and the internal control quality. I use the approach of the expected va...

Demonstration of AC and DC charge control for the LISA test masses

Science.gov (United States)

Olatunde, Taiwo Janet

2018-01-01

Taiwo Olatunde, Stephen Apple, Andrew Chilton, Samantha Parry, Peter Wass, Guido Mueller, John W. Conklin The residual test mass acceleration in LISA must be below 3 fm/s2/√Hz at all frequencies between 0.1 and 3 mHz. Test mass charge coupled with stray electrical potentials and external electromagnetic fields is a well-known source of acceleration noise. LISA Pathfinder uses Hg lamps emitting mostly around 254 nm to discharge the test masses via photoemission, but a future LISA mission launched around 2030 will likely replace the lamps with newer UV LEDs with lower mass, better power efficiency, smaller size and higher bandwidth. This presentation will discuss charge control demonstrated on the torsion pendulum in AC and DC modes at the University of Florida using latest generation UV LEDs producing light at 240 nm with energy above the work function of pure Au. Initial results of Au quantum efficiency measurements (number of emitted electrons per incident photons) which is critical for bi-polar charge control will also be presented.

Regulatory requirements of the integrated technology demonstration program, Savannah River Site (U)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergren, C.L.

1992-01-01

The integrated demonstration program at the Savannah River Site (SRS) involves demonstration, testing and evaluation of new characterization, monitoring, drilling and remediation technologies for soils and groundwater impacted by organic solvent contamination. The regulatory success of the demonstration program has developed as a result of open communications between the regulators and the technical teams involved. This open dialogue is an attempt to allow timely completion of applied environmental restoration demonstrations while meeting all applicable regulatory requirements. Simultaneous processing of multiple regulatory documents (satisfying RCRA, CERCLA, NEPA and various state regulations) has streamlined the overall permitting process. Public involvement is achieved as various regulatory documents are advertised for public comment consistent with the site's community relations plan. The SRS integrated demonstration has been permitted and endorsed by regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. EPA headquarters and regional offices are involved in DOE's integrated Demonstration Program. This relationship allows for rapid regulatory acceptance while reducing federal funding and time requirements. (author)

STUXNET and the Impact on Accelerator Control Systems

CERN Document Server

Lüders, S

2011-01-01

2010 has seen wide news coverage of a new kind of computer attack, named "Stuxnet", targeting control systems. Due to its level of sophistication, it is widely acknowledged that this attack marks the very first case of a cyber-war of one country against the industrial infrastructure of another, although there is still much speculation about the details. Worse yet, experts recognize that Stuxnet might just be the beginning and that similar attacks, eventually with much less sophistication, but with much more collateral damage, can be expected in the years to come. Stuxnet was targeting a special model of the Siemens 400 PLC series. Similar modules are also deployed for accelerator controls like the LHC cryogenics or vacuum systems as well as the detector control systems in LHC experiments. Therefore, the aim of this presentation is to give an insight into what this new attack does and why it is deemed to be special. In particular, the potential impact on accelerator and experiment control sys...

Advanced Instrumentation and Control Methods for Small and Medium Reactors with IRIS Demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. Wesley Hines; Belle R. Upadhyaya; J. Michael Doster; Robert M. Edwards; Kenneth D. Lewis; Paul Turinsky; Jamie Coble

2011-05-31

Development and deployment of small-scale nuclear power reactors and their maintenance, monitoring, and control are part of the mission under the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program. The objectives of this NERI-consortium research project are to investigate, develop, and validate advanced methods for sensing, controlling, monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis of these reactors, and to demonstrate the methods with application to one of the proposed integral pressurized water reactors (IPWR). For this project, the IPWR design by Westinghouse, the International Reactor Secure and Innovative (IRIS), has been used to demonstrate the techniques developed under this project. The research focuses on three topical areas with the following objectives. Objective 1 - Develop and apply simulation capabilities and sensitivity/uncertainty analysis methods to address sensor deployment analysis and small grid stability issues. Objective 2 - Develop and test an autonomous and fault-tolerant control architecture and apply to the IRIS system and an experimental flow control loop, with extensions to multiple reactor modules, nuclear desalination, and optimal sensor placement strategy. Objective 3 - Develop and test an integrated monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis system for SMRs using the IRIS as a test platform, and integrate process and equipment monitoring (PEM) and process and equipment prognostics (PEP) toolboxes. The research tasks are focused on meeting the unique needs of reactors that may be deployed to remote locations or to developing countries with limited support infrastructure. These applications will require smaller, robust reactor designs with advanced technologies for sensors, instrumentation, and control. An excellent overview of SMRs is described in an article by Ingersoll (2009). The article refers to these as deliberately small reactors. Most of these have modular characteristics, with multiple units deployed at the same plant site. Additionally, the topics focus

The Role of Demonstration Projects in Construction innovation processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Lennie

1999-01-01

The article is describing the methodology of a case-study approach to the investigation of demonstration projects and their impact on the development of process and product innovations in the construction industry.......The article is describing the methodology of a case-study approach to the investigation of demonstration projects and their impact on the development of process and product innovations in the construction industry....

The impact and control of biofouling in marine aquaculture: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitridge, Isla; Dempster, Tim; Guenther, Jana; de Nys, Rocky

2012-01-01

Biofouling in marine aquaculture is a specific problem where both the target culture species and/or infrastructure are exposed to a diverse array of fouling organisms, with significant production impacts. In shellfish aquaculture the key impact is the direct fouling of stock causing physical damage, mechanical interference, biological competition and environmental modification, while infrastructure is also impacted. In contrast, the key impact in finfish aquaculture is the fouling of infrastructure which restricts water exchange, increases disease risk and causes deformation of cages and structures. Consequently, the economic costs associated with biofouling control are substantial. Conservative estimates are consistently between 5-10% of production costs (equivalent to US$ 1.5 to 3 billion yr(-1)), illustrating the need for effective mitigation methods and technologies. The control of biofouling in aquaculture is achieved through the avoidance of natural recruitment, physical removal and the use of antifoulants. However, the continued rise and expansion of the aquaculture industry and the increasingly stringent legislation for biocides in food production necessitates the development of innovative antifouling strategies. These must meet environmental, societal, and economic benchmarks while effectively preventing the settlement and growth of resilient multi-species consortia of biofouling organisms.

IMPACT OF POLY-LINGUISTIC LOAD ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AND MONITORING QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volodymyr Kharchenko

2012-09-01

Full Text Available  We have defined the structure and basic characteristics of the poly-linguistic audio-acoustic channel within the framework of controller – pilot communication, and set limits of poly-linguistic load impact on air traffic control.

Impact of Journaling on Students’ Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krista K. Fritson, PsyD

2008-08-01

Full Text Available While considerable research has examined the academic and cognitive value of journaling, little has examined the psychological impact of journaling on the personal development of college students. Research on cognitive-behavioral therapy indicates that journaling can have a positive impact on individuals’ self-growth and intrapersonal characteristics. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of classroom-based journaling on students’ self-efficacy and locus of control. Students in two undergraduate courses were required to complete weekly journal assignments; one class received targeted information on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT and one class did not. Students completed pre-, mid-, and postcourse assessments on self-efficacy, locus of control, and learning. Results revealed that self-efficacy scores for both groups significantly improved after the early journaling assignments; however, there were no differences between those who received direct CBT instruction and those who did not. These findings indicate that journaling may have important psychological benefits above and beyond its expected academic and cognitive outcomes.

Impact of Journaling on Students’ Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krista K. Fritson

2008-08-01

Full Text Available While considerable research has examined the academic and cognitive value of journaling, little has examined the psychological impact of journaling on the personal development of college students. Research on cognitive-behavioral therapy indicates that journaling can have a positive impact on individuals’ self-growth and intrapersonal characteristics. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of classroom-based journaling on students’ self-efficacy and locus of control. Students in two undergraduate courses were required to complete weekly journal assignments; one class received targeted information on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT and one class did not. Students completed pre-, mid-, and post-course assessments on self-efficacy, locus of control, and learning. Results revealed that self-efficacy scores for both groups significantly improved after the early journaling assignments; however, there were no differences between those who received direct CBT instruction and those who did not. These findings indicate that journaling may have important psychological benefits above and beyond its expected academic and cognitive outcomes.

Demonstration of robust micromachined jet technology and its application to realistic flow control problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Sung Pil

2006-01-01

This paper describes the demonstration of successful fabrication and initial characterization of micromachined pressure sensors and micromachined jets (microjets) fabricated for use in macro flow control and other applications. In this work, the microfabrication technology was investigated to create a micromachined fluidic control system with a goal of application in practical fluids problems, such as UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-scale aerodynamic control. Approaches of this work include : (1) the development of suitable micromachined synthetic jets (microjets) as actuators, which obviate the need to physically extend micromachined structures into an external flow ; and (2) a non-silicon alternative micromachining fabrication technology based on metallic substrates and lamination (in addition to traditional MEMS technologies) which will allow the realization of larger scale, more robust structures and larger array active areas for fluidic systems. As an initial study, an array of MEMS pressure sensors and an array of MEMS modulators for orifice-based control of microjets have been fabricated, and characterized. Both pressure sensors and modulators have been built using stainless steel as a substrate and a combination of lamination and traditional micromachining processes as fabrication technologies

Demonstration of robust micromachined jet technology and its application to realistic flow control problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Sung Pil [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2006-04-15

This paper describes the demonstration of successful fabrication and initial characterization of micromachined pressure sensors and micromachined jets (microjets) fabricated for use in macro flow control and other applications. In this work, the microfabrication technology was investigated to create a micromachined fluidic control system with a goal of application in practical fluids problems, such as UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-scale aerodynamic control. Approaches of this work include : (1) the development of suitable micromachined synthetic jets (microjets) as actuators, which obviate the need to physically extend micromachined structures into an external flow ; and (2) a non-silicon alternative micromachining fabrication technology based on metallic substrates and lamination (in addition to traditional MEMS technologies) which will allow the realization of larger scale, more robust structures and larger array active areas for fluidic systems. As an initial study, an array of MEMS pressure sensors and an array of MEMS modulators for orifice-based control of microjets have been fabricated, and characterized. Both pressure sensors and modulators have been built using stainless steel as a substrate and a combination of lamination and traditional micromachining processes as fabrication technologies.

Impacts of cement industries on environment and control measure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashmi, H.N.; Malik, H.N.; Naushad, Z.

2005-01-01

Utilization of cement as building material is gaining more importance. Cement industries around the world are contributing in global and as well as local pollution. In Pakistan most of the cement industries are constructed in remote areas without any proper environmental impact assessment. Unawareness of peoples toward sustainable environment and due to lack of job opportunities, dwellers are demanding employment rather than clean environment from title-holder of the industry. Air pollution caused by cement industries is harmful to the human's health, spoils and erodes building surface, corrodes metals, weakens textiles, deteriorates atmospheric visibility, affects plant life and leads to ecological imbalances. To investigate environmental impact of cement industries in Pakistan, environmental conditions around and inside the five cement industries in the vicinity of Taxila city are studied. To inspect the whole scenario, air pollution control devices in these industries were also examined in detail. These industries are using Electrostatic Precipitators and Baghouses to control air pollution (dust particulates). Proper caring of these equipment is necessary for better results. Detailed study shows that emissions from their stacks and dust particulates are causing problems. Health consultants in study area are much worry about the health of workers and environmental degradation in the vicinity of these industries. The comparison of air pollution control devices shows that Baghouses are environmental friendly. Considering the field conditions it is also concluded that involvement of government and environmental pollution control agencies is much more necessary. (author)

Instrumentation and process control for fossil demonstration plants. Quarterly technical progress report, April--June 1977

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LeSage, L.G.

1977-07-01

Work has been performed on updating the study of the state-of-the-art of instrumentation for Fossil Demonstration Plants (FDP), development of mass-flow and other on-line instruments for FDP, process control analysis for FDP, and organization of a symposium on instrumentation and control for FDP. A Solids/Gas Flow Test Facility (S/GFTF) under construction for instrument development, testing, evaluation, and calibration is described. The development work for several mass-flow and other on-line instruments is described: acoustic flowmeter, capacitive density flowmeter, neutron activation flowmeter and composition analysis system, gamma ray correlation flowmeter, optical flowmeter, and capacitive liquid interface level meter.

Controlled challenge experiment demonstrates substantial additive genetic variation in resistance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to Streptococcus iniae

Science.gov (United States)

Streptococcus iniae is an etiologic agent of streptococcal disease in tilapia and is one of several Streptococcus spp. that negatively impact worldwide tilapia production. Methods for the prevention and control of S. iniae include vaccines, management strategies, and antibiotics. A complimentary pre...

Demonstration of a vectorial optical field generator with adaptive close loop control.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Kong, Lingjiang; Zhan, Qiwen

2017-12-01

We experimentally demonstrate a vectorial optical field generator (VOF-Gen) with an adaptive close loop control. The close loop control capability is illustrated with the calibration of polarization modulation of the system. To calibrate the polarization ratio modulation, we generate 45° linearly polarized beam and make it propagate through a linear analyzer whose transmission axis is orthogonal to the incident beam. For the retardation calibration, circularly polarized beam is employed and a circular polarization analyzer with the opposite chirality is placed in front of the CCD as the detector. In both cases, the close loop control automatically changes the value of the corresponding calibration parameters in the pre-set ranges to generate the phase patterns applied to the spatial light modulators and records the intensity distribution of the output beam by the CCD camera. The optimized calibration parameters are determined corresponding to the minimum total intensity in each case. Several typical kinds of vectorial optical beams are created with and without the obtained calibration parameters, and the full Stokes parameter measurements are carried out to quantitatively analyze the polarization distribution of the generated beams. The comparisons among these results clearly show that the obtained calibration parameters could remarkably improve the accuracy of the polarization modulation of the VOF-Gen, especially for generating elliptically polarized beam with large ellipticity, indicating the significance of the presented close loop in enhancing the performance of the VOF-Gen.

A turtle cognition research demonstration enhances visitor engagement and keeper-animal relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Alba, Andrew C; Leighty, Katherine A; Pittman Courte, Victoria L; Grand, Alison P; Bettinger, Tamara L

2017-07-01

Environmental enrichment techniques present animals with cognitive challenges while providing them opportunities to make choices and exert control over their environment. In this way, cognitive research and training is enriching to animals and can be used as a form of enrichment in zoos and aquariums. Cognitive research demonstrations also provide an opportunity to enhance visitor experience, as well as foster interactions between animals and keepers. We investigated how cognitive research sessions involving eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) at Disney's Animal Kingdom ® impacted both the rate of visitors coming to the exhibit and the amount of time they spent engaged. Further, we used a questionnaire to assess the impact of keeper participation in these sessions on their relationships with and perceptions of the turtles. While visitation rate to the exhibit was not impacted, cognitive research sessions held visitor attention for longer than keeper interpretation or at times during which no keepers or researchers were present. We also found that keepers that had worked with the turtles for longer and keepers that regularly participated in cognitive research sessions reported stronger bonds with the turtles. Our research suggests that use of cognitive research and training demonstrations for guest viewing in zoos and aquariums may enhance visitor learning opportunities by increasing the amount of time they spend at the exhibit. Our study also provides evidence that participation in such demonstrations by zoo and aquarium professionals can be related to improved keeper-animal bonds, potentially resulting in better husbandry and enhanced animal welfare. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AEP Ohio gridSMART Demonstration Project Real-Time Pricing Demonstration Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widergren, Steven E.; Subbarao, Krishnappa; Fuller, Jason C.; Chassin, David P.; Somani, Abhishek; Marinovici, Maria C.; Hammerstrom, Janelle L.

2014-02-01

This report contributes initial findings from an analysis of significant aspects of the gridSMART® Real-Time Pricing (RTP) – Double Auction demonstration project. Over the course of four years, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) worked with American Electric Power (AEP), Ohio and Battelle Memorial Institute to design, build, and operate an innovative system to engage residential consumers and their end-use resources in a participatory approach to electric system operations, an incentive-based approach that has the promise of providing greater efficiency under normal operating conditions and greater flexibility to react under situations of system stress. The material contained in this report supplements the findings documented by AEP Ohio in the main body of the gridSMART report. It delves into three main areas: impacts on system operations, impacts on households, and observations about the sensitivity of load to price changes.

Self-control, future orientation, smoking, and the impact of Dutch tobacco control measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, Michael; Delaney, Liam; Baumeister, Roy F

2015-06-01

The pronounced discrepancy between smokers' intentions to quit and their smoking behavior has led researchers to suggest that many smokers are time inconsistent, have self-control problems, and may benefit from external efforts to constrain their consumption. This study aims to test whether self-control and future orientation predict smoking levels and to identify if these traits modify how cigarette consumption responds to the introduction of tobacco control measures. A sample of Dutch adults (N = 1585) completed a measure of self-control and the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS) in 2001 and indicated their tobacco consumption each year from 2001 to 2007. In 2004, a workplace smoking ban and substantial tax increase on tobacco was introduced in the Netherlands. To identify the potential impact of these tobacco control measures we examined whether participants smoked or were heavy smokers (20 + cigarettes per day) each year from 2001 to 2007. Participants with high self-control and CFCS scores showed lower rates of smoking across the seven year period of the study. The 2004 smoking restrictions were linked with a subsequent decline in heavy smoking. This decline was moderated by self-control levels. Those with low self-control showed a large reduction in heavy smoking whereas those with high self-control did not. The effects were, however, temporary: many people with low self-control resumed heavy smoking 2-3 years after the introduction of the tobacco restrictions. The immediate costs which national tobacco control measures impose on smokers may assist smokers with poor self-control in reducing their cigarette consumption.

Development and demonstration of optical polarization controller; Hikari henpa seigyo sochi no kaihatsu to jissho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurono, M. [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-04-01

If fiber transmission light can be controlled in a stabilized polarization state, realization of coherent optical communication is anticipated. In the case of adopting it to OPGW, however, it is necessary to compensate high speed polarization variation caused by lightning strike. But this was difficult in the conventional method. Accordingly, a high speed polarization control method was proposed which uses an electric effect of lithium niobate (LN) crystals. In the study, a polarization control unit was manufactured based on the method proposed and the performance was demonstrated. As a result of measuring output light with input light changed in every state of polarization, the object horizontal polarization component obtained a stabilized light intensity at {+-}0.1dB, and a light intensity of the component slipped out of the horizontal polarization was suppressed under -20dB. To cope with the polarization variation by lightning strike, it is necessary to make the control delay 10{mu}sec or below, and improvement in processing unit, etc. may make it possible since LN crystals respond below 1{mu}sec. High speed control of the infinitely continuing arbitrary polarization variation became possible. 14 refs., 19 figs.

Impact of eLearning course on nurses' professional competence in seclusion and restraint practices: a randomized controlled study (ISRCTN32869544).

Science.gov (United States)

Kontio, R; Lahti, M; Pitkänen, A; Joffe, G; Putkonen, H; Hätönen, H; Katajisto, J; Välimäki, M

2011-11-01

Education on the care of aggressive and disturbed patients is fragmentary. eLearning could ensure the quality of such education, but data on its impact on professional competence in psychiatry are lacking. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of ePsychNurse.Net, an eLearning course, on psychiatric nurses' professional competence in seclusion and restraint and on their job satisfaction and general self-efficacy. In a randomized controlled study, 12 wards were randomly assigned to ePsychNurse.Net (intervention) or education as usual (control). Baseline and 3-month follow-up data on nurses' knowledge of coercion-related legislation, physical restraint and seclusion, their attitudes towards physical restraint and seclusion, job satisfaction and general self-efficacy were analysed for 158 completers. Knowledge (primary outcome) of coercion-related legislation improved in the intervention group, while knowledge of physical restraint improved and knowledge of seclusion remained unchanged in both groups. General self-efficacy improved in the intervention group also attitude to seclusion in the control group. In between-group comparison, attitudes to seclusion (one of secondary outcomes) favoured the control group. Although the ePsychNurse.Net demonstrated only slight advantages over conventional learning, it may be worth further development with, e.g. flexible time schedule and individualized content. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing.

Thermal Performance of ATLAS Laser Thermal Control System Demonstration Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Ku, Jentung; Robinson, Franklin; Patel, Deepak; Ottenstein, Laura

2013-01-01

than 135 watts of heater power. 4) The LHP reservoir control heater power is limited to 15 watts with a 70 percent duty cycle. 5) The voltage of the power supply can vary between 26 volts direct current and 34 volts direct current during the spacecraft lifetime. A design analysis shows that a single LTCS can satisfy these requirements. However, shutdown of· the LHP is particularly challenging and the shutdown heater must be wired in series with two reservoir thermostats and two CCHP thermostats at different set points. An LTCS demonstration unit has been tested to verify these performance characteristics experimentally prior to proceeding to the final LTCS design and fabrication. Test results showed that the LHP shutdown scheme would be able to shut down the LHP as designed and the reservoir control heater can maintain the ATLAS mass simulator within the plus or minus 1 degrees Centigrade accuracy under various combinations of the heat load, sink temperature, and power supply voltage.

Biological assessments for the low energy demonstration accelerator, 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cross, S.

1997-03-01

This report discusses the biological impact to the area around the Los Alamos National Laboratory of the Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator. In particular the impact to the soils, water quality, vegetation, and wildlife are discussed.

Toward demonstrating controlled-X operation based on continuous-variable four-partite cluster states and quantum teleporters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yu; Su Xiaolong; Shen Heng; Tan Aihong; Xie Changde; Peng Kunchi

2010-01-01

One-way quantum computation based on measurement and multipartite cluster entanglement offers the ability to perform a variety of unitary operations only through different choices of measurement bases. Here we present an experimental study toward demonstrating the controlled-X operation, a two-mode gate in which continuous variable (CV) four-partite cluster states of optical modes are utilized. Two quantum teleportation elements are used for achieving the gate operation of the quantum state transformation from input target and control states to output states. By means of the optical cluster state prepared off-line, the homodyne detection and electronic feeding forward, the information carried by the input control state is transformed to the output target state. The presented scheme of the controlled-X operation based on teleportation can be implemented nonlocally and deterministically. The distortion of the quantum information resulting from the imperfect cluster entanglement is estimated with the fidelity.

40 CFR 117.14 - Demonstration projects.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Demonstration projects. 117.14 Section... DETERMINATION OF REPORTABLE QUANTITIES FOR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES Applicability § 117.14 Demonstration projects... research or demonstration projects relating to the prevention, control, or abatement of hazardous substance...

Enhancing DC Glow Discharge Tube Museuum Displays using a Theremin Controlled Helmholtz Coil to Demonstrate Magnetic Confinement

Science.gov (United States)

Siu, Theodore; Wissel, Stephanie; Guttadora, Larry; Liao, Susan; Zwicker, Andrew

2010-11-01

Since their discovery in the mid 1800's, DC glow discharge apparatuses have commonly been used for spectral analysis, the demonstration of the Frank-Hertz experiment, and to study plasma breakdown voltages following from the Paschen Curve. A DC glow discharge tube museum display was outfitted with a Helmholtz Coil electromagnet in order to demonstrate magnetic confinement for a science museum display. A device commonly known as a ``theremin'' was designed and built in order to externally control the Helmholtz Coil current and the plasma current. Originally a musical instrument, a theremin has two variable capacitors connected to two radio frequency oscillators which determine pitch and volume. Using a theremin to control current and ``play'' the plasma adds appeal and durability by providing a new innovative means of interacting with a museum exhibit. Educationally, students can use the display to not only learn about plasma properties but also electronic properties of the human body.

Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dr. Scott Staley

2010-03-31

This program was undertaken in response to the US Department of Energy Solicitation DE-PS30-03GO93010, resulting in this Cooperative Agreement with the Ford Motor Company and BP to demonstrate and evaluate hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and required fueling infrastructure. Ford initially placed 18 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) in three geographic regions of the US (Sacramento, CA; Orlando, FL; and southeast Michigan). Subsequently, 8 advanced technology vehicles were developed and evaluated by the Ford engineering team in Michigan. BP is Ford's principal partner and co-applicant on this project and provided the hydrogen infrastructure to support the fuel cell vehicles. BP ultimately provided three new fueling stations. The Ford-BP program consists of two overlapping phases. The deliverables of this project, combined with those of other industry consortia, are to be used to provide critical input to hydrogen economy commercialization decisions by 2015. The program's goal is to support industry efforts of the US President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative in developing a path to a hydrogen economy. This program was designed to seek complete systems solutions to address hydrogen infrastructure and vehicle development, and possible synergies between hydrogen fuel electricity generation and transportation applications. This project, in support of that national goal, was designed to gain real world experience with Hydrogen powered Fuel Cell Vehicles (H2FCV) 'on the road' used in everyday activities, and further, to begin the development of the required supporting H2 infrastructure. Implementation of a new hydrogen vehicle technology is, as expected, complex because of the need for parallel introduction of a viable, available fuel delivery system and sufficient numbers of vehicles to buy fuel to justify expansion of the fueling infrastructure. Viability of the fuel structure means widespread, affordable hydrogen which can return a reasonable profit to

Management Control in Major Brazilian Multiple Banks: the Impact of Internationalization and Convergence of Accounting Standards on the Control Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Carlos Damasceno Reis

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This study verifies the impact caused by the processes of globalization and convergence to international accounting standards on the managerial control systems of the largest multiple banks that operate in Brazil. The study was exploratory in nature, with the use of the case study method and the application of questionnaires containing mostly open questions to upper tier executives of four major Brazilian banks. The analysis showed that globalization has resulted in improved control systems and widespread use of information technology. It was also found that the convergence to international accounting standards occurred properly, thanks to the steps taken by the Central Bank that aimed at an agile updating of the Brazilian accounting standards laid down for banks operating in Brazil, in line with international standards. In general, the researched banks did not report a significant impact of convergence to the IFRS on their management control systems; adherence to the international accounting standards has had more significant impacts on information systems, especially regarding the new reporting and transparency standards, rather than on management controls. This result signals that the management control systems of the four banks in the sample are in line with Anthony (1965’s vision, that is, that flexibility to adapt to every change in the external environment might actually increase risks of failure.

Demonstration tokamak power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdou, M.; Baker, C.; Brooks, J.; Ehst, D.; Mattas, R.; Smith, D.L.; DeFreece, D.; Morgan, G.D.; Trachsel, C.

1983-01-01

A conceptual design for a tokamak demonstration power plant (DEMO) was developed. A large part of the study focused on examining the key issues and identifying the R and D needs for: (1) current drive for steady-state operation, (2) impurity control and exhaust, (3) tritium breeding blanket, and (4) reactor configuration and maintenance. Impurity control and exhaust will not be covered in this paper but is discussed in another paper in these proceedings, entitled Key Issues of FED/INTOR Impurity Control System

Quagga and zebra mussels: biology, impacts, and control

Science.gov (United States)

Nalepa, Thomas F.; Schloesser, Don W.; Nalepa, Thomas F.; Schloesser, Don W.

2013-01-01

Quagga and Zebra Mussels: Biology, Impacts, and Control, Second Edition provides a broad view of the zebra/quagga mussel issue, offering a historic perspective and up-to-date information on mussel research. Comprising 48 chapters, this second edition includes reviews of mussel morphology, physiology, and behavior. It details mussel distribution and spread in Europe and across North America, and examines policy and regulatory responses, management strategies, and mitigation efforts. In addition, this book provides extensive coverage of the impact of invasive mussel species on freshwater ecosystems, including effects on water clarity, phytoplankton, water quality, food web changes, and consequences to other aquatic fauna. It also reviews and offers new insights on how zebra and quagga mussels respond and adapt to varying environmental conditions. This new edition includes seven video clips that complement chapter text and, through visual documentation, provide a greater understanding of mussel behavior and distribution.

Impact of California air quality control policies on the use and demand for natural gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, J.D.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses the impact of California's air quality control policies on the use of natural gas. In this paper the author would like to briefly review the regulatory structure for air pollution control in California, summarize the requirement of the California Clean Air Act of 1988, and discuss the impacts of our regulatory programs on the use and demand for natural gas

Impact of VSC Control Strategies and Incorporation of Synchronous Condensers on Distance Protection under Unbalanced Faults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jia, Jundi; Yang, Guangya; Nielsen, Arne Hejde

2018-01-01

on distance protection are evaluated using a commercial relay through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests. Based on the test results, we propose to avoid using constant reactive power control strategy. It poses an adverse impact on the reliability and speed of distance protection regardless of the presence of SC....... This might bring up challenges to the protection system of a converter-dominated power system. This paper derives a generic converter peak current limitation method for three different VSC control strategies. The impact of the control strategies and the combined impact of a VSC with a synchronous condenser...... at the point of common coupling (PCC), while constant active power and balanced current control strategies favor the performances of distance protection....

Disentangling the Impact of Control-Enhancing Mechanisms on Firm Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zattoni, Alessandro; Pedersen, Torben

2011-01-01

shareholders to expropriate minority shareholders. The aim of this article is to contribute to the current debate investigating the implications of these control-enhancing mechanisms on firm performance. To reach this purpose, we collected ownership data on the (100) largest listed companies per capitalization......Governance scholars and investors traditionally advocate against the use of control enhancing mechanisms, i.e. mechanisms aimed at separating voting and cash flow rights. These mechanisms may, in fact, determine a deviation from the proportionality principle and may encourage large and controlling...... in five European countries (i.e. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK). Then we tested the consequences of control-enhancing mechanisms for firm performance using 2SLS regression models. Our results show that (i) mechanisms that lock-in control do have a direct and negative impact on firm performance...

Demonstration of feed-forward control for linear optics quantum computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pittman, T.B.; Jacobs, B.C.; Franson, J.D.

2002-01-01

One of the main requirements in linear optics quantum computing is the ability to perform single-qubit operations that are controlled by classical information fed forward from the output of single-photon detectors. These operations correspond to predetermined combinations of phase corrections and bit flips that are applied to the postselected output modes of nondeterministic quantum logic devices. Corrections of this kind are required in order to obtain the correct logical output for certain detection events, and their use can increase the overall success probability of the devices. In this paper, we report on the experimental demonstration of the use of this type of feed-forward system to increase the probability of success of a simple nondeterministic quantum logic operation from approximately (1/4) to (1/2). This logic operation involves the use of one target qubit and one ancilla qubit which, in this experiment, are derived from a parametric down-conversion photon pair. Classical information describing the detection of the ancilla photon is fed forward in real time and used to alter the quantum state of the output photon. A fiber-optic delay line is used to store the output photon until a polarization-dependent phase shift can be applied using a high-speed Pockels cell

A randomized controlled pilot trial comparing the impact of access to clinical endocrinology video demonstrations with access to usual revision resources on medical student performance of clinical endocrinology skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Hibbert, Emily J; Lambert, Tim; Carter, John N; Learoyd, Diana L; Twigg, Stephen; Clarke, Stephen

2013-10-03

Demonstrating competence in clinical skills is key to course completion for medical students. Methods of providing clinical instruction that foster immediate learning and potentially serve as longer-term repositories for on-demand revision, such as online videos demonstrating competent performance of clinical skills, are increasingly being used. However, their impact on learning has been little studied. The aim of this study was to determine the value of adjunctive on-demand video-based training for clinical skills acquisition by medical students in endocrinology. Following an endocrinology clinical tutorial program, 2nd year medical students in the pre-assessment revision period were recruited and randomized to either a set of bespoke on-line clinical skills training videos (TV), or to revision as usual (RAU). The skills demonstrated on video were history taking in diabetes mellitus (DMH), examination for diabetes lower limb complications (LLE), and examination for signs of thyroid disease (TE). Students were assessed on these clinical skills in an observed structured clinical examination two weeks after randomization. Assessors were blinded to student randomization status. For both diabetes related clinical skills assessment tasks, students in the TV group performed significantly better than those in the RAU group. There were no between group differences in thyroid examination performance. For the LLE, 91.7% (n = 11/12) of students randomized to the video were rated globally as competent at the skill compared with 40% (n = 4/10) of students not randomized to the video (p = 0.024). For the DMH, 83.3% (n = 10/12) of students randomized to the video were rated globally as competent at the skill compared with 20% (n = 2/10) of students not randomized to the video (p = 0.007). Exposure to high quality videos demonstrating clinical skills can significantly improve medical student skill performance in an observed structured clinical examination of these skills, when

The impact of new computer technology on accelerator control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theil, E.; Jacobson, V.; Paxson, V.

1987-01-01

This paper describes some recent developments in computing and stresses their application to accelerator control systems. Among the advances that promise to have a significant impact are: i) low cost scientific workstations; ii) the use of ''windows'', pointing devices and menus in a multitasking operating system; iii) high resolution large-screen graphics monitors; iv) new kinds of high bandwidth local area networks. The relevant features are related to a general accelerator control system. For example, the authors examine the implications of a computing environment which permits and encourages graphical manipulation of system components, rather than traditional access through the writing of programs or ''canned'' access via touch panels

The impact of new computer technology on accelerator control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theil, E.; Jacobson, V.; Paxson, V.

1987-04-01

This paper describes some recent developments in computing and stresses their application in accelerator control systems. Among the advances that promise to have a significant impact are (1) low cost scientific workstations; (2) the use of ''windows'', pointing devices and menus in a multi-tasking operating system; (3) high resolution large-screen graphics monitors; (4) new kinds of high bandwidth local area networks. The relevant features are related to a general accelerator control system. For example, this paper examines the implications of a computing environment which permits and encourages graphical manipulation of system components, rather than traditional access through the writing of programs or ''canned'' access via touch panels

Stuxnet and the impact on accelerator control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lueders, S.

2012-01-01

2010 has seen wide news coverage of a new kind of computer attack, named 'Stuxnet', targeting control systems. Due to its level of sophistication, it is widely acknowledged that this attack marks the very first case of a cyber-war of one country against the industrial infrastructure of another, although there is still much speculation about the details. Worse yet, experts recognize that Stuxnet might just be the beginning and that similar attacks, eventually with much less sophistication, but with much more collateral damage, can be expected in the years to come. Stuxnet was targeting a special model of the Siemens 400 PLC series. Similar modules are also deployed for accelerator controls like the LHC cryogenics or vacuum systems as well as the detector control systems in LHC experiments. Therefore, the aim of this presentation is to give an insight into what this new attack does and why it is deemed to be special. In particular, the potential impact on accelerator and experiment control systems will be discussed, and means will be presented on how to properly protect against similar attacks. Deploying a 'Defense-in-depth' approach appears to be mandatory. (author)

THE IMPACT OF CONTROLS ON FINANCIAL REPORTING QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cecilia (DAMOC NICA

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The study identifies the impact of the internal and external control of the quality of financial reporting, considering the professional accountants’ opinions, evaluating the extent to which financial and non-financial information presented annually by companies represent a guarantee of compliance with the ethical principles of professionals, and also a transparency presentation of the economic activity, risk management, at the same time protecting the interests of stakeholders in the company. The quantitative analysis performed is based on a questionnaire applied to the professional accountants being conducted on a sample of companies in Romania, in various sectors and presents a comparative study of the importance of each type of internal and external control in the delivery of financial reports and non- annual companies, real and credible.

Control of secondary electrons from ion beam impact using a positive potential electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crowley, T. P., E-mail: tpcrowley@xanthotechnologies.com; Demers, D. R.; Fimognari, P. J. [Xantho Technologies, LLC, Madison, Wisconsin 53705 (United States)

2016-11-15

Secondary electrons emitted when an ion beam impacts a detector can amplify the ion beam signal, but also introduce errors if electrons from one detector propagate to another. A potassium ion beam and a detector comprised of ten impact wires, four split-plates, and a pair of biased electrodes were used to demonstrate that a low-voltage, positive electrode can be used to maintain the beneficial amplification effect while greatly reducing the error introduced from the electrons traveling between detector elements.

A Mycobacterium tuberculosis cluster demonstrating the use of genotyping in urban tuberculosis control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burdo Conny CA

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA fingerprinting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates offers better opportunities to study links between tuberculosis (TB cases and can highlight relevant issues in urban TB control in low-endemic countries. Methods A medium-sized molecular cluster of TB cases with identical DNA fingerprints was used for the development of a visual presentation of epidemiologic links between cases. Results Of 32 cases, 17 (53% were linked to the index case, and 11 (34% to a secondary case. The remaining four (13% could not be linked and were classified as possibly caused by the index patient. Of the 21 cases related to the index case, TB developed within one year of the index diagnosis in 11 patients (52%, within one to two years in four patients (19%, and within two to five years in six patients (29%. Conclusion Cluster analysis underscored several issues for TB control in an urban setting, such as the recognition of the outbreak, the importance of reinfections, the impact of delayed diagnosis, the contribution of pub-related transmissions and its value for decision-making to extend contact investigations. Visualising cases in a cluster diagram was particularly useful in finding transmission locations and the similarities and links between patients.

Impact of tobacco control interventions on socioeconomic inequalities in smoking: review of the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Sarah; Amos, Amanda; Clifford, David; Platt, Stephen

2014-11-01

We updated and expanded a previous systematic literature review examining the impact of tobacco control interventions on socioeconomic inequalities in smoking. We searched the academic literature for reviews and primary research articles published between January 2006 and November 2010 that examined the socioeconomic impact of six tobacco control interventions in adults: that is, price increases, smoke-free policies, advertising bans, mass media campaigns, warning labels, smoking cessation support and community-based programmes combining several interventions. We included English-language articles from countries at an advanced stage of the tobacco epidemic that examined the differential impact of tobacco control interventions by socioeconomic status or the effectiveness of interventions among disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. All articles were appraised by two authors and details recorded using a standardised approach. Data from 77 primary studies and seven reviews were synthesised via narrative review. We found strong evidence that increases in tobacco price have a pro-equity effect on socioeconomic disparities in smoking. Evidence on the equity impact of other interventions is inconclusive, with the exception of non-targeted smoking cessation programmes which have a negative equity impact due to higher quit rates among more advantaged smokers. Increased tobacco price via tax is the intervention with the greatest potential to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in smoking. Other measures studied appear unlikely to reduce inequalities in smoking without specific efforts to reach disadvantaged smokers. There is a need for more research evaluating the equity impact of tobacco control measures, and development of more effective approaches for reducing tobacco use in disadvantaged groups and communities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

MACROECONOMIC IMPACTS OF AN EEC POLICY TO CONTROL AIR-POLLUTION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

NENTJES, A

1991-01-01

The OECD INTERLINK model was used to assess the macroeconomic impacts of a European Community directive to control air pollution. For this purpose the model was adapted. To meet the directive the EC would have to invest some 15 billion ECU. The annual costs would be 3.4 billion ECU in 1993. The

The impact of an urban sewerage system on childhood diarrhoea in Tehran, Iran: a concurrent control field trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolahi, Ali-Asghar; Rastegarpour, Ali; Sohrabi, Mohammad-Reza

2009-05-01

The stepwise implementation of the Tehran Sewerage Project provided a convenient setting for which health impacts of an urban sewerage system could be examined with appropriate controls. In 2001, Tehran municipal districts 17 and 18 had no sewerage system connections, but areas within these districts had been planned to be connected by 2006. These areas were chosen as an intervention group. Neighbouring areas, with a similar socio-economic status, that had not been planned to connect to the sewerage system by 2006, were chosen as controls. Homes within designated areas were randomized and surveyed twice to determine diarrhoea incidences for children aged 6-60 months, once in 2001, before connection to the sewerage system, and once again in 2006, after the intervention. By 2006, 76% of the homes in the intervention zones were connected to the sewerage system. In the first stage of the study, diarrhoea incidences for intervention and control groups were 18.6 and 16.6%, respectively. In the second stage, incidences decreased to 10.1 and 10.5%, respectively. Data collected from 4179 children demonstrated that the diarrhoea incidence had decreased by 46% in the intervention group, whereas it had decreased by 37% in the controls.

Requirements and feasibility study of flight demonstration of Active Controls Technology (ACT) on the NASA 515 airplane

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, C. K.

1975-01-01

A preliminary design study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of the NASA 515 airplane as a flight demonstration vehicle, and to develop plans, schedules, and budget costs for fly-by-wire/active controls technology flight validation in the NASA 515 airplane. The preliminary design and planning were accomplished for two phases of flight validation.

Social and economic impact of diabetics in Bangladesh: protocol for a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shariful Islam, Sheikh Mohammed; Lechner, Andreas; Ferrari, Uta; Froeschl, Guenter; Niessen, Louis W; Seissler, Jochen; Alam, Dewan Shamsul

2013-12-21

Diabetes affects both individuals and their families and has an impact on economic and social development of a country. Information on the availability, cost, and quality of medical care for diabetes is mostly not available for many low- and middle-income countries including Bangladesh. Complications from diabetes, which can be devastating, could largely be prevented by wider use of several inexpensive generic medicines, simple tests and monitoring and can be a cost saving intervention. This study will provide an in-depth and comprehensive picture of social and economic impacts of diabetes in Bangladesh and propose clear recommendations for improving prevention and management of diabetes. The objectives of the study are: 1) To study the association between diabetes and other health problems and its social impacts. 2) To estimate the economic impact of diabetes including total direct and indirect costs. 3) To measure the impact of diabetes on quality of life among diabetes patients in Bangladesh. 4) To study the impact of diabetes on the health care system This is a case-control study comparing cases with type 2 diabetes to controls without diabetes matched on age, sex and place of residence. 564 cases and 564 controls will be selected from the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data on socioeconomic status, health utility index, direct and indirect costs for diabetes, medication adherence, quality of life, treatment satisfaction, diet, physical activity, mental state examination, weight, height, hip and waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse, medication history, laboratory data and physical examination will be conducted. The primary outcome measures will be association between diabetes and other health problems, cost of diabetes, impact of diabetes on quality of life and secondary outcome measures are impact of diabetes on healthcare systems in Bangladesh. This study will provide an in-depth and comprehensive picture of social

Service employee adaptiveness : exploring the impact of role-stress and managerial control approaches

OpenAIRE

Sahadev, S; Purani, K; Panda, T

2017-01-01

The research aims to explore the relationships between managerial control strategies, role stress and employee adaptiveness among call center employees.\\ud Based on a conceptual model, a questionnaire based survey methodology is adopted. Data was collected from call center employees in India and the data was analysed through PLS methodology.\\ud The study finds that Outcome control and activity control increase role stress while capability control does not have a significant impact. The intera...

LIDAR Correlation to Extreme Flapwise Moment : Gust Impact Prediction Time and Feedforward Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meseguer Urban, Albert; Hansen, Morten Hartvig

A Conventional wind turbine controller uses feedback parameters reacting to wind disturbances after they have already impacted the rotor. LIDARs are able to measure the wind speed before it reaches the wind turbine rotor. These anticipated values can be used in control systems designed to reduce...

Bluetooth wireless monitoring, diagnosis and calibration interface for control system of fuel cell bus in Olympic demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hua, Jianfeng; Lin, Xinfan; Xu, Liangfei; Li, Jianqiu; Ouyang, Minggao [Tsinghua University, State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Beijing100084 (China)

2009-01-15

With the worldwide deterioration of the natural environment and the fossil fuel crisis, the possible commercialization of fuel cell vehicles has become a hot topic. In July 2008, Beijing started a clean public transportation plan for the 29th Olympic games. Three fuel cell city buses and 497 other low-emission vehicles are now serving the Olympic core area and Beijing urban areas. The fuel cell buses will operate along a fixed bus line for 1 year as a public demonstration of green energy vehicles. Due to the specialized nature of fuel cell engines and electrified power-train systems, measurement, monitoring and calibration devices are indispensable. Based on the latest Bluetooth wireless technology, a novel Bluetooth universal data interface was developed for the control system of the fuel cell city bus. On this platform, a series of wireless portable control auxiliary systems have been implemented, including wireless calibration, a monitoring system and an in-system programming platform, all of which are ensuring normal operation of the fuel cell buses used in the demonstration. (author)

Demonstration of Essential Reliability Services by a 300-MW Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loutan, Clyde; Klauer, Peter; Chowdhury, Sirajul; Hall, Stephen; Morjaria, Mahesh; Chadliev, Vladimir; Milam, Nick; Milan, Christopher; Gevorgian, Vahan

2017-03-24

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), First Solar, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a demonstration project on a large utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plant in California to test its ability to provide essential ancillary services to the electric grid. With increasing shares of solar- and wind-generated energy on the electric grid, traditional generation resources equipped with automatic governor control (AGC) and automatic voltage regulation controls -- specifically, fossil thermal -- are being displaced. The deployment of utility-scale, grid-friendly PV power plants that incorporate advanced capabilities to support grid stability and reliability is essential for the large-scale integration of PV generation into the electric power grid, among other technical requirements. A typical PV power plant consists of multiple power electronic inverters and can contribute to grid stability and reliability through sophisticated 'grid-friendly' controls. In this way, PV power plants can be used to mitigate the impact of variability on the grid, a role typically reserved for conventional generators. In August 2016, testing was completed on First Solar's 300-MW PV power plant, and a large amount of test data was produced and analyzed that demonstrates the ability of PV power plants to use grid-friendly controls to provide essential reliability services. These data showed how the development of advanced power controls can enable PV to become a provider of a wide range of grid services, including spinning reserves, load following, voltage support, ramping, frequency response, variability smoothing, and frequency regulation to power quality. Specifically, the tests conducted included various forms of active power control such as AGC and frequency regulation; droop response; and reactive power, voltage, and power factor controls. This project demonstrated that advanced power electronics and solar generation can be

Market Impact of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control Strategies: A UK Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siyi Feng

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD poses a serious threat to the agricultural sector due to its highly contagious nature. Outbreaks of FMD can lead to substantial disruptions to livestock markets due to loss of production and access to international markets. In a previously FMD-free country, the use of vaccination to augment control of an FMD outbreak is increasingly being recognized as an alternative control strategy to direct slaughtering [stamping-out (SO]. The choice of control strategy has implications on production, trade, and hence prices of the sector. Specific choice of eradication strategies depends on their costs and benefits. Economic impact assessments are often based on benefit–cost framework, which provide detailed information on the changes in profit for a farm or budget implications for a government (1. However, this framework cannot capture price effects caused by changes in production due to culling of animals; access to international markets; and consumers’ reaction. These three impacts combine to affect equilibrium within commodity markets (2. This paper provides assessment of sectoral level impacts of the eradication choices of FMD outbreaks, which are typically not available from benefit–cost framework, in the context of the UK. The FAPRI-UK model, a partial equilibrium model of the agricultural sector, is utilized to investigate market outcomes of different control strategies (namely SO and vaccinate-to-die in the case of FMD outbreaks. The outputs from the simulations of the EXODIS epidemiological model (number of animals culled/vaccinated and duration of outbreak are used as inputs within the economic model to capture the overall price impact of the animal destruction, export ban, and consumers’ response.

33 CFR Appendix C to Part 273 - Information Requirements for Aquatic Plant Control Program Environmental Impact Statements

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Aquatic Plant Control Program Environmental Impact Statements C Appendix C to Part 273 Navigation and... Environmental Impact Statements 1. Description of the problem. a. Pests. Identify the pest to be controlled by.... Relationship to environmental situation. Non-target organisms and integrated pest management programs. 2...

Space Internet-Embedded Web Technologies Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Foltz, David A.

2001-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center recently demonstrated the ability to securely command and control space-based assets by using the Internet and standard Internet Protocols (IP). This is a significant accomplishment because future NASA missions will benefit by using Internet standards-based protocols. The benefits include reduced mission costs and increased mission efficiency. The Internet-Based Space Command and Control System Architecture demonstrated at the NASA Inspection 2000 event proved that this communications architecture is viable for future NASA missions.

Prediction of drop time and impact velocity of rod cluster control assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Kee Sung; Yim, Jeong Sik; Kim, Il Kon; Kim, Kyu Tae

1992-01-01

This paper deals with the drop modelling of rod cluster control assembly(RCCA) and the prediction of drop time and impact velocity of RCCA at scram event. On the scram, RCCA, dropping into the guide thimble of fuel assembly by the gravity, is subject to retarding forces such as hydraulic resistance, mechanical friction and buoyancy. Considering these retarding forces RCCA dynamic equation is derived and computerized it to solve the equation in conjunction with fluid equation which is coupled with the motion of the RCCA. Because the equation is nonlinear, coupled with fluid equations, the program is written in FORTRAN using numerical method in order to calculate the drop distance and velocity with time increment. To verify the program, its results are compared with those of other fuel vendors. Predicting identical tendency as other fuel vendors and the deviation is insignificant in values this program is expected to be used for predicting the drop time and impact velocity of RCCA when the parameters affecting the control rod drop time and impact velocity changes are occurred

The impact of a microsavings intervention on reducing violence against women engaged in sex work: a randomized controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Laura Cordisco; Carlson, Catherine E; Aira, Toivgoo; Norcini Pala, Andrea; Riedel, Marion; Witte, Susan S

2016-10-28

Women who engage in sex work are at risk for experiencing violence from numerous perpetrators, including paying partners. Empirical evidence has shown mixed results regarding the impact of participation in microfinance interventions on women's experiences of violence, with some studies demonstrating reductions in intimate partner violence (IPV) and others showing heightened risk for IPV. The current study reports on the impact of participation in a microsavings intervention on experiences of paying partner violence among women engaged in sex work in Mongolia. Between 2011 and 2013, we conducted a two-arm, non-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing an HIV/STI risk reduction intervention (HIVSRR) (control condition) to a combined microsavings and HIVSRR intervention (treatment condition). Eligible women (aged 18 or older, reported having engaged in unprotected sex with paying partner in past 90 days, expressed interest in microsavings intervention) were invited to participate. One hundred seven were randomized, including 50 in the control and 57 in the treatment condition. Participants completed assessments at baseline, immediate post-test following HIVSRR, and at 3-months and 6-months after completion of the treatment group intervention. Outcomes for the current study include any violence (physical and/or sexual), sexual violence, and physical violence from paying partners in the past 90 days. An intention-to-treat approach was utilized. Linear growth models revealed significant reductions over time in both conditions for any violence (β = -0.867, p participation did not significantly impact women's risk for paying partner violence. Qualitative research is recommended to understand the cause for reductions in paying partner violence in both study conditions. Evaluating a Microfinance Intervention for High Risk Women in Mongolia; NCT01861431 ; May 20, 2013.

Demonstration of Passive Fuel Cell Thermal Management Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Kenneth A.; Jakupca, Ian; Colozza, Anthony; Wynne, Robert; Miller, Michael; Meyer, Al; Smith, William

2012-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing advanced passive thermal management technology to reduce the mass and improve the reliability of space fuel cell systems for the NASA Exploration program. The passive thermal management system relies on heat conduction within highly thermally conductive cooling plates to move the heat from the central portion of the cell stack out to the edges of the fuel cell stack. Using the passive approach eliminates the need for a coolant pump and other cooling loop components within the fuel cell system which reduces mass and improves overall system reliability. Previous development demonstrated the performance of suitable highly thermally conductive cooling plates and integrated heat exchanger technology to collect the heat from the cooling plates (Ref. 1). The next step in the development of this passive thermal approach was the demonstration of the control of the heat removal process and the demonstration of the passive thermal control technology in actual fuel cell stacks. Tests were run with a simulated fuel cell stack passive thermal management system outfitted with passive cooling plates, an integrated heat exchanger and two types of cooling flow control valves. The tests were run to demonstrate the controllability of the passive thermal control approach. Finally, successful demonstrations of passive thermal control technology were conducted with fuel cell stacks from two fuel cell stack vendors.

Demonstration of safety for geologic disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, E.C.; Ramspott, L.D.; Sprecher, W.M.

1994-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is developing a nuclear waste management system that will accept high-level radioactive waste, transport it, store it, and ultimately emplace it in a deep geologic repository. The key activity now is determining whether Yucca Mountain, Nevada is suitable as a site for the repository. If so, the crucial technological advance will be the demonstration that disposal of nuclear waste will be safe for thousands of years after closure. This paper assesses the impact of regulatory developments, legal developments, and scientific developments on such a demonstration

Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant technical background document for best available radionuclide control technology demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carpenter, A.B.; Skone, S.S.; Rodenhizer, D.G.; Marusich, M.V. (Ebasco Services, Inc., Bellevue, WA (USA))

1990-10-01

This report provides the background documentation to support applications for approval to construct and operate new radionuclide emission sources at the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) near Richland, Washington. The HWVP is required to obtain permits under federal and state statutes for atmospheric discharges of radionuclides. Since these permits must be issued prior to construction of the facility, draft permit applications are being prepared, as well as documentation to support these permits. This report addresses the applicable requirements and demonstrates that the preferred design meets energy, environmental, and economic criteria for Best Available Radionuclide Control Technology (BARCT) at HWVP. 22 refs., 11 figs., 25 tabs.

Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant technical background document for best available radionuclide control technology demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpenter, A.B.; Skone, S.S.; Rodenhizer, D.G.; Marusich, M.V.

1990-10-01

This report provides the background documentation to support applications for approval to construct and operate new radionuclide emission sources at the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) near Richland, Washington. The HWVP is required to obtain permits under federal and state statutes for atmospheric discharges of radionuclides. Since these permits must be issued prior to construction of the facility, draft permit applications are being prepared, as well as documentation to support these permits. This report addresses the applicable requirements and demonstrates that the preferred design meets energy, environmental, and economic criteria for Best Available Radionuclide Control Technology (BARCT) at HWVP. 22 refs., 11 figs., 25 tabs

Impact loading of a BWR control rod during braking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heeschen, U.

1977-01-01

In an emergency case the control rods of a boiling water reactor are shot into the RPV from below against the weight of the rods with drive motors. According to the position of the control rods between the fuel elements the rods can reach in that case velocities up to 4 m/s. The moved masses of the control rods and of the pistons (both of them are connected by a coupling) are braked through a cup spring which transfers its forces to the RPV-bottom sphere. The spring has to be designed that in this case tthe complete kinetic energy of he control rods of about 1000Nm can be taken up. The spring power and the inertia of the moved masses cause extremely high loadings during and shortly after the impact onto the spring. The shock-like loading propagates along the whole rod at the speed of sound, and this is also the reason why the weaker cross-sections have to endure considerable short-term stress peaks. (Auth.)

Drilling Automation Demonstrations in Subsurface Exploration for Astrobiology

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Brian; Cannon, H.; Lee, P.; Hanagud, S.; Davis, K.

2006-01-01

This project proposes to study subsurface permafrost microbial habitats at a relevant Arctic Mars-analog site (Haughton Crater, Devon Island, Canada) while developing and maturing the subsurface drilling and drilling automation technologies that will be required by post-2010 missions. It builds on earlier drilling technology projects to add permafrost and ice-drilling capabilities to 5m with a lightweight drill that will be automatically monitored and controlled in-situ. Frozen cores obtained with this drill under sterilized protocols will be used in testing three hypotheses pertaining to near-surface physical geology and ground H2O ice distribution, viewed as a habitat for microbial life in subsurface ice and ice-consolidated sediments. Automation technologies employed will demonstrate hands-off diagnostics and drill control, using novel vibrational dynamical analysis methods and model-based reasoning to monitor and identify drilling fault states before and during faults. Three field deployments, to a Mars-analog site with frozen impact crater fallback breccia, will support science goals, provide a rigorous test of drilling automation and lightweight permafrost drilling, and leverage past experience with the field site s particular logistics.

Impact and cost-effectiveness of snail control to achieve disease control targets for schistosomiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Nathan C; Gurarie, David; Yoon, Nara; Coulibaly, Jean T; Bendavid, Eran; Andrews, Jason R; King, Charles H

2018-01-23

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that affects over 240 million people globally. To improve population-level disease control, there is growing interest in adding chemical-based snail control interventions to interrupt the lifecycle of Schistosoma in its snail host to reduce parasite transmission. However, this approach is not widely implemented, and given environmental concerns, the optimal conditions for when snail control is appropriate are unclear. We assessed the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of various snail control strategies. We extended previously published dynamic, age-structured transmission and cost-effectiveness models to simulate mass drug administration (MDA) and focal snail control interventions against Schistosoma haematobium across a range of low-prevalence (5-20%) and high-prevalence (25-50%) rural Kenyan communities. We simulated strategies over a 10-year period of MDA targeting school children or entire communities, snail control, and combined strategies. We measured incremental cost-effectiveness in 2016 US dollars per disability-adjusted life year and defined a strategy as optimally cost-effective when maximizing health gains (averted disability-adjusted life years) with an incremental cost-effectiveness below a Kenya-specific economic threshold. In both low- and high-prevalence settings, community-wide MDA with additional snail control reduced total disability by an additional 40% compared with school-based MDA alone. The optimally cost-effective scenario included the addition of snail control to MDA in over 95% of simulations. These results support inclusion of snail control in global guidelines and national schistosomiasis control strategies for optimal disease control, especially in settings with high prevalence, "hot spots" of transmission, and noncompliance to MDA. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Technology status report: Transuranic contamination control at INEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, G.G.

1991-09-01

This report summarizes proposed FY-92 work at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in the field of contamination control during transuranic waste handling operations. The proposed work is both applied research and demonstration testing. The INEL needs for contamination control applied research and demonstration testing are listed along with a description of past accomplishments. The INEL proposal is compared to other proposals for contamination control work that are under consideration for funding by the Department of Energy. Benefits of this work and impacts of not sponsoring this work are also given. 21 refs

Mechanisms controlling the impact of multi-year drought on mountain hydrology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bales, Roger C; Goulden, Michael L; Hunsaker, Carolyn T; Conklin, Martha H; Hartsough, Peter C; O'Geen, Anthony T; Hopmans, Jan W; Safeeq, Mohammad

2018-01-12

Mountain runoff ultimately reflects the difference between precipitation (P) and evapotranspiration (ET), as modulated by biogeophysical mechanisms that intensify or alleviate drought impacts. These modulating mechanisms are seldom measured and not fully understood. The impact of the warm 2012-15 California drought on the heavily instrumented Kings River basin provides an extraordinary opportunity to enumerate four mechanisms that controlled the impact of drought on mountain hydrology. Two mechanisms intensified the impact: (i) evaporative processes have first access to local precipitation, which decreased the fractional allocation of P to runoff in 2012-15 and reduced P-ET by 30% relative to previous years, and (ii) 2012-15 was 1 °C warmer than the previous decade, which increased ET relative to previous years and reduced P-ET by 5%. The other two mechanisms alleviated the impact: (iii) spatial heterogeneity and the continuing supply of runoff from higher elevations increased 2012-15 P-ET by 10% relative to that expected for a homogenous basin, and iv) drought-associated dieback and wildfire thinned the forest and decreased ET, which increased 2016 P-ET by 15%. These mechanisms are all important and may offset each other; analyses that neglect one or more will over or underestimate the impact of drought and warming on mountain runoff.

Experiments in nonlinear dynamics using control-based continuation: Tracking stable and unstable response curves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bureau, Emil; Schilder, Frank; Santos, Ilmar

2014-01-01

We show how to implement control-based continuation in a nonlinear experiment using existing and freely available software. We demonstrate that it is possible to track the complete frequency response, including the unstable branches, for a harmonically forced impact oscillator.......We show how to implement control-based continuation in a nonlinear experiment using existing and freely available software. We demonstrate that it is possible to track the complete frequency response, including the unstable branches, for a harmonically forced impact oscillator....

First demonstration and performance of an injection locked continuous wave magnetron to phase control a superconducting cavity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. C. Dexter

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The applications of magnetrons to high power proton and cw electron linacs are discussed. An experiment is described where a 2.45 GHz magnetron has been used to drive a single cell superconducting cavity. With the magnetron injection locked, a modest phase control accuracy of 0.95° rms has been demonstrated. Factors limiting performance have been identified.

Exploring the Impact of Network Structure and Demand Collaboration on the Dynamics of a Supply Chain Network Using a Robust Control Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongchang Wei

2015-01-01

uncertain environment. The impact of network structure and collaboration on the dynamics and robustness of supply chain network, however, remains to be explored. In this paper, a unified state space model for a two-layer supply chain network composed of multiple distributors and multiple retailers is developed. A robust control algorithm is advocated to reduce both order and demand fluctuations for unknown demand. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the robust control approach has the advantage to reduce both inventory and order fluctuations. In the simulation experiment, it is interesting to notice that complex network structure and collaborations might contribute to the reduction of inventory and order oscillations. This paper yields new insights into the overestimated bullwhip effect problem and helps us understand the complexities of supply chain networks.

Impact Angle and Time Control Guidance Under Field-of-View Constraints and Maneuver Limits

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Sang-Wook; Hong, Seong-Min; Moon, Gun-Hee; Tahk, Min-Jea

2018-04-01

This paper proposes a guidance law which considers the constraints of seeker field-of-view (FOV) as well as the requirements on impact angle and time. The proposed guidance law is designed for a constant speed missile against a stationary target. The guidance law consists of two terms of acceleration commands. The first one is to achieve zero-miss distance and the desired impact angle, while the second is to meet the desired impact time. To consider the limits of FOV and lateral maneuver capability, a varying-gain approach is applied on the second term. Reduction of realizable impact times due to these limits is then analyzed by finding the longest course among the feasible ones. The performance of the proposed guidance law is demonstrated by numerical simulation for various engagement conditions.

PREDOMOS study, impact of a social intervention program for socially isolated elderly cancer patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Crétel-Durand, Elodie; Nouguerède, Emilie; Le Caer, Hervé; Rousseau, Frédérique; Retornaz, Frédérique; Guillem, Olivier; Couderc, Anne-Laure; Greillier, Laurent; Norguet, Emmanuelle; Cécile, Maud; Boulahssass, Rabia; Le Caer, Francoise; Tournier, Sandrine; Butaud, Chantal; Guillet, Pierre; Nahon, Sophie; Poudens, Laure; Kirscher, Sylvie; Loubière, Sandrine; Diaz, Nadine; Dhorne, Jean; Auquier, Pascal; Baumstarck, Karine

2017-04-12

Cancer incidence and social isolation increase along with advanced age, and social isolation potentiates the relative risk of death by cancer. Once spotted, social isolation can be averted with the intervention of a multidisciplinary team. Techniques of automation and remote assistance have already demonstrated their positive impact on falls prevention and quality of life (QoL), though little is known about their impact on socially isolated elderly patients supported for cancer. The primary objective of the PREDOMOS study is to evaluate the impact of establishing a Program of Social intervention associated with techniques of Domotic and Remote assistance (PS-DR) on the improvement of QoL of elderly isolated patients, treated for locally advanced or metastatic cancer. The secondary objectives include treatment failure, tolerance, survival, and autonomy. This trial is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, open-label, two-parallel group study. The setting is 10 French oncogeriatric centers. Inclusion criteria are patients aged at least 70 years with a social isolation risk and a histological diagnosis of cancer, locally advanced or metastatic disease. The groups are (1) the control group, receiving usual care; (2) the experimental group, receiving usual care associating with monthly social assistance, domotic, and remote assistance. Participants are randomized in a 1:1 allocation ratio. Evaluation times involve inclusion (randomization) and follow-up (12 months). The primary endpoint is QoL at 3 months (via European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ C30); secondary endpoints are social isolation, time to treatment failure, toxicity, dose response-intensity, survival, autonomy, and QoL at 6 months. For the sample size, 320 individuals are required to obtain 90% power to detect a 10-point difference (standard deviation 25) in QoL score between the two groups (20% loss to follow-up patients expected). The randomized

Demonstrating and implementing innovative technologies: Case studies from the USDOE Office of Technology Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brouns, T.M.; Koegler, K.J.; Mamiya, L.S.

1995-02-01

This paper describes elements of success for demonstration, evaluation, and transfer for deployment of innovative technologies for environmental restoration. They have been compiled from lessons learned through the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development's Volatile Organic Compounds in Arid Soil Integrated Demonstration (VOC-Arid ID). The success of the VOC-Arid ID program was determined by the rapid development demonstration, and transfer for deployment of technologies to operational sites that improve on safety, cost, and/or schedule of performance over baseline technologies. The VOC-Arid ID successfully fielded more than 25 innovative technology field demonstrations; several of the technologies demonstrated have been successfully transferred for deployment Field demonstration is a critical element in the successful transfer of innovative technologies into environmental restoration operations. The measures of success for technology demonstrations include conducting the demonstration in a safe and controlled environment and generating the appropriate information by which to evaluate the technology. However, field demonstrations alone do not guarantee successful transfer for deployment There are many key elements throughout the development and demonstration process that have a significant impact on the success of a technology. This paper presents key elements for a successful technology demonstration and transfer for deployment identified through the experiences of the VOC-Arid ID. Also, several case studies are provided as examples

Commercial incineration demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borduin, L.C.; Neuls, A.S.

1981-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) generated by nuclear utilities presently are shipped to commercial burial grounds for disposal. Substantially increasing shipping and disposal charges have sparked renewed industry interest in incineration and other advanced volume reduction techniques as potential cost-saving measures. Repeated inquiries from industry sources regarding LLW applicability of the Los Alamos controlled-air incineration (CAI) design led DOE to initiate this commercial demonstration program in FY-1980. The selected program approach to achieving CAI demonstration at a utility site is a DOE sponsored joint effort involving Los Alamos, a nuclear utility, and a liaison subcontractor. Required development tasks and responsibilities of the particpants are described. Target date for project completion is the end of FY-1985

The impact of tobacco control policies in Albania.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaloshnja, Eduard; Ross, Hana; Levy, David T

2010-12-01

To assess the impact of a tobacco control law adopted in Albania in 2007 and to estimate the share of illicit cigarettes on the market. Comparative analysis of two waves of a nationally representative household survey, one conducted before the new law went into effect and the other after 2 years. Official sales data were contrasted with the consumption estimate based on the survey. Smoking prevalence, quit attempts, exposure to cigarette advertising, exposure to second-hand smoke, total cigarette consumption, share of illicit packs among packs possessed by smokers. Despite the adoption of strong smoke-free policies and adverting restrictions, smoking prevalence in Albania has risen. The increase in prevalence has been driven by higher smoking rates among females (18.9% in 2007 vs 29.3% in 2009) and young adults (23.2% in 2007 vs 38.5% in 2009 among 18-19 year olds). Self-reported exposure to second-hand smoke and cigarette advertising have been reduced since 2007. The majority of respondents are still exposed to second-hand smoke and more than half are exposed to tobacco advertising. Nevertheless, there are signs that the consumption of illicit cigarettes is declining. The impacts of smoke-free policies and an advertising ban have been limited due to lack of enforcement and failure to adopt a comprehensive set of tobacco control measures. These measures should include sizeable and regular tobacco tax increases in excess of the general level of inflation and income growth. The decline in the share of illicit cigarettes should improve the effectiveness of the cigarette tax policy.

‘Gamma Anna’: a classroom demonstration for teaching the concepts of gamma imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Wolff, Nicola; Griffiths, Jennifer; Yerworth, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Gamma imaging is at the interface of medicine and physics and thus its teaching is important in both fields. Pedagogic literature highlights the benefits of interactive demonstrations in teaching: an increase in enjoyment and interest, as well as improvement in academic achievement. However gamma imaging uses radioactive sources, which are potentially dangerous and thus their use is tightly controlled. We have developed a demonstration which uses a localised exothermic reaction within a rag doll as an analogue of radioactivity. This can be safely used in classrooms to demonstrate the principles of gamma imaging. The tool is easy to make, cheap, robust and portable. The supplementary material in this paper gives teacher notes and a description of how to make the rag doll demonstrator. We have tested the tool using six participants, acting as ‘teachers’, who carried out the demonstration and described the doll as easy to use, and the ‘tumour’ clearly identifiable. The teaching tool was separately demonstrated to a group of 12 GCSE physics students and a group of 12 medical students. Feedback showed increased student engagement, enjoyment and understanding of gamma imaging. Previous research has shown that these benefits have an impact on learning and academic outcomes.

IMPACTS OF GROUP-BASED SIGNAL CONTROL POLICY ON DRIVER BEHAVIOR AND INTERSECTION SAFETY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keshuang TANG

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Unlike the typical stage-based policy commonly applied in Japan, the group-based control (often called movement-based in the traffic control industry in Japan refers to such a control pattern that the controller is capable of separately allocating time to each signal group instead of stage based on traffic demand. In order to investigate its applicability at signalized intersections in Japan, an intersection located in Yokkaichi City of Mie Prefecture was selected as an experimental application site by the Japan Universal Traffic Management Society (UTMS. Based on the data collected at the intersection before and after implementing the group-based control policy respectively, this study evaluated the impacts of such a policy on driver behavior and intersection safety. To specify those impacts, a few models utilizing cycle-based data were first developed to interpret the occurrence probability and rate of red-light-running (RLR. Furthermore, analyses were performed on the yellow-entry time (Ye of the last cleared vehicle and post encroachment time (PET during the phase switching. Conclusions supported that the group-based control policy, along with certain other factors, directly or indirectly influenced the RLR behavior of through and right-turn traffics. Meanwhile, it has potential safety benefits as well, indicated by the declined Ye and increased PET values.

Social and economic impact of diabetics in Bangladesh: protocol for a case–control study

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Diabetes affects both individuals and their families and has an impact on economic and social development of a country. Information on the availability, cost, and quality of medical care for diabetes is mostly not available for many low- and middle-income countries including Bangladesh. Complications from diabetes, which can be devastating, could largely be prevented by wider use of several inexpensive generic medicines, simple tests and monitoring and can be a cost saving intervention. This study will provide an in-depth and comprehensive picture of social and economic impacts of diabetes in Bangladesh and propose clear recommendations for improving prevention and management of diabetes. The objectives of the study are: 1) To study the association between diabetes and other health problems and its social impacts 2) To estimate the economic impact of diabetes including total direct and indirect costs 3) To measure the impact of diabetes on quality of life among diabetes patients in Bangladesh 4) To study the impact of diabetes on the health care system Methods This is a case–control study comparing cases with type 2 diabetes to controls without diabetes matched on age, sex and place of residence. 564 cases and 564 controls will be selected from the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data on socioeconomic status, health utility index, direct and indirect costs for diabetes, medication adherence, quality of life, treatment satisfaction, diet, physical activity, mental state examination, weight, height, hip and waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse, medication history, laboratory data and physical examination will be conducted. Outcome measures: The primary outcome measures will be association between diabetes and other health problems, cost of diabetes, impact of diabetes on quality of life and secondary outcome measures are impact of diabetes on healthcare systems in Bangladesh. Discussion This study will provide an

Vibration Control of Structures using Vibro-Impact Nonlinear Energy Sinks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ahmadi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Using Vibro-Impact Nonlinear Energy Sinks (VI NESs is one of the novel strategies to control structural vibrations and mitigate their seismic response. In this system, a mass is tuned on the structure floor, so that it has a specific distance from an inelastic constraint connected to the floor mass. In case of structure stimulation, the displaced VI NES mass collides with the  inelastic constraint and upon impacts, energy is dissipated. In the present work, VI NES is studied when its parameters, including clearance and stiffness ratio, are simultaneously optimized. Harmony search as a recent meta-heuristic algorithm is efficiently specialized and utilized for the aforementioned continuous optimization problem. The optimized attached VI NES is thus shown to be capable of interacting with the primary structure over a wide range of frequencies. The resulting controlled response is then investigated, in a variety of low and medium rise steel moment frames, via nonlinear dynamic time history analyses. Capability of the VI NES to dissipate siesmic input energy of earthquakes and their capabilitiy in reducing response of srtructures effectively, through vibro-impacts between the energy sink’s mass and the floor mass, is discussed by extracting several performance indices and the corresponding Fourier spectra. Results of the numerical simulations done on some structural model examples reveal that the optimized VI NES has caused successive redistribution of energy from low-frequency high-amplitude vibration modes to high-frequency low-amplitude modes, bringing about the desired attenuation of the structural responses.

Notional Airspace Operations Demonstration Plan

Science.gov (United States)

Trongale, Nicholas A.

2006-01-01

The airspace operations demonstration (AOD) is intended to show that the Access 5 Step 1 functional requirements can be met. The demonstration will occur in two phases. The initial on-range phase will be carried out in restricted airspace to demonstrate the cooperative collision avoidance (CCA) functional requirements and to provide risk-reduction for the AOD by allowing the test team to rehearse some elements of the demonstration mission. The CCA system to be used in these flights is based on Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) which is a commercially-available system by which airplanes constantly broadcast their current position and altitude to other aircraft and ground resources over a dedicated radio datalink. The final phase will occur in the national airspace (NAS) and will be the formal demonstration of the remainder of the proposed functional requirements. The general objectives of the AOD are as follows: (1) Demonstrate that the UAS can aviate in the NAS (2) Demonstrate that the UAS can navigate in the NAS (3) Demonstrate that the UAS can communicate with the NAS (4) Demonstrate that the UAS can perform selected collision avoidance functions in the NAS (5) Demonstrate that the UAS can evaluate and avoid weather conflicts in the NAS (6) Demonstrate that the UAS can provide adequate command and control in the NAS In addition to the stated objectives, there are a number of goals for the flight demonstration. The demo can be accomplished successfully without achieving these goals, but these goals are to be used as a guideline for preparing for the mission. The goals are: (1) Mission duration of at least 24 hours (2) Loiter over heavy traffic to evaluate the data block issue identified during the Access 5 Airspace Operations Simulations (3) Document the contingency management process and lessons learned (4) Document the coordination process for Ground Control Stations (GCS) handoff (5) Document lessons learned regarding the process of flying in

Control Demonstration of Multiple Doubly-Fed Induction Motors for Hybrid Electric Propulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Sadey, David J.; Bodson, Marc; Csank, Jeffrey T.; Hunker, Keith R.; Theman, Casey J.; Taylor, Linda M.

2017-01-01

The Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) High Voltage-Hybrid Electric Propulsion (HVHEP) task was formulated to support the move into future hybrid-electric aircraft. The goal of this project is to develop a new AC power architecture to support the needs of higher efficiency and lower emissions. This proposed architecture will adopt the use of the doubly-fed induction machine (DFIM) for propulsor drive motor application.The Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) High Voltage-Hybrid Electric Propulsion (HVHEP) task was formulated to support the move into future hybrid-electric aircraft. The goal of this project is to develop a new AC power architecture to support the needs of higher efficiency and lower emissions. This proposed architecture will adopt the use of the doubly-fed induction machine (DFIM) for propulsor drive motor application. DFIMs are attractive for several reasons, including but not limited to the ability to self-start, ability to operate sub- and super-synchronously, and requiring only fractionally rated power converters on a per-unit basis depending on the required range of operation. The focus of this paper is based specifically on the presentation and analysis of a novel strategy which allows for independent operation of each of the aforementioned doubly-fed induction motors. This strategy includes synchronization, soft-start, and closed loop speed control of each motor as a means of controlling output thrust; be it concurrently or differentially. The demonstration of this strategy has recently been proven out on a low power test bed using fractional horsepower machines. Simulation and hardware test results are presented in the paper.

Performance analysis for bounded persistent disturbances in PD/PID-controlled robotic systems with its experimental demonstrations

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung Hoon; Hur, Sung-Moon; Oh, Yonghwan

2018-03-01

This paper is concerned with performance analysis of proportional-derivative/proportional-integral-derivative (PD/PID) controller for bounded persistent disturbances in a robotic manipulator. Even though the notion of input-to-state stability (ISS) has been widely used to deal with the effect of disturbances in control of a robotic manipulator, the corresponding studies cannot be directly applied to the treatment of persistent disturbances occurred in robotic manipulators. This is because the conventional studies relevant to ISS consider the H∞ performance for robotic systems, which is confined to the treatment of decaying disturbances, i.e. the disturbances those in the L2 space. To deal with the effect of persistent disturbances in robotic systems, we first provide a new treatment of ISS in the L∞ sense because bounded persistent disturbances should be intrinsically regarded as elements of the L∞ space. We next derive state-space representations of trajectory tracking control in the robotic systems which allow us to define the problem formulations more clearly. We then propose a novel control law that has a PD/PID control form, by which the trajectory tracking system satisfies the reformulated ISS. Furthermore, we can obtain a theoretical argument about the L∞ gain from the disturbance to the regulated output through the proposed control law. Finally, experimental studies for a typical 3-degrees of freedom robotic manipulator are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method introduced in this paper.

Impact of the Converter Control Strategies on the Drive Train of Wind Turbine during Voltage Dips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fenglin Miao

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The impact of converter control strategies on the drive train of wind turbines during voltage dips is investigated in this paper using a full electromechanical model. Aerodynamics and tower vibration are taken into consideration by means of a simulation program, named FAST. Detailed gearbox and electrical subsystems are represented in MATLAB. The dynamic response of electromagnetic torque and its impact on the mechanical variables are the concern in this paper and the response of electrical variables is less discussed. From the mechanical aspects, the effect of rising power recovery speed and unsymmetrical voltage dips are analyzed on the basis of the dynamic response of the high-speed shaft (HSS. A comparison of the impact on the drive train is made for two converter control strategies during small voltage dips. Through the analysis of torque, speed and tower vibration, the results indicate that both power recovery speed and the sudden torque sag have a significant impact on drive trains, and the effects depend on the different control strategies. Moreover, resonance might be excited on the drive train by an unbalanced voltage.

Real-time operating system timing jitter and its impact on motor control

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, Frederick M.; Shackleford, William P.

2001-12-01

General-purpose microprocessors are increasingly being used for control applications due to their widespread availability and software support for non-control functions like networking and operator interfaces. Two classes of real-time operating systems (RTOS) exist for these systems. The traditional RTOS serves as the sole operating system, and provides all OS services. Examples include ETS, LynxOS, QNX, Windows CE and VxWorks. RTOS extensions add real-time scheduling capabilities to non-real-time OSes, and provide minimal services needed for the time-critical portions of an application. Examples include RTAI and RTL for Linux, and HyperKernel, OnTime and RTX for Windows NT. Timing jitter is an issue in these systems, due to hardware effects such as bus locking, caches and pipelines, and software effects from mutual exclusion resource locks, non-preemtible critical sections, disabled interrupts, and multiple code paths in the scheduler. Jitter is typically on the order of a microsecond to a few tens of microseconds for hard real-time operating systems, and ranges from milliseconds to seconds in the worst case for soft real-time operating systems. The question of its significance on the performance of a controller arises. Naturally, the smaller the scheduling period required for a control task, the more significant is the impact of timing jitter. Aside from this intuitive relationship is the greater significance of timing on open-loop control, such as for stepper motors, than for closed-loop control, such as for servo motors. Techniques for measuring timing jitter are discussed, and comparisons between various platforms are presented. Techniques to reduce jitter or mitigate its effects are presented. The impact of jitter on stepper motor control is analyzed.

Quantifying the impact of selection bias caused by nonparticipation in a case-control study of mobile phone use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vrijheid, Martine; Richardson, Lesley; Armstrong, Bruce K

2009-01-01

To quantitatively assess the impact of selection bias caused by nonparticipation in a multinational case-control study of mobile phone use and brain tumor.......To quantitatively assess the impact of selection bias caused by nonparticipation in a multinational case-control study of mobile phone use and brain tumor....

Demonstration of real-time control for poloidal beta in KSTAR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Hyunsun, E-mail: hyunsun@nfri.re.kr [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of); Hahn, S.H.; Bak, J.G. [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of); Hyatt, A.; Johnson, R. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Woo, M.H.; Kim, J.S.; Bae, Y.S. [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

Highlights: • Real time control system for poloidal beta has been designed in KSTAR. • Poloidal beta has been calculated based on the diamagnetic loop signals. • The neutral beam Injector plays a role as the actuator. • The control system has been validated in the KSTAR experiments. - Abstract: Sustaining the plasma in a stable and a high performance condition is one of the important control issues for future steady state tokamaks. In the 2014 KSTAR campaign, we have developed a real-time poloidal beta (β{sub p}) control technique and carried out preliminary experiments to identify its feasibility. In the control system, the β{sub p} is calculated in real time using the measured diamagnetic loop signal, and compared with the target value leading to the change of the neutral beam (NB) heating power using a feedback PID control algorithm. To match the requested power of NB which is operated with constant voltage, the on-time periods of the intervals were adjusted as the ratio of the required power to the maximum achievable one. This paper will present the overall procedures of the β{sub p} control, the β{sub p} estimation process and NB operation scheme implemented in the plasma control system (PCS), and the analysis on the preliminary experimental results.

Demonstration of real-time control for poloidal beta in KSTAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Hyunsun; Hahn, S.H.; Bak, J.G.; Hyatt, A.; Johnson, R.; Woo, M.H.; Kim, J.S.; Bae, Y.S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Real time control system for poloidal beta has been designed in KSTAR. • Poloidal beta has been calculated based on the diamagnetic loop signals. • The neutral beam Injector plays a role as the actuator. • The control system has been validated in the KSTAR experiments. - Abstract: Sustaining the plasma in a stable and a high performance condition is one of the important control issues for future steady state tokamaks. In the 2014 KSTAR campaign, we have developed a real-time poloidal beta (β p ) control technique and carried out preliminary experiments to identify its feasibility. In the control system, the β p is calculated in real time using the measured diamagnetic loop signal, and compared with the target value leading to the change of the neutral beam (NB) heating power using a feedback PID control algorithm. To match the requested power of NB which is operated with constant voltage, the on-time periods of the intervals were adjusted as the ratio of the required power to the maximum achievable one. This paper will present the overall procedures of the β p control, the β p estimation process and NB operation scheme implemented in the plasma control system (PCS), and the analysis on the preliminary experimental results

Estimating the Impacts of Direct Load Control Programs Using GridPIQ, a Web-Based Screening Tool

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pal, Seemita; Thayer, Brandon L.; Barrett, Emily L.; Studarus, Karen E.

2017-11-13

In direct load control (DLC) programs, utilities can curtail the demand of participating loads to contractually agreed-upon levels during periods of critical peak load, thereby reducing stress on the system, generation cost, and required transmission and generation capacity. Participating customers receive financial incentives. The impacts of implementing DLC programs extend well beyond peak shaving. There may be a shift of load proportional to the interrupted load to the times before or after a DLC event, and different load shifts have different consequences. Tools that can quantify the impacts of such programs on load curves, peak demand, emissions, and fossil fuel costs are currently lacking. The Grid Project Impact Quantification (GridPIQ) screening tool includes a Direct Load Control module, which takes into account project-specific inputs as well as the larger system context in order to quantify the impacts of a given DLC program. This allows users (utilities, researchers, etc.) to test and compare different program specifications and their impacts.

Impacts of autonomy-supportive versus controlling instructional language on motor learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Hooyman, Andrew; Wulf, Gabriele; Lewthwaite, Rebecca

2014-08-01

The authors examined the influence of autonomy-supportive (ASL), controlling (CL), and neutral instructional language (NL) on motor skill learning (cricket bowling action). Prior to and several times during the practice phase, participants watched the same video demonstration of the bowling action but with different voice-over instructions. The instructions were designed to provide the same technical information but to vary in terms of the degree of choice performers would perceive when executing the task. In addition to measurements of throwing accuracy (i.e., deviation from the target), perceived choice, self-efficacy, and positive and negative affect were assessed at the end of the practice phase and after a retention test without demonstrations and instructions on Day 2. ASL resulted in perceptions of greater choice, higher self-efficacy, and more positive affect during practice than CL, and enhanced learning as demonstrated by retention test performance. Thus, granting learners autonomy appeared to endow them with confidence in their ability, diminished needs for control of negative emotional responses, and created more positive affect, which may help consolidate motor memories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A newer simultaneous space creation, eruption, and adjacent root control spring for the management of impacted tooth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dipti Shastri

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Usually, treatment of impaction includes: Welcome preparation (to create space, surgical exposure and attachment to the impacted tooth and the orthodontic guidance for the eruption of the impacted tooth. Sometimes, due to deficiency of space, creation of space for impacted tooth requires first, and space regaining efforts may require the distal movement of posterior teeth and or mesial movement of anterior teeth in the arch, but it may create some problems. To overcome the unwanted problem in this clinical situation and to reduce overall treatment duration of the patient, we have developed the Simultaneous space creation, Eruption and Adjacent root control spring to control crown as well as root movement.

The impact of prevention and control of infectious disease law on diarrhoea control: a 5-year evaluation in multiple provinces in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Phung, Dung; Tran, Phu Dac; Nguyen, Lien Huong; Do, Cuong Manh; Rutherford, Shannon; Chu, Cordia

2017-12-01

To address to burden of infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, the Vietnamese government has enacted the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (LPCIDs) since July 2008. However, no evaluation of the impact of the LPCID has been conducted. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the LPCID on diarrhoeal control for the 5 years following the implementation of LPCID in Vietnam. We used an interrupted time series design using a segmented regression analysis to estimate the 'province-level' impact of LPCID and then used random-effect meta-analysis to estimate the pooled effect sizes of the 'country-level' impact of LPCID on diarrhoeal control throughout Vietnam. The results show that the impacts varied by provinces. They were classified in four groups: 'positive impact, positive impact without sustainability, possibly positive impact, no or negative impact' of the LPCID. The meta-analysis indicated that the country-level impact of the LPCID became significant at 11 months after the LPCID took effect, with a decrease in level of diarrhoea of 9.7% (coefficient, -0.097; 95% CI: -19.1 to - 0.002) and a permanent downward trend of diarrhoea at a rate of 1.1% per month (coefficient, -0.011; 95% CI: -0.02 to - 0.003); whereas the trend in diarrhoea before the LPCID took effect was unchanging (coefficient, 0.002; 95% CI, 0-0.004). At 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months following the LPCID implementation date the levels of diarrhoea decreased by 10.9% (coefficient, -0.109; 95% CI: -0.203 to - 0.015), P < 0.01), 21.8% (coefficient, -0.218; 95% CI: -0.338 to - 0.098), P < 0.01), 31% (coefficient, -0.31; 95% CI: -0.474 to - 0.145), P < 0.01), 46.8% (coefficient, -0.468; 95% CI: -0.667 to - 0.27), P < 0.01), 48.2% (coefficient, -0.482; 95% CI: -0.708 to - 0.256), P < 0.01) respectively. The findings of this study reveal the effectiveness of the LPCID in reducing diarrhoea incidence in Vietnam. However, further studies should be conducted to

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration FY-93 Deployment Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnenberg, R.W.; Heard, R.E.; Milam, L.M.; Watson, L.R.

1993-02-01

The Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) is a program funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Technology Development. BWID supports the applied research, development, demonstration, and evaluation of a suite of advanced technologies that together form a comprehensive remediation system for the effective and efficient remediation of buried waste. The fiscal year 1993 effort will deploy seven major field demonstrations at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory's (INEL's) Radioactive Waste Management Complex Cold Test Pit. These major demonstrations are Remote Characterization System, Remote Excavation System, Overburden Removal, Waste Isolation, Contamination Control Unit, Rapid Monitoring Unit, and Fixation of Soil Surface Contamination. This document is the basic operational planning document for BWID deployment of the INEL field demonstrations. Additional sections deal briefly with four nonINEL field and laboratory demonstrations (Buried Waste Retrieval, Arc Melter Vitrification, Graphite DC Plasma Arc Melter, and Fixed Hearth Plasma Process) and with four INEL laboratory demonstrations (Electrostatic Curtain, Thermal Kinetics, Multiaxis Crane Control System, and Dig-Face Characterization)

Morphology of palatally impacted canines: A case-controlled cone-beam volumetric tomography study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hettiarachchi, Pilana Vithanage Kalani Shihanika; Olive, Richard John; Monsour, Paul

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between an apical curvature or a hook and the crown/root ratio in subjects with and without palatally impacted maxillary canines. An experimental group of 44 patients (17 boys, 27 girls; mean age, 13.6 years) with 59 palatally impacted maxillary canines was selected from the records of patients referred to a radiology practice for cone-beam imaging. If a patient had bilateral palatally impacted canines, 1 canine was randomly selected for analysis. The palatally impacted canine group was matched for age and sex with 49 normal subjects (25 boys, 24 girls; mean age, 13.2 years) with 98 canines. Cone-beam DICOM files were imported into In Vivo imaging software (version 5.3; Anatomage, San Jose, Calif) for analysis. The angulations and linear variables of the maxillary canines were measured by using the software measurement tools. Chi-square and independent t tests were used to test for differences between the groups. The presence of a hook at the apical third and other root curvature were significantly different between the 2 groups (P <0.001 and P <0.05, respectively). Of the 44 palatally impacted canines, 16 (36.4%) had an apical hook and only 1 canine in the control group had an apical hook (1.0%). The mean root length of the palatally impacted canines was 2.66 mm shorter (P <0.001), and the mean crown/root ratio was significantly greater for the palatally impacted canines compared with the nonimpacted group (P <0.001). Palatally impacted canines have a greater tendency to develop apical hooks and are less likely to develop other root curvatures than are nonimpacted canines. Also, they have shorter roots resulting in larger crown/root ratios compared with the control group. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Demonstrating the Impact of a Distributed Leadership Approach in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Sandra; Harvey, Marina; Hamilton, Jillian; Bevacqua, John; Egea, Kathy; McKenzie, Jo

2017-01-01

Higher education is under pressure to advance from a singular focus on assessment of outputs (measurements) to encompass the impact (influence) of initiatives across all aspects of academic endeavour (research, learning and teaching, and leadership). This paper focuses on the implications of this shift for leadership in higher education.…

Percieved control over indoor climate and its impact on Dutch office workers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boerstra, A.C.; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Kulve, te M.

2015-01-01

A field study was conducted in nine modern office buildings in the Netherlands. The study focused on perceived control over indoor climate and its impact on satisfaction of building occupants, the incidence of building related (SBS) symptoms and self-assessed performance. The study involved a

Repetitive head impacts do not affect postural control following a competitive athletic season.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Nicholas G; Grimes, Katelyn E; Shiflett, Eric D; Munkasy, Barry A; D'Amico, Nathan R; Mormile, Megan E; Powell, Douglas W; Buckley, Thomas A

2017-10-03

Evidence suggests that Repetitive Head Impacts (RHI) directly influence the brain over the course of a single contact collision season yet do not significantly impact a player's performance on the standard clinical concussion assessment battery. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in static postural control after a season of RHI in Division I football athletes using more sensitive measures of postural control as compared to a non-head contact sports. Fourteen Division I football players (CON) (age=20.4±1.12years) and fourteen non-contact athletes (NON) (2 male, 11 female; age=19.85±1.21years) completed a single trial of two minutes of eyes open quiet upright stance on a force platform (1000Hz) prior to athletic participation (PRE) and at the end of the athletic season (POST). All CON athletes wore helmets outfitted with Head Impact Telemetry (HIT) sensors and total number of RHI and linear accelerations forces of each RHI were recorded. Center of pressure root mean square (RMS), peak excursion velocity (PEV), and sample entropy (SampEn) in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions were calculated. CON group experienced 649.5±496.8 mean number of impacts, 27.1±3.0 mean linear accelerations, with ≈1% of total player impacts exceeded 98g over the course of the season. There were no significant interactions for group x time RMS in the AP (p=0.434) and ML (p=0.114) directions, PEV in the AP (p=0.262) and ML (p=0.977) directions, and SampEn in the AP (p=0.499) and ML (p=0.984) directions. In addition, no significant interactions for group were observed for RMS in the AP (p=0.105) and ML (p=0.272) directions, PEV in the AP (p=0.081) and ML (p=0.143) directions, and SampEn in the AP (p=0.583) and ML (p=0.129) directions. These results suggest that over the course of a single competitive season, RHI do not negatively impact postural control even when measured with sensitive non-linear metrics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights

On the Impact of Localization and Density Control Algorithms in Target Tracking Applications for Wireless Sensor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, Andre N.; Souza, Efren L.; Nakamura, Fabiola G.; Nakamura, Eduardo F.; Rodrigues, Joel J. P. C.

2012-01-01

Target tracking is an important application of wireless sensor networks. The networks' ability to locate and track an object is directed linked to the nodes' ability to locate themselves. Consequently, localization systems are essential for target tracking applications. In addition, sensor networks are often deployed in remote or hostile environments. Therefore, density control algorithms are used to increase network lifetime while maintaining its sensing capabilities. In this work, we analyze the impact of localization algorithms (RPE and DPE) and density control algorithms (GAF, A3 and OGDC) on target tracking applications. We adapt the density control algorithms to address the k-coverage problem. In addition, we analyze the impact of network density, residual integration with density control, and k-coverage on both target tracking accuracy and network lifetime. Our results show that DPE is a better choice for target tracking applications than RPE. Moreover, among the evaluated density control algorithms, OGDC is the best option among the three. Although the choice of the density control algorithm has little impact on the tracking precision, OGDC outperforms GAF and A3 in terms of tracking time. PMID:22969329

Low Temperature Combustion Demonstrator for High Efficiency Clean Combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ojeda, William de

2010-07-31

The project which extended from November 2005 to May of 2010 demonstrated the application of Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) with engine out NOx levels of 0.2 g/bhp-hr throughout the program target load of 12.6bar BMEP. The project showed that the range of loads could be extended to 16.5bar BMEP, therefore matching the reference lug line of the base 2007 MY Navistar 6.4L V8 engine. Results showed that the application of LTC provided a dramatic improvement over engine out emissions when compared to the base engine. Furthermore LTC improved thermal efficiency by over 5% from the base production engine when using the steady state 13 mode composite test as a benchmark. The key enablers included improvements in the air, fuel injection, and cooling systems made in Phases I and II. The outcome was the product of a careful integration of each component under an intelligent control system. The engine hardware provided the conditions to support LTC and the controller provided the necessary robustness for a stable combustion. Phase III provided a detailed account on the injection strategy used to meet the high load requirements. During this phase, the control strategy was implemented in a production automotive grade ECU to perform cycle-by-cycle combustion feedback on each of the engine cylinders. The control interacted on a cycle base with the injection system and with the Turbo-EGR systems according to their respective time constants. The result was a unique system that could, first, help optimize the combustion system and maintain high efficiency, and secondly, extend the steady state results to the transient mode of operation. The engine was upgraded in Phase IV with a Variable Valve Actuation system and a hybrid EGR loop. The impact of the more versatile EGR loop did not provide significant advantages, however the application of VVA proved to be an enabler to further extend the operation of LTC and gain considerable benefits in fuel economy and soot reduction. Finally

Experimental bifurcation analysis of an impact oscillator - Tuning a non-invasive control scheme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bureau, Emil; Schilder, Frank; Santos, Ilmar

2013-01-01

We investigate a non-invasive, locally stabilizing control scheme necessary for an experimental bifurcation analysis. Our test-rig comprises a harmonically forced impact oscillator with hardening spring nonlinearity controlled by electromagnetic actuators, and serves as a prototype...... for electromagnetic bearings and other machinery with build-in actuators. We propose a sequence of experiments that allows one to choose optimal control-gains, filter parameters and settings for a continuation method without a priori study of a model. Depending on the algorithm for estimating the Jacobian required...

Innovative technology demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.B.; Luttrell, S.P.; Hartley, J.N.

1992-08-01

Environmental Management Operations (EMO) is conducting an Innovative Technology Demonstration Program for Tinker Air Force Base (TAFB). Several innovative technologies are being demonstrated to address specific problems associated with remediating two contaminated test sites at the base. Cone penetrometer testing (CPT) is a form of testing that can rapidly characterize a site. This technology was selected to evaluate its applicability in the tight clay soils and consolidated sandstone sediments found at TAFB. Directionally drilled horizontal wells was selected as a method that may be effective in accessing contamination beneath Building 3001 without disrupting the mission of the building, and in enhancing the extraction of contamination both in ground water and in soil. A soil gas extraction (SGE) demonstration, also known as soil vapor extraction, will evaluate the effectiveness of SGE in remediating fuels and TCE contamination contained in the tight clay soil formations surrounding the abandoned underground fuel storage vault located at the SW Tanks Site. In situ sensors have recently received much acclaim as a technology that can be effective in remediating hazardous waste sites. Sensors can be useful for determining real-time, in situ contaminant concentrations during the remediation process for performance monitoring and in providing feedback for controlling the remediation process. Following the SGE demonstration, the SGE system and SW Tanks test site will be modified to demonstrate bioremediation as an effective means of degrading the remaining contaminants in situ. The bioremediation demonstration will evaluate a bioventing process in which the naturally occurring consortium of soil bacteria will be stimulated to aerobically degrade soil contaminants, including fuel and TCE, in situ

Comprehensive analysis of the carbon impacts of vehicle intelligent speed control

Science.gov (United States)

Carslaw, David C.; Goodman, Paul S.; Lai, Frank C. H.; Carsten, Oliver M. J.

2010-07-01

In recent years sophisticated technologies have been developed to control vehicle speed based on the type of road the vehicle is driven on using Global Positioning Systems and in-car technology that can alter the speed of the vehicle. While reducing the speed of road vehicles is primarily of interest from a safety perspective, vehicle speed is also an important determinant of vehicle emissions and thus these technologies can be expected to have impacts on a range of exhaust emissions. This work analyses the results from a very large, comprehensive field trial that used 20 instrumented vehicles with and without speed control driven almost 500,000 km measuring vehicle speed at 10 Hz. We develop individual vehicle modal emissions models for CO 2 for 30 Euro III and Euro IV cars at a 1-Hz time resolution. Generalized Additive Models were used to describe how emissions from individual vehicles vary depending on their driving conditions, taking account of variable interactions and time-lag effects. We quantify the impact that vehicle speed control has on-vehicle emissions of CO 2 by road type, fuel type and driver behaviour. Savings in CO 2 of ≈6% were found on average for motorway-type roads when mandatory speed control was used compared with base case conditions. For most other types of road, speed control has very little effect on emissions of CO 2 and in some cases can result in increased emissions for low-speed limit urban roads. We also find that there is on average a 20% difference in CO 2 emission between the lowest and highest emitting driver, which highlights the importance of driver behaviour in general as a means of reducing emissions of CO 2.

Cluster-randomized trial demonstrating impact on academic achievement of elementary social-emotional learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Schonfeld, David J; Adams, Ryan E; Fredstrom, Bridget K; Weissberg, Roger P; Gilman, Richard; Voyce, Charlene; Tomlin, Ricarda; Speese-Linehan, Dee

2015-09-01

This study evaluated the results of a social and emotional learning (SEL) program on academic achievement among students attending a large, urban, high-risk school district. Using a cluster-randomized design, 24 elementary schools were assigned to receive either the intervention curriculum (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies, or PATHS) or a curriculum that delivered few if any SEL topics (i.e., the control group). In addition to state mastery test scores, demographic data, school attendance, and dosage information were obtained from 705 students who remained in the same group from the 3rd to the 6th grade. Analyses of odds ratios revealed that students enrolled in the intervention schools demonstrated higher levels of basic proficiency in reading, writing, and math at some grade levels. Although these between-groups differences held for race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status, significant within-group differences also were noted across these variables. Collectively, these findings indicated that social development instruction may be a promising approach to promote acquisition of academic proficiency, especially among youth attending high-risk school settings. Implications of these findings with respect to SEL programs conclude the article. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Control of sand flies with attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) and potential impact on non-target organisms in Morocco.

Science.gov (United States)

Qualls, Whitney A; Müller, Gunter C; Khallaayoune, Khalid; Revay, Edita E; Zhioua, Elyes; Kravchenko, Vasiliy D; Arheart, Kristopher L; Xue, Rui-De; Schlein, Yosef; Hausmann, Axel; Kline, Daniel L; Beier, John C

2015-02-08

respectively when monitored after 24 hours. The results of this field study demonstrate ATSB effectively controls both female and male sand flies regardless of competing sugar sources. Furthermore, ATSB applied to foliar vegetation and on bait stations has low non-target impact.

Investigations of the Impact of Biodiesel Metal Contaminants on Emissions Control Devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brookshear, D. W.; Lance, M. J.; McCormick, Robert L.; Toops, T. J.

2017-02-27

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel with the potential to displace a portion of petroleum use. However, as with any alternative fuel, in order to be a viable choice it must be compatible with the emissions control devices. The finished biodiesel product can contain up to 5 ppm Na+K and 5 ppm Ca+Mg, and these metal impurities can lead to durability issues with the devices used to control emissions in diesel vehicles. Significant work has been performed to understand how the presence of these metals impacts each individual component of diesel emissions control systems, and this chapter summarizes the findings of these research efforts.

Knowledge Gaps Impacting the Development of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Control Programs in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

This paper identifies knowledge gaps that impact on the design of programs to control and or eradicate bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) in the United States. Currently there are several voluntary regional BVDV control programs in place. These control programs are aimed at the removal of animals ...

[Study on the overall implementation status of the National Demonstration Areas for Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, J J; Li, J L; Zhang, J; Jin, R R; Ma, S; Deng, G J; Su, X W; Bian, F; Qu, Y M; Hu, L L; Jiang, Y

2018-04-10

Objective: To understand the current overall status of implementation on the National Demonstration Areas of Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. Methods: According to the scheme design of the questionnaires, all the National Demonstration Areas were involved in this study. For each National Demonstration Areas, eight departments were selected to complete a total of 12 questionnaires. Results: Scores related to the implementation of the National Demonstration Areas accounted for 71.8% of the total 170 points. Based on the scores gathered from this study, the 23-items-index-system that represented the status of project implementation was classified into seven categories. Categories with higher percentile scores would include: monitoring (88.0%), safeguard measures (75.0%), health education and health promotion (75.0%). Categories with lower percentile scores would include: the national health lifestyle actions (67.7%), community diagnosis (66.7%), discovery and intervention of high-risk groups (64.7%), and patient management (60.9%). There were significant differences noticed among the eastern, central and western areas on items as safeguard measures, health education/promotion, discovery and intervention of high-risk groups. In all, the implementation programs in the eastern Demonstration Areas seemed better than in the central or western regions. As for the 23 items, five of the highest scores appeared on policy support, mortality surveillance, tumor registration, reporting system on cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events, and on tobacco control, respectively. However, the lowest five scores fell on healthy diet, patient self-management program, oral hygiene, setting up the demonstration units and promotion on basic public health services, respectively. The overall scores in the eastern region was higher than that in the central or the western regions. The scores in the central and western regions showed basically the same. Conclusions

Ecologically sustainable chemical recommendations for agricultural pest control?

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Linda J; Hoffmann, Ary A

2007-12-01

Effective pest control remains an essential part of food production, and it is provided both by chemicals and by natural enemies within agricultural ecosystems. These methods of control are often in conflict because of the negative impact of chemicals on natural enemies. There are already well-established approaches such as those provided by the International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control-Pesticides and Beneficial Organisms for testing, collecting, and publishing information on responses of natural enemies to chemicals based on laboratory responses of specific organisms; however, these tests do not assess the cumulative impact of chemical inputs across an entire season or consider impacts on the complex communities of natural enemies that can provide effective pest control on a farm. Here, we explore the potential of different approaches for assessing the impact of chemicals on agricultural ecosystems and we propose a simple metric for sustainable chemical use on farms that minimizes overall impact on beneficial groups. We suggest ways in which the effectiveness of metrics can be extended to include persistence and habitat features. Such metrics can assist farmers in developing targets for sustainable chemical use as demonstrated in the viticultural industry.

Rapid multichannel impact-echo scanning of concrete bridge decks from a continuously moving platform

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzeo, Brian A.; Larsen, Jacob; McElderry, Joseph; Guthrie, W. Spencer

2017-02-01

Impact-echo testing is a non-destructive evaluation technique for determining the presence of defects in reinforced concrete bridge decks based on the acoustic response of the bridge deck when struck by an impactor. In this work, we build on our prior research with a single-channel impactor to demonstrate a seven-channel impact-echo scanning system with independent control of the impactors. This system is towed by a vehicle and integrated with distance measurement for registering the locations of the impacts along a bridge deck. The entire impact and recording system is computer-controlled. Because of a winch system and hinged frame construction of the apparatus, setup, measurement, and take-down of the apparatus can be achieved in a matter of minutes. Signal processing of the impact responses is performed on site and can produce a map of delaminations immediately after data acquisition. This map can then be used to guide other testing and/or can be referenced with the results of other testing techniques to facilitate comprehensive condition assessments of concrete bridge decks. This work demonstrates how impact-echo testing can be performed in a manner that makes complete bridge deck scanning for delaminations rapid and practical.

Participatory health impact assessment for the development of local government regulation on hazard control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inmuong, Uraiwan; Rithmak, Panee; Srisookwatana, Soomol; Traithin, Nathathai; Maisuporn, Pornpun

2011-01-01

The Thai Public Health Act 1992 required the Thai local governments to issue respective regulations to take control of any possible health-hazard related activities, both from commercial and noncommercial sources. Since 1999, there has been centrally decentralized of power to a new form of local government establishment, namely Sub-district Administrative Organization (SAO). The SAO is asmall-scale local governing structure while its legitimate function is for community services, including control of health impact related activities. Most elected SAO administrators and officers are new and less experience with any of public health code of practice, particularly on health-hazard control. This action research attempted to introduce and apply a participatory health impact assessment (HIA) tool for the development of SAO health-hazard control regulation. The study sites were at Ban Meang and Kok See SAOs, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand, while all intervention activities conducted during May 2005-April 2006. A set of cooperative activities between researchers and community representatives were planned and organized by; surveying and identifying place and service base locally causing local environmental health problems, organizing community participatory workshops for drafting and proposing the health-hazard control regulation, and appropriate practices for health-hazard controlling measures. This action research eventually could successfully enable the SAO administrators and officers understanding of local environmental-related health problem, as well as development of imposed health-hazard control regulation for local community.

Morphing and vectoring impacting droplets by means of wettability-engineered surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Schutzius, Thomas M; Graeber, Gustav; Elsharkawy, Mohamed; Oreluk, James; Megaridis, Constantine M

2014-11-13

Driven by its importance in nature and technology, droplet impact on solid surfaces has been studied for decades. To date, research on control of droplet impact outcome has focused on optimizing pre-impact parameters, e.g., droplet size and velocity. Here we follow a different, post-impact, surface engineering approach yielding controlled vectoring and morphing of droplets during and after impact. Surfaces with patterned domains of extreme wettability (high or low) are fabricated and implemented for controlling the impact process during and even after rebound--a previously neglected aspect of impact studies on non-wetting surfaces. For non-rebound cases, droplets can be morphed from spheres to complex shapes--without unwanted loss of liquid. The procedure relies on competition between surface tension and fluid inertial forces, and harnesses the naturally occurring contact-line pinning mechanisms at sharp wettability changes to create viable dry regions in the spread liquid volume. Utilizing the same forces central to morphing, we demonstrate the ability to rebound orthogonally-impacting droplets with an additional non-orthogonal velocity component. We theoretically analyze this capability and derive a We(-.25) dependence of the lateral restitution coefficient. This study offers wettability-engineered surfaces as a new approach to manipulate impacting droplet microvolumes, with ramifications for surface microfluidics and fluid-assisted templating applications.

Impacts of Deflection Nose on Ballistic Trajectory Control Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The deflection of projectile nose is aimed at changing the motion of the projectile in flight with the theory of motion control and changing the exterior ballistics so as to change its range and increase its accuracy. The law of external ballistics with the deflectable nose is considered as the basis of the design of a flight control system and an important part in the process of projectile development. Based on the existing rigid external ballistic model, this paper establishes an external ballistic calculation model for deflectable nose projectile and further establishes the solving programs accordingly. Different angle of attack, velocity, coefficients of lift, resistance, and moment under the deflection can be obtained in this paper based on the previous experiments and emulation researches. In the end, the author pointed out the laws on the impaction of external ballistic trajectory by the deflection of nose of the missile.

Astronomy LITE Demonstrations

Science.gov (United States)

Brecher, Kenneth

2006-12-01

Project LITE (Light Inquiry Through Experiments) is a materials, software, and curriculum development project. It focuses on light, optics, color and visual perception. According to two recent surveys of college astronomy faculty members, these are among the topics most often included in the large introductory astronomy courses. The project has aimed largely at the design and implementation of hands-on experiences for students. However, it has also included the development of lecture demonstrations that employ novel light sources and materials. In this presentation, we will show some of our new lecture demonstrations concerning geometrical and physical optics, fluorescence, phosphorescence and polarization. We have developed over 200 Flash and Java applets that can be used either by teachers in lecture settings or by students at home. They are all posted on the web at http://lite.bu.edu. For either purpose they can be downloaded directly to the user's computer or run off line. In lecture demonstrations, some of these applets can be used to control the light emitted by video projectors to produce physical effects in materials (e.g. fluorescence). Other applets can be used, for example, to demonstrate that the human percept of color does not have a simple relationship with the physical frequency of the stimulating source of light. Project LITE is supported by Grant #DUE-0125992 from the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education.

Numerical simulation of 900 MW control rods impact friction vibration and wear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacquart, G.

1993-12-01

Impact-friction vibrations and wear have motivated a great research and development program aiming at understanding the impact and vibration behaviour of these components through experimental and numerical works. This report presents a numerical simulation of the vibrations of a single control rod and of a whole control cluster. Excitation sources for this component are due to hydraulic forces and are situated in the lower part of the rods and in the part of the cluster. Some parametric computations have been carried out on a single rod, to evaluate the effect of the lower excitation source. Different excitation levels, different eccentricities or static forces have been computed and compared to measurements on the MAGALY mock-up representing a complete rod cluster. A numerical model for the complete cluster allowed the evaluation of the upper excitation source effects. This source appears to be less powerful than the lower one. These results have been validated by comparison with MAGALY measurements. At last, some computations were performed with a model of the complete cluster, taking into account the both excitation sources. A parametric study on eccentricity and static forces has been carried out. A comparison with MAGALY measurements seems to be fairly fitting, showing that the numerical results are of the right order of magnitude. Through this numerical study, we have shown that numerical simulation of a complete control rod cluster could be lead, and we have obtained some new informations about impact forces and wear rates that need to be confirmed by more computational or experimental works or in-situ measurements. (author). 10 annexes, 11 refs

Impact of Drinking Water Fluoride on Human Thyroid Hormones: A Case- Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kheradpisheh, Zohreh; Mirzaei, Masoud; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Mokhtari, Mehdi; Azizi, Reyhane; Fallahzadeh, Hossein; Ehrampoush, Mohammad Hassan

2018-02-08

The elevated fluoride from drinking water impacts on T 3 , T 4 and TSH hormones. The aim was study impacts of drinking water fluoride on T 3 , T 4 and TSH hormones inYGA (Yazd Greater Area). In this case- control study 198 cases and 213 controls were selected. Fluoride was determined by the SPADNS Colorimetric Method. T 3 , T 4 and TSH hormones tested in the Yazd central laboratory by RIA (Radio Immuno Assay) method. The average amount of TSH and T 3 hormones based on the levels of fluoride in two concentration levels 0-0.29 and 0.3-0.5 (mg/L) was statistically significant (P = 0.001 for controls and P = 0.001 for cases). In multivariate regression logistic analysis, independent variable associated with Hypothyroidism were: gender (odds ratio: 2.5, CI 95%: 1.6-3.9), family history of thyroid disease (odds ratio: 2.7, CI 95%: 1.6-4.6), exercise (odds ratio: 5.34, CI 95%: 3.2-9), Diabetes (odds ratio: 3.7, CI 95%: 1.7-8), Hypertension (odds ratio: 3.2, CI 95%: 1.3-8.2), water consumption (odds ratio: 4, CI 95%: 1.2-14). It was found that fluoride has impacts on TSH, T 3 hormones even in the standard concentration of less than 0.5 mg/L. Application of standard household water purification devices was recommended for hypothyroidism.

Demonstrating a new framework for the comparison of environmental impacts from small- and large-scale hydropower and wind power projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakken, Tor Haakon; Aase, Anne Guri; Hagen, Dagmar; Sundt, Håkon; Barton, David N; Lujala, Päivi

2014-07-01

Climate change and the needed reductions in the use of fossil fuels call for the development of renewable energy sources. However, renewable energy production, such as hydropower (both small- and large-scale) and wind power have adverse impacts on the local environment by causing reductions in biodiversity and loss of habitats and species. This paper compares the environmental impacts of many small-scale hydropower plants with a few large-scale hydropower projects and one wind power farm, based on the same set of environmental parameters; land occupation, reduction in wilderness areas (INON), visibility and impacts on red-listed species. Our basis for comparison was similar energy volumes produced, without considering the quality of the energy services provided. The results show that small-scale hydropower performs less favourably in all parameters except land occupation. The land occupation of large hydropower and wind power is in the range of 45-50 m(2)/MWh, which is more than two times larger than the small-scale hydropower, where the large land occupation for large hydropower is explained by the extent of the reservoirs. On all the three other parameters small-scale hydropower performs more than two times worse than both large hydropower and wind power. Wind power compares similarly to large-scale hydropower regarding land occupation, much better on the reduction in INON areas, and in the same range regarding red-listed species. Our results demonstrate that the selected four parameters provide a basis for further development of a fair and consistent comparison of impacts between the analysed renewable technologies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Lobster and cod benefit from small-scale northern marine protected areas: inference from an empirical before–after control-impact study

Science.gov (United States)

Moland, Even; Olsen, Esben Moland; Knutsen, Halvor; Garrigou, Pauline; Espeland, Sigurd Heiberg; Kleiven, Alf Ring; André, Carl; Knutsen, Jan Atle

2013-01-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly implemented as tools to conserve and manage fisheries and target species. Because there are opportunity costs to conservation, there is a need for science-based assessment of MPAs. Here, we present one of the northernmost documentations of MPA effects to date, demonstrated by a replicated before–after control-impact (BACI) approach. In 2006, MPAs were implemented along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast offering complete protection to shellfish and partial protection to fish. By 2010, European lobster (Homarus gammarus) catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) had increased by 245 per cent in MPAs, whereas CPUE in control areas had increased by 87 per cent. Mean size of lobsters increased by 13 per cent in MPAs, whereas increase in control areas was negligible. Furthermore, MPA-responses and population development in control areas varied significantly among regions. This illustrates the importance of a replicated BACI design for reaching robust conclusions and management decisions. Partial protection of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) was followed by an increase in population density and body size compared with control areas. By 2010, MPA cod were on average 5 cm longer than in any of the control areas. MPAs can be useful management tools in rebuilding and conserving portions of depleted lobster populations in northern temperate waters, and even for a mobile temperate fish species such as the Atlantic cod. PMID:23303544

Demonstrating TTC-PON robustness and flexibility

CERN Document Server

Brandao de Souza Mendes, Eduardo; Soos, Csaba; Saint-Germain, Logan; Vasey, Francois

2018-01-01

In 2016, a TTC-PON (Timing, Trigger and Control system based on Passive Optical Networks) demonstrator was presented at TWEPP as an alternative to replace the TTC system, currently responsible for delivering timing, trigger and control commands in the LHC experiments. Towards a deployment foreseen for ALICE phase-1 upgrade, the system has been consolidated through flexible software implementation providing full configuration, complete calibration and extended monitoring and diagnostic tools. A new demonstrator setup was built with various FPGA platforms to test the system with an increased number of nodes and under different environmental conditions. This paper focuses on the TTC-PON system design with a discussion on its features and scaled-up tests.

Demonstration of the Impact of Thermomagnetic Processing on Cast Aluminum Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ludtka, Gerard Michael [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Murphy, Bart L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Rios, Orlando [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kesler, Michael S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Henderson, Hunter B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-10-01

This project builds on an earlier Manufacturing Demonstration Facility Technical Collaboration phase 1 project to investigate application of high magnetic fields during solution heat treating and aging of three different cast aluminum alloys.

Innovative technology demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.B.; Hartley, J.N.; Luttrell, S.P.

1992-04-01

Currently, several innovative technologies are being demonstrated at Tinker Air Force Base (TAFB) to address specific problems associated with remediating two contaminated test sites at the base. Cone penetrometer testing (CPT) is a form of testing that can rapidly characterize a site. This technology was selected to evaluate its applicability in the tight clay soils and consolidated sandstone sediments found at TAFB. Directionally drilled horizontal wells have been successfully installed at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site to test new methods of in situ remediation of soils and ground water. This emerging technology was selected as a method that may be effective in accessing contamination beneath Building 3001 without disrupting the mission of the building, and in enhancing the extraction of contamination both in ground water and in soil. A soil gas extraction (SGE) demonstration, also known as soil vapor extraction, will evaluate the effectiveness of SGE in remediating fuels and TCE contamination contained in the tight clay soil formations surrounding the abandoned underground fuel storage vault located at the SW Tanks Site. In situ sensors have recently received much acclaim as a technology that can be effective in remediating hazardous waste sites. Sensors can be useful for determining real-time, in situ contaminant concentrations during the remediation process for performance monitoring and in providing feedback for controlling the remediation process. A demonstration of two in situ sensor systems capable of providing real-time data on contamination levels will be conducted and evaluated concurrently with the SGE demonstration activities. Following the SGE demonstration, the SGE system and SW Tanks test site will be modified to demonstrate bioremediation as an effective means of degrading the remaining contaminants in situ

Ibuprofen versus Acetaminophen in Controlling Postoperative Impacted Third Molar Tooth Extraction Pain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, I.; Bukhari, S. G. A.; Ahmad, W.; Rubbab,; Junaid, M.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in reducing postoperative third molar extraction pain in patients reporting to Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry. Study design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and duration of study: The study was carried out on patients who presented for surgical removal of impacted teeth at Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry Rawalpindi (AFID) from February 2008 to March 2--9 at the Department of Oral Surgery, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry Rawalpindi. Patients and methods: One hundred and forty patients requiring surgical removal of mandibular impacted teeth were equally divided into two groups. Surgical extraction of third molar tooth was performed under local anesthesia. Patients in group A were given ibuprofen and in group B were given acetaminophen at 6 hourly intervals. First dose was given 3 hours postoperatively. Each patient rated pain on a visual analog scale at baseline and then at 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours postoperatively. Results: There was statistically significant difference (p=0.025) during first 12 hours with ibuprofen group showing better efficacy but afterwards there was no significant difference in the efficacy of both drugs. Conclusions: Ibuprofen is more effective in controlling severe third molar extraction pain as compared to acetaminophen but has similar efficacy in controlling moderate pain. (author)

Actinide Separation Demonstration Facility, Tarapur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vishwaraj, I.

2017-01-01

Partitioning of minor actinide from high level waste could have a substantial impact in lowering the radio toxicity associated with high level waste as well as it will reduce the burden on geological repository. In Indian context, the partitioned minor actinide could be routed into the fast breeder reactor systems scheduled for commissioning in the near period. The technological breakthrough in solvent development has catalyzed the partitioning programme in India, leading to the setting up and hot commissioning of the Actinide Separation Demonstration Facility (ASDF) at BARC, Tarapur. The engineering scale Actinide Separation Demonstration Facility (ASDF) has been retrofitted in an available radiological hot cell situated adjacent to the Advanced Vitrification Facility (AVS). This location advantage ensures an uninterrupted supply of high-level waste and facilitates the vitrification of the high-level waste after separation of minor actinides

Impact of fruit fly control programmes using the sterile insect technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enkerlin, W.R.

2005-01-01

Measuring the impact of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programmes, that use the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control fruit fly pests of economic significance, is complex. These programmes affect practically the whole horticultural food chain. In this chapter, the impact of the programmes is assessed by focusing only on the benefits generated to producers and traders of horticultural products, the direct beneficiaries. This is done first by describing the types of benefits accrued from these programmes, second by explaining the factors that shape programme benefits, and finally by presenting several examples to illustrate how the SIT technology, when properly applied for eradication, containment, suppression, or prevention purposes, can generate substantial direct and indirect benefits to the horticulture industry. (author)

Demonstrating and Communicating Research Impact. Preparing NIOSH Programs for External Review

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

and Communicating Research Impact Type Program NIOSH cross-sector (continued) Traumatic Injury Work Organization and Stress-Related Disorders Worklife ...tools, such as italics, bolded text, dashed lines, and colors, can be used to indicate subtle differences. However, finding the balance between the... balancing the potential value and risk of individual programs within a portfolio against an explicitly defined set of goals. There are several methods

Demonstration of Single-Mode Multicore Fiber Transport Network with Crosstalk-Aware In-Service Optical Path Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tanaka, Takafumi; Pulverer, Klaus; Häbel, Ulrich

2017-01-01

transport network testbed and demonstrate an XT-aware traffic engineering scenario. With the help of a software-defined network (SDN) controller, the modulation format and optical path route are adaptively changed based on the monitored XT values by using programmable devices such as a real-time transponder......-capacity transmission, because inter-core crosstalk (XT) could be the main limiting factor for MCF transmission. In a real MCF network, the inter-core XT in a particular core is likely to change continuously as the optical paths in the adjacent cores are dynamically assigned to match the dynamic nature of the data...

A plasma process controlled emissions off-gas demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battleson, D.; Kujawa, S.T.; Leatherman, G.

1995-01-01

Thermal technologies are currently identified as playing an important role in the treatment of many DOE waste streams, and emissions from these processes will be scrutinized by the public, regulators, and stakeholders. For some time, there has been a hesitancy by the public to accept thermal treatment of radioactive contaminated waste because of the emissions from these processes. While the technology for treatment of emissions from these processes is well established, it is not possible to provide the public complete assurance that the system will be in compliance with air quality regulations 100% of the operating time in relation to allowing noncompliant emissions to exit the system. Because of the possibility of noncompliant emissions and the public's concern over thermal treatment systems, it has been decided that the concept of a completely controlled emissions off-gas system should be developed and implemented on Department of Energy (DOE) thermal treatment systems. While the law of conservation of mass precludes a completely closed cycle system, it is possible to apply the complete control concept to emissions

Replicating Reducing the Risk: 12-Month Impacts of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Blocklin, Michelle; Layzer, Jean; Price, Cristofer; Juras, Randall; Freiman, Lesley

2016-01-01

Objectives. To test the effectiveness of Reducing the Risk, an evidence-based sexual health curriculum designed to help prevent adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, on youth sexual behavior and intermediate outcomes thought to lead to these behaviors. Methods. Classes within schools in St. Louis, Missouri; Austin, Texas; and San Diego, California; were randomly assigned to receive Reducing the Risk or “business as usual.” Youths completed Web-based surveys at baseline (preintervention, August 2012–January 2014) and 12 months later (August 2013–January 2015). Intent-to-treat analyses were conducted across sites; we tested for differences in impacts between sites and other subgroups. Results. The program had no overall impact on sexual behaviors. However, at 1 site, program participants were significantly less likely to have engaged in recent sexual intercourse than were control group members. There were positive overall impacts on intermediate outcomes (e.g., knowledge, attitudes). Conclusions. After 12 months, Reducing the Risk was unsuccessful at changing sexual behaviors. Other results were mixed, but promising evidence (e.g., behavioral impacts at 1 site, impacts on intermediate outcomes) suggests potential for more widespread behavioral impacts over a longer term. PMID:27689492

The use of scale models in impact testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donelan, P.J.; Dowling, A.R.

1985-01-01

Theoretical analysis, component testing and model flask testing are employed to investigate the validity of scale models for demonstrating the behaviour of Magnox flasks under impact conditions. Model testing is shown to be a powerful and convenient tool provided adequate care is taken with detail design and manufacture of models and with experimental control. (author)

Impact on children of a parent with ALS: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo, Vincenzo; Bianco, Francesca; Benelli, Enrico; Sambin, Marco; Monsurrò, Maria R; Femiano, Cinzia; Querin, Giorgia; Sorarù, Gianni; Palmieri, Arianna

2015-01-01

Numerous studies have explored how patients and their caregivers cope with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the literature completely lacks research on the psychological impact of the disease on patients' children. The aim of our study was to investigate the emotional and psychological impact of a parent with ALS on school-age children and adolescents in terms of problem behavior, adjustment, and personality characteristics. The study involved 23 children (mean age = 10.62 years, six females) with a parent suffering from ALS, and both their parents. Children were matched for age, gender, and birth-order with a control group of children with healthy parents. They were administered the Youth Self Report (YSR) questionnaire and the Rorschach Comprehensive System, and their healthy parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Findings clearly showed that, compared with controls, children with a parent who had ALS had several clinically significant adverse emotional and behavioral consequences, with emotional and behavioral problems, internalizing problems, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Children of a parent with ALS scored higher than controls for the Total Problems, Internalizing Problems, Anxious/Depressed and Withdrawn/Depressed scales in the YSR. A relevant percentage of children fell within the clinical range (42.9%) and borderline range (28.6%) for Internalizing Problems. The Rorschach CS confirmed the substantial impact of ALS in a parent on their offspring in terms of internalizing behavior and depression, with adjustment difficulties, psychological pain, and thought problems. Our findings indicate that school-aged children and adolescents with a parent who has ALS are vulnerable and carry a substantially higher risk of internalizing behavior, depressive symptoms, and reactive problems than children with healthy parents. Families affected may need support to cope with such an overwhelming disease.

Impact on children of a parent with ALS: A case-control study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo eCalvo

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Numerous studies have explored how patients and their caregivers cope with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, but the literature completely lacks research on the psychological impact of the disease on patients’ children. The aim of our study was to investigate the emotional and psychological impact of a parent with ALS on school-age children and adolescents in terms of problem behavior, adjustment, and personality characteristics.Methods: The study involved 23 children (mean age = 10.62 years, 6 females with a parent suffering from ALS, and both their parents. Children were matched for age, gender, and birth-order with a control group of children with healthy parents. They were administered the Youth Self Report (YSR questionnaire and the Rorschach Comprehensive System, and their healthy parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL.Results: Findings clearly showed that, compared with controls, children with a parent who had ALS had several clinically significant adverse emotional and behavioral consequences, with emotional and behavioral problems, internalizing problems, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Children of a parent with ALS scored higher than controls for the Total Problems, Internalizing Problems, Anxious/Depressed and Withdrawn/Depressed scales in the YSR. A relevant percentage of children fell within the clinical range (42.9% and borderline range (28.6% for Internalizing Problems. The Rorschach CS confirmed the substantial impact of ALS in a parent on their offspring in terms of internalizing behavior and depression, with adjustment difficulties, psychological pain, and thought problems.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that school-aged children and adolescents with a parent who has ALS are vulnerable and carry a substantially higher risk of internalizing behavior, depressive symptoms, and reactive problems than children with healthy parents. Families affected may need support to cope with such an overwhelming

Simplified models of vector control impact upon malaria transmission by zoophagic mosquitoes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samson S Kiware

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: High coverage of personal protection measures that kill mosquitoes dramatically reduce malaria transmission where vector populations depend upon human blood. However, most primary malaria vectors outside of sub-Saharan Africa can be classified as "very zoophagic," meaning they feed occasionally (<10% of blood meals upon humans, so personal protection interventions have negligible impact upon their survival. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We extended a published malaria transmission model to examine the relationship between transmission, control, and the baseline proportion of bloodmeals obtained from humans (human blood index. The lower limit of the human blood index enables derivation of simplified models for zoophagic vectors that (1 Rely on only three field-measurable parameters. (2 Predict immediate and delayed (with and without assuming reduced human infectivity, respectively impacts of personal protection measures upon transmission. (3 Illustrate how appreciable indirect communal-level protection for non-users can be accrued through direct personal protection of users. (4 Suggest the coverage and efficacy thresholds required to attain epidemiological impact. The findings suggest that immediate, indirect, community-wide protection of users and non-users alike may linearly relate to the efficacy of a user's direct personal protection, regardless of whether that is achieved by killing or repelling mosquitoes. High protective coverage and efficacy (≥80% are important to achieve epidemiologically meaningful impact. Non-users are indirectly protected because the two most common species of human malaria are strict anthroponoses. Therefore, the small proportion of mosquitoes that are killed or diverted while attacking humans can represent a large proportion of those actually transmitting malaria. CONCLUSIONS: Simplified models of malaria transmission by very zoophagic vectors may be used by control practitioners to predict intervention impact

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostelnik, K.M.

1991-12-01

This document presents the plan of activities for the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) program which supports the environmental restoration (ER) objectives of the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex. Discussed in this plan are the objectives, organization, roles and responsibilities, and the process for implementing and managing BWID. BWID is hosted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), but involves participants from throughout the DOE Complex, private industry, universities, and the international community. These participants will support, demonstrate, and evaluate a suite of advanced technologies representing a comprehensive remediation system for the effective and efficient remediation of buried waste. The processes for identifying technological needs, screening candidate technologies for applicability and maturity, selecting appropriate technologies for demonstration, field demonstrating, evaluation of results and transferring technologies to environmental restoration programs are also presented. This document further describes the elements of project planning and control that apply to BWID. It addresses the management processes, operating procedures, programmatic and technical objectives, and schedules. Key functions in support of each demonstration such as regulatory coordination, safety analyses, risk evaluations, facility requirements, and data management are presented

Infiltration Control Landfill Cover Demonstration at Marine Corps Base, Hawaii

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Karr, Leslie

1999-01-01

.... Demonstration caps were installed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) Kaneohe Bay in 1994. The study used an innovative but simple concept to manipulate the fate of rain water falling on waste sites with moderate to high precipitation...

40 CFR 51.112 - Demonstration of adequacy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION, ADOPTION, AND SUBMITTAL OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Control Strategy § 51.112... implements. (1) The adequacy of a control strategy shall be demonstrated by means of applicable air quality... reduction of emissions (or reductions in the growth of emissions) that will result from the implementation...

Resilient Control Systems Practical Metrics Basis for Defining Mission Impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Craig G. Rieger

2014-08-01

"Resilience” describes how systems operate at an acceptable level of normalcy despite disturbances or threats. In this paper we first consider the cognitive, cyber-physical interdependencies inherent in critical infrastructure systems and how resilience differs from reliability to mitigate these risks. Terminology and metrics basis are provided to integrate the cognitive, cyber-physical aspects that should be considered when defining solutions for resilience. A practical approach is taken to roll this metrics basis up to system integrity and business case metrics that establish “proper operation” and “impact.” A notional chemical processing plant is the use case for demonstrating how the system integrity metrics can be applied to establish performance, and

The impact of glaucoma on quality of life in Ethiopia: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayele, Fisseha A; Zeraye, Banchamelak; Assefa, Yared; Legesse, Kbrom; Azale, Telake; Burton, Matthew J

2017-12-13

Glaucoma is a chronic disease characterized by irreversible optic nerve damage and visual field loss that leads to visual impairment and blindness; ultimately limiting personal independence and compromising overall quality of life of affected individuals. There is paucity of information on how glaucoma affects the quality of life of patients in low and middle-income countries where resources for both diagnosis and treatment of such conditions are limited. In this study we investigate the impact of glaucoma on quality of life in Ethiopian patients. The quality of life of 307 glaucoma patients and 76 normal controls that were frequency matched to the age and sex profiles of the cases was assessed using Amharic version of Glaucoma Quality of Life -15 questionnaire. Linear regression models and the t-test were employed to compare significant differences in GQL-15 scores and to generate mean and mean differences between cases and controls respectively. The mean GQL-15 score in the glaucoma cases was substantially higher (indicating poorer quality of life) than the controls [cases 46.3 (95% CI, 28.8-63.8) and controls 18.6 (95% CI, 15.2-22.0), p glaucoma had significantly higher scores than the controls. Poorer quality of life was associated with age ≥ 71 years old 51.1 (95%CI, 26.2-75.9), rural residence 55.7 (95%CI, 49.9-61.5), monthly income of glaucoma (50.9; 95%CI, 43.6-58.3). These glaucoma patients, including those with normal visual acuity and early disease, had poorer quality of life compared to normal controls. Older age, rural residence, low income and more advanced disease were significantly associated with poorer quality of life. There is a need to increase awareness of the impact of glaucoma among clinicians, patients and their families, for a better understanding of the impact this disease has on a person's life.

Discussion on control room habitability assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Bing; Chen Yingying; Xiao Jun; Yang Duanjie; Cui Hao

2014-01-01

The discussion on control room envelope integrity, source term analysis in habitability assessments and other impact factors for dose consequence is provided combined with regulatory requirements and the current status of domestic NPPs. Considering that the infiltration is an important factor for control room habitability assessment, CRE integrity test should be performed to demonstrate the CRE's infiltration characteristics. The consequence assessment should be performed based on different DBAs and different pathways, such as pathways internal to the plant. (authors)

Assessing the impact of revegetation and weed control on urban sensitive bird species.

Science.gov (United States)

Archibald, Carla L; McKinney, Matthew; Mustin, Karen; Shanahan, Danielle F; Possingham, Hugh P

2017-06-01

Nature in cities is concentrated in urban green spaces, which are key areas for urban biodiversity and also important areas to connect people with nature. To conserve urban biodiversity within these natural refugia, habitat restoration such as weed control and revegetation is often implemented. These actions are expected to benefit biodiversity, although species known to be affected by urbanization may not be interacting with restoration in the ways we anticipate. In this study, we use a case study to explore how urban restoration activities impact different bird species. Birds were grouped into urban sensitivity categories and species abundance, and richness was then calculated using a hierarchical species community model for individual species responses, with "urban class" used as the hierarchical parameter. We highlight variable responses of birds to revegetation and weed control based on their level of urban sensitivity. Revegetation of open grassy areas delivers significant bird conservation outcomes, but the effects of weed control are neutral or in some cases negative. Specifically, the species most reliant on remnant vegetation in cities seem to remain stable or decline in abundance in areas with weed control, which we suspect is the result of a simplification of the understorey. The literature reports mixed benefits of weed control between taxa and between locations. We recommend, in our case study site, that weed control be implemented in concert with replanting of native vegetation to provide the understory structure preferred by urban sensitive birds. Understanding the impacts of revegetation and weed control on different bird species is important information for practitioners to make restoration decisions about the allocation of funds for conservation action. This new knowledge can be used both for threatened species and invasive species management.

Impacts of insect biological control on soil N transformations in Tamarix-invaded ecosystems in the Great Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Understanding the impacts of insect biological control of Tamarix spp. on soil nitrogen (N) transformations is important because changes to N supply could alter plant community succession. We investigated short-term and longer-term impacts of herbivory by the northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda cari...

The Impact of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Interventions to Control Cholera: A Systematic Review.

OpenAIRE

Taylor, DL; Kahawita, TM; Cairncross, S; Ensink, JH

2015-01-01

Background and Methods Cholera remains a significant threat to global public health with an estimated 100,000 deaths per year. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions are frequently employed to control outbreaks though evidence regarding their effectiveness is often missing. This paper presents a systematic literature review investigating the function, use and impact of WASH interventions implemented to control cholera. Results The review yielded eighteen studies and of the five st...

Training and support to improve ICD coding quality: A controlled before-and-after impact evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dyers, Robin; Ward, Grant; Du Plooy, Shane; Fourie, Stephanus; Evans, Juliet; Mahomed, Hassan

2017-05-24

The proposed National Health Insurance policy for South Africa (SA) requires hospitals to maintain high-quality International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for patient records. While considerable strides had been made to improve ICD coding coverage by digitising the discharge process in the Western Cape Province, further intervention was required to improve data quality. The aim of this controlled before-and-after study was to evaluate the impact of a clinician training and support initiative to improve ICD coding quality. To compare ICD coding quality between two central hospitals in the Western Cape before and after the implementation of a training and support initiative for clinicians at one of the sites. The difference in differences in data quality between the intervention site and the control site was calculated. Multiple logistic regression was also used to determine the odds of data quality improvement after the intervention and to adjust for potential differences between the groups. The intervention had a positive impact of 38.0% on ICD coding completeness over and above changes that occurred at the control site. Relative to the baseline, patient records at the intervention site had a 6.6 (95% confidence interval 3.5 - 16.2) adjusted odds ratio of having a complete set of ICD codes for an admission episode after the introduction of the training and support package. The findings on impact on ICD coding accuracy were not significant. There is sufficient pragmatic evidence that a training and support package will have a considerable positive impact on ICD coding completeness in the SA setting.

Experimental Demonstration of Phase Sensitive Parametric Processes in a Nano-Engineered Silicon Waveguide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kang, Ning; Fadil, Ahmed; Pu, Minhao

2013-01-01

We demonstrate experimentally phase-sensitive processes in nano-engineered silicon waveguides for the first time. Furthermore, we highlight paths towards the optimization of the phase-sensitive extinction ratio under the impact of two-photon and free-carrier absorption.......We demonstrate experimentally phase-sensitive processes in nano-engineered silicon waveguides for the first time. Furthermore, we highlight paths towards the optimization of the phase-sensitive extinction ratio under the impact of two-photon and free-carrier absorption....

Negative impact of pretreatment anemia on local control after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for rectal cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hye Bin; Park, Hee Chul; Park, Won [Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); and others

2012-09-15

Although anemia is considered to be a contributor to intra-tumoral hypoxia and tumor resistance to ionizing radiation in cancer patients, the impact of pretreatment anemia on local control after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) and surgery for rectal cancer remains unclear. We reviewed the records of 247 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who were treated with NACRT followed by curative-intent surgery. The patients with anemia before NACRT (36.0%, 89/247) achieved less pathologic complete response (pCR) than those without anemia (p = 0.012). The patients with pretreatment anemia had worse 3-year local control than those without pretreatment anemia (86.0% vs. 95.7%, p = 0.005). Multivariate analysis showed that pretreatment anemia (p = 0.035), pathologic tumor and nodal stage (p = 0.020 and 0.032, respectively) were independently significant factors for local control. Pretreatment anemia had negative impacts on pCR and local control among patients who underwent NACRT and surgery for rectal cancer. Strategies maintaining hemoglobin level within normal range could potentially be used to improve local control in rectal cancer patients.

Negative impact of pretreatment anemia on local control after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for rectal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hye Bin; Park, Hee Chul; Park, Won

2012-01-01

Although anemia is considered to be a contributor to intra-tumoral hypoxia and tumor resistance to ionizing radiation in cancer patients, the impact of pretreatment anemia on local control after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) and surgery for rectal cancer remains unclear. We reviewed the records of 247 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who were treated with NACRT followed by curative-intent surgery. The patients with anemia before NACRT (36.0%, 89/247) achieved less pathologic complete response (pCR) than those without anemia (p = 0.012). The patients with pretreatment anemia had worse 3-year local control than those without pretreatment anemia (86.0% vs. 95.7%, p = 0.005). Multivariate analysis showed that pretreatment anemia (p = 0.035), pathologic tumor and nodal stage (p = 0.020 and 0.032, respectively) were independently significant factors for local control. Pretreatment anemia had negative impacts on pCR and local control among patients who underwent NACRT and surgery for rectal cancer. Strategies maintaining hemoglobin level within normal range could potentially be used to improve local control in rectal cancer patients.

Experimental demonstration of two methods for controlling the group delay in a system with photonic-crystal resonators coupled to a waveguide.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Yijie; Sandhu, Sunil; Pan, Jun; Stuhrmann, Norbert; Povinelli, Michelle L; Kahn, Joseph M; Harris, James S; Fejer, Martin M; Fan, Shanhui

2011-04-15

We measure the group delay in an on-chip photonic-crystal device with two resonators side coupled to a waveguide. We demonstrate that such a group delay can be controlled by tuning either the propagation phase of the waveguide or the frequency of the resonators.

Advanced Instrumentation and Control Methods for Small and Medium Reactors with IRIS Demonstration. Final Report. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hines, J. Wesley; Upadhyaya, Belle R.; Doster, J. Michael; Edwards, Robert M.; Lewis, Kenneth D.; Turinsky, Paul; Coble, Jamie

2011-01-01

Development and deployment of small-scale nuclear power reactors and their maintenance, monitoring, and control are part of the mission under the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program. The objectives of this NERI-consortium research project are to investigate, develop, and validate advanced methods for sensing, controlling, monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis of these reactors, and to demonstrate the methods with application to one of the proposed integral pressurized water reactors (IPWR). For this project, the IPWR design by Westinghouse, the International Reactor Secure and Innovative (IRIS), has been used to demonstrate the techniques developed under this project. The research focuses on three topical areas with the following objectives. Objective 1 - Develop and apply simulation capabilities and sensitivity/uncertainty analysis methods to address sensor deployment analysis and small grid stability issues. Objective 2 - Develop and test an autonomous and fault-tolerant control architecture and apply to the IRIS system and an experimental flow control loop, with extensions to multiple reactor modules, nuclear desalination, and optimal sensor placement strategy. Objective 3 - Develop and test an integrated monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis system for SMRs using the IRIS as a test platform, and integrate process and equipment monitoring (PEM) and process and equipment prognostics (PEP) toolboxes. The research tasks are focused on meeting the unique needs of reactors that may be deployed to remote locations or to developing countries with limited support infrastructure. These applications will require smaller, robust reactor designs with advanced technologies for sensors, instrumentation, and control. An excellent overview of SMRs is described in an article by Ingersoll (2009). The article refers to these as deliberately small reactors. Most of these have modular characteristics, with multiple units deployed at the same plant site. Additionally, the topics focus

Impact of a manualized multifocal perinatal home-visiting program using psychologists on postnatal depression: the CAPEDP randomized controlled trial.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romain Dugravier

Full Text Available Postnatal maternal depression (PND is a significant risk factor for infant mental health. Although often targeted alongside other factors in perinatal home-visiting programs with vulnerable families, little impact on PND has been observed.This study evaluates the impact on PND symptomatology of a multifocal perinatal home-visiting intervention using psychologists in a sample of women presenting risk factors associated with infant mental health difficulties.440 primiparous women were recruited at their seventh month of pregnancy. All were future first-time mothers, under 26, with at least one of three additional psychosocial risk factors: low educational level, low income, or planning to raise the child without the father. The intervention consisted of intensive multifocal home visits through to the child's second birthday. The control group received care as usual. PND symptomatology was assessed at baseline and three months after birth using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS.At three months postpartum, mean (SD EPDS scores were 9.4 (5.4 for the control group and 8.6 (5.4 for the intervention group (p = 0.18. The difference between the mean EPDS scores was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.35; 1.34. The intervention group had significantly lower EPDS scores than controls in certain subgroups: women with few depressive symptoms at inclusion (EPDS <8: difference = 1.66 (95%CI: 0.17; 3.15, p = 0.05, adjusted for baseline EPDS score, women who were planning to raise the child with the child's father: difference = 1.45 (95%CI: 0.27; 2.62, p = 0.04 (adjusted; women with a higher educational level: difference = 1.59 (95%CI: 0.50; 2.68 p = 0.05 (adjusted.CAPEDP failed to demonstrate an overall impact on PND. However, post-hoc analysis reveals the intervention was effective in terms of primary prevention and in subgroups of women without certain risk factors. Effective overall reduction of PND symptomatology for young, first-time mothers presenting additional

DC Voltage Droop Control Structures and its Impact on the Interaction Modes in Interconnected AC-HVDC Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thams, Florian; Chatzivasileiadis, Spyros; Eriksson, Robert

2017-01-01

Different dc voltage droop control structures for future multi-terminal HVDC systems have been proposed in literature. This paper contributes to the evaluation of those structures by an analysis of their impact on the coupling of the interconnected subsystems. In particular, the modes...... of the systems are classified in different subsets according to the participation of the various subsystems. Those subsets are then evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively indicating which impact the choice of the droop control structure has on the degree of coupling between the connected ac and dc systems...

Impact and control of protozoan parasites in maricultured fishes.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchmann, Kurt

2015-01-01

Aquaculture, including both freshwater and marine production, has on a world scale exhibited one of the highest growth rates within animal protein production during recent decades and is expected to expand further at the same rate within the next 10 years. Control of diseases is one of the most prominent challenges if this production goal is to be reached. Apart from viral, bacterial, fungal and metazoan infections it has been documented that protozoan parasites affect health and welfare and thereby production of fish in marine aquaculture. Representatives within the main protozoan groups such as amoebae, dinoflagellates, kinetoplastid flagellates, diplomonadid flagellates, apicomplexans, microsporidians and ciliates have been shown to cause severe morbidity and mortality among farmed fish. Well studied examples are Neoparamoeba perurans, Amyloodinium ocellatum, Spironucleus salmonicida, Ichthyobodo necator, Cryptobia salmositica, Loma salmonae, Cryptocaryon irritans, Miamiensis avidus and Trichodina jadranica. The present report provides details on the parasites' biology and impact on productivity and evaluates tools for diagnosis, control and management. Special emphasis is placed on antiprotozoan immune responses in fish and a strategy for development of vaccines is presented.

Large-scale control site selection for population monitoring: an example assessing Sage-grouse trends

Science.gov (United States)

Fedy, Bradley C.; O'Donnell, Michael; Bowen, Zachary H.

2015-01-01

Human impacts on wildlife populations are widespread and prolific and understanding wildlife responses to human impacts is a fundamental component of wildlife management. The first step to understanding wildlife responses is the documentation of changes in wildlife population parameters, such as population size. Meaningful assessment of population changes in potentially impacted sites requires the establishment of monitoring at similar, nonimpacted, control sites. However, it is often difficult to identify appropriate control sites in wildlife populations. We demonstrated use of Geographic Information System (GIS) data across large spatial scales to select biologically relevant control sites for population monitoring. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hearafter, sage-grouse) are negatively affected by energy development, and monitoring of sage-grouse population within energy development areas is necessary to detect population-level responses. Weused population data (1995–2012) from an energy development area in Wyoming, USA, the Atlantic Rim Project Area (ARPA), and GIS data to identify control sites that were not impacted by energy development for population monitoring. Control sites were surrounded by similar habitat and were within similar climate areas to the ARPA. We developed nonlinear trend models for both the ARPA and control sites and compared long-term trends from the 2 areas. We found little difference between the ARPA and control sites trends over time. This research demonstrated an approach for control site selection across large landscapes and can be used as a template for similar impact-monitoring studies. It is important to note that identification of changes in population parameters between control and treatment sites is only the first step in understanding the mechanisms that underlie those changes. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Multiple educational programs improves glycemic control, quality of life with diminishing the impact of diabetes in poorly controlled type 1 diabetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Chintan; Dalal, Lopa; Talaviya, Praful; Saboo, Banshi

2017-12-01

The aim of present study was to assess the outcomes of multiple educational programs on glycemic control, quality of life and impact of diabetes in poorly controlled Type 1 Diabetic patients. A 12 months diabetes education programs were conducted every week for first one month then followed by every 3 months with follow up on improvement of HbA1c and QOL in T1D patients (n=54). Clinical characteristics were recorded at baseline visit. The QOL was evaluated by 15 set DQOL questionnaires in 40 consecutive patients at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months after education programs. The HbA1c level (%) was evaluated at same time point. Decrease in DQOL score was reported as improvement in QOL. The rate of patients response to educational programs was noted 74.07% (n=40) at end of the study (12 months). The prevalence of T1D was reported higher in men than in women. The overall DQOL score and HbA1c% level was significantly (Peducational programs. Patients exhibited greater satisfaction and diminished impact of diabetes after educational programs was observed after 3 months and it was continue up to end of study. The frequencies of self-monitoring of blood glucose were increased. Numbers of hypoglycemic and DKA events were decreased after educational programs when compared to baseline. Results of study revealed that the appropriate education and counseling diminish impact of diabetes, improve QOL and help to achieve desired glycemic (HbA1c) level in poorly control T1D patients. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Impacts of Control Mechanism in Strategic Alliance on Alliance Performance: From the Perspective of Boundary Dilemma

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

SHEN Hao; XIE En; WANG Dong

2016-01-01

In order to solve the problem of boundary dilemma in the strategic alliance,this paper firstly examines the impact of the control mechanism in the strategic alliance on the coordinative efficiency and opportunistic risks of the alliance,and then it tests the different impacts of coordinative efficiency and opportunistic risks on the performances of the alliance members.The empirical results indicate that the formal contract control can efficiently resolve the problem of opportunistic risks in the boundary dilemma,so as to improve the performance of the alliance members;whereas the informal social control including relation control and information technology control can efficiently solve the problem of coordinative efficiency in the boundary dilemma,so as to improve the performance of the alliance members.These findings can enrich and extend existing literature in strategic alliance management and provide significant empirical evidences and theoretical supports for the strategic alliance members to resolve boundary dilemma and further enhance alliance cooperative performance.

The impact of life review on depression in older adults: a randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pot, A.M.; Bohlmeijer, E.T.; Onrust, S.; Melenhorst, A.S.; Veerbeek, M.A.; de Vries, W.

2010-01-01

Background: We developed an indicated preventive life-review course, Looking for Meaning, based on the assumption that reminiscence styles influence coping with depressive symptoms. This study describes the impact of this course in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Methods: Inclusion criteria

The impact of life review on depression in older adults: a randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pot, Anne Margriet; Bohlmeijer, Ernst Thomas; Onrust, Simone; Melenhorst, Anne-Sophie; Veerbeek, Marjolein; de Vries, Wilma

2010-01-01

Background: We developed an indicated preventive life-review course, “Looking for Meaning”, based on the assumption that reminiscence styles influence coping with depressive symptoms. This study describes the impact of this course in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Methods: Inclusion

A comparison of apical root resorption after orthodontic treatment with surgical exposure and traction of maxillary impacted canines versus that without impactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lempesi, Evangelia; Pandis, Nikolaos; Fleming, Padhraig S; Mavragani, Maria

2014-12-01

Orthodontic management of maxillary canine impaction (MCI), including forced eruption, may result in significant root resorption; however, the association between MCI and orthodontically induced root resorption (OIRR) is not yet sufficiently established. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to comparatively evaluate the severity of OIRR of maxillary incisors in orthodontically treated patients with MCI. Additionally, impaction characteristics were associated with OIRR severity. The sample comprised 48 patients undergoing fixed-appliance treatment-24 with unilateral/bilateral MCI and 24 matched controls without impaction. OIRR was calculated using pre- and post-operative panoramic tomograms. The orientation of eruption path, height, sector location, and follicle/tooth ratio of the impacted canine were also recorded. Mann-Whitney U-test and univariate and multivariate linear mixed models were used to test for the associations of interest. Maxillary central left incisor underwent more OIRR in the impaction group (mean difference = 0.58mm, P = 0.04). Overall, the impaction group had 0.38mm more OIRR compared to the control (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.03, 0.74; P = 0.04). However, multivariate analysis demonstrated no difference in the amount of OIRR between impaction and non-impaction groups overall. A positive association between OIRR and initial root length was observed (95% CI: 0.08, 0.27; P Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

West Valley Demonstration Project, Waste Management Area #3 -- Closure Alternative I

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marschke, Stephen F. [Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML), New York, NY (United States)

2000-06-30

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the completion of the West Valley Demonstration Project and closure and/or long-term management of facilities at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center divided the site into Waste Management Areas (WMAs), and for each WMA, presented the impacts associated with five potential closure alternatives. This report focuses on WMA 3 (the High-Level Waste (HLW) Storage Area (Tanks 8D-1 and 8D-2), the Vitrification Facility and other facilities) and closure Alternative I (the complete removal of all structures, systems and components and the release of the area for unrestricted use), and reestimates the impacts associated with the complete removal of the HLW tanks, and surrounding facilities. A 32-step approach was developed for the complete removal of Tanks 8D-1 and 8D-2, the Supernatant Treatment System Support Building, and the Transfer Trench. First, a shielded Confinement Structure would be constructed to reduce the shine dose rate and to control radioactivity releases. Similarly, the tank heels would be stabilized to reduce potential radiation exposures. Next, the tank removal methodology would include: 1) excavation of the vault cover soil, 2) removal of the vault roof, 3) cutting off the tank’s top, 4) removal of the stabilized heel remaining inside the tank, 5) cutting up the tank’s walls and floor, 6) removal of the vault’s walls, the perlite blocks, and vault floor, and 7) radiation surveying and backfilling the resulting hole. After the tanks are removed, the Confinement Structure would be decontaminated and dismantled, and the site backfilled and landscaped. The impacts (including waste disposal quantities, emissions, work-effort, radiation exposures, injuries and fatalities, consumable materials used, and costs) were estimated based on this 32 step removal methodology, and added to the previously estimated impacts for closure of the other facilities within WMA 3 to obtain the total impacts from

Moderator Roles of Optimism and Weight Control on the Impact of Playing Exergames on Happiness: The Perspective of Social Cognitive Theory Using A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Huynh Van; Huang, Han-Chung; Wong, May-Kuen; Yang, Ya-Hui; Huang, Tzu-Ling; Teng, Ching-I

2018-04-30

The literature on exergames has examined their impact on user-perceived psychological health (i.e., user-perceived happiness), but little is known about whether such an impact depends on user characteristics. Therefore, this study used the perspective of social cognitive theory (SCT) to identify potential moderators (i.e., whether the user is optimistic or attempting to control his or her weight) of the impact of playing exergames on user-perceived happiness. This large-scale randomized controlled trial recruited 337 college students (of whom 57.3% were female and all were aged 20-40 years) as participants. The participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group. Participants in the intervention group were asked to use an Xbox 360 to play 1 of 10 exergame programs for 30 minutes once a week for 2 weeks. Participants in the control group were not required to do so. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used for the analyses. The analytical results indicate that playing exergames helped to maintain happiness levels and prevented them from decreasing. The maintained happiness was more prominent among participants who were trying to control their weight, but did not differ between participants who were highly optimistic and those who were less optimistic. This study is the first using SCT to explain the contingent effect of playing exergames on user happiness. Exergames can maintain happiness among users, and such maintenance can be the strongest among users who are trying to control their weight.

Evaluation of information technology impact on effective internal control in the University system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanusi Fasilat, A., E-mail: Fasilat17@gmail.com; Hassan, Haslinda, E-mail: lynn@uum.edu.my [School of Accountancy, College of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah (Malaysia)

2015-12-11

Information Technology (IT) plays a key role in internal control system in various organizations in terms of maintaining records and other internal services. Internal control system is defined as an efficient control procedures set up by firm to safeguard resources and to assure the reliability and accuracy of both financial and non-financial records in line with applicable governance and procedure to acquire the established goal and objectives. This paper focuses on the impact of IT on internal control system in the Nigerian universities. Data are collected from three different universities via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics is used to analyze the data; Chi-square is performed to test the hypothesis. The results of the hypothesis showed that IT has a positive relationship with the effective internal control activities in the University system. It is concluded that the adoption of IT will significantly improve the effectiveness of the internal control system operations in the University in terms of quality service delivery.

Evaluation of information technology impact on effective internal control in the University system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanusi Fasilat, A.; Hassan, Haslinda

2015-01-01

Information Technology (IT) plays a key role in internal control system in various organizations in terms of maintaining records and other internal services. Internal control system is defined as an efficient control procedures set up by firm to safeguard resources and to assure the reliability and accuracy of both financial and non-financial records in line with applicable governance and procedure to acquire the established goal and objectives. This paper focuses on the impact of IT on internal control system in the Nigerian universities. Data are collected from three different universities via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics is used to analyze the data; Chi-square is performed to test the hypothesis. The results of the hypothesis showed that IT has a positive relationship with the effective internal control activities in the University system. It is concluded that the adoption of IT will significantly improve the effectiveness of the internal control system operations in the University in terms of quality service delivery

Evaluation of information technology impact on effective internal control in the University system

Science.gov (United States)

Sanusi Fasilat, A.; Hassan, Haslinda

2015-12-01

Information Technology (IT) plays a key role in internal control system in various organizations in terms of maintaining records and other internal services. Internal control system is defined as an efficient control procedures set up by firm to safeguard resources and to assure the reliability and accuracy of both financial and non-financial records in line with applicable governance and procedure to acquire the established goal and objectives. This paper focuses on the impact of IT on internal control system in the Nigerian universities. Data are collected from three different universities via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics is used to analyze the data; Chi-square is performed to test the hypothesis. The results of the hypothesis showed that IT has a positive relationship with the effective internal control activities in the University system. It is concluded that the adoption of IT will significantly improve the effectiveness of the internal control system operations in the University in terms of quality service delivery.

Modern control techniques for accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodwin, R.W.; Shea, M.F.

1984-01-01

Beginning in the mid to late sixties, most new accelerators were designed to include computer based control systems. Although each installation differed in detail, the technology of the sixties and early to mid seventies dictated an architecture that was essentially the same for the control systems of that era. A mini-computer was connected to the hardware and to a console. Two developments have changed the architecture of modern systems: the microprocessor and local area networks. This paper discusses these two developments and demonstrates their impact on control system design and implementation by way of describing a possible architecture for any size of accelerator. Both hardware and software aspects are included

Demonstrator for objective driven SON operation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schmelz, L.C.; Eisenblätter, A.; Hahn, S.; Kürner, T.; Litjens, R.; Lobinger, A.; Lohmüller, S.; Sas, B.; Türke, U.

2014-01-01

The demonstrator shows a self-management system for heterogeneous mobile wireless networks that uses context-specific and weighted Key Performance Indicator (KPI) target values defined by the operator to automatically and autonomously configure and control the operation of Self-Organising Network

Commercial incineration demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vavruska, J.S.; Borduin, L.C.

1982-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) generated by nuclear utilities presently are shipped to commercial burial grounds for disposal. Increasing transportation and disposal costs have caused industry to consider incineration as a cost-effective means of volume reduction of combustible LLW. Repeated inquiries from the nuclear industry regarding the applicability of the Los Alamos controlled air incineration (CAI) design led the DOE to initiate a commercial demonstration program in FY-1980. Development studies and results in support of this program involving ion exchange resin incineration and fission/activation product distributions within the Los Alamos CAI are described

Cyber Security Vulnerability Impact on I and C Reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadley, Mark D.; McBride, Justin B.

2006-01-01

We present a discussion of the cyber security vulnerability impact on instrument and control reliability. In the discussion we demonstrate the likely vector of attack and vulnerabilities associated with commodity hardware, protocols and communication media. The current fleet of nuclear power plants in the United States utilizes aging analog instrument and control systems which are more frequently suffering from obsolescence and failure. The commodity equipment available now and in the near future incorporates features from information technology systems which compound cyber vulnerabilities

DEMONSTRATION OF AN ATCA BASED RF CONTROL SYSTEM AT FLASH

CERN Document Server

Simrock, S N; Jezynski, T; Koprek, W; Butkowski, L; Jablonski, G W; Jalmuzna, W; Makowski, D R; Piotrowski, A; Czuba, K

2009-01-01

Future rf control systems will require simultaneous data acquisition of up to 100 fast ADC channels at sampling rates of around 100 MHz and real time signal processing within a few hundred nanoseconds. At the same time the standardization of Low-Level RF systems are common objectives for all laboratories for cost reduction, performance optimization and machine reliability. Also desirable are modularity and scalability of the design as well as compatibility with accelerator instrumentation needs including the control system. All these requirements can be fulfilled with the new telecommunication standard ATCA when adopted to the domain of instrumentation. We describe the architecture and design of an ATCA based LLRF system for the European XFEL. The operation of a prototype capable of controlling the vectorsum of 24-cavities and providing measurements of forward and reflected power are presented.

Training and support to improve ICD coding quality: A controlled before-and-after impact evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin Dyers

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background. The proposed National Health Insurance policy for South Africa (SA requires hospitals to maintain high-quality International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD codes for patient records. While considerable strides had been made to improve ICD coding coverage by digitising the discharge process in the Western Cape Province, further intervention was required to improve data quality. The aim of this controlled before-and-after study was to evaluate the impact of a clinician training and support initiative to improve ICD coding quality. Objective. To compare ICD coding quality between two central hospitals in the Western Cape before and after the implementation of a training and support initiative for clinicians at one of the sites. Methods. The difference in differences in data quality between the intervention site and the control site was calculated. Multiple logistic regression was also used to determine the odds of data quality improvement after the intervention and to adjust for potential differences between the groups. Results. The intervention had a positive impact of 38.0% on ICD coding completeness over and above changes that occurred at the control site. Relative to the baseline, patient records at the intervention site had a 6.6 (95% confidence interval 3.5 - 16.2 adjusted odds ratio of having a complete set of ICD codes for an admission episode after the introduction of the training and support package. The findings on impact on ICD coding accuracy were not significant. Conclusion. There is sufficient pragmatic evidence that a training and support package will have a considerable positive impact on ICD coding completeness in the SA setting.

Intelligent Network Flow Optimization (INFLO) prototype : Seattle small-scale demonstration plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

This report describes the INFLO Prototype Small-Scale Demonstration to be performed in Seattle Washington. This demonstration is intended to demonstrate that the INFLO Prototype, previously demonstrated in a controlled environment, functions well in ...

Impact on learning of an e-learning module on leukaemia: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgulis, Yuri; Kumar, Rakesh K; Lindeman, Robert; Velan, Gary M

2012-05-28

e-learning resources may be beneficial for complex or conceptually difficult topics. Leukaemia is one such topic, yet there are no reports on the efficacy of e-learning for leukaemia. This study compared the learning impact on senior medical students of a purpose-built e-learning module on leukaemia, compared with existing online resources. A randomised controlled trial was performed utilising volunteer senior medical students. Participants were randomly allocated to Study and Control groups. Following a pre-test on leukaemia administered to both groups, the Study group was provided with access to the new e-learning module, while the Control group was directed to existing online resources. A post-test and an evaluation questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of the trial period. Study and Control groups were equivalent in gender distribution, mean academic ability, pre-test performance and time studying leukaemia during the trial. The Study group performed significantly better than the Control group in the post-test, in which the group to which the students had been allocated was the only significant predictor of performance. The Study group's evaluation of the module was overwhelmingly positive. A targeted e-learning module on leukaemia had a significant effect on learning in this cohort, compared with existing online resources. We believe that the interactivity, dialogic feedback and integration with the curriculum offered by the e-learning module contributed to its impact. This has implications for e-learning design in medicine and other disciplines.

Demonstration of decision support for real time operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Catterson, Victoria; MCarthur, Stephen; Chen, Minjiang

ELECTRA Deliverable 8.2 reports on the demonstration of decision support within the future control room in light of voltage and frequency control in the 2030+ power system. The decision support must identify key threats and vulnerabilities, and propose and prioritise appropriate interventions....

Impact of a structured multicomponent educational intervention program on metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

do Rosário Pinto, Maria; Parreira, Pedro Miguel Dinis Santos; Basto, Marta Lima; Dos Santos Mendes Mónico, Lisete

2017-12-15

Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders, with a high prevalence of patients with poor metabolic control. Worldwide, evidence highlights the importance of developing and implementing educational interventions that can reduce this burden. The main objective of this study was to analyse the impact of a lifestyle centred intervention on glycaemic control of poorly controlled type 2 diabetic patients, followed in a Community Care Centre. A type 2 experimental design was conducted over 6 months, including 122 adults with HbA1c ≥ 7.5%, randomly allocated into Experimental group (EG) or Control Group (CG). EG patients attended a specific Educational Program while CG patients frequented usual care. Personal and health characterization variables, clinical metrics and self-care activities were measured before and after the implementation of the intervention. Analysis was done by comparing gains between groups (CG vs EG) through differential calculations (post minus pre-test results) and Longitudinal analysis. Statistical differences were obtained between groups for HbA1c and BMI: EG had a decrease in 11% more (effect-size r2 = .11) than CG for HbA1c (p values [Wilks' ʎ = .900; F(1,59) = 6.57; p = .013; ηp2 = .100; observed power = .713]; systolic Blood pressure [Wilks' ʎ = .735; F(1,61) = 21.94; p educational intervention program by itself, beyond standard educational approach alone, supported in a Longitudinal analysis that controlled variables statistically associated with clinical metrics in pre-test measures, has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving HbA1c, BMI and Blood pressure values. RBR-8ns8pb . (Retrospectively registered: October 30,2017).

Epidemiology, Impact and Control of Rabies in Nepal: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Devleesschauwer, Brecht; Aryal, Arjun; Sharma, Barun Kumar; Ale, Anita; Declercq, Anne; Depraz, Stephanie; Gaire, Tara Nath; Gongal, Gyanendra; Karki, Surendra; Pandey, Basu Dev; Pun, Sher Bahadur; Duchateau, Luc; Dorny, Pierre; Speybroeck, Niko

2016-01-01

Background Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral zoonosis belonging to the group of neglected tropical diseases. Exposure to a rabid animal may result in a fatal acute encephalitis if effective post-exposure prophylaxis is not provided. Rabies occurs worldwide, but its burden is disproportionately high in developing countries, including Nepal. We aimed to summarize current knowledge on the epidemiology, impact and control of rabies in Nepal. Methods We performed a systematic review of international and national scientific literature and searched grey literature through the World Health Organization Digital Library and the library of the National Zoonoses and Food Hygiene Research Centre, Nepal, and through searching Google and Google Scholar. Further data on animal and human rabies were obtained from the relevant Nepalese government agencies. Finally, we surveyed the archives of a Nepalese daily to obtain qualitative information on rabies in Nepal. Findings So far, only little original research has been conducted on the epidemiology and impact of rabies in Nepal. Per year, rabies is reported to kill about 100 livestock and 10–100 humans, while about 1,000 livestock and 35,000 humans are reported to receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. However, these estimates are very likely to be serious underestimations of the true rabies burden. Significant progress has been made in the production of cell culture-based anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin, but availability and supply remain a matter of concern, especially in remote areas. Different state and non-state actors have initiated rabies control activities over the years, but efforts typically remained focalized, of short duration and not harmonized. Communication and coordination between veterinary and human health authorities is limited at present, further complicating rabies control in Nepal. Important research gaps include the reporting biases for both human and animal rabies, the ecology of stray

Epidemiology, Impact and Control of Rabies in Nepal: A Systematic Review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brecht Devleesschauwer

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral zoonosis belonging to the group of neglected tropical diseases. Exposure to a rabid animal may result in a fatal acute encephalitis if effective post-exposure prophylaxis is not provided. Rabies occurs worldwide, but its burden is disproportionately high in developing countries, including Nepal. We aimed to summarize current knowledge on the epidemiology, impact and control of rabies in Nepal.We performed a systematic review of international and national scientific literature and searched grey literature through the World Health Organization Digital Library and the library of the National Zoonoses and Food Hygiene Research Centre, Nepal, and through searching Google and Google Scholar. Further data on animal and human rabies were obtained from the relevant Nepalese government agencies. Finally, we surveyed the archives of a Nepalese daily to obtain qualitative information on rabies in Nepal.So far, only little original research has been conducted on the epidemiology and impact of rabies in Nepal. Per year, rabies is reported to kill about 100 livestock and 10-100 humans, while about 1,000 livestock and 35,000 humans are reported to receive rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. However, these estimates are very likely to be serious underestimations of the true rabies burden. Significant progress has been made in the production of cell culture-based anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin, but availability and supply remain a matter of concern, especially in remote areas. Different state and non-state actors have initiated rabies control activities over the years, but efforts typically remained focalized, of short duration and not harmonized. Communication and coordination between veterinary and human health authorities is limited at present, further complicating rabies control in Nepal. Important research gaps include the reporting biases for both human and animal rabies, the ecology of stray dog

Differential Impact of In Vivo CD8+ T Lymphocyte Depletion in Controller versus Progressor Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Macaques.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, Ankita; Hayes, Timothy L; Bosinger, Steven E; Lawson, Benton O; Vanderford, Thomas; Schmitz, Joern E; Paiardini, Mirko; Betts, Michael; Chahroudi, Ann; Estes, Jacob D; Silvestri, Guido

2015-09-01

Numerous studies have demonstrated that CD8(+) T lymphocytes suppress virus replication during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection. However, the mechanisms underlying this activity of T cells remain incompletely understood. Here, we conducted CD8(+) T lymphocyte depletion in 15 rhesus macaques (RMs) infected intravenously (i.v.) with SIVmac239. At day 70 postinfection, the animals (10 progressors with high viremia and 5 controllers with low viremia) were CD8 depleted by i.v. administration of the antibody M-T807R1. As expected, CD8 depletion resulted in increased virus replication, more prominently in controllers than progressors, which correlated inversely with predepletion viremia. Of note, the feature of CD8(+) T lymphocyte predepletion that correlated best with the increase in viremia postdepletion was the level of CD8(+) T-bet(+) lymphocytes. We next found that CD8 depletion resulted in a homogenous increase of SIV RNA in superficial and mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen, and the gastrointestinal tract of both controllers and progressors. Interestingly, the level of SIV DNA increased postdepletion in both CD4(+) central memory T lymphocytes (TCM) and CD4(+) effector memory T lymphocytes (TEM) in progressor RMs but decreased in the CD4(+) TCM of 4 out of 5 controllers. Finally, we found that CD8 depletion is associated with a greater increase in CD4(+) T lymphocyte activation (measured by Ki-67 expression) in controllers than in progressors. Overall, these data reveal a differential impact of CD8(+) T lymphocyte depletion between controller and progressor SIV-infected RMs, emphasizing the complexity of the in vivo antiviral role of CD8(+) T lymphocytes. In this study, we further dissect the impact of CD8(+) T lymphocytes on HIV/SIV replication during SIV infection. CD8(+) T lymphocyte depletion leads to a relatively homogenous increase in viral replication in peripheral blood and tissues. CD8(+) T lymphocyte depletion

Site-controlled quantum dots coupled to photonic crystal waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rigal, B.; de Lasson, Jakob Rosenkrantz; Jarlov, C.

2016-01-01

We demonstrate selective optical coupling of multiple, site controlled semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) to photonic crystal waveguide structures. The impact of the exact position and emission spectrum of the QDs on the coupling efficiency is elucidated. The influence of optical disorder and end-r...

Orbital Express fluid transfer demonstration system

Science.gov (United States)

Rotenberger, Scott; SooHoo, David; Abraham, Gabriel

2008-04-01

Propellant resupply of orbiting spacecraft is no longer in the realm of high risk development. The recently concluded Orbital Express (OE) mission included a fluid transfer demonstration that operated the hardware and control logic in space, bringing the Technology Readiness Level to a solid TRL 7 (demonstration of a system prototype in an operational environment). Orbital Express (funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA) was launched aboard an Atlas-V rocket on March 9th, 2007. The mission had the objective of demonstrating technologies needed for routine servicing of spacecraft, namely autonomous rendezvous and docking, propellant resupply, and orbital replacement unit transfer. The demonstration system used two spacecraft. A servicing vehicle (ASTRO) performed multiple dockings with the client (NextSat) spacecraft, and performed a variety of propellant transfers in addition to exchanges of a battery and computer. The fluid transfer and propulsion system onboard ASTRO, in addition to providing the six degree-of-freedom (6 DOF) thruster system for rendezvous and docking, demonstrated autonomous transfer of monopropellant hydrazine to or from the NextSat spacecraft 15 times while on orbit. The fluid transfer system aboard the NextSat vehicle was designed to simulate a variety of client systems, including both blowdown pressurization and pressure regulated propulsion systems. The fluid transfer demonstrations started with a low level of autonomy, where ground controllers were allowed to review the status of the demonstration at numerous points before authorizing the next steps to be performed. The final transfers were performed at a full autonomy level where the ground authorized the start of a transfer sequence and then monitored data as the transfer proceeded. The major steps of a fluid transfer included the following: mate of the coupling, leak check of the coupling, venting of the coupling, priming of the coupling, fluid transfer, gauging

Novel controller design demonstration for vibration alleviation of helicopter rotor blades

Science.gov (United States)

Ulker, Fatma Demet; Nitzsche, Fred

2012-04-01

This paper presents an advanced controller design methodology for vibration alleviation of helicopter rotor sys- tems. Particularly, vibration alleviation in a forward ight regime where the rotor blades experience periodically varying aerodynamic loading was investigated. Controller synthesis was carried out under the time-periodic H2 and H∞ framework and the synthesis problem was solved based on both periodic Riccati and Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) formulations. The closed-loop stability was analyzed using Floquet-Lyapunov theory, and the controller's performance was validated by closed-loop high-delity aeroelastic simulations. To validate the con- troller's performance an actively controlled trailing edge ap strategy was implemented. Computational cost was compared for both formulations.

On the Impact of using Public Network Communication Infrastructure for Voltage Control Coordination in Smart Grid Scenario

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shahid, Kamal; Petersen, Lennart; Iov, Florin

2017-01-01

voltage controlled distribution system. A cost effective way to connect the ReGen plants to the control center is to consider the existing public network infrastructure. This paper, therefore, illustrates the impact of using the existing public network communication infrastructure for online voltage...

Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program. Program update 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-04-01

The Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCT Program) is a $7.14 billion cost-shared industry/government technology development effort. The program is to demonstrate a new generation of advanced coal-based technologies, with the most promising technologies being moved into the domestic and international marketplace. Clean coal technologies being demonstrated under the CCT program are creating the technology base that allows the nation to meet its energy and environmental goals efficiently and reliably. The fact that most of the demonstrations are being conducted at commercial scale, in actual user environments, and under conditions typical of commercial operations allows the potential of the technologies to be evaluated in their intended commercial applications. The technologies are categorized into four market sectors: advanced electric power generation systems; environmental control devices; coal processing equipment for clean fuels; and industrial technologies. Sections of this report describe the following: Role of the Program; Program implementation; Funding and costs; The road to commercial realization; Results from completed projects; Results and accomplishments from ongoing projects; and Project fact sheets. Projects include fluidized-bed combustion, integrated gasification combined-cycle power plants, advanced combustion and heat engines, nitrogen oxide control technologies, sulfur dioxide control technologies, combined SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} technologies, coal preparation techniques, mild gasification, and indirect liquefaction. Industrial applications include injection systems for blast furnaces, coke oven gas cleaning systems, power generation from coal/ore reduction, a cyclone combustor with S, N, and ash control, cement kiln flue gas scrubber, and pulse combustion for steam coal gasification.

Demonstration of a 1 MWe biomass power plant at USMC Base Camp Lejeune

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleland, J.; Purvis, C.R.

1997-01-01

A biomass energy conversion project is being sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to demonstrate an environmentally and economically sound electrical power option for government installations, industrial sites, rural cooperatives, small municipalities, and developing countries. Under a cooperative agreement with EPA, Research Triangle Institute is initiating operation of the Camp Lejeune Energy from Wood (CLEW) biomass plant. Wood gasification combined with internal combustion engines was chosen because of (1) recent improvements in gas cleaning, (2) simple, economical operation for units less than 10 MW, and (3) the option of a clean, cheap fuel for the many existing facilities generating expensive electricity from petroleum fuels with reciprocating engines. The plant incorporates a downdraft, moving bed gasifier utilizing hogged waste wood from the Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune, NC. A moving bed bulk wood dryer and both spark ignition and diesel engines are included. Unique process design features are briefly described relative to the gasifier, wood drying, tar separation, and process control. A test plan for process optimization and demonstration of reliability, economics, and environmental impact is outlined. (author)

Community occupancy before-after-control-impact (CO-BACI) analysis of Hurricane Gudrun on Swedish forest birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, James C; Stjernman, Martin; Lindström, Åke; Smith, Henrik G

2015-04-01

Resilience of ecological communities to perturbation is important in the face of increased global change from anthropogenic stressors. Monitoring is required to detect the impact of, and recovery from, perturbations, and before-after-control-impact (BACI) analysis provides a powerful framework in this regard. However, species in a community are not observed with perfect detection, and occupancy analysis is required to correct for imperfect detectability of species. We present a Bayesian community occupancy before-after-control-impact (CO-BACI) framework to monitor ecological community response to perturbation when constituent species are imperfectly detected. We test the power of the model to detect changes in community composition following an acute perturbation with simulation. We then apply the model to a study of the impact of a large hurricane on the forest bird community of Sweden, using data from the national bird survey scheme. Although simulation shows the model can detect changes in community occupancy following an acute perturbation, application to a Swedish forest bird community following a major hurricane detected no change in community occupancy despite widespread forest loss. Birds with landscape occupancy less than 50% required correcting for detectability. We conclude that CO-BACI analysis is a useful tool that can incorporate rare species in analyses and detect occupancy changes in ecological communities following perturbation, but, because it does not include abundance, some impacts may be overlooked.

Ultra-Clean Fischer-Tropsch Fuels Production and Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steve Bergin

2005-10-14

The Report Abstract provides summaries of the past year's activities relating to each of the main project objectives. Some of the objectives will be expanded on in greater detail further down in the report. The following objectives have their own addition sections in the report: Dynamometer Durability Testing, the Denali Bus Fleet Demonstration, Bus Fleet Demonstrations Emissions Analysis, Impact of SFP Fuel on Engine Performance, Emissions Analysis, Feasibility Study of SFPs for Rural Alaska, and Cold Weather Testing of Ultra Clean Fuel.

The impact of economic recession on infection prevention and control.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Riordan, M; Fitzpatrick, F

2015-04-01

The economic recession that began in 2007 led to austerity measures and public sector cutbacks in many European countries. Reduced resource allocation to infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes is impeding prevention and control of tuberculosis, HIV and vaccine-preventable infections. In addition, higher rates of infectious disease in the community have a significant impact on hospital services, although the extent of this has not been studied. With a focus on quick deficit reduction, preventive services such IPC may be regarded as non-essential. Where a prevention programme succeeds in reducing disease burden to a low level, its very success can undermine the perceived need for the programme. To mitigate the negative effects of recession, we need to: educate our political leaders about the economic benefits of IPC; better quantify the costs of healthcare-associated infection; and evaluate the effects of budget cuts on healthcare outcomes and IPC activities. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

iPads and Tablets: Today’s Extension Demonstration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nancy Franz

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Iowa State University Extension and Outreach educators are using iPadsto deepen and expand education by showing learners online resources on nutrition including signing up for blogs and visiting our Spend Smart Eat Smart website and Facebook page. A video describing the project is available at http://vimeo.com/64757580. Of the 281 learners who responded to a survey, 96% learned additional nutrition information outside of our classes from the Spend Smart Eat Smart Facebook page, blog, and website; 93% learned about nutrition practices; and 88% learned about food resource management practices. Educators are also using the video clips on our websites as demonstrations during lessons. The educators no longer carry demonstration supplies, and learners return to the video demonstrations outside of class. The “Extension demonstration” as a delivery method still has strong impact, but now resides in the two-dimensional world of the internet brought to learners through mobile devices. Long live the Extension demonstration!

Beam Tests on the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter Demonstrator Module

CERN Document Server

Valdes Santurio, Eduardo; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Phase II upgrade aims to increase the accelerator luminosity by a factor of 5-10. Due to the expected higher radiation levels and the aging of the current electronics, a new read-out system of the ATLAS experiment hadronic calorimeter (TileCal) is needed. A prototype of the electronics – the Demonstrator - has been tested exposing a module of the calorimeter to particles at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) accelerator of CERN. Data were collected with beams of muons, electrons and hadrons and muons, at various incident energies and impact angles. The measurements aim to check the calibration and to determine the performance the detector exploiting the features of the interactions of the muons, electrons and hadrons with matter. We present the current status and results where the new Demonstrator new electronics were situated in calorimeter modules and exposed to beams of muons, electrons and hadrons with different energies and impact angles.

Variable acuity remote viewing system flight demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, R. W.

1983-01-01

The Variable Acuity Remote Viewing System (VARVS), originally developed under contract to the Navy (ONR) as a laboratory brassboard, was modified for flight demonstration. The VARVS system was originally conceived as a technique which could circumvent the acuity/field of view/bandwidth tradeoffs that exists in remote viewing to provide a nearly eye limited display in both field of view (160 deg) and resolution (2 min arc) while utilizing conventional TV sensing, transmission, and display equipment. The modifications for flight demonstration consisted of modifying the sensor so it could be installed and flow in a Piper PA20 aircraft, equipped for remote control and modifying the display equipment so it could be integrated with the NASA Research RPB (RPRV) remote control cockpit.

Impacts of P-f & Q-V Droop Control on MicroGrids Transient Stability

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao-xia, Xiao; Hong-wei, Fang

Impacts of P-f & Q-V droop control on MicroGrid transient stability was investigated with a wind unit of asynchronous generator in the MicroGrid. The system frequency stability was explored when the motor load starts and its load power changes, and faults of different types and different locations occurs. The simulations were done by PSCAD/EMTDC.

Analog Readout and Digitizing System for ATLAS TileCal Demonstrator

CERN Document Server

Tang, F; The ATLAS collaboration

2014-01-01

The TileCal Demonstrator is a prototype for a future upgrade to the ATLAS hadron calorimeter when the Large Hadron Collider increases luminosity in year 2023 (HL-LHC). It will be used for functionality and performance tests. The Demonstrator has 48 channels of upgraded readout and digitizing electronics and a new digital trigger capability, but is backwards-compatible with the present detector system insofar as it also provides analog trigger signals. The Demonstrator is comprised of 4 identical mechanical mini-drawers, each equipped with up to 12 photomultipliers (PMTs). The on-detector electronics includes 45 Front-End Boards, each serving an individual PMT; 4 Main Boards, each to control and digitize up to 12 PMT signals, and 4 corresponding high-speed Daughter Boards serving as data hubs between on-detector and off-detector electronics. The Demonstrator is fully compatible with the present system, accepting ATLAS triggers, timing and slow control commands for the data acquisition, detector control, and de...

Estimating the Impacts of Local Policy Innovation: The Synthetic Control Method Applied to Tropical Deforestation

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, Erin O.; Herrera, Diego; Kirkpatrick, A. Justin; Brandão, Amintas; Dickson, Rebecca; Hall, Simon; Pattanayak, Subhrendu; Shoch, David; Vedoveto, Mariana; Young, Luisa; Pfaff, Alexander

2015-01-01

Quasi-experimental methods increasingly are used to evaluate the impacts of conservation interventions by generating credible estimates of counterfactual baselines. These methods generally require large samples for statistical comparisons, presenting a challenge for evaluating innovative policies implemented within a few pioneering jurisdictions. Single jurisdictions often are studied using comparative methods, which rely on analysts’ selection of best case comparisons. The synthetic control method (SCM) offers one systematic and transparent way to select cases for comparison, from a sizeable pool, by focusing upon similarity in outcomes before the intervention. We explain SCM, then apply it to one local initiative to limit deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The municipality of Paragominas launched a multi-pronged local initiative in 2008 to maintain low deforestation while restoring economic production. This was a response to having been placed, due to high deforestation, on a federal “blacklist” that increased enforcement of forest regulations and restricted access to credit and output markets. The local initiative included mapping and monitoring of rural land plus promotion of economic alternatives compatible with low deforestation. The key motivation for the program may have been to reduce the costs of blacklisting. However its stated purpose was to limit deforestation, and thus we apply SCM to estimate what deforestation would have been in a (counterfactual) scenario of no local initiative. We obtain a plausible estimate, in that deforestation patterns before the intervention were similar in Paragominas and the synthetic control, which suggests that after several years, the initiative did lower deforestation (significantly below the synthetic control in 2012). This demonstrates that SCM can yield helpful land-use counterfactuals for single units, with opportunities to integrate local and expert knowledge and to test innovations and permutations on

Estimating the Impacts of Local Policy Innovation: The Synthetic Control Method Applied to Tropical Deforestation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, Erin O; Herrera, Diego; Kirkpatrick, A Justin; Brandão, Amintas; Dickson, Rebecca; Hall, Simon; Pattanayak, Subhrendu; Shoch, David; Vedoveto, Mariana; Young, Luisa; Pfaff, Alexander

2015-01-01

Quasi-experimental methods increasingly are used to evaluate the impacts of conservation interventions by generating credible estimates of counterfactual baselines. These methods generally require large samples for statistical comparisons, presenting a challenge for evaluating innovative policies implemented within a few pioneering jurisdictions. Single jurisdictions often are studied using comparative methods, which rely on analysts' selection of best case comparisons. The synthetic control method (SCM) offers one systematic and transparent way to select cases for comparison, from a sizeable pool, by focusing upon similarity in outcomes before the intervention. We explain SCM, then apply it to one local initiative to limit deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The municipality of Paragominas launched a multi-pronged local initiative in 2008 to maintain low deforestation while restoring economic production. This was a response to having been placed, due to high deforestation, on a federal "blacklist" that increased enforcement of forest regulations and restricted access to credit and output markets. The local initiative included mapping and monitoring of rural land plus promotion of economic alternatives compatible with low deforestation. The key motivation for the program may have been to reduce the costs of blacklisting. However its stated purpose was to limit deforestation, and thus we apply SCM to estimate what deforestation would have been in a (counterfactual) scenario of no local initiative. We obtain a plausible estimate, in that deforestation patterns before the intervention were similar in Paragominas and the synthetic control, which suggests that after several years, the initiative did lower deforestation (significantly below the synthetic control in 2012). This demonstrates that SCM can yield helpful land-use counterfactuals for single units, with opportunities to integrate local and expert knowledge and to test innovations and permutations on policies

Estimating the Impacts of Local Policy Innovation: The Synthetic Control Method Applied to Tropical Deforestation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin O Sills

Full Text Available Quasi-experimental methods increasingly are used to evaluate the impacts of conservation interventions by generating credible estimates of counterfactual baselines. These methods generally require large samples for statistical comparisons, presenting a challenge for evaluating innovative policies implemented within a few pioneering jurisdictions. Single jurisdictions often are studied using comparative methods, which rely on analysts' selection of best case comparisons. The synthetic control method (SCM offers one systematic and transparent way to select cases for comparison, from a sizeable pool, by focusing upon similarity in outcomes before the intervention. We explain SCM, then apply it to one local initiative to limit deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The municipality of Paragominas launched a multi-pronged local initiative in 2008 to maintain low deforestation while restoring economic production. This was a response to having been placed, due to high deforestation, on a federal "blacklist" that increased enforcement of forest regulations and restricted access to credit and output markets. The local initiative included mapping and monitoring of rural land plus promotion of economic alternatives compatible with low deforestation. The key motivation for the program may have been to reduce the costs of blacklisting. However its stated purpose was to limit deforestation, and thus we apply SCM to estimate what deforestation would have been in a (counterfactual scenario of no local initiative. We obtain a plausible estimate, in that deforestation patterns before the intervention were similar in Paragominas and the synthetic control, which suggests that after several years, the initiative did lower deforestation (significantly below the synthetic control in 2012. This demonstrates that SCM can yield helpful land-use counterfactuals for single units, with opportunities to integrate local and expert knowledge and to test innovations and

Emission spectra of dimethoxybenzenes by controlled electron impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Teiichiro; Imasaka, Totaro; Toyoda, Minoru; Tsuji, Masaharu; Ishibashi, Nobuhiko

1975-01-01

The emission spectra of o-, m-, and p-dimethoxybenzenes under controlled electron impact excitation (200 eV) were measured in the 220 - 450 nm region at very low pressures. The photoemissions of the excited parent species and such fragment species as H, CH, CO, and CO + were observed and assigned. The relative intensities of the photoemissions of the parent species were compared with those of the fluorescence spectra (photoexcitation) in an n-hexane solution. The excited parent species, H, and CH were concluded to be produced in one-electron processes; however, the CO + species were assumed to be produced in both one- and two-electron processes, and the relative contributions are evaluated. It was concluded that the rate of the predissociation of o-dimethoxybenzene was faster than those of the other two isomers, and the observed characteristics of o-dimethoxybenzene had something to do with this faster rate. (auth.)

Impact of cruise control on traffic safety, energy consumption and environmental pollution : final report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoedemaeker, D.M.; Brouwer, R.F.T.; Malone, K.; Klunder, G.; et al

2006-01-01

In this subproject, the impact of Cruise Control (CC) was analysed with respect to traffic safety, energy consumption, and environmental pollution. In order to work on this topic from a European perspective, a team of European experts in the fields of driver assistance systems, human factors,

Evaluation of the environmental impact of apple pest control strategies using pesticide risk indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Ioriatti, Claudio; Agnello, Arthur M; Martini, Fabrizio; Kovach, Joseph

2011-10-01

Various pesticide risk indicators have been developed for estimating pesticide impact on human health and the environment. The present work applied a pesticide risk indicator to estimate change in pesticide risk in apple production between 2001 and 2009. The "Environmental Impact Quotient" was used, which evaluates potential impacts of pesticide active ingredients on farm workers, consumers, and nontarget organisms. A modified Environmental Impact Quotient was also tested, which accounts for all ingredients in the formulation presenting a health or environmental hazard, as identified in the Security Data Sheet. Irrespective of the rating system applied, an overall average improvement in environmental impact of apple protection strategies was indicated ranging from 23 to 24%. Hazard reduction was more significant when estimated per treatment, and was higher for acaricides and insecticides than for fungicides. Improvement appeared to be a consequence of using more selective and more effective active ingredients, applying alternative pest control techniques, compulsory periodic sprayer calibration, and wider use of dwarfing orchards. The modified Environmental Impact Quotient does not overcome all limitations regarding accuracy of pesticide risk indicators, but its ease of use in relying on official, easily accessible data, and the consistency of its results, makes it a good candidate for monitoring the success of reduced risk policies. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

Tobacco control campaign in Uruguay: Impact on smoking cessation during pregnancy and birth weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Jeffrey E; Balsa, Ana Inés; Triunfo, Patricia

2015-07-01

We analyzed a nationwide registry of all pregnancies in Uruguay during 2007-2013 to assess the impact of three types of tobacco control policies: (1) provider-level interventions aimed at the treatment of nicotine dependence, (2) national-level increases in cigarette taxes, and (3) national-level non-price regulation of cigarette packaging and marketing. We estimated models of smoking cessation during pregnancy at the individual, provider and national levels. The rate of smoking cessation during pregnancy increased from 15.4% in 2007 to 42.7% in 2013. National-level non-price policies had the largest estimated impact on cessation. The price response of the tobacco industry attenuated the effects of tax increases. While provider-level interventions had a significant effect, they were adopted by relatively few health centers. Quitting during pregnancy increased birth weight by an estimated 188 g. Tobacco control measures had no effect on the birth weight of newborns of non-smoking women. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fully Automated Driving: Impact of Trust and Practice on Manual Control Recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Payre, William; Cestac, Julien; Delhomme, Patricia

2016-03-01

An experiment was performed in a driving simulator to investigate the impacts of practice, trust, and interaction on manual control recovery (MCR) when employing fully automated driving (FAD). To increase the use of partially or highly automated driving efficiency and to improve safety, some studies have addressed trust in driving automation and training, but few studies have focused on FAD. FAD is an autonomous system that has full control of a vehicle without any need for intervention by the driver. A total of 69 drivers with a valid license practiced with FAD. They were distributed evenly across two conditions: simple practice and elaborate practice. When examining emergency MCR, a correlation was found between trust and reaction time in the simple practice group (i.e., higher trust meant a longer reaction time), but not in the elaborate practice group. This result indicated that to mitigate the negative impact of overtrust on reaction time, more appropriate practice may be needed. Drivers should be trained in how the automated device works so as to improve MCR performance in case of an emergency. The practice format used in this study could be used for the first interaction with an FAD car when acquiring such a vehicle. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Regenerative Braking Control Strategy of Electric-Hydraulic Hybrid (EHH Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Yang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A novel electric-hydraulic hybrid drivetrain incorporating a set of hydraulic systems is proposed for application in a pure electric vehicle. Models of the electric and hydraulic components are constructed. Two control strategies, which are based on two separate rules, are developed; the maximum energy recovery rate strategy adheres to the rule of the maximization of the braking energy recovery rate, while the minimum current impact strategy adheres to the rule of the minimization of the charge current to the battery. The simulation models were established to verify the effects of these two control strategies. An ABS (Anti-lock Braking System fuzzy control strategy is also developed and simulated. The simulation results demonstrate that the developed control strategy can effectively absorb the braking energy, suppress the current impact, and assure braking safety.

Impact on learning of an e-learning module on leukaemia: a randomised controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morgulis Yuri

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background e-learning resources may be beneficial for complex or conceptually difficult topics. Leukaemia is one such topic, yet there are no reports on the efficacy of e-learning for leukaemia. This study compared the learning impact on senior medical students of a purpose-built e-learning module on leukaemia, compared with existing online resources. Methods A randomised controlled trial was performed utilising volunteer senior medical students. Participants were randomly allocated to Study and Control groups. Following a pre-test on leukaemia administered to both groups, the Study group was provided with access to the new e-learning module, while the Control group was directed to existing online resources. A post-test and an evaluation questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of the trial period. Results Study and Control groups were equivalent in gender distribution, mean academic ability, pre-test performance and time studying leukaemia during the trial. The Study group performed significantly better than the Control group in the post-test, in which the group to which the students had been allocated was the only significant predictor of performance. The Study group’s evaluation of the module was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions A targeted e-learning module on leukaemia had a significant effect on learning in this cohort, compared with existing online resources. We believe that the interactivity, dialogic feedback and integration with the curriculum offered by the e-learning module contributed to its impact. This has implications for e-learning design in medicine and other disciplines.

Impact on learning of an e-learning module on leukaemia: a randomised controlled trial

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background e-learning resources may be beneficial for complex or conceptually difficult topics. Leukaemia is one such topic, yet there are no reports on the efficacy of e-learning for leukaemia. This study compared the learning impact on senior medical students of a purpose-built e-learning module on leukaemia, compared with existing online resources. Methods A randomised controlled trial was performed utilising volunteer senior medical students. Participants were randomly allocated to Study and Control groups. Following a pre-test on leukaemia administered to both groups, the Study group was provided with access to the new e-learning module, while the Control group was directed to existing online resources. A post-test and an evaluation questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of the trial period. Results Study and Control groups were equivalent in gender distribution, mean academic ability, pre-test performance and time studying leukaemia during the trial. The Study group performed significantly better than the Control group in the post-test, in which the group to which the students had been allocated was the only significant predictor of performance. The Study group’s evaluation of the module was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions A targeted e-learning module on leukaemia had a significant effect on learning in this cohort, compared with existing online resources. We believe that the interactivity, dialogic feedback and integration with the curriculum offered by the e-learning module contributed to its impact. This has implications for e-learning design in medicine and other disciplines. PMID:22640463

High Accuracy Attitude Control System Design for Satellite with Flexible Appendages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenya Zhou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In order to realize the high accuracy attitude control of satellite with flexible appendages, attitude control system consisting of the controller and structural filter was designed. When the low order vibration frequency of flexible appendages is approximating the bandwidth of attitude control system, the vibration signal will enter the control system through measurement device to bring impact on the accuracy or even the stability. In order to reduce the impact of vibration of appendages on the attitude control system, the structural filter is designed in terms of rejecting the vibration of flexible appendages. Considering the potential problem of in-orbit frequency variation of the flexible appendages, the design method for the adaptive notch filter is proposed based on the in-orbit identification technology. Finally, the simulation results are given to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed design techniques.

Impact of Cyber Attacks on High Voltage DC Transmission Damping Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Fan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Hybrid AC/HVDC (AC-HVDC grids have evolved to become huge cyber-physical systems that are vulnerable to cyber attacks because of the wide attack surface and increasing dependence on intelligent electronic devices, computing resources and communication networks. This paper, for the first time, studies the impact of cyber attacks on HVDC transmission oscillation damping control.Three kinds of cyber attack models are considered: timing attack, replay attack and false data injection attack. Followed by a brief introduction of the HVDC model and conventional oscillation damping control method, the design of three attack models is described in the paper. These attacks are tested on a modified IEEE New England 39-Bus AC-HVDC system. Simulation results have shown that all three kinds of attacks are capable of driving the AC-HVDC system into large oscillations or even unstable conditions.

Modern control techniques for accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodwin, R.W.; Shea, M.F.

1984-05-01

Beginning in the mid to late sixties, most new accelerators were designed to include computer based control systems. Although each installation differed in detail, the technology of the sixties and early to mid seventies dictated an architecture that was essentially the same for the control systems of that era. A mini-computer was connected to the hardware and to a console. Two developments have changed the architecture of modern systems: (a) the microprocessor and (b) local area networks. This paper discusses these two developments and demonstrates their impact on control system design and implementation by way of describing a possible architecture for any size of accelerator. Both hardware and software aspects are included

Buried waste integrated demonstration human engineered control station. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-09-01

This document describes the Human Engineered Control Station (HECS) project activities including the conceptual designs. The purpose of the HECS is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of remote retrieval by providing an integrated remote control station. The HECS integrates human capabilities, limitations, and expectations into the design to reduce the potential for human error, provides an easy system to learn and operate, provides an increased productivity, and reduces the ultimate investment in training. The overall HECS consists of the technology interface stations, supporting engineering aids, platform (trailer), communications network (broadband system), and collision avoidance system.

Buried waste integrated demonstration human engineered control station. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

This document describes the Human Engineered Control Station (HECS) project activities including the conceptual designs. The purpose of the HECS is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of remote retrieval by providing an integrated remote control station. The HECS integrates human capabilities, limitations, and expectations into the design to reduce the potential for human error, provides an easy system to learn and operate, provides an increased productivity, and reduces the ultimate investment in training. The overall HECS consists of the technology interface stations, supporting engineering aids, platform (trailer), communications network (broadband system), and collision avoidance system

Sensitivity analysis of automatic flight control systems using singular value concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera-Vaillard, A.; Paduano, J.; Downing, D.

1985-01-01

A sensitivity analysis is presented that can be used to judge the impact of vehicle dynamic model variations on the relative stability of multivariable continuous closed-loop control systems. The sensitivity analysis uses and extends the singular-value concept by developing expressions for the gradients of the singular value with respect to variations in the vehicle dynamic model and the controller design. Combined with a priori estimates of the accuracy of the model, the gradients are used to identify the elements in the vehicle dynamic model and controller that could severely impact the system's relative stability. The technique is demonstrated for a yaw/roll damper stability augmentation designed for a business jet.

Assessing the Economic Impact of Vaccine Availability When Controlling Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreaks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thibaud Porphyre

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Predictive models have been used extensively to assess the likely effectiveness of vaccination policies as part of control measures in the event of a foot and mouth disease (FMD outbreak. However, the availability of vaccine stocks and the impact of vaccine availability on disease control strategies represent a key uncertainty when assessing potential control strategies. Using an epidemiological, spatially explicit, simulation model in combination with a direct cost calculator, we assessed how vaccine availability constraints may affect the economic benefit of a “vaccination-to-live” strategy during a FMD outbreak in Scotland, when implemented alongside culling of infected premises and dangerous contacts. We investigated the impact of vaccine stock size and restocking delays on epidemiological and economic outcomes. We also assessed delays in the initial decision to vaccinate, maximum daily vaccination capacity, and vaccine efficacy. For scenarios with conditions conducive to large outbreaks, all vaccination strategies perform better than the strategy where only culling is implemented. A stock of 200,000 doses, enough to vaccinate 12% of the Scottish cattle population, would be sufficient to maximize the relative benefits of vaccination, both epidemiologically and economically. However, this generates a wider variation in economic cost than if vaccination is not implemented, making outcomes harder to predict. The probability of direct costs exceeding £500 million is reduced when vaccination is used and is steadily reduced further as the size of initial vaccine stock increases. If only a suboptimal quantity of vaccine doses is initially available (100,000 doses, restocking delays of more than 2 weeks rapidly increase the cost of controlling outbreaks. Impacts of low vaccine availability or restocking delays are particularly aggravated by delays in the initial decision to vaccinate, or low vaccine efficacy. Our findings confirm that

Update on Performance in Tobacco Control: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of Tobacco Control Policy and the US Adult Smoking Rate, 2011-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Mader, Emily M; Lapin, Brittany; Cameron, Brianna J; Carr, Thomas A; Morley, Christopher P

2016-01-01

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. States and municipalities have instituted a variety of tobacco control measures (TCMs) to address the significant impact tobacco use has on population health. The American Lung Association annually grades state performance of tobacco control using the State of Tobacco Control grading framework. To gain an updated understanding of how recent efforts in tobacco control have impacted tobacco use across the United States, using yearly State of Tobacco Control TCM assessments. The independent TCM variables of smoke-free air score, cessation score, excise tax, and percentage of recommended funding were selected from the American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control reports. Predictors of adult smoking rates were determined by a mixed-effects model. The 50 US states and District of Columbia. Adult smoking rate in each state from 2011 to 2013. The average adult smoking rate decreased significantly from 2011 to 2013 (21.3% [SD: 3.5] to 19.3% [SD: 3.5], P = .016). All forms of TCMs varied widely in implementation levels across states. Excise taxes (β = -.812, P = .006) and smoke-free air regulations (β = -.057, P = .008) were significant, negative predictors of adult smoking. Cessation services (β = .015, P = .46) did not have a measurable effect on adult smoking. Tobacco control measures with the strongest influence on adult smoking include the state excise tax and state smoke-free air regulations. The lack of robust funding for tobacco cessation services across the majority of US states highlights an important shortfall in current tobacco control policy.

The impact of parameter identification methods on drug therapy control in an intensive care unit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hann, C.E.; Chase, J.G.; Ypma, M.F.; Elfring, J.; Nor, N.H.M.; Lawrence, P.; Shaw, G.M.

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of fast parameter identification methods, which do not require any forward simulations, on model-based glucose control, using retrospective data in the Christchurch Hospital Intensive Care Unit. The integral-based identification method has been previously

Before-after, control-impact analysis of evidence for the impacts of water level on Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch in lakes of the Rainy-Namakan complex (MN, USA and ON, CA.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James H Larson

Full Text Available Water level (WL fluctuations in lakes influence many aspects of ecosystem processes. Concern about the potential impact of WL fluctuations on fisheries was one of the factors that motivated the decision in 2000 to alter the management of WL in the Rainy-Namakan reservoir complex (on the border between the U.S. state of Minnesota and the Canadian province of Ontario. We used a Before-After, Control-Impact (BACI framework to identify potential impacts of the change in WL management to Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch catch per unit effort (CPUE. The CPUE of these species from 1990-1999 and from 2005-2014 were compared in four impact lakes (Lake Kabetogama, Namakan Lake, Rainy Lake and Sand Point Lake and two control lakes (Lake of the Woods and Lake Vermilion using a simple Bayesian model. Changes in fish CPUE in the impact lakes were often similar to changes that occurred in at least one control lake. The only change that was not similar to changes in control lakes was an increase of Yellow Perch in Lake Kabetogama. The two control lakes often differed substantially from each other, such that if only one had been available our conclusions about the role of WL management on fisheries would be very different. In general, identifying cause-and-effect relationships in observational field data is very difficult, and the BACI analysis used here does not specify a causative mechanism, so co-occurring environmental and management changes may obscure the effect of WL management.

Demonstration of visualization techniques for the control room engineer in 2030

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marinelli, Mattia; Heussen, Kai; Strasser, Thomas

2017-01-01

Deliverable 8.1 reports results on analytics and visualizations of real time flexibility in support of voltage and frequency control in 2030+ power system. The investigation is carried out by means of relevant control room scenarios in order to derive the appropriate analytics needed for each spe...

Development of demonstration advanced thermal reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishimura, Seiji; Oguchi, Isao; Touhei, Kazushige

1982-08-01

The design of the advanced thermal demonstration reactor with 600 MWe output was started in 1975. In order to make the compact core, 648 fuel assemblies, each comprising 36 fuel rods, were used, and the mean channel output was increased by 20% as compared with the prototype reactor. The heavy water dumping mechanism for the calandria was abolished. Advanced thermal reactors are suitable to burn plutonium, since the control rod worth does not change, the void reactivity coefficient of coolant shifts to the negative side, and the harmful influence of high order plutonium is small. The void reactivity coefficient is nearly zero, the fluctuation of output in relation to pressure disturbance is small, and the local output change of fuel by the operation of control rods is small, therefore, the operation following load change is relatively easy. The coolant recirculation system is of independent loop construction dividing the core into two, and steam and water are separated in respective steam drums. At present, the rationalizing design is in progress by the leadership of the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. The outline of the demonstration reactor, the reactor construction, the nuclear-thermal-hydraulic characteristics and the output control characteristics are reported.

Development of demonstration advanced thermal reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimura, Seiji; Oguchi, Isao; Touhei, Kazushige.

1982-01-01

The design of the advanced thermal demonstration reactor with 600 MWe output was started in 1975. In order to make the compact core, 648 fuel assemblies, each comprising 36 fuel rods, were used, and the mean channel output was increased by 20% as compared with the prototype reactor. The heavy water dumping mechanism for the calandria was abolished. Advanced thermal reactors are suitable to burn plutonium, since the control rod worth does not change, the void reactivity coefficient of coolant shifts to the negative side, and the harmful influence of high order plutonium is small. The void reactivity coefficient is nearly zero, the fluctuation of output in relation to pressure disturbance is small, and the local output change of fuel by the operation of control rods is small, therefore, the operation following load change is relatively easy. The coolant recirculation system is of independent loop construction dividing the core into two, and steam and water are separated in respective steam drums. At present, the rationalizing design is in progress by the leadership of the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. The outline of the demonstration reactor, the reactor construction, the nuclear-thermal-hydraulic characteristics and the output control characteristics are reported. (Kako, I.)

Biofouling Control in Spiral-Wound Membrane Systems: Impact of Feed Spacer Modification and Biocides

KAUST Repository

Siddiqui, Amber

2016-12-01

High-quality drinking water can be produced with membrane-based filtration processes like reverse osmosis and nanofiltration. One of the major problems in these membrane systems is biofouling that reduces the membrane performance, increasing operational costs. Current biofouling control strategies such as pre-treatment, membrane modification, and chemical cleaning are not sufficient in all cases. Feed spacers are thin (0.8 mm), complex geometry meshes that separate membranes in a module. The main objective of this research was to evaluate whether feed spacer modification is a suitable strategy to control biofouling. Membrane fouling simulator studies with six feed spacers showed differences in biofouled spacer performance, concluding that (i) spacer geometry influences biofouling impact and (ii) biofouling studies are essential for evaluation of spacer biofouling impact. Computed tomography (CT) was found as a suitable technique to obtain three-dimensional (3D) measurements of spacers, enabling more representative mathematical modeling of hydraulic behavior of spacers in membrane systems. A strategy for developing, characterizing, and testing of spacers by numerical modeling, 3D printing of spacers and experimental membrane fouling simulator studies was developed. The combination of modeling and experimental testing of 3D printed spacers is a promising strategy to develop advanced spacers aiming to reduce the impact of biofilm formation on membrane performance and to improve the cleanability of spiral-wound membrane systems.

Radioactive waste incineration system cold demonstration test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hozumi, Masahiro; Takaoku, Yoshinobu; Koyama, Shigeru; Nagae, Madoka; Seike, Yasuhiko; Yamanaka, Yasuhiro; Shibata, Kenji; Manabe, Kyoichi

1984-12-01

To demonstrate Waste Incineration System (WIS) which our company has been licensed by Combustion Engineering Inc., USA we installed a demonstration test plant in our Hiratsuka Research Laboratory and started the demonstration test on January 1984. One of the characteristics of this system is to be able to process many kinds of wastes with only one system, and to get high volume reduction factors. In our test plant, we processed paper, cloth, wood, polyethylene sheets as the samples of solid combustible wastes and spent ion exchange resins with incineration and processed condensed liquid wastes with spray drying. We have got good performances and enough Decontamination Factor (DF) data for the dust control equipment. In this paper, we introduce this demonstration test plant and report the test results up to date. (author).

The Controlled Cortical Impact Model of Experimental Brain Trauma: Overview, Research Applications, and Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Osier, Nicole; Dixon, C Edward

2016-01-01

Controlled cortical impact (CCI) is a commonly used and highly regarded model of brain trauma that uses a pneumatically or electromagnetically controlled piston to induce reproducible and well-controlled injury. The CCI model was originally used in ferrets and it has since been scaled for use in many other species. This chapter will describe the historical development of the CCI model, compare and contrast the pneumatic and electromagnetic models, and summarize key short- and long-term consequences of TBI that have been gleaned using this model. In accordance with the recent efforts to promote high-quality evidence through the reporting of common data elements (CDEs), relevant study details-that should be reported in CCI studies-will be noted.

African Programme For Onchocerciasis Control 1995-2015: model-estimated health impact and cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Coffeng, Luc E; Stolk, Wilma A; Zouré, Honorat G M; Veerman, J Lennert; Agblewonu, Koffi B; Murdoch, Michele E; Noma, Mounkaila; Fobi, Grace; Richardus, Jan Hendrik; Bundy, Donald A P; Habbema, Dik; de Vlas, Sake J; Amazigo, Uche V

2013-01-01

Onchocerciasis causes a considerable disease burden in Africa, mainly through skin and eye disease. Since 1995, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) has coordinated annual mass treatment with ivermectin in 16 countries. In this study, we estimate the health impact of APOC and the associated costs from a program perspective up to 2010 and provide expected trends up to 2015. With data on pre-control prevalence of infection and population coverage of mass treatment, we simulated trends in infection, blindness, visual impairment, and severe itch using the micro-simulation model ONCHOSIM, and estimated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to onchocerciasis. We assessed financial costs for APOC, beneficiary governments, and non-governmental development organizations, excluding cost of donated drugs. We estimated that between 1995 and 2010, mass treatment with ivermectin averted 8.2 million DALYs due to onchocerciasis in APOC areas, at a nominal cost of about US$257 million. We expect that APOC will avert another 9.2 million DALYs between 2011 and 2015, at a nominal cost of US$221 million. Our simulations suggest that APOC has had a remarkable impact on population health in Africa between 1995 and 2010. This health impact is predicted to double during the subsequent five years of the program, through to 2015. APOC is a highly cost-effective public health program. Given the anticipated elimination of onchocerciasis from some APOC areas, we expect even more health gains and a more favorable cost-effectiveness of mass treatment with ivermectin in the near future.

African Programme For Onchocerciasis Control 1995-2015: model-estimated health impact and cost.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luc E Coffeng

Full Text Available Onchocerciasis causes a considerable disease burden in Africa, mainly through skin and eye disease. Since 1995, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC has coordinated annual mass treatment with ivermectin in 16 countries. In this study, we estimate the health impact of APOC and the associated costs from a program perspective up to 2010 and provide expected trends up to 2015.With data on pre-control prevalence of infection and population coverage of mass treatment, we simulated trends in infection, blindness, visual impairment, and severe itch using the micro-simulation model ONCHOSIM, and estimated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs lost due to onchocerciasis. We assessed financial costs for APOC, beneficiary governments, and non-governmental development organizations, excluding cost of donated drugs. We estimated that between 1995 and 2010, mass treatment with ivermectin averted 8.2 million DALYs due to onchocerciasis in APOC areas, at a nominal cost of about US$257 million. We expect that APOC will avert another 9.2 million DALYs between 2011 and 2015, at a nominal cost of US$221 million.Our simulations suggest that APOC has had a remarkable impact on population health in Africa between 1995 and 2010. This health impact is predicted to double during the subsequent five years of the program, through to 2015. APOC is a highly cost-effective public health program. Given the anticipated elimination of onchocerciasis from some APOC areas, we expect even more health gains and a more favorable cost-effectiveness of mass treatment with ivermectin in the near future.

The ORNL fusion power demonstration study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shannon, T.E.; Steiner, D.

1978-01-01

In this paper, we review the design approach developed in the ORNL Fusion Power Demonstration Study [1]. The major emphasis of this study is in the application of current and near-term technology as the most logical path to near-term demonstration of tokamak fusion power. In addition we are pursuing a number of concepts to simplify the tokamak reactor to be more acceptable to the utility industry as a future source of energy. The discussion will focus on the areas having the greatest overall impact on reactor feasibility: 1) overall size and power output, 2) remote maintenance considerations, 3) electrical power supplies, 4) blanket design; and 5) economics. The tokamak device, by nature of its configuration and pulsed operation, is an exceptionally complex engineering design problem. We have concluded that innovative design concepts are essential to cope with this basic complexity. We feel that the feasibility of tokamak fusion power has been significantly improved by these design approaches. (author)

Potential impact of tsetse fly control involving the sterile insect technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldmann, U.; Dyck, V.A.; Mattioli, R.C.; Jannin, J.

2005-01-01

Hunger and poverty persist in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Many affected communities could produce enough food for themselves, and even for sale, if they had the basics - livestock and crops. In most of these communities, the presence of tsetse flies and the disease they vector, trypanosomosis, prevents optimal productive livestock-keeping and mixed farming, resulting in inadequate local food production. Since a vast majority of the rural communities depends on agriculture, the removal of a key development problem like tsetse and trypanosomosis (T and T) will permit increased local agricultural production, socio-economic and market development, and alleviate hunger and poverty. A sustained alleviation, if possible a complete, lasting removal of the T and T problem, is therefore considered a prerequisite to rural self-sufficient agriculture, in which productive livestock can provide milk, meat, draught power to cultivate the land, and eventually generate higher income and market opportunities. Hence the removal of such a key problem would catalyse overall development in rural areas. However, the poverty and food security status of communities in Africa is rather heterogeneous, and reflects the impact of various constraining factors, including T and T on the current agricultural production process and human well-being, as well as on the overall development potential. Correspondingly, the benefits to sustainable agriculture and rural development (SARD), resulting from an elimination of the T and T problem, will also vary from area to area. In view of the substantial finding required over the next decades to address this key problem, and the need for early 'success stories' that show tangible benefits, it is important that the initial T and T control areas are carefully selected according to technical feasibility, and to the predicted potential in the context of SARD. Trypanosomosis is a major, but technically solvable, development problem, and the effectiveness of the

Exploring the Impact of Fuel Data Acquisition Technology on the USMC Expeditionary Energy Command and Control System

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Tulusan, J., Soi, L., Paefgen, J., Brogle, M., & Staake, T. (2011). Eco -efficient feedback technologies : Which eco ...IMPACT OF FUEL DATA ACQUISITION TECHNOLOGY ON THE USMC EXPEDITIONARY ENERGY COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM by Jeremy F. Thomas September 2016...DATE September 2016 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF FUEL DATA ACQUISITION TECHNOLOGY

The impact of translucent fabric shades and control strategies on energy savings and visual quality

Science.gov (United States)

Wankanapon, Pimonmart

Translucent fabric shades provide opportunities for building occupants to control sunlight penetration for heat reduction, thermal comfort, and visual quality. Regulating shades affects building energy and can potentially reduce the size of mechanical cooling systems. Shades are not normally included in energy model studies during the design process, even though shades potential impact energy use. This is because the occupants normally leave shades closed a large fraction of the time, but models are generally performed with no shades. Automatic shade control is now available, so it is necessary to understand the impact of shades on visual quality and their energy saving potential in order to optimize their overall performance. There are very limited studies that have address shades and their integrated performance on energy consumption and visual quality. Most of these do not reflected modern shade types and their application. The goals of this study are: First, to determine the impact of shades on total, heating, cooling and lighting energy savings with different design and operation parameters. Second, to study and develop different automatic shade control strategies to promote and optimize energy savings and visual quality. A simulation-based approach using EnergyPlus in a parametric study provide better understanding energy savings under different shade conditions. The parametric runs addressed various building parameters such as geometry, orientation, site climate, glazing/shade properties, and shade control strategies with integrated lighting control. The impact of shades was determined for total building and space heating, cooling and lighting energy savings. The effect of shades on visual quality was studied using EnergyPlus, AGI32 and DAYSIM for several indices such as daylight glare index (DGI), work plane illuminance, luminance ratios and view. Different shade control strategies and integrated lighting control were considered with two translucent fabric

A Referential Communication Demonstration versus a Lecture-Only Control: Learning Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

Balch, William R.

2014-01-01

To evaluate a demonstration involving active and cooperative learning, 40 students in a cognitive psychology course and 132 students in an introductory psychology course completed a brief multiple-choice pretest on referential communication. Two days later, randomly assigned students either participated in a classroom referential communication…

Impact of Spasticity on Balance Control during Quiet Standing in Persons after Stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Rahimzadeh Khiabani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Balance impairments, falls, and spasticity are common after stroke, but the effect of spasticity on balance control after stroke is not well understood. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, twenty-seven participants with stroke were divided into two groups, based on ankle plantar flexor spasticity level. Fifteen individuals with high spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS score of ≥2 and 12 individuals with low spasticity (MAS score <2 completed quiet standing trials with eyes open and closed conditions. Balance control measures included centre of pressure (COP root mean square (RMS, COP velocity, and COP mean power frequency (MPF in anterior-posterior and mediolateral (ML directions. Trunk sway was estimated using a wearable inertial measurement unit to measure trunk angle, trunk velocity, and trunk velocity frequency amplitude in pitch and roll directions. Results. The high spasticity group demonstrated greater ML COP velocity, trunk roll velocity, trunk roll velocity frequency amplitude at 3.7 Hz, and trunk roll velocity frequency amplitude at 4.9 Hz, particularly in the eyes closed condition (spasticity by vision interaction. ML COP MPF was greater in the high spasticity group. Conclusion. Individuals with high spasticity after stroke demonstrated greater impairment of balance control in the frontal plane, which was exacerbated when vision was removed.

Development and Evaluation of Control System for Microgrid Supplying Heat and Electricity

Science.gov (United States)

Kojima, Yasuhiro; Koshio, Masanobu; Nakamura, Shizuka

Photovoltaic (PV) and Wind Turbine (WT) generation systems are expected to offer solutions to reduce green house gases and become more widely used in the future. However, the chief technical drawback of using these kinds of weather-dependent generators is the difficulty of forecasting their output, which can have negative impacts on commercial grids if a large number of them are introduced. Thus, this problem may hinder the wider application of PV and WT generation systems. The Regional Power Grid with Renewable Energy Resources Project was launched to seek a solution to this problem. The scope of the project is to develop, operate, and evaluate a Dispersed Renewable Energy Supply System with the ability to adapt the total energy output in response to changes in weather and demand. Such a system would reduce the impact that PV and WT generation systems have on commercial grids and allow the interconnection of more Dispersed Energy Resources (DER). In other words, the main objective of this project is to demonstrate an integrated energy management system, or a type of microgrid [1], as a new way of introducing DERs. The system has been in operation since October 2005 and will continue operation until March 2008. Through the project period, the data on power quality, system efficiency, operation cost, and environmental burden will be gathered and a cost-benefit analysis of the system will be undertaken. In this paper, firstly we introduce the concept of microgrid for reducing negative impact of natural energy, and secondly illustrate the structure of electric and thermal supply control system for Microgrid, especially for the Hachinohe demonstration project. The control system consists of four stages; weekly operation planning, economic dispatching control, tie-line control and local frequency control. And finally demonstration results and evaluation results are shown.

Market Assessment and Demonstration of Lignite FBC Ash Flowable Fill Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alan E. Bland

2003-01-01

Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU) and Western Research Institute (WRI) have been developing flowable fill materials formulated using ash from the Montana-Dakota Utilities R. M. Heskett Station in Mandan, North Dakota. MDU and WRI have partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) to further the development of these materials for lignite-fired fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) facilities. The MDU controlled density fill (CDF) appears to be a viable engineering material and environmentally safe. WRI is pursuing the commercialization of the technology under the trademark Ready-Fill(trademark). The project objectives were to: (1) assess the market in the Bismarck-Mandan area; (2) evaluate the geotechnical properties and environmental compatibility; and (3) construct and monitor demonstrations of the various grades of flowable fill products in full-scale demonstrations. The scope of initial phase of work entailed the following: Task I--Assess Market for MDU Flowable Fill Products; Task II--Assess Geotechnical and Environmental Properties of MDU Flowable Fill Products; and Task III--Demonstrate and Monitor MDU Flowable Fill Products in Field-Scale Demonstrations. The results of these testing and demonstration activities proved the following: (1) The market assessment indicated that a market exists in the Bismarck-Mandan area for structural construction applications, such as sub-bases for residential and commercial businesses, and excavatable fill applications, such as gas line and utility trench filling. (2) The cost of the MDU flowable fill product must be lower than the current $35-$45/cubic yard price if it is to become a common construction material. Formulations using MDU ash and lower-cost sand alternatives offer that opportunity. An estimated market of 10,000 cubic yards of MDU flowable fill products could be realized if prices could be made competitive. (3) The geotechnical properties of the MDU ash-based flowable

Market Assessment and Demonstration of Lignite FBC Ash Flowable Fill Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alan E. Bland

2003-09-30

Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU) and Western Research Institute (WRI) have been developing flowable fill materials formulated using ash from the Montana-Dakota Utilities R. M. Heskett Station in Mandan, North Dakota. MDU and WRI have partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) to further the development of these materials for lignite-fired fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) facilities. The MDU controlled density fill (CDF) appears to be a viable engineering material and environmentally safe. WRI is pursuing the commercialization of the technology under the trademark Ready-Fill{trademark}. The project objectives were to: (1) assess the market in the Bismarck-Mandan area; (2) evaluate the geotechnical properties and environmental compatibility; and (3) construct and monitor demonstrations of the various grades of flowable fill products in full-scale demonstrations. The scope of initial phase of work entailed the following: Task I--Assess Market for MDU Flowable Fill Products; Task II--Assess Geotechnical and Environmental Properties of MDU Flowable Fill Products; and Task III--Demonstrate and Monitor MDU Flowable Fill Products in Field-Scale Demonstrations. The results of these testing and demonstration activities proved the following: (1) The market assessment indicated that a market exists in the Bismarck-Mandan area for structural construction applications, such as sub-bases for residential and commercial businesses, and excavatable fill applications, such as gas line and utility trench filling. (2) The cost of the MDU flowable fill product must be lower than the current $35-$45/cubic yard price if it is to become a common construction material. Formulations using MDU ash and lower-cost sand alternatives offer that opportunity. An estimated market of 10,000 cubic yards of MDU flowable fill products could be realized if prices could be made competitive. (3) The geotechnical properties of the MDU ash-based flowable

Development of a computer program for drop time and impact velocity of the rod cluster control assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, K.-S.; Yim, J.-S.; Kim, I.-K.; Kim, K.-T.

1993-01-01

In PWR the rod cluster control assembly (RCCA) for shutdown is released upon the action of the control drive mechanism and falls down through the guide thimble by its weight. Drop time and impact velocity of the RCCA are two key parameters with respect to reactivity insertion time and the mechanical integrity of fuel assembly. Therefore, the precise control of the drop time and impact velocity is prerequisite to modifying the existing design features of the RCCA and guide thimble or newly designing them. During its falling down into the core, the RCCA is retarded by various forces acting on it such as flow resistance and friction caused by the RCCA movement, buoyancy mechanical friction caused by contacting inner surface of the guide thimble, etc. However, complicated coupling of the various forces makes it difficult to derive an analytical dynamic equation for the drop time and impact velocity. This paper deals with the development of a computer program containing an analytical dynamic equation applicable to the Korean Fuel Assembly (KOFA) loaded in the Korean nuclear power plants. The computer program is benchmarked with an available single control rod drop tests. Since the predicted values are in good agreements with the test results, the computer program developed in this paper can be employed to modify the existing design features of the RCCA and guide thimble and to develop their new design features for advanced nuclear reactors. (author)

Infection control education: how to make an impact--tools for the job.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrington, Mark

2007-06-01

Infection control education is difficult and time consuming, but there is persuasive evidence to demonstrate its effectiveness. When Infection Control practitioners are educating and influencing healthcare workers, compliance with the well-established guidance on implementation of health service research is advisable, and thus educative efforts must be repeated and administered as part of a concerted and multifaceted approach. Infection Control education must be specifically designed for and targeted at the groups of staff concerned, and medical staff pose especial problems. Recruitment of clinical champions from peer groups, and direct approaches from medical members of the Infection Control team are usually needed. Familiarity with only a limited range of published evidence is needed to answer the majority of clinicians who challenge Infection Control practices, and referral to higher medical and managerial authority is required very infrequently and as a last resort. Some recent initiatives in the NHS in England may make Infection Control education more difficult, and these are reviewed. New sanctions have been made available to hospitals and Infection control teams in the UK with the passing of the Health Act in 2006, and the effects of these allied to educative interventions on benchmarks such as hospitals' MRSA bacteraemia rates will be observed with interest.

Test Plan for the overburden removal demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, P.; Thompson, D.; Winberg, M.; Skaggs, J.

1993-06-01

The removal of soil overburdens from contaminated pits and trenches involves using equipment that will remove a small layer of soil from 3 to 6 in. at any time. As a layer of soil is removed, overburden characterization techniques perform surveys to a depth that exceeds each overburden removal layer to ensure that the removed soil will be free of contamination. It is generally expected that no contamination will be found in the soil overburden, which was brought in after the waste was put in place. It is anticipated that some containers in the waste zone have lost their integrity, and the waste leakage from those containers has migrated by gravity downward into the waste zone. To maintain a safe work environment, this method of overburden removal should allow safe preparation of a pit or trench for final remediation. To demonstrate the soil overburden techniques, the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Program has contracted vendor services to provide equipment and techniques demonstrating soil overburden removal technology. The demonstration will include tests that will evaluate equipment performance and techniques for removal of overburden soil, control of contamination spread, and dust control. To evaluate the performance of these techniques, air particulate samples, physical measurements of the excavation soil cuts, maneuverability measurements, and time versus volume (rate) of soil removal data will be collected during removal operations. To provide a medium for sample evaluation, the overburden will be spiked at specific locations and depths with rare earth tracers. This test plan will be describe the objectives of the demonstration, data quality objectives, methods to be used to operate the equipment and use the techniques in the test area, and methods to be used in collecting data during the demonstration

Randomized, Controlled Trial to Examine the Impact of Providing Yogurt to Women Enrolled in WIC

Science.gov (United States)

Fung, Ellen B.; Ritchie, Lorrene D.; Walker, Brent H.; Gildengorin, Ginny; Crawford, Patricia B.

2010-01-01

Objective: Examine the impact of providing yogurt to women enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Design: Randomized, controlled intervention trial. Setting: Two California WIC local agency sites. Participants: 511 pregnant, breast-feeding, or postpartum women. Intervention: Substitution of…

Multiagent-Based Reactive Power Sharing and Control Model for Islanded Microgrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Feixiong; Chen, Minyou; Li, Qiang

2016-01-01

of the control model, in which the uncertainty of intermittent DGs, variations in load demands, as well as impacts of time delays are considered. The simulation results demonstrate the eectiveness of the control model in proportional reactive power sharing, and the plug and play capability of the control model......In islanded microgrids (MGs), the reactive power cannot be shared proportionally among distributed generators (DGs) with conventional droop control, due to the mismatch in feeder impedances. For the purpose of proportional reactive power sharing, a multiagent system (MAS) based distributed control...

Health impact assessment of ambient fine particulate matter exposure in impacts by different vehicle control measures in China

Science.gov (United States)

LI, S.; Wang, H.; Jiang, F.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

Road transportation is the one of the largest emission sources contributing to ambient PM2.5 pollution in China. Since the 1990s, China has adopted comprehensive control measures to mitigate vehicle emissions. However, the effects of these measures on reducing emissions, improving air quality and avoiding negative health impacts have not been systematically evaluated. In this study, we combine emissions inventory, air quality modeling, and IER model to evaluate the effect of various vehicle control measures on premature deaths attributable to ambient PM2.5 at a spatial resolution of 36 km × 36 km across China. Our results show that, comparing to no control scenarios, the total vehicular emissions with the actual vehicle emission controls implemented have reduced the emissions of NOX, HC, CO, PM2.5 by 57%, 69%, 75%, 71% respectively; and reduced the national annual mean PM2.5 concentration by 2.5ug/m³ across China by 2010. The number of avoidable deaths associated with reducing PM2.5 level is 150 thousands (95% Confidence interval: 66 thousand - 212 thousand). The geographic distribution of the absolute number of avoidable deaths presents a distinct regional feature and is particularly evident in several regions. The most influential areas are mainly concentrated in Beijing and its south part, which formed a large area of continuous high value. Our results have important policy implications on prioritizing vehicular emission control strategy in China.

Compliance demonstration: What can be reasonably expected from safety assessment for geological repositories?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuidema, P.; Smith, P.; Sumerling, T.

1999-01-01

When licensing a nuclear facility, it is important to demonstrate that it will comply with regulatory limits (e.g. individual dose limits) and also show that sufficient attention has been paid to optimisation of facility design and operation, such that any associated radiological impacts will be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). In general, in demonstrating compliance, experience can be drawn from the performance of existing and similar facilities, and monitoring plans can be specified that will confirm that actual radiological discharges during operations are within authorised limits for the facility. This is also true in respect of the operational period of a geological repository. For the post-closure phase of a repository, however, it is also necessary to show that possible releases will remain acceptably low even at long times in the future when, it is assumed, control of the facility has lapsed and there is no method of either monitoring releases or taking remedial action in the case of unexpected events or releases. In addition, within each country, a deep geological repository will be a first-of-a-kind development so that compliance arguments can be expected to be rigorously tested without any assistance from the precedent of licensing of similar facilities nationally. This puts heavy, and quite unusual, burdens on the long-term safety assessment for a geological repository to develop a case that is sufficiently strong to demonstrate compliance. This paper focuses on the problem of demonstrating compliance with long-term safety requirements for a geological repository, and explores: the overall aims and special difficulties of demonstrating compliance for a geological repository; the role of safety assessment in demonstrating compliance; the scope for optimisation of a geological repository and importance of robustness and lessons learnt from the application of safety assessment. In addition, some issues requiring further discussion and clarification

Demonstration/Validation of the TC-60 Controlled Detonation Chamber, Porton Down, UK: Final Demonstration Test Report

Science.gov (United States)

2007-06-01

8217 Av.-l R Ave Ave Fl O e---_ 7_ Run Time Total Volume Metered Delta P Delta H Gas Temp. Temp. Page I od gsnanne re/Date) Team ’ure/DýC- C-86 Isokinetic ...process equipment. When the ball valves are open, gaseous oxygen is controlled by a regulator and automatically metered into the detonation chamber by a...compounds emitted to the atmosphere "• The dioxin/furan toxic equivalent concentration was in the low femtogram (fg) per normal cubic meter concentration

Smart grid demonstrators and experiments in France: Economic assessments of smart grids. Challenges, methods, progress status and demonstrators; Contribution of 'smart grid' demonstrators to electricity transport and market architectures; Challenges and contributions of smart grid demonstrators to the distribution network. Focus on the integration of decentralised production; Challenges and contributions of smart grid demonstrators to the evolution of providing-related professions and to consumption practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudret, Thierry; Belhomme, Regine; Nekrassov, Andrei; Chartres, Sophie; Chiappini, Florent; Drouineau, Mathilde; Hadjsaid, Nouredine; Leonard, Cedric; Bena, Michel; Buhagiar, Thierry; Lemaitre, Christian; Janssen, Tanguy; Guedou, Benjamin; Viana, Maria Sebastian; Malarange, Gilles; Hadjsaid, Nouredine; Petit, Marc; Lehec, Guillaume; Jahn, Rafael; Gehain, Etienne

2015-01-01

This publication proposes a set of four articles which give an overview of challenges and contributions of smart grid demonstrators for the French electricity system according to different perspectives and different stakeholders. These articles present the first lessons learned from these demonstrators in terms of technical and technological innovations, of business and regulation models, and of customer behaviour and acceptance. More precisely, the authors discuss economic assessments of smart grids with an overview of challenges, methods, progress status and existing smart grid programs in the World, comment the importance of the introduction of intelligence at hardware, software and market level, highlight the challenges and contributions of smart grids for the integration of decentralised production, and discuss how smart grid demonstrators impact providing-related professions and customer consumption practices

Upgrade Analog Readout and Digitizing System for ATLAS TileCal Demonstrator

CERN Document Server

Tang, F; Anderson, K; Bohm, C; Hildebrand, K; Muschter, S; Oreglia, M

2015-01-01

The TileCal Demonstrator is a prototype for a future upgrade to the ATLAS hadron calorimeter when the Large Hadron Collider increases luminosity in year 2023 (HL-LHC). It will be used for functionality and performance tests. The Demonstrator has 48 channels of upgraded readout and digitizing electronics and a new digital trigger capability, but is backwards-compatible with the present detector system insofar as it also provides analog trigger signals. The Demonstrator is comprised of 4 identical mechanical mini-drawers, each equipped with up to 12 photomultipliers (PMTs). The on-detector electronics includes 45 Front-End Boards, each serving an individual PMT; 4 Main Boards, each to control and digitize up to 12 PMT signals, and 4 corresponding high-speed Daughter Boards serving as data hubs between on-detector and off-detector electronics. The Demonstrator is fully compatible with the present system, accepting ATLAS triggers, timing and slow control commands for the data acquisition, detector control, and de...

Demonstration of hydrogen society in Nakskov. Final report; Denmark; Demonstratorium - Brintsamfundet i Nakskov. Slutrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bech-Madsen, J. (IRD Fuel Cell Technology, Svendborg (DK)); Krogh Jensen, J. (Baltic Sea Solutions, Bass, Holeby (DK))

2008-02-15

This report summarizes results from the 'Demonstration of hydrogen in Nakskov' project. The project has established a demonstration of the Hydrogen Community in Nakskov. The demonstration facility is located at the entrance to Nakskov Genbrugsplads which has a lot of visitors. At this location information boards help visitors get acquainted with the technology and the function of the plant. It is likely that the majority of the citizens of West Lolland has visited the demonstration plant. The demonstration plant includes the following elements: 1) Container buildings for control and monitoring as well as housing of the process equipment. The containers are fully equipped with electricity, water and water treatment systems, drains, ventilation, cooling and heating systems and extensive safety systems. 2) Two fully automated PEM-CHP fuel cell units of 2 kW and 7.5 kW. 3) Two PEM-electrolysers for hydrogen and oxygen production for use in fuel cells and stimulation of aerobe processes in a waste water treatment system. 4) Low pressure storage steel tanks for oxygen and hydrogen. 5) Gas distribution grid for transporting oxygen and hydrogen from the electrolysers to the storage tanks and back to the fuel cells. 6) Official Authority approvals of the total demonstration facility comprising municipal building permission. Approval of zone classification and storage of hydrogen and oxygen, by the Lolland fire chief, February 1. 2007. Environmental evaluation and Environmental Impact assesment screening of the project performed by the regional county (Storstroms Amt), November 13. 2006. Project approval of hydrogen production and fuel cell plant by the Danish Safety Technology Authority, May 2. 2007. (au)

(SWASH-D for Worms: A pilot study investigating the differential impact of school- versus community-based integrated control programs for soil-transmitted helminths.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naomi E Clarke

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Soil-transmitted helminths (STH infect nearly 1.5 billion individuals globally, and contribute to poor physical and cognitive development in children. STH control programs typically consist of regular delivery of anthelminthic drugs, targeting school-aged children. Expanding STH control programs community-wide may improve STH control among school-aged children, and combining deworming with improvements to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH may further reduce transmission. The (SWASH-D for Worms pilot study aims to compare the differential impact of integrated WASH and deworming programs when implemented at primary schools only versus when additionally implemented community-wide.A two-arm, non-randomized cluster intervention study was conducted. Six communities were identified by partner WASH agencies and enrolled in the study. All communities received a school-based WASH and deworming program, while three additionally received a community-based WASH and deworming program. STH infections were measured in school-aged children at baseline and six months after deworming. Over 90% of eligible children were recruited for the study, of whom 92.3% provided stool samples at baseline and 88.9% at follow-up. The school WASH intervention improved school sanitation, while the community WASH intervention reduced open defecation from 50.4% (95% CI 41.8-59.0 to 23.5% (95% CI 16.7-32.0. There was a trend towards reduced odds of N. americanus infection among children who received the community-wide intervention (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.07-2.36, p = 0.32.This pilot study provides proof of principle for testing the hypothesis that community-wide STH control programs have a greater impact on STH infections among children than school-based programs, and supports the rationale for conducting a full-scale cluster randomized controlled trial. High recruitment and participation rates and successful implementation of school WASH programs demonstrate study feasibility and

NASA's ATM Technology Demonstration-1: Integrated Concept of Arrival Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Baxley, Brian T.; Swenson, Harry N.; Prevot, Thomas; Callantine, Todd J.

2012-01-01

This paper describes operations and procedures envisioned for NASA s Air Traffic Management (ATM) Technology Demonstration #1 (ATD-1). The ATD-1 Concept of Operations (ConOps) demonstration will integrate three NASA technologies to achieve high throughput, fuel-efficient arrival operations into busy terminal airspace. They are Traffic Management Advisor with Terminal Metering (TMA-TM) for precise time-based schedules to the runway and points within the terminal area, Controller-Managed Spacing (CMS) decision support tools for terminal controllers to better manage aircraft delay using speed control, and Flight deck Interval Management (FIM) avionics and flight crew procedures to conduct airborne spacing operations. The ATD-1 concept provides de-conflicted and efficient operations of multiple arrival streams of aircraft, passing through multiple merge points, from top-of-descent (TOD) to touchdown. It also enables aircraft to conduct Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs) from en route altitude to the runway, using primarily speed control to maintain separation and schedule. The ATD-1 project is currently addressing the challenges of integrating the three technologies, and implantation into an operational environment. Goals of the ATD-1 demonstration include increasing the throughput of high-density airports, reducing controller workload, increasing efficiency of arrival operations and the frequency of trajectory-based operations, and promoting aircraft ADS-B equipage.

Minigrants for Community Health: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Their Impact on Family Food Gardening.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Christine M; McCrackin, Peggy G; Naschold, Felix

2016-01-01

To evaluate the impact of minigrants on home food gardening and review 28 health-related minigrant programs reported in the literature for lessons relevant for using minigrant programs to promote community health. Randomized controlled trial of the impact of minigrants on square footage of food garden area and on garden initiation in 2010 versus 2011. Interviews with participants were also conducted and coded and the literature was reviewed for findings from other community health minigrant programs. Laramie, Wyoming. Sixty adults living in 53 households who attended a gardening training workshop in April 2011. A $40 minigrant in the form of a voucher, valid at a local gardening store. Minigrant recipients were more likely to increase their gardening space than the control group. The average increase for the intervention group was 39.2 ft (3.62 m) while the control group average garden plot size decreased slightly, on average, by 1.4 ft (-0.13 m). However, the data were not normally distributed and, therefore, nonparametric statistical tests were used. For the subset of 20 households that did not garden at all in 2010, minigrants also provided motivation to start gardening (8 of 10 minigrant households started a garden vs 2 of 10 control households). Results reported from other health minigrant programs are also positive, though few had quantitative outcomes or control groups for comparison. Even with very small amounts of money, minigrants show promise as an ethical, inexpensive, empowering, and effective health promotion strategy to enable families and communities to improve their health.

Polyethylene encapsulation full-scale technology demonstration. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalb, P.D.; Lageraaen, P.R.

1994-10-01

A full-scale integrated technology demonstration of a polyethylene encapsulation process, sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development (OTD), was conducted at the Environmental ampersand Waste Technology Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL.) in September 1994. As part of the Polymer Solidification National Effort, polyethylene encapsulation has been developed and tested at BNL as an alternative solidification technology for improved, cost-effective treatment of low-level radioactive (LLW), hazardous and mixed wastes. A fully equipped production-scale system, capable of processing 900 kg/hr (2000 lb/hr), has been installed at BNL. The demonstration covered all facets of the integrated processing system including pre-treatment of aqueous wastes, precise feed metering, extrusion processing, on-line quality control monitoring, and process control

Lessons learned on the Ground Test Accelerator control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozubal, A.J.; Weiss, R.E.

1994-01-01

When we initiated the control system design for the Ground Test Accelerator (GTA), we envisioned a system that would be flexible enough to handle the changing requirements of an experimental project. This control system would use a developers' toolkit to reduce the cost and time to develop applications for GTA, and through the use of open standards, the system would accommodate unforeseen requirements as they arose. Furthermore, we would attempt to demonstrate on GTA a level of automation far beyond that achieved by existing accelerator control systems. How well did we achieve these goals? What were the stumbling blocks to deploying the control system, and what assumptions did we make about requirements that turned out to be incorrect? In this paper we look at the process of developing a control system that evolved into what is now the ''Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System'' (EPICS). Also, we assess the impact of this system on the GTA project, as well as the impact of GTA on EPICS. The lessons learned on GTA will be valuable for future projects

A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial of the Positive Prevention PLUS Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program.

Science.gov (United States)

LaChausse, Robert G

2016-09-01

To determine the impact of Positive Prevention PLUS, a school-based adolescent pregnancy prevention program on delaying sexual intercourse, birth control use, and pregnancy. I randomly assigned a diverse sample of ninth grade students in 21 suburban public high schools in California into treatment (n = 2483) and control (n = 1784) groups that participated in a clustered randomized controlled trial. Between October 2013 and May 2014, participants completed baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys regarding sexual behavior and pregnancy. Participants in the treatment group were offered Positive Prevention PLUS, an 11-lesson adolescent pregnancy prevention program. The program had statistically significant impacts on delaying sexual intercourse and increasing the use of birth control. However, I detected no program effect on pregnancy rates at 6-month follow-up. The Positive Prevention PLUS program demonstrated positive impacts on adolescent sexual behavior. This suggests that programs that focus on having students practice risk reduction skills may delay sexual activity and increase birth control use.

[DiabeTIC website: a pilot study of satisfaction and impact on metabolic control].

Science.gov (United States)

Carral San Laureano, Florentino; Ayala Ortega, María del Carmen; Jiménez Millán, Ana Isabel; Piñero Zaldivar, Antonia; García Calzado, Concepción; Prieto Ferrón, Matilde; Silva Rodríguez, Juan José

2013-10-01

To evaluate satisfaction and short-term impact on metabolic control of diabetes monitoring through the DiabeTIC website. A prospective, uncontrolled intervention study was conducted in 32 patients aged 29.7±9.7 years (65% female) incorporated to the telemedicine platform DiabeTIC between March and September 2012. All patients completed a satisfaction questionnaire in the first month, and impact on metabolic control was evaluated at three and six months. In the satisfaction survey conducted in the first month of follow-up, the following mean scores (0-10) were obtained: overall impression with the platform: 8.6±1.8; ease of use: 8.1±1.5; intuitive navigation: 6.7±3.0; value of measurements: 9.1±1.1; importance of the platform in diabetes management: 9.5±0.9; sense of security: 9.5±0.8; value of the library: 9.4±1.1; value of messages: 9.1±1.4, and recommendation to use the platform: 9.4±0.9. Glycosilated hemoglobin concentrations significantly improved at six months as compared to study start (7.0±0.8 versus 8.1±1.9; p=0.007). Nine patients were discharged from DiabeTIC before completing six months of follow-up. Patients with diabetes monitored through the DiabeTIC website report a high degree of satisfaction, showing improved metabolic control at short-term follow-up. Copyright © 2012 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The impacts of source structure on geodetic parameters demonstrated by the radio source 3C371

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ming H.; Heinkelmann, Robert; Anderson, James M.; Mora-Diaz, Julian; Karbon, Maria; Schuh, Harald; Wang, Guang L.

2017-07-01

Closure quantities measured by very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations are independent of instrumental and propagation instabilities and antenna gain factors, but are sensitive to source structure. A new method is proposed to calculate a structure index based on the median values of closure quantities rather than the brightness distribution of a source. The results are comparable to structure indices based on imaging observations at other epochs and demonstrate the flexibility of deriving structure indices from exactly the same observations as used for geodetic analysis and without imaging analysis. A three-component model for the structure of source 3C371 is developed by model-fitting closure phases. It provides a real case of tracing how the structure effect identified by closure phases in the same observations as the delay observables affects the geodetic analysis, and investigating which geodetic parameters are corrupted to what extent by the structure effect. Using the resulting structure correction based on the three-component model of source 3C371, two solutions, with and without correcting the structure effect, are made. With corrections, the overall rms of this source is reduced by 1 ps, and the impacts of the structure effect introduced by this single source are up to 1.4 mm on station positions and up to 4.4 microarcseconds on Earth orientation parameters. This study is considered as a starting point for handling the source structure effect on geodetic VLBI from geodetic sessions themselves.

The impact of televised tobacco control advertising content on campaign recall: Evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United Kingdom Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Although there is some evidence to support an association between exposure to televised tobacco control campaigns and recall among youth, little research has been conducted among adults. In addition, no previous work has directly compared the impact of different types of emotive campaign content. The present study examined the impact of increased exposure to tobacco control advertising with different types of emotive content on rates and durations of self-reported recall. Methods Data on recall of televised campaigns from 1,968 adult smokers residing in England through four waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United Kingdom Survey from 2005 to 2009 were merged with estimates of per capita exposure to government-run televised tobacco control advertising (measured in GRPs, or Gross Rating Points), which were categorised as either “positive” or “negative” according to their emotional content. Results Increased overall campaign exposure was found to significantly increase probability of recall. For every additional 1,000 GRPs of per capita exposure to negative emotive campaigns in the six months prior to survey, there was a 41% increase in likelihood of recall (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.24–1.61), while positive campaigns had no significant effect. Increased exposure to negative campaigns in both the 1–3 months and 4–6 month periods before survey was positively associated with recall. Conclusions Increased per capita exposure to negative emotive campaigns had a greater effect on campaign recall than positive campaigns, and was positively associated with increased recall even when the exposure had occurred more than three months previously. PMID:24885426

Regulatory analysis of the Underground Storage Tank-Integrated Demonstration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, E.H.

1992-01-01

The Underground Storage Tank-Integrated Demonstration (UST-ID) Program has been developed to identify, demonstrate, test, and evaluate technologies that will provide alternatives to the current underground storage tank remediation program. The UST-ID Program is a national program that consists of five participating US Department of Energy (DOE) sites where technologies can be developed an ultimately demonstrated. Once these technologies are demonstrated, the UST-ID Program will transfer the developed technology system to industry (governmental or industrial) for application or back to Research and Development for further evaluation and modification, as necessary. In order to ensure that the UST-ID Program proceeds without interruption, it will be necessary to identify regulatory requirements along with associated permitting and notification requirements early in the technology development process. This document serves as a baseline for identifying certain federal and state regulatory requirements that may impact the UST-ID Program and the demonstration of any identified technologies

Towards self-tuning residual generators for UAV control surface fault diagnosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blanke, Mogens; Hansen, Søren

2013-01-01

Control surface fault diagnosis is essential for timely detection of manoeuvring and stability risks for an unmanned aircraft. Timely detection is crucial since control surface related faults impact stability of flight and safety. Reliable diagnosis require well fitting dynamical models but with ...... flights with different members of a population of UAVs that have inherent model uncertainty from one member to another and from one flight to another. Events with actual faults on control surfaces demonstrates the efficacy of the approach....

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration lessons learned: 1993 technology demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostelnik, K.M.; Owens, K.J.

1994-01-01

An integrated technology demonstration was conducted by the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Cold Test Pit in the summer of 1993. This program and demonstration was sponsored by the US Department of Energy Office of Technology Development. The demonstration included six technologies representing a synergistic system for the characterization and retrieval of a buried hazardous waste site. The integrated technology demonstration proved very successful and a summary of the technical accomplishments is presented. Upon completion of the integrated technology demonstration, cognizant program personnel participated in a lessons learned exercise. This exercise was conducted at the Simplot Decision Support Center at Idaho State University and lessons learned activity captured additional information relative to the integration of technologies for demonstration purposes. This information will be used by BWID to enhance program planning and strengthen future technology demonstrations

Nonlinear system identification of smart structures under high impact loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarp Arsava, Kemal; Kim, Yeesock; El-Korchi, Tahar; Park, Hyo Seon

2013-01-01

The main purpose of this paper is to develop numerical models for the prediction and analysis of the highly nonlinear behavior of integrated structure control systems subjected to high impact loading. A time-delayed adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (TANFIS) is proposed for modeling of the complex nonlinear behavior of smart structures equipped with magnetorheological (MR) dampers under high impact forces. Experimental studies are performed to generate sets of input and output data for training and validation of the TANFIS models. The high impact load and current signals are used as the input disturbance and control signals while the displacement and acceleration responses from the structure–MR damper system are used as the output signals. The benchmark adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is used as a baseline. Comparisons of the trained TANFIS models with experimental results demonstrate that the TANFIS modeling framework is an effective way to capture nonlinear behavior of integrated structure–MR damper systems under high impact loading. In addition, the performance of the TANFIS model is much better than that of ANFIS in both the training and the validation processes. (paper)

Nonlinear system identification of smart structures under high impact loads

Science.gov (United States)

Sarp Arsava, Kemal; Kim, Yeesock; El-Korchi, Tahar; Park, Hyo Seon

2013-05-01

The main purpose of this paper is to develop numerical models for the prediction and analysis of the highly nonlinear behavior of integrated structure control systems subjected to high impact loading. A time-delayed adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (TANFIS) is proposed for modeling of the complex nonlinear behavior of smart structures equipped with magnetorheological (MR) dampers under high impact forces. Experimental studies are performed to generate sets of input and output data for training and validation of the TANFIS models. The high impact load and current signals are used as the input disturbance and control signals while the displacement and acceleration responses from the structure-MR damper system are used as the output signals. The benchmark adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is used as a baseline. Comparisons of the trained TANFIS models with experimental results demonstrate that the TANFIS modeling framework is an effective way to capture nonlinear behavior of integrated structure-MR damper systems under high impact loading. In addition, the performance of the TANFIS model is much better than that of ANFIS in both the training and the validation processes.

Characterization of in-use light-duty gasoline vehicle emissions by remote sensing in Beijing: impact of recent control measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yu; Fu, Lixin; Cheng, Linglin

2007-09-01

China's national government and Beijing city authorities have adopted additional control measures to reduce the negative impact of vehicle emissions on Beijing's air quality. An evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures may provide guidance for future vehicle emission control strategy development. In-use emissions from light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs) were investigated at five sites in Beijing with remote sensing instrumentation. Distance-based mass emission factors were derived with fuel consumption modeled on real world data. The results show that the recently implemented aggressive control strategies are significantly reducing the emissions of on-road vehicles. Older vehicles are contributing substantially to the total fleet emissions. An earlier program to retrofit pre-Euro cars with three-way catalysts produced little emission reduction. The impact of model year and driving conditions on the average mass emission factors indicates that the durability of vehicles emission controls may be inadequate in Beijing.

Test plan for engineering scale electrostatic enclosure demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, L.C.

1993-02-01

This test plan describes experimental details of an engineering-scale electrostatic enclosure demonstration to be performed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory in fiscal year (FY)-93. This demonstration will investigate, in the engineering scale, the feasibility of using electrostatic enclosures and devices to control the spread of contaminants during transuranic waste handling operations. Test objectives, detailed experimental procedures, and data quality objectives necessary to perform the FY-93 experiments are included in this plan

ARAMIS project: a more explicit demonstration of risk control through the use of bow-tie diagrams and the evaluation of safety barrier performance.

Science.gov (United States)

de Dianous, Valérie; Fiévez, Cécile

2006-03-31

Over the last two decades a growing interest for risk analysis has been noted in the industries. The ARAMIS project has defined a methodology for risk assessment. This methodology has been built to help the industrialist to demonstrate that they have a sufficient risk control on their site. Risk analysis consists first in the identification of all the major accidents, assuming that safety functions in place are inefficient. This step of identification of the major accidents uses bow-tie diagrams. Secondly, the safety barriers really implemented on the site are taken into account. The barriers are identified on the bow-ties. An evaluation of their performance (response time, efficiency, and level of confidence) is performed to validate that they are relevant for the expected safety function. At last, the evaluation of their probability of failure enables to assess the frequency of occurrence of the accident. The demonstration of the risk control based on a couple gravity/frequency of occurrence is also possible for all the accident scenarios. During the risk analysis, a practical tool called risk graph is used to assess if the number and the reliability of the safety functions for a given cause are sufficient to reach a good risk control.

Impact of postgraduate training on communication skills teaching: a controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Junod Perron, Noelle; Nendaz, Mathieu; Louis-Simonet, Martine; Sommer, Johanna; Gut, Anne; Cerutti, Bernard; van der Vleuten, Cees P; Dolmans, Diana

2014-04-14

Observation of performance followed by feedback is the key to good teaching of communication skills in clinical practice. The fact that it occurs rarely is probably due to clinical supervisors' perceived lack of competence to identify communication skills and give effective feedback. We evaluated the impact of a faculty development programme on communication skills teaching on clinical supervisors' ability to identify residents' good and poor communication skills and to discuss them interactively during feedback. We conducted a pre-post controlled study in which clinical supervisors took part to a faculty development program on teaching communication skills in clinical practice. Outcome measures were the number and type of residents' communication skills identified by supervisors in three videotaped simulated resident-patient encounters and the number and type of communication skills discussed interactively with residents during three feedback sessions. 48 clinical supervisors (28 intervention group; 20 control group) participated. After the intervention, the number and type of communication skills identified did not differ between both groups. There was substantial heterogeneity in the number and type of communication skills identified. However, trained participants engaged in interactive discussions with residents on a significantly higher number of communication items (effect sizes 0.53 to 1.77); communication skills items discussed interactively included both structural and patient-centered elements that were considered important to be observed by expert teachers. The faculty development programme did not increase the number of communication skills recognised by supervisors but was effective in increasing the number of communication issues discussed interactively in feedback sessions. Further research should explore the respective impact of accurate identification of communication skills and effective teaching skills on achieving more effective communication

The Impact of Antidepressant Therapy on Glycemic Control in Canadian Primary Care Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justin Gagnon

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Context: Depression is common in people with diabetes and is associated with poor glycemic control. Evidence suggests that certain antidepressants (AD increase the risk of poor control. Few population-based studies have examined the impact of individual ADs on glycemic control. This study's objective is to measure the impact of Citalopram, Amitriptyline, Venlafaxine, Trazodone and Escitalopram on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c in Canadian primary care patients with diabetes.Methods: A retrospective study of electronic medical records (EMR from 115 primary care practices across Canada was undertaken. Data were obtained from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN. The sample population comprised 1,084 diabetic patients with 1,127 prescriptions of one of the five selected ADs and with baseline and post-exposure HbA1c measurements. Generalized linear mixed models were computed to estimate the effect of the ADs on HbA1c.Results: Mean HbA1c ratios for Amitriptyline, Venlafaxine, Trazodone and Escitalopram were all numerically lower than Citalopram. The confidence intervals included the minimum detectable effect, however the differences were not statistically significant. The lowest clinically relevant HbA1c ratios, relative to Citalopram, were found in patients prescribed Trazodone and Escitalopram. Accounting for the prescription of Trazodone for indications other than depression, this research suggests that Escitalopram may be safer than Citalopram for people with diabetes and depression, in terms of its effect on blood glucose.Conclusion: This study can inform future research examining the relationship between ADs and blood glucose and provides insight into the limitations pertaining to the use of health data in health research. Future research should seek to control for, across multiple time points: depression symptoms, depression severity, depression duration, weight, diabetes medication, tobacco and alcohol consumption and

Comfort and performance impact of personal control over thermal environment in summer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boerstra, Atze C.; te Kulve, Marije; Toftum, Jørn

2015-01-01

Field studies suggest that the availability of adjustable thermostats, operable windows and other controls has a positive impact on comfort, the incidence of building related symptoms and productivity. This laboratory study was designed to further investigate how having or not having control over...... the thermal environment affects human responses to the indoor environment.The study was conducted in summer in a field laboratory that was kept at 28°C. A total of 23 subjects were exposed twice for about 2.5h. During the first session (A) subjects were able to fine-tune their local thermal environment at any...... recorded during the first session. Thus, each subject was exposed to two customized conditions with identical exposure, only different from a psychological point of view.During the two sessions identical questionnaires and performance tests were used to evaluate subjects' comfort, SBS symptom incidence...

Integrated Ground Operations Demonstration Units Testing Plans and Status

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Robert G.; Notardonato, William U.; Currin, Kelly M.; Orozco-Smith, Evelyn M.

2012-01-01

Cryogenic propellant loading operations with their associated flight and ground systems are some of the most complex, critical activities in launch operations. Consequently, these systems and operations account for a sizeable portion of the life cycle costs of any launch program. NASA operations for handling cryogens in ground support equipment have not changed substantially in 50 years, despite advances in cryogenics, system health management and command and control technologies. This project was developed to mature, integrate and demonstrate advancement in the current state of the art in these areas using two distinct integrated ground operations demonstration units (GODU): GODU Integrated Refrigeration and Storage (IRAS) and GODU Autonomous Control

Plug-In Hybrid Urban Delivery Truck Technology Demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyasato, Matt [South Coast Air Quality Management District Building Corporation, Diamond Bar, CA (United States); Impllitti, Joseph [South Coast Air Quality Management District Building Corporation, Diamond Bar, CA (United States); Pascal, Amar [South Coast Air Quality Management District Building Corporation, Diamond Bar, CA (United States)

2015-07-31

The I-710 and CA-60 highways are key transportation corridors in the Southern California region that are heavily used on a daily basis by heavy duty drayage trucks that transport the cargo from the ports to the inland transportation terminals. These terminals, which include store/warehouses, inland-railways, are anywhere from 5 to 50 miles in distance from the ports. The concentrated operation of these drayage vehicles in these corridors has had and will continue to have a significant impact on the air quality in this region whereby significantly impacting the quality of life in the communities surrounding these corridors. To reduce these negative impacts it is critical that zero and near-zero emission technologies be developed and deployed in the region. A potential local market size of up to 46,000 trucks exists in the South Coast Air Basin, based on near- dock drayage trucks and trucks operating on the I-710 freeway. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) — the agencies responsible for preparing the State Implementation Plan required under the federal Clean Air Act — have stated that to attain federal air quality standards the region will need to transition to broad use of zero and near zero emission energy sources in cars, trucks and other equipment (Southern California Association of Governments et al, 2011). SCAQMD partnered with Volvo Trucks to develop, build and demonstrate a prototype Class 8 heavy-duty plug-in hybrid drayage truck with significantly reduced emissions and fuel use. Volvo’s approach leveraged the group’s global knowledge and experience in designing and deploying electromobility products. The proprietary hybrid driveline selected for this proof of concept was integrated with multiple enhancements to the complete vehicle in order to maximize the emission and energy impact of electrification. A detailed review of all

Dietary habits, oral impact on daily performance and type 2 diabetes: a matched case-control study from Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Hasaan G; Mustafa, Kamal; Ibrahim, Salah O; Åstrøm, Anne N

2017-05-22

It is evident that social and behavioural factors influence on individuals' general health and quality of life. Nevertheless, information about the influence of dietary habits on oral health-related quality of life is limited; especially among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to examine the influence of dietary habits and clinical oral health indicators on oral health-related quality of life in individuals with and without T2D. A total of 149 T2D cases and 298 controls were recruited for this age and gender matched case-control study. Questionnaire-guided interviews were conducted to collect data about socio-demographic characteristics, consumption of food items per week (milk, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, sweets and bread) and oral impact on daily performance (OIDP). Plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, tooth mobility, decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMFT) and root caries were recorded. Difficulty with eating and sleeping were more frequently reported by T2D cases (23.5% and 16.1%, respectively) than by the controls (10.7% and 5.0%, respectively) (P  0). The corresponding ORs were 1.23 (1.01-4.89) and 2.10 (1.08-4.09), respectively. Participants with low consumption of meat and vegetables were more likely than their counterparts with high consumption to report any oral impact. The corresponding ORs were 0.46 (0.25-0.83) and 0.38 (0.17-0.87), respectively. There was a significant interaction between diabetic status and meat consumption as well as between diabetic status and bread consumption. Oral impacts were more frequently reported in T2D cases than controls. Independent of diabetic- and oral clinical status, dietary habits discriminated between individuals with and without oral impacts. The influence of meat and bread consumption on OIDP varied significantly according to T2D status.

Controlled Metal Detector Mounted on Mine Detection Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seiji Masunaga

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Landmine detection capability of metal detectors is very sensitive to the gap between buried landmines and the sensor heads. Therefore, human deminers manually scan ground surface with the metal detectors in such a manner that the sensor heads follow the ground surface. In case of robots assisted landmine detection, this function can be performed accurately and safely by controlling the gap and attitude of the sensor heads. In this investigation, the effectiveness of the gap and attitude control of the sensor head by some mechanical manipulator on the landmine detection performance has been addressed quantitatively. To this end, the paper describes the development of a Controlled Metal Detector (CMD for controlling the gap and attitude of the sensor head. The CMD generates trajectories of the sensor head from the depth information of the ground surface acquired with 3-D stereovision camera in order to avoid any obstacles and possible impact with the ground, and then tracks the trajectories with a trajectory-tracking controller. The effectiveness and the impact related to the gap and attitude control on the landmine detection performance of the CMD have been demonstrated by experimental studies.

Present or Play: The Effect of Serious Gaming on Demonstrated Behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, Tom; Spil, Antonius A.M.; van der Burg, Sanne; Wenzler, Ivo; Dalmolen, Simon

2015-01-01

Serious gaming is one of the newest developments in the world of learning and is gaining increasing attention within the business environment. Although many practitioners claim that serious gaming has more impact on demonstrated behaviour of trainees when compared to common presentations, little

A controlled experiment on the impact of software structure on maintainability

Science.gov (United States)

Rombach, Dieter H.

1987-01-01

The impact of software structure on maintainability aspects including comprehensibility, locality, modifiability, and reusability in a distributed system environment is studied in a controlled maintenance experiment involving six medium-size distributed software systems implemented in LADY (language for distributed systems) and six in an extended version of sequential PASCAL. For all maintenance aspects except reusability, the results were quantitatively given in terms of complexity metrics which could be automated. The results showed LADY to be better suited to the development of maintainable software than the extension of sequential PASCAL. The strong typing combined with high parametrization of units is suggested to improve the reusability of units in LADY.

Guidance and Control Architecture Design and Demonstration for Low Ballistic Coefficient Atmospheric Entry

Science.gov (United States)

Swei, Sean

2014-01-01

We propose to develop a robust guidance and control system for the ADEPT (Adaptable Deployable Entry and Placement Technology) entry vehicle. A control-centric model of ADEPT will be developed to quantify the performance of candidate guidance and control architectures for both aerocapture and precision landing missions. The evaluation will be based on recent breakthroughs in constrained controllability/reachability analysis of control systems and constrained-based energy-minimum trajectory optimization for guidance development operating in complex environments.

Pilot-Scale Demonstration of ALTA for NOx Control in Pulverized Coal-Fired Boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrew Fry; Devin Davis; Marc Cremer; Bradley Adams

2008-04-30

This report describes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and pilot-scale testing conducted to demonstrate the ability of the Advanced Layered Technology Approach (ALTA) to reduce NO{sub x} emissions in a pulverized coal (PC) boiler. Testing specifically focused on characterizing NO{sub x} behavior with deep burner staging combined with Rich Reagent Injection (RRI). Tests were performed in a 4 MBtu/hr pilot-scale furnace at the University of Utah. Reaction Engineering International (REI) led the project team which included the University of Utah and Combustion Components Associates (CCA). Deep burner staging and RRI, combined with selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), make up the Advanced Layered Technology Approach (ALTA) for NO{sub x} reduction. The application of ALTA in a PC environment requires homogenization and rapid reaction of post-burner combustion gases and has not been successfully demonstrated in the past. Operation of the existing low-NO{sub x} burner and design and operation of an application specific ALTA burner was guided by CFD modeling conducted by REI. Parametric pilot-scale testing proved the chemistry of RRI in a PC environment with a NOx reduction of 79% at long residence times and high baseline NOx rate. At representative particle residence times, typical operation of the dual-register low-NO{sub x} burner provided an environment that was unsuitable for NO{sub x} reduction by RRI, showing no NOx reduction. With RRI, the ALTA burner was able to produce NO{sub x} emissions 20% lower than the low-NO{sub x} burner, 76 ppmv vs. 94 ppmv, at a burner stoichiometric ratio (BSR) of 0.7 and a normalized stoichiometric ratio (NSR) of 2.0. CFD modeling was used to investigate the application of RRI for NO{sub x} control on a 180 MW{sub e} wall-fired, PC boiler. A NO{sub x} reduction of 37% from baseline (normal operation) was predicted using ALTA burners with RRI to produce a NO{sub x} emission rate of 0.185 lb/MBtu at the horizontal nose of

Data package for the Low-Level Waste Disposal Development and Demonstration Program environmental impact statement: Volume 1, Sections 1--7 and Appendices A--D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ketelle, R.H.

1988-09-01

This data package is required to support an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be written to evaluate the effects of future disposal of low-level waste at four sites on the Oak Ridge Reservation. Current waste disposal facilities are exceeding their capacities and increasingly stringent disposal requirements dictate the need for the sites and new waste disposal technologies. The Low-Level Waste Disposal Development and Demonstration Program has developed a strategy for low-level waste disposal built around a dose based approach. This approach emphasizes contamination pathways, including surface and groundwater and ALARA conditions for workers. This strategy dictates the types of data needed for this data package. The data package provides information on geology, soils, groundwater, surface water, and ecological characterization of the Oak Ridge Reservation in order to evaluate alternative technologies and alternative sites. The results of the investigations and data collections indicate that different technologies will probably have to be used at different sites. This conclusion, however, depends on the findings of the Environmental Impact Statement. 14 figs., 19 tabs.

Impact of Public Internal Financial Control on Public Administration in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vesna VAŠIČEK

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The PIFC /Public Internal Financial Control/ was developed by the European Commission. PIFC is set of principles internal financial controls system established for the purpose of controlling, auditing, supervise on the use of national budget and European Union budget and funds. Also, in order to support candidate countries in their internal control system reforms in the public sector. Therefore, it is expected for the candidate countries to establish and develop the system of internal financial controls according to the concept which was in that field developed by the European Union based on International Standards and the best practice of European countries. Since the year 2003 the Republic of Croatia undertakes intensive activities on the establishment and development of the internal financial control system according with the regulation of European Union. In keeping with the set concept, the Republic of Croatia undertook numerous activities during the past six years to create all the necessary assumptions for the establishment and development of the system, including: the adoption of the initial strategic documents; drafting of laws; the creation of organisational capacities and human resources; and the implementation of the system with budget users at central government and local levels. In this paper we will present phases of implementation PIFC in Croatian Public Sector. Through this phases we will show impact that PIFC has on development of New Public Management in Croatia and changes in organizational structure and human resource that are caused during this process. Also, we will give critical opinion of that process and problems which occur during implementation. In this paper we will present approach in implementation of PIFC in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and compare this with implementation in Croatia.

Measuring the physical and economic impact of filarial lymphoedema in Chikwawa district, Malawi: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Michelle C; Yamauchi, Masato; Mkwanda, Square Z; Ndhlovu, Paul; Matipula, Dorothy Emmie; Mackenzie, Charles; Kelly-Hope, Louise A

2017-04-03

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is one of the primary causes of lymphoedema in sub-Saharan Africa, and has a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL) of those affected. In this paper we assess the relative impact of lymphoedema on mobility and income in Chikwawa district, Malawi. A random sample of 31 people with lymphoedema and 31 matched controls completed a QoL questionnaire from which both an overall and a mobility-specific score were calculated. Two mobility tests were undertaken, namely the 10 m walking test [10MWT] and timed up and go [TUG] test, and a subset of 10 cases-control pairs wore GPS data loggers for 3 weeks to measure their mobility in a more natural setting. Retrospective economic data was collected from all 31 case-control pairs, and each participant undertaking the GPS activity recorded daily earnings and health expenditure throughout the observation period. Cases had a significantly poorer overall QoL (cases = 32.2, controls = 6.0, P disability differed from their measured disability, whereas the results were consistent for controls (10MWT correlation = -0.61, 95% CI = (-0.79, -0.34)). GPS summaries indicated that cases generally walk shorter distances at slower speeds than control, covering a smaller geographical area (median area by kernel smoothing: cases = 1.25 km 2 , controls = 2.10 km 2 , P = 0.16). Cases reported earning less than half that earned by controls per week (cases = $0.70, controls = $1.86, P = 0.064), with a smaller proportion of their earnings (16% vs 22%, P = 0.461) being spent on healthcare. Those affected by lymphoedema are at a clear disadvantage to their unaffected peers, experiencing a lower QoL as confirmed by both subjective and objective mobility measures, and lower income. This study also indicates that objective measures of mobility may be a useful supplement to self-assessed QoL questionnaires when assessing the future impact of lymphoedema management

Piezoelectric Versus Conventional Rotary Techniques for Impacted Third Molar Extraction: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Qian; Qiu, Yating; Yang, Chi; Yang, Jingyun; Chen, Minjie; Zhang, Zhiyuan

2015-10-01

Impacted third molars are frequently encountered in clinical work. Surgical removal of impacted third molars is often required to prevent clinical symptoms. Traditional rotary cutting instruments are potentially injurious, and piezosurgery, as a new osteotomy technique, has been introduced in oral and maxillofacial surgery. No consistent conclusion has been reached regarding whether this new technique is associated with fewer or less severe postoperative sequelae after third molar extraction.The aim of this study was to compare piezosurgery with rotary osteotomy techniques, with regard to surgery time and the severity of postoperative sequelae, including pain, swelling, and trismus.We conducted a systematic literature search in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar.The eligibility criteria of this study included the following: the patients were clearly diagnosed as having impacted mandibular third molars; the patients underwent piezosurgery osteotomy, and in the control group rotary osteotomy techniques, for removing impacted third molars; the outcomes of interest include surgery time, trismus, swelling or pain; the studies are randomized controlled trials.We used random-effects models to calculate the difference in the outcomes, and the corresponding 95% confidence interval. We calculated the weighted mean difference if the trials used the same measurement, and a standardized mean difference if otherwise.A total of seven studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in our analysis. Compared with rotary osteotomy, patients undergoing piezosurgery experienced longer surgery time (mean difference 4.13 minutes, 95% confidence interval 2.75-5.52, P piezosurgery groups.The number of included randomized controlled trials and the sample size of each trial were relatively small, double blinding was not possible, and cost analysis was unavailable due to a lack of data.Our meta-analysis indicates that although patients undergoing piezosurgery

Demonstration of GaAsSb/InAs nanowire backward diodes grown using position-controlled vapor-liquid-solid method

Science.gov (United States)

Kawaguchi, Kenichi; Takahashi, Tsuyoshi; Okamoto, Naoya; Sato, Masaru

2018-02-01

p-GaAsSb/n-InAs type-II nanowire (NW) diodes were fabricated using the position-controlled vapor-liquid-solid growth method. InAs and GaAsSb NW segments were grown vertically on GaAs(111)B substrates with the assistance of Au catalysts. Transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that the GaAsSb segments have an Sb content of 40%, which is sufficient to form a tunnel heterostructure. Scanning capacitance microscope images clearly indicated the formation of a p-n junction in the NWs. Backward diode characteristics, that is, current flow toward negative bias originating from a tunnel current and current suppression toward positive bias by a heterobarrier, were demonstrated.

African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control 1995–2015: Model-Estimated Health Impact and Cost

Science.gov (United States)

Coffeng, Luc E.; Stolk, Wilma A.; Zouré, Honorat G. M.; Veerman, J. Lennert; Agblewonu, Koffi B.; Murdoch, Michele E.; Noma, Mounkaila; Fobi, Grace; Richardus, Jan Hendrik; Bundy, Donald A. P.; Habbema, Dik; de Vlas, Sake J.; Amazigo, Uche V.

2013-01-01

Background Onchocerciasis causes a considerable disease burden in Africa, mainly through skin and eye disease. Since 1995, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) has coordinated annual mass treatment with ivermectin in 16 countries. In this study, we estimate the health impact of APOC and the associated costs from a program perspective up to 2010 and provide expected trends up to 2015. Methods and Findings With data on pre-control prevalence of infection and population coverage of mass treatment, we simulated trends in infection, blindness, visual impairment, and severe itch using the micro-simulation model ONCHOSIM, and estimated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to onchocerciasis. We assessed financial costs for APOC, beneficiary governments, and non-governmental development organizations, excluding cost of donated drugs. We estimated that between 1995 and 2010, mass treatment with ivermectin averted 8.2 million DALYs due to onchocerciasis in APOC areas, at a nominal cost of about US$257 million. We expect that APOC will avert another 9.2 million DALYs between 2011 and 2015, at a nominal cost of US$221 million. Conclusions Our simulations suggest that APOC has had a remarkable impact on population health in Africa between 1995 and 2010. This health impact is predicted to double during the subsequent five years of the program, through to 2015. APOC is a highly cost-effective public health program. Given the anticipated elimination of onchocerciasis from some APOC areas, we expect even more health gains and a more favorable cost-effectiveness of mass treatment with ivermectin in the near future. PMID:23383355

[Impact of an educational institutional program in the control of the diabetic patient].

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza-Romo, Miguel Angel; Velasco-Chávez, José Fernando; Nieva de Jesús, Rafael Natividad; Andrade-Rodríguez, Héctor de Jesús; Rodríguez-Pérez, Carlos Vicente; Palou-Fraga, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

to assess the impact of an educational institutional program in the control of type 2 diabetic patient. intervention educational study, with quasi-experimental and self-controlled subjects. A convenience non-probabilistic sample was used including 151 patients from the program for the integral care of diabetic patients. Demographic variables: gender, age, type of insurance, somatometric and metabolic profile. The assistance to a one-year length, educational program was necessary. Descriptive and inferential parametric statistics were used. 106 women and 45 men, with age range between 15 and 87 years, and with an average of 57.22 ± 11.47, were studied. A significant decrease in body mass index, waist circumference, venous glucose fasting and post-prandial values, cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides and glycosylated hemoglobin (t Student semi-detached, p education for the control of the diabetic patient shown a favorable pattern in most of somatometric and metabolic parameters. We suggest to extend this study over a longer period to determine if the effects persist over time.

Psychological distress in women at risk of hereditary breast/ovarian or HNPCC cancers in the absence of demonstrated mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Geirdal, Amy Østertun; Reichelt, Jon G; Dahl, Alv A; Heimdal, Ketil; Maehle, Lovise; Stormorken, Astrid; Møller, Pål

2005-01-01

To examine psychological distress in women at risk of familial breast-ovarian cancer (FBOC) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) with absence of demonstrated mutations in the family (unknown mutation). Two-hundred and fifty three consecutive women at risk of FBOC and 77 at risk of HNPCC and with no present or past history of cancer. They were aware of their risk and had received genetic counseling. Comparisons were made between these two groups, normal controls, and women who were identified to be BRCA1 mutation carriers. The questionnaires Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Impact of Event Scale (IES) were employed to assess psychological distress. No significant differences concerning psychological distress were observed between women with FBOC and women with HNPCC. Compared to mutation carriers for BRCA1, the level of anxiety and depression was significantly higher in the FBOC group with absence of demonstrated mutation. Compared to normal controls, the level of anxiety was higher, while the level of depression was lower in the groups with unknown mutation. Women in the absence of demonstrated mutations have higher anxiety and depression levels than women with known mutation-carrier status. Access to genetic testing may be of psychologically benefit to women at risk for FBOC or HNPCC.

The impact of occupational therapy in Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sturkenboom, Ingrid H; Graff, Maud J; Borm, George F; Veenhuizen, Yvonne; Bloem, Bastiaan R; Munneke, Marten; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W

2013-02-01

To evaluate the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial including process and potential impact of occupational therapy in Parkinson's disease. Process and outcome were quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated in an exploratory multicentre, two-armed randomized controlled trial at three months. Forty-three community-dwelling patients with Parkinson's disease and difficulties in daily activities, their primary caregivers and seven occupational therapists. Ten weeks of home-based occupational therapy according to the Dutch guidelines of occupational therapy in Parkinson's disease versus no occupational therapy in the control group. Process evaluation measured accrual, drop-out, intervention delivery and protocol adherence. Primary outcome measures of patients assessed daily functioning: Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. Primary outcome for caregivers was caregiver burden: Zarit Burden Inventory. Participants' perspectives of the intervention were explored using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Inclusion was 23% (43/189), drop-out 7% (3/43) and unblinding of assessors 33% (13/40). Full intervention protocol adherence was 74% (20/27), but only 60% (71/119) of baseline Canadian Occupational Performance Measure priorities were addressed in the intervention. The outcome measures revealed negligible to small effects in favour of the intervention group. Almost all patients and caregivers of the intervention group were satisfied with the results. They perceived: 'more grip on the situation' and used 'practical advices that make life easier'. Therapists were satisfied, but wished for a longer intervention period. The positive perceived impact of occupational therapy warrants a large-scale trial. Adaptations in instructions and training are needed to use the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure as primary outcome measure.

Impact of Infection Prevention and Control Initiatives on Acute Respiratory Infections in a Pediatric Long-Term Care Facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Meghan T; Jackson, Olivia; Cohen, Bevin; Hutcheon, Gordon; Saiman, Lisa; Larson, Elaine; Neu, Natalie

2016-07-01

We evaluated the collective impact of several infection prevention and control initiatives aimed at reducing acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in a pediatric long-term care facility. ARIs did not decrease overall, though the proportion of infections associated with outbreaks and average number of cases per outbreak decreased. Influenza rates decreased significantly. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:859-862.

The impact of maternal control on children's anxious cognitions, behaviours and affect: an experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thirlwall, Kerstin; Creswell, Cathy

2010-10-01

Controlling parenting is associated with child anxiety however the direction of effects remains unclear. The present study implemented a Latin-square experimental design to assess the impact of parental control on children's anxious affect, cognitions and behaviour. A non-clinical sample of 24 mothers of children aged 4-5 years were trained to engage in (a) controlling and (b) autonomy-granting behaviours in interaction with their child during the preparation of a speech. When mothers engaged in controlling parenting behaviours, children made more negative predictions about their performance prior to delivering their speech and reported feeling less happy about the task, and this was moderated by child trait anxiety. In addition, children with higher trait anxiety displayed a significant increase in observed child anxiety in the controlling condition. The pattern of results was maintained when differences in mothers' levels of negativity and habitual levels of control were accounted for. These findings are consistent with theories that suggest that controlling parenting is a risk factor in the development of childhood anxiety. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of Fibromyalgia in the Sit-to-Stand-to-Sit Performance Compared With Healthy Controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Collado-Mateo, Daniel; Adsuar, Jose C; Dominguez-Muñoz, Francisco J; Olivares, Pedro R; Gusi, Narcis

2017-06-01

Fibromyalgia is associated with a reduction in the ability to perform activities of daily living. Sit-to-stand-to-sit performance is one of the most common activities of daily living and often is evaluated by counting the number of repetitions of the 30-second chair-stand test. No study, however, has examined the performance over the 30 seconds of this test of female patients with fibromyalgia on a phase-by-phase basis. To evaluate the impact of fibromyalgia on performance of the 30-second chair-stand test and to analyze how the kinematic performance changed over the 30-second test period. A cross-sectional study. Local association of fibromyalgia. Fifteen females with fibromyalgia and nine healthy female controls. Participants performed the 30-second chair-stand test while wearing a motion capture device. Duration of each sit-to-stand-to-sit phase within the 30-second time limit was compared between groups using repeated measures analysis of variance. The association between duration of phases and scores from the revised version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire was tested using bivariate correlations. The duration of impulse and sit-to-stand phases were gradually increased over the 30 seconds of the chair-stand test for women with fibromyalgia compared with healthy controls (P = .04 and P = .02, respectively). The mean duration of these 2 phases was associated with symptom duration and the function domain of the revised version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (P fibromyalgia and healthy controls. Since sit-to-stand from a chair is a common daily activity, women with fibromyalgia may require specific exercises to improve performance of this task. Not applicable. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citations for Randomized Controlled Trials in Sepsis Literature: The Halo Effect Caused by Journal Impact Factor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongheng Zhang

Full Text Available Citations for randomized controlled trials (RCT are important for the dissemination of study results. However, predictors of citations for RCTs have not been investigated. The study aimed to investigate the predictors of citations for RCTs in sepsis literature. RCTs that investigated the efficacy of treatment strategies on clinical outcomes in sepsis patients were included, and publication dates were restricted to the period from 2000 to 2016. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews and interventions. A multivariable linear regression model was built to investigate the independent variables associated with total citations. In total, 160 RCTs met our inclusion criteria and were included for analysis. The median of total citations was 28.5 (IQR: 6-76. The journal impact factor (IF for articles was 6.312 (IQR: 3.143-7.214. The dependent variable was transformed by the square root to improve normality and meet the assumption of homoscedasticity. The journal IF (coefficient: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.25 was independently associated with total citations. Large samples were associated with more total citations (coefficient: 0.0026; 95% CI: 0.0013, 0.0039. The study demonstrated that the journal IF was a major determinant of the RCT's total citation number.

Impact of glycaemic control on the effect of direct renin inhibition in the AVOID study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Persson, Frederik; Lewis, Julia B; Lewis, Edmund J

2012-01-01

Hyperglycaemia induces development and progression of microvascular complications in diabetes. A direct link between high glucose levels and intrarenal renin-angiotensin activation has been demonstrated. This post-hoc analysis assessed the influence of baseline glycaemic control on the reduction ...

Impact of Glucose Meter Error on Glycemic Variability and Time in Target Range During Glycemic Control After Cardiovascular Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Karon, Brad S; Meeusen, Jeffrey W; Bryant, Sandra C

2015-08-25

We retrospectively studied the impact of glucose meter error on the efficacy of glycemic control after cardiovascular surgery. Adult patients undergoing intravenous insulin glycemic control therapy after cardiovascular surgery, with 12-24 consecutive glucose meter measurements used to make insulin dosing decisions, had glucose values analyzed to determine glycemic variability by both standard deviation (SD) and continuous overall net glycemic action (CONGA), and percentage glucose values in target glucose range (110-150 mg/dL). Information was recorded for 70 patients during each of 2 periods, with different glucose meters used to measure glucose and dose insulin during each period but no other changes to the glycemic control protocol. Accuracy and precision of each meter were also compared using whole blood specimens from ICU patients. Glucose meter 1 (GM1) had median bias of 11 mg/dL compared to a laboratory reference method, while glucose meter 2 (GM2) had a median bias of 1 mg/dL. GM1 and GM2 differed little in precision (CV = 2.0% and 2.7%, respectively). Compared to the period when GM1 was used to make insulin dosing decisions, patients whose insulin dose was managed by GM2 demonstrated reduced glycemic variability as measured by both SD (13.7 vs 21.6 mg/dL, P meter error (bias) was associated with decreased glycemic variability and increased percentage of values in target glucose range for patients placed on intravenous insulin therapy following cardiovascular surgery. © 2015 Diabetes Technology Society.

Long-term impact of the World Bank Loan Project for schistosomiasis control: a comparison of the spatial distribution of schistosomiasis risk in China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhijie Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The World Bank Loan Project (WBLP for controlling schistosomiasis in China was implemented during 1992-2001. Its short-term impact has been assessed from non-spatial perspective, but its long-term impact remains unclear and a spatial evaluation has not previously been conducted. Here we compared the spatial distribution of schistosomiasis risk using national datasets in the lake and marshland regions from 1999-2001 and 2007-2008 to evaluate the long-term impact of WBLP strategy on China's schistosomiasis burden. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A hierarchical Poisson regression model was developed in a Bayesian framework with spatially correlated and uncorrelated heterogeneities at the county-level, modeled using a conditional autoregressive prior structure and a spatially unstructured Gaussian distribution, respectively. There were two important findings from this study. The WBLP strategy was found to have a good short-term impact on schistosomiasis control, but its long-term impact was not ideal. It has successfully reduced the morbidity of schistosomiasis to a low level, but can not contribute further to China's schistosomiasis control because of the current low endemic level. A second finding is that the WBLP strategy could not effectively compress the spatial distribution of schistosomiasis risk. To achieve further reductions in schistosomiasis-affected areas, and for sustainable control, focusing on the intermediate host snail should become the next step to interrupt schistosomiasis transmission within the two most affected regions surrounding the Dongting and Poyang Lakes. Furthermore, in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the WBLP's morbidity control strategy may need to continue for some time until snails in the upriver provinces have been well controlled. CONCLUSION: It is difficult to further reduce morbidity due to schistosomiasis using a chemotherapy-based control strategy in the lake and marshland regions of China

Long-term impact of the World Bank Loan Project for schistosomiasis control: a comparison of the spatial distribution of schistosomiasis risk in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhijie; Zhu, Rong; Ward, Michael P; Xu, Wanghong; Zhang, Lijuan; Guo, Jiagang; Zhao, Fei; Jiang, Qingwu

2012-01-01

The World Bank Loan Project (WBLP) for controlling schistosomiasis in China was implemented during 1992-2001. Its short-term impact has been assessed from non-spatial perspective, but its long-term impact remains unclear and a spatial evaluation has not previously been conducted. Here we compared the spatial distribution of schistosomiasis risk using national datasets in the lake and marshland regions from 1999-2001 and 2007-2008 to evaluate the long-term impact of WBLP strategy on China's schistosomiasis burden. A hierarchical Poisson regression model was developed in a Bayesian framework with spatially correlated and uncorrelated heterogeneities at the county-level, modeled using a conditional autoregressive prior structure and a spatially unstructured Gaussian distribution, respectively. There were two important findings from this study. The WBLP strategy was found to have a good short-term impact on schistosomiasis control, but its long-term impact was not ideal. It has successfully reduced the morbidity of schistosomiasis to a low level, but can not contribute further to China's schistosomiasis control because of the current low endemic level. A second finding is that the WBLP strategy could not effectively compress the spatial distribution of schistosomiasis risk. To achieve further reductions in schistosomiasis-affected areas, and for sustainable control, focusing on the intermediate host snail should become the next step to interrupt schistosomiasis transmission within the two most affected regions surrounding the Dongting and Poyang Lakes. Furthermore, in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the WBLP's morbidity control strategy may need to continue for some time until snails in the upriver provinces have been well controlled. It is difficult to further reduce morbidity due to schistosomiasis using a chemotherapy-based control strategy in the lake and marshland regions of China because of the current low endemic levels of infection. The future control

Prototype scale demonstration of CECE detritiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadhankar Ramesh; Cobanoglu, Macit

2004-01-01

AECL has developed and demonstrated the Combined Electrolysis and Catalytic Exchange (CECE) Process for detritiation of heavy water. Although CECE has been the subject of pilot-scale demonstrations by various organizations, AECL is the first to demonstrate this technology in an industrial prototype plant. AECL designed, built and operated a CECE demonstration facility under CAN/CSA N286 Quality Assurance Program. The facility was licensed by the Canadian nuclear regulator. This was a two-fold demonstration of the CECE technology - for upgrading (removal of light water) and for detritiation of heavy water. In 1998 June, AECL began operating the facility in upgrading mode. The design feed rate ranged up to 25 Mg/a for 95 mol% D 2 O feed water. After 18 months of operation in upgrading mode, the facility was reconfigured and operated for an additional 9 months from 2000 August in detritiation mode. Design capacity for detritiation was 5 Mg/a with a detritiation factor (DF) of 100. However, significantly higher DFs, up to 56 000, were demonstrated. Highlights of the detritiation demonstration were: Proven robustness of AECL's proprietary wetproofed catalyst for Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange; Demonstration of a trickle-bed-recombiner for stoichiometric combination of deuterium and oxygen; Demonstration of electrolysis of highly tritiated heavy water; High process availability and controllability was demonstrated by a long interrupted run; Low emissions; Demonstration of high DF - up to 56 000 - a significant advantage of the CECE process over other approaches to detritiation; Validation of AECL's simulation code for the CECE process over a range of DFs from 100 to 50 000. Apart from the technology, AECL has expertise in all aspects of setting up a new detritiation facility including design, engineering, safety assessment, licensing support, project management and training. AECL is also the engineering and design contractor for a tritium removal facility that is under

Impact of Manually Controlled Solar Shades on Indoor Visual Comfort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Yao

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Daylight plays a significant role in sustainable building design. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the impact of manual solar shades on indoor visual comfort. A developed stochastic model for manual solar shades was modeled in Building Controls Virtual Test Bed, which was coupled with EnergyPlus for co-simulation. Movable solar shades were compared with two unshaded windows. Results show that movable solar shades have more than half of the working hours with a comfortable illuminance level, which is about twice higher than low-e windows, with a less significant daylight illuminance fluctuation. For glare protection, movable solar shades increase comfortable visual conditions by about 20% compared to low-e windows. Moreover, the intolerable glare perception could be reduced by more than 20% for movable solar shades.

The impact of a family skills training intervention among Burmese migrant families in Thailand: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Puffer, Eve S; Annan, Jeannie; Sim, Amanda L; Salhi, Carmel; Betancourt, Theresa S

2017-01-01

To conduct a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of a family-based intervention delivered to Burmese migrant families displaced in Thailand on parenting and family functioning. Participants included 479 Burmese migrant families from 20 communities in Thailand. Families, including 513 caregivers and 479 children aged 7 to 15 years, were randomized to treatment and waitlist control groups. The treatment group received a 12-session family-based intervention delivered to groups of families by lay facilitators. Adapted standardized and locally derived measures were administered before and after the intervention to assess parent-child relationship quality, discipline practices, and family functioning. Compared with controls, intervention families demonstrated improved quality of parent-child interactions on scales of parental warmth and affection (Effect size (ES) = 0.25 caregivers; 0.26 children, both p quality (ES = -0.37, p children, p children and caregivers also reported an effect on relationship quality based on a locally derived measure (ES = 0.40 caregivers, p children, p Family functioning was improved, including family cohesion (ES = 0.46 caregivers; 0.36 children; both p children, p Family communication also improved according to children only (ES = 0.29, p children, reported decreased harsh discipline (ES = -0.39, p family well-being for migrant children and caregivers in a middle-income country. The strongest effects were on parent-child relationship quality and family functioning, while results were mixed on changes in discipline practices. Results suggest that a behavioral family-based approach implemented by lay providers in community settings is a promising intervention approach for strengthening families in highly stressed contexts. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01668992.

A socio-economic study along with impact assessment for laterite based technology demonstration for arsenic mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Sourav; Roy, Anirban; Mukherjee, Raka; Mondal, Mrinmoy; Karmakar, Sankha; Chatterjee, Somak; Mukherjee, Munmun; Bhattacharjee, Saikat; De, Sirshendu

2017-04-01

Arsenic contamination mitigation technologies have been adsorption-based, but the most widely-used and traditionally available adsorbents suffered inherent limitations, including cost infeasibility and problems associated with regeneration and disposal of the spent adsorbent. The present technology is based on indigenously developed activated laterite prepared from the naturally and abundantly available material, and can hence easily be scaled up for community usage and large scale implementation. The total arsenic removal capacity is 32.5mg/g, which is the highest among all naturally occurring arsenic adsorbents. A major issue in earlier adsorbents was that during regeneration, the adsorbed arsenic would be released back into the environment (leaching), and would eventually contaminate the groundwater again. But the adsorbent in this filter does not require regeneration during its five-year lifespan and does not leach upon disposal. An attempt is made to test and demonstrate the practical implementation of the technology - its effectiveness and viability in three community (primary schools - one in Malda and two in north 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India) and 20 household filters, catering to over 5000 people in different areas of West Bengal exposed to high arsenic contamination of groundwater (ranging from 0.05 to 0.5mg/l). The work also focuses on the social impact of the real life technological solution on the lives on the affected people in the worst hit arsenic affected communities, perhaps the greatest public health risk emergency of the decade. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Subsonic Glideback Rocket Demonstrator Flight Testing

Science.gov (United States)

DeTurris, Dianne J.; Foster, Trevor J.; Barthel, Paul E.; Macy, Daniel J.; Droney, Christopher K.; Talay, Theodore A. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the past two years, Cal Poly's rocket program has been aggressively exploring the concept of remotely controlled, fixed wing, flyable rocket boosters. This program, embodied by a group of student engineers known as Cal Poly Space Systems, has successfully demonstrated the idea of a rocket design that incorporates a vertical launch pattern followed by a horizontal return flight and landing. Though the design is meant for supersonic flight, CPSS demonstrators are deployed at a subsonic speed. Many steps have been taken by the club that allowed the evolution of the StarBooster prototype to reach its current size: a ten-foot tall, one-foot diameter, composite material rocket. Progress is currently being made that involves multiple boosters along with a second stage, third rocket.

Impact Assessment of Various Methods for Control of Synchronous Generator Excitation on Quality of Transient Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. D. Filipchik

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers an impact of various methods for control of an exciting current pertaining to a synchronous generator on the nature of transient processes. A control algorithm for the exciting current in relation to changes in sliding and acceleration of a generator rotor has been proposed in the paper. The algorithm makes it possible to improve quality of the transient processes due to reduction of oscillation range concerning as an active power so a δ-angle as well.

Caterpillar MorElectric DOE Idle Reduction Demonstration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John Bernardi

2007-09-30

This project titled 'Demonstration of the New MorElectric{trademark} Technology as an Idle Reduction Solution' is one of four demonstration projects awarded by the US Department of Energy in 2002. The goal of these demonstration and evaluation projects was to gather objective in-use information on the performance of available idle reduction technologies by characterizing the cost; fuel, maintenance, and engine life savings; payback; and user impressions of various systems and techniques. In brief, the Caterpillar Inc. project involved applying electrically driven accessories for cab comfort during engine-off stops and for reducing fuel consumption during on-highway operation. Caterpillar had equipped and operated five new trucks with the technology in conjunction with International Truck and Engine Corporation and COX Transfer. The most significant result of the project was a demonstrated average idle reduction of 13.8% for the 5 truck MEI fleet over the control fleet. It should be noted that the control fleet trucks were also equipped with an idle reduction device that would start and stop the main engine automatically in order to maintain cab temperature. The control fleet idle usage would have been reduced by 3858 hours over the 2 year period with the MEI system installed, or approximately 2315 gallons of fuel less (calculations assume a fuel consumption of 0.6 gallons per hour for the 13 liter engine at idle). The fuel saved will be significantly larger for higher displacement engines without idle reduction equipment such as the engine auto start/stop device used by COX Transfer. It is common for engines to consume 1.0 gallons per hour which would increase the fuel savings to approximately 1260 gallons per truck per year of typical idling (1800 hours idle/yr).

A cluster randomized control trial to assess the impact of active learning on child activity, attention control, and academic outcomes: The Texas I-CAN trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholomew, John B; Jowers, Esbelle M; Errisuriz, Vanessa L; Vaughn, Sharon; Roberts, Gregory

2017-10-01

Active learning is designed to pair physical activity with the teaching of academic content. This has been shown to be a successful strategy to increase physical activity and improve academic performance. The existing designs have confounded academic lessons with physical activity. As a result, it is impossible to determine if the subsequent improvement in academic performance is due to: (1) physical activity, (2) the academic content of the active learning, or (3) the combination of academic material taught through physical activity. The Texas I-CAN project is a 3-arm, cluster randomized control trial in which 28 elementary schools were assigned to either control, math intervention, or spelling intervention. As a result, each intervention condition serves as an unrelated content control for the other arm of the trial, allowing the impact of physical activity to be separated from the content. That is, schools that perform only active math lessons provide a content control for the spelling schools on spelling outcomes. This also calculated direct observations of attention and behavior control following periods of active learning. This design is unique in its ability to separate the impact of physical activity, in general, from the combination of physical activity and specific academic content. This, in combination with the ability to examine both proximal and distal outcomes along with measures of time on task will do much to guide the design of future, school-based interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of postgraduate training on communication skills teaching: a controlled study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Observation of performance followed by feedback is the key to good teaching of communication skills in clinical practice. The fact that it occurs rarely is probably due to clinical supervisors’ perceived lack of competence to identify communication skills and give effective feedback. We evaluated the impact of a faculty development programme on communication skills teaching on clinical supervisors’ ability to identify residents’ good and poor communication skills and to discuss them interactively during feedback. Methods We conducted a pre-post controlled study in which clinical supervisors took part to a faculty development program on teaching communication skills in clinical practice. Outcome measures were the number and type of residents’ communication skills identified by supervisors in three videotaped simulated resident-patient encounters and the number and type of communication skills discussed interactively with residents during three feedback sessions. Results 48 clinical supervisors (28 intervention group; 20 control group) participated. After the intervention, the number and type of communication skills identified did not differ between both groups. There was substantial heterogeneity in the number and type of communication skills identified. However, trained participants engaged in interactive discussions with residents on a significantly higher number of communication items (effect sizes 0.53 to 1.77); communication skills items discussed interactively included both structural and patient-centered elements that were considered important to be observed by expert teachers. Conclusions The faculty development programme did not increase the number of communication skills recognised by supervisors but was effective in increasing the number of communication issues discussed interactively in feedback sessions. Further research should explore the respective impact of accurate identification of communication skills and effective teaching

Impact of early diagnosis and control of chronic respiratory diseases on active and healthy ageing. A debate at the European Union Parliament.

Science.gov (United States)

Bousquet, J; Tanasescu, C C; Camuzat, T; Anto, J M; Blasi, F; Neou, A; Palkonen, S; Papadopoulos, N G; Antunes, J P; Samolinski, B; Yiallouros, P; Zuberbier, T

2013-01-01

A debate at the European Union Parliament was held on 13 November 2012 on the Impact of early diagnosis and control of chronic respiratory diseases on Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA). The debate was held under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the European Union (2012) and represents a follow-up of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the European Union (2011). It highlighted the importance of early life events on the occurrence of chronic respiratory diseases later in life and their impact on active and healthy ageing. Epidemiologic evidence was followed by actions that should be taken to prevent and manage chronic respiratory diseases in children. The debate ended by practical, feasible and achievable projects, demonstrating the strength of the political action in the field. Three projects will be initiated from this debate: The first will be a meeting sponsored by the Région Languedoc-Roussillon on the developmental origins of chronic diseases and ageing: from research to policies and value creation. The second project is being led by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Asthma and Rhinitis: Prevention of Asthma, Prevention of Allergy (PAPA). The third project is the GA(2)LEN sentinel network. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Impacts of temporary traffic control measures on vehicular emissions during the Asian games in Guangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Zhiliang; Zhang, Yingzhi; Shen, Xianbao; Wang, Xintong; Wu, Ye; He, Kebin

2013-01-01

To guarantee good traffic and air quality during the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, the government carried out two traffic control Drills before the Games and adopted traffic control measures during the Games. Vehicle activities before and during the first and second Drills, and during the Games, were surveyed. Based on the data under investigation, the impacts of control measures on traffic volumes and driving characteristics were analyzed during the first and second Drills, and the Games. The emission reduction of traffic control measures was also evaluated during the three stages using the MOBILE-China model. The results show that there were significant effects of implementing temporary traffic control measures on transportation activity and vehicular emissions. During the first and second Drills, and the Games, the average traffic volumes in monitored roads decreased, and the average speed of vehicles increased significantly The co-effects of traffic flow reduction, traffic congestion improvement, and the banning of high-emitting vehicles helped to greatly reduce the estimated emissions from motor vehicles in Guangzhou during the first and second Drills, and the Games. Estimated vehicular emissions were reduced by 38-52% during the first Drill and 28-36% for the second Drill. During the Asian Games, vehicular emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NO), and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter vehicular emissions of CO, HC, NOx, and PM10. Motor vehicles have become the most prevalent source of emissions and subsequently air pollution within Chinese cities. Understanding the impacts that different control measures have on vehicular emissions is very important in order to be able to control vehicle emissions. The results of this study will be very helpful for the further control of vehicle emissions in Guangzhou in the future. In addition, the effects of temporary transportation control measures will provide

Case Studies in Crewed Spacecraft Environmental Control and Life Support System Process Compatibility and Cabin Environmental Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, J. L.

2017-01-01

Contamination of a crewed spacecraft's cabin environment leading to environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) functional capability and operational margin degradation or loss can have an adverse effect on NASA's space exploration mission figures of merit-safety, mission success, effectiveness, and affordability. The role of evaluating the ECLSS's compatibility and cabin environmental impact as a key component of pass trace contaminant control is presented and the technical approach is described in the context of implementing NASA's safety and mission success objectives. Assessment examples are presented for a variety of chemicals used in vehicle systems and experiment hardware for the International Space Station program. The ECLSS compatibility and cabin environmental impact assessment approach, which can be applied to any crewed spacecraft development and operational effort, can provide guidance to crewed spacecraft system and payload developers relative to design criteria assigned ECLSS compatibility and cabin environmental impact ratings can be used by payload and system developers as criteria for ensuring adequate physical and operational containment. In additional to serving as an aid for guiding containment design, the assessments can guide flight rule and procedure development toward protecting the ECLSS as well as approaches for contamination event remediation.

Advanced combustion, emission control, health impacts, and fuels merit review and peer evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2006-10-01

This report is a summary and analysis of comments from the Advisory Panel at the FY 2006 DOE National Laboratory Advanced Combustion, Emission Control, Health Impacts, and Fuels Merit Review and Peer Evaluation, held May 15-18, 2006 at Argonne National Laboratory. The work evaluated in this document supports the FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program. The results of this merit review and peer evaluation are major inputs used by DOE in making its funding decisions for the upcoming fiscal year.

Cross flow filtration for radwaste applications reverse osmosis demonstration case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malkmus, D.

1995-01-01

Today's radwaste economic and regulatory scenarios signify the importance in the improvement of operational practices to reduce generator liabilities. This action is largely due to the rising cost dealing with burial sites and the imposed waste volume restriction. To control the economical burdens associated with waste burial and to comply with stricter environmental regulations, NPP's are attempting to modify their radwaste system(s) design and operating philosophy by placing a major emphasis on waste volume reduction and processing techniques. The utilization of reverse osmosis technology as a means for treatment of process and wastewater streams in the nuclear power industry has been investigated for many years. This paper will outline reverse osmosis theory and highlight performance data for process and waste stream purification applications. Case studies performed at 5 nuclear plants have been outlined. The demonstrations were performed on a widely variety of process stream for both a PWR and BWR application. The data provided by the pilot systems, the equipment design, and the economical impact a reverse osmosis unit will have on producing treated (high purity) are as follows

Quantifying "apparent" impact and distinguishing impact from invasiveness in multispecies plant invasions

Science.gov (United States)

Dean E. Pearson; Yvette K. Ortega; Ozkan Eren; Jose L. Hierro

2015-01-01

The quantification of invader impacts remains a major hurdle to understanding and managing invasions. Here, we demonstrate a method for quantifying the community-level impact of multiple plant invaders by applying Parker et al.'s (1999) equation (impact = range x local abundance x per capita effect or per unit effect) using data from 620 survey plots from 31...

A framework to prevent and control tobacco among adolescents and children: introducing the IMPACT model.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Monika; Mathur, Manu Raj; Singh, Neha

2013-03-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive evidence based model aimed at addressing multi-level risk factors influencing tobacco use among children and adolescents with multi-level policy and programmatic approaches in India. Evidences around effectiveness of policy and program interventions from developed and developing countries were reviewed using Pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Ovid databases. This evidence was then categorized under three broad approaches: Policy level approaches (increased taxation on tobacco products, smoke-free laws in public places and work places, effective health warnings, prohibiting tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorships, and restricting access to minors); Community level approaches (school health programs, mass media campaigns, community based interventions, promoting tobacco free norms) and Individual level approaches (promoting cessation in various settings). This review of literature around determinants and interventions was organized into developing the IMPACT framework. The paper further presents a comparative analysis of tobacco control interventions in India vis a vis the proposed approaches. Mixed results were found for prevention and control efforts targeting youth. However, this article suggests a number of intervention strategies that have shown to be effective. Implementing these interventions in a coordinated way will provide potential synergies across interventions. Pediatricians have prominent role in advocating and implementing the IMPACT framework in countries aiming to prevent and control tobacco use among adolescents and children.

Environmental Assessment for the Warren Station externally fired combined cycle demonstration project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-04-01

The proposed Penelec project is one of 5 projects for potential funding under the fifth solicitation under the Clean Coal Technology program. In Penelec, two existing boilers would be replaced at Warren Station, PA; the new unit would produce 73 MW(e) in a combined cycle mode (using both gas-fired and steam turbines). The project would fill the need for a full utility-size demonstration of externally fire combined cycle (EFCC) technology as the next step toward commercialization. This environmental assessment was prepared for compliance with NEPA; its purpose is to provide sufficient basis for determining whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or to issue a finding of no significant impact. It is divided into the sections: purpose and need for proposed action; alternatives; brief description of affected environment; environmental consequences, including discussion of commercial operation beyond the demonstration period.

Impact of pest control strategies on the arthropodofauna living in bird nests built in nestboxes in pear and apple orchards.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Lise; Bouvier, Jean-Charles; Lavigne, Claire; Galès, Mathieu; Buronfosse, Thierry

2013-08-01

Pesticide applications have a strong impact on biodiversity in agroecosystems. The present study aimed to assess the impact of pest control strategies on the arthropodofauna of Parus major nests built within nestboxes installed in orchards. Unlike many studied groups, these arthropod communities are not in direct contact with pesticide sprays (on account of their being sheltered by nestboxes) and are also unable to move away from the treated area. In this pilot study, we estimated the prevalence and the taxonomic and ecological diversities of arthropodofauna sampled in the nests and assessed the extent to which the whole and nest-specific arthropodofauna were affected by pest control strategies. Sixteen different insect and arachnid Primary Taxonomic Groups (PTGs, order level or below) were found in nests. The best represented PTGs (≥10% occurrence in years 2007 and 2008) were Psocoptera (Insecta, detritivorous/saprophagous), detritivorous/saprophagous Astigmata (Acari) and hematophagous Mesostigmata (Acari). Pest control strategies had a large impact on the prevalence of arthropods in nests, with higher proportions of nests hosting arthropods in organic orchards than in conventional orchards and with intermediate proportions in nests in Integrated Pest Management orchards. In contrast, pest control strategies had no significant effect on the composition of the arthropod communities when only nests hosting nidicolous arthropods were considered.

The economic impact of emission peaking control policies and China's sustainable development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Wang

2014-12-01

Full Text Available To achieve the goals of national sustainable development, the peaking control of CO2 emissions is pivotal, as well as other pollutants. In this paper, we build a Chinese inter-regional CGE model and simulate 13 policies and their combinations. By analyzing the energy consumptions, coal consumptions, relating emissions and their impacts on GDP, we found that with the structure adjustment policy, the proportion of coal in primary fossil fuels in 2030 will decrease from 53% to 48% and CO2 emissions will decrease by 11.3%–22.8% compared to the baseline scenario. With the energy intensity reduction policy, CO2 emissions will decrease by 33.3% in 2030 and 47.8% in 2050 than baseline scenario. Other pollutants will also be controlled as synergetic effects. In this study we also find that although the earlier the peaking time the better for emission amounts control, the economic costs can not be ignored. The GDP will decrease by 2.96%–8.23% under different scenarios. Therefore, integrated policy solutions are needed for realizing the peaks package and more targeted measures are required to achieve the peaks of other pollutants earlier.