Experimental and analytical study for demonstration program on shielding of casks for high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueki, K.; Nakazawa, M.; Hattorl, S.; Ozaki, S.; Tamaki, H.; Kadotani, H.; Ishizuka, T.; Ishikawa, S.

1993-01-01

The following remarks were obtained from the experiment and the DOT 3.5 and the MCNP analyses on the gamma ray and the neutron dose equivalent rates in the cask of interest. 1. The cask has thinner neutron shielding parts around the trunnions. Significant neutrons streaming around the trunnion parts was observed which was also cleared by the MCNP analysis for the 252 Cf source experiment. Accordingly, detailed neutron streaming calculations are required to evaluate the dose levels around the trunnions when loading the vitrified high-level wastes. 2. The room-scattered obstructive neutrons, mainly originating from the neutrons penetrating around the trunnions, at the top and the bottom of the cask are reduced significantly by preparing the water tank at the top and the water layer at the bottom. Therefore, a more accurate experiment is to be carried out in the future shielding experiment especially for neutrons. However, because the water tank and the layer do not exist in the actual high-level wastes transport cask, the experiment without the water tank and layer are not dispensable to demonstrate the transport conditions of the actual cask, too. 3. The gamma-ray and the neutron dose equivalent rate distributions obtained from the DOT 3.5 and the MCNP calculations, respectively, agreed closely with the measured values in the cask areas of interest. Accordingly, the DOT 3.5 code and the MCNP code with the NESX estimator can be employed not only for the shielding analysis of the future experiments, but also for making a safety analysis report of high-level wastes transport casks. (J.P.N.)

Initial demonstration of the NRC`s capability to conduct a performance assessment for a High-Level Waste Repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Codell, R.; Eisenberg, N.; Fehringer, D.; Ford, W.; Margulies, T.; McCartin, T.; Park, J.; Randall, J.

1992-05-01

In order to better review licensing submittals for a High-Level Waste Repository, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has expanded and improved its capability to conduct performance assessments. This report documents an initial demonstration of this capability. The demonstration made use of the limited data from Yucca Mountain, Nevada to investigate a small set of scenario classes. Models of release and transport of radionuclides from a repository via the groundwater and direct release pathways provided preliminary estimates of releases to the accessible environment for a 10,000 year simulation time. Latin hypercube sampling of input parameters was used to express results as distributions and to investigate model sensitivities. This methodology demonstration should not be interpreted as an estimate of performance of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. By expanding and developing the NRC staff capability to conduct such analyses, NRC would be better able to conduct an independent technical review of the US Department of Energy (DOE) licensing submittals for a high-level waste (HLW) repository. These activities were divided initially into Phase 1 and Phase 2 activities. Additional phases may follow as part of a program of iterative performance assessment at the NRC. The NRC staff conducted Phase 1 activities primarily in CY 1989 with minimal participation from NRC contractors. The Phase 2 activities were to involve NRC contractors actively and to provide for the transfer of technology. The Phase 2 activities are scheduled to start in CY 1990, to allow Sandia National Laboratories to complete development and transfer of computer codes and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) to be in a position to assist in the acquisition of the codes.

Sen2-Agri country level demonstration for Ukraine

Science.gov (United States)

Kussul, N.; Kolotii, A.; Shelestov, A.; Lavreniuk, M. S.

2016-12-01

Due to launch of Sentinel-2 mission European Space Agency (ESA) started Sentinel-2 for Agriculture (Sen2-Agri) project coordinated by Universite catholique de Louvain (UCL). Ukraine is selected as one of 3 country level demonstration sites for benchmarking Sentinel-2 data due to wide range of main crops (both winter and summer), big fields and high enough climate variability over the territory [1-2]. Within this county level demonstration main objectives are following: i) Sentinel's products quality assessment and their suitability estimation for the territory of Ukraine [2]; ii) demonstration in order to convince decision makers and state authorities; iii) assessment of the personnel and facilities required to run the Sen2-Agri system and creation of Sen-2 Agri products (crop type maps and such essential climatic variable as Leaf Area Index - LAI [3]). During this project ground data were collected for crop land mapping and crop type classification along the roads within main agro-climatic zones of Ukraine. For LAI estimation we used indirect non-destructive method which is based on DHP-images and VALERI protocol. Products created with use of Sen2-Agri system deployed during project execution and results of neural-network approach utilization will be compared. References Kussul, N., Lemoine, G., Gallego, F. J., Skakun, S. V., Lavreniuk, M., & Shelestov, A. Y. Parcel-Based Crop Classification in Ukraine Using Landsat-8 Data and Sentinel-1A Data. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing , 9 (6), 2500-2508. Kussul, N., Skakun, S., Shelestov, A., Lavreniuk, M., Yailymov, B., & Kussul, O. (2015). Regional scale crop mapping using multi-temporal satellite imagery. The International Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 40(7), 45-52. Shelestov, A., Kolotii, A., Camacho, F., Skakun, S., Kussul, O., Lavreniuk, M., & Kostetsky, O. (2015, July). Mapping of biophysical parameters based on high

A demonstration test of 4-group partitioning process with real high-level liquid waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morita, Y.; Yamaguchi, I.; Fujiwara, T.; Koizumi, H.; Tachimori, S. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai-Mura, Ibaraki-Ken (Japan)

2000-07-01

The demonstration test of 4-Group Partitioning Process with concentrated real high-level liquid waste (HLLW) was carried out in the Partitioning Test Facility installed in a hot cell. More than 99.998% of Am and Cm were extracted from the HLLW with the organic solvent containing 0.5 M DIDPA - 0.1 M TBP, and more than 99.98% of Am and Cm were back-extracted with 4 M nitric acid. Np and Pu were extracted simultaneously, and more than 99.93% of Np and more than 99.98% of Pu were back-extracted with oxalic acid. In the denitration step for the separation of Tc and platinum group metals, more than 90% of Rh and more than 97% of Pd were precipitated. About half of Ru were remained in the de-nitrated solution, but the remaining Ru were quantitatively precipitated by neutralization of the de-nitrated solution to pH 6.7. In the adsorption step, both Sr and Cs were separated effectively. Decontamination factors for Cs and Sr were more than 10{sup 6} and 10{sup 4} respectively in all effluent samples. (authors)

Demonstration of a performance assessment methodology for high-level radioactive waste disposal in basalt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonano, E.J.; Davis, P.A.; Shipers, L.R.; Brinster, K.F.; Beyler, W.E.; Updegraff, C.D.; Shepherd, E.R.; Tilton, L.M.; Wahi, K.K.

1989-06-01

This document describes a performance assessment methodology developed for a high-level radioactive waste repository mined in deep basalt formations. This methodology is an extension of an earlier one applicable to bedded salt. The differences between the two methodologies arise primarily in the modeling of round-water flow and radionuclide transport. Bedded salt was assumed to be a porous medium, whereas basalt formations contain fractured zones. Therefore, mathematical models and associated computer codes were developed to simulate the aforementioned phenomena in fractured media. The use of the methodology is demonstrated at a hypothetical basalt site by analyzing seven scenarios: (1) thermohydrological effects caused by heat released from the repository, (2) mechanohydrological effects caused by an advancing and receding glacier, (3) normal ground-water flow, (4) pumping of ground water from a confined aquifer, (5) rerouting of a river near the repository, (6) drilling of a borehole through the repository, and (7) formation of a new fault intersecting the repository. The normal ground-water flow was considered the base-case scenario. This scenario was used to perform uncertainty and sensitivity analyses and to demonstrate the existing capabilities for assessing compliance with the ground-water travel time criterion and the containment requirements. Most of the other scenarios were considered perturbations of the base case, and a few were studied in terms of changes with respect to initial conditions. The potential impact of these scenarios on the long-term performance of the disposal system was ascertained through comparison with the base-case scenario or the undisturbed initial conditions. 66 refs., 106 figs., 27 tabs

Main outcomes from in situ thermo-hydro-mechanical experiments programme to demonstrate feasibility of radioactive high-level waste disposal in the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Armand

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the context of radioactive waste disposal, an underground research laboratory (URL is a facility in which experiments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing and operating a radioactive waste disposal facility within a geological formation. The Meuse/Haute-Marne URL is a site-specific facility planned to study the feasibility of a radioactive waste disposal in the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx claystone. The thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM behaviour of the host rock is significant for the design of the underground nuclear waste disposal facility and for its long-term safety. The French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra has begun a research programme aiming to demonstrate the relevancy of the French high-level waste (HLW concept. This paper presents the programme implemented from small-scale (small diameter boreholes to full-scale demonstration experiments to study the THM effects of the thermal transient on the COx claystone and the strategy implemented in this new programme to demonstrate and optimise current disposal facility components for HLW. It shows that the French high-level waste concept is feasible and working in the COx claystone. It also exhibits that, as for other plastic clay or claystone, heating-induced pore pressure increases and that the THM behaviour is anisotropic.

Demonstration of deterministic and high fidelity squeezing of quantum information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yoshikawa, J-I.; Hayashi, T-; Akiyama, T.

2007-01-01

, and an ancillary squeezed vacuum state, thus direct interaction between a strong pump and the quantum state is circumvented. We demonstrate three different squeezing levels for a coherent state input. This scheme is highly suitable for the fault-tolerant squeezing transformation in a continuous variable quantum...... computer....

Digital Libraries that Demonstrate High Levels of Mutual Complementarity in Collection-level Metadata Give a Richer Representation of their Content and Improve Subject Access for Users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aoife Lawton

2014-12-01

-way complementarity in the metadata of all three digital libraries. This was mostly demonstrated by free-text data in the Description element complemented by data in the controlled vocabulary elements of Subject, Geographic Coverage, Temporal Coverage, and Object Type. Only one library demonstrated a significant proportion (19% of redundancy between free-text and controlled vocabulary metadata. An example of redundancy found included a repetition of geographic information in both a Description and Geographic Coverage metadata elements. Conclusion – The author reports high levels of mutual complementarity in the three cultural heritage digital libraries studied. The findings demonstrate that collection-level metadata which includes both free-text and controlled vocabulary is more representative of the intellectual content of the collections and improves subject access for users. The author maintains that there is no standard for collection-level metadata descriptions, and that this research may contribute to best practice guidelines in this area. It is unclear whether the digital libraries studied had written policies in place on how to describe collections and if those policies were adhered to in practice. The author expresses a need for further research to be conducted on collection-level metadata in other domains, such as science and interdisciplinary digital libraries, and on other scales (e.g., regional or state collections and geographic regions beyond Europe and the United States.

The management of high-level radioactive waste. A survey of demonstration activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-04-01

The following aspects can be only indirectly demonstrated since they involve long periods of time. They have reached the degree of demonstration described below. Prediction of the physical stability of mined cavities at ambient temperatures is well understood from mining experience in salt and hard rocks such as granite. For soft rocks, the stability will depend upon the characteristics of the backfill and structural materials which can be included in predictive models. Normal and abnormal mechanisms for migration of radionuclides from repositories have been generally identified. Which of these mechanisms are relevant for the future evolution of a repository system depends on the repository site. Techniques for closure and sealing of repositories have been demonstrated, but validation of their long-term performance is lacking. The ability to construct mathematical models that predict repository and environmental behaviour over long periods of the future is now conceptually demonstrated. Some of these models are very sophisticated, but confidence is growing in their predictions. The reliability of results has been demonstrated, in some cases, by intercomparison of different modelling techniques; however, in many instances the models need validation. Generic data in support of models may, in many respects, be adequate. More data, and therefore R and D efforts concentrating on specific sites, are required to assist in the validation of some aspects of model predictions against the real world. This is an aspect of demonstration that continues to be necessary and is being pursued

The demonstration of the auditory ossicles by high resolution CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, G.A.S.; Boulay, G.H. du; Phelps, P.D.; Pullicino, P.

1979-01-01

The high resolution CT scanning system introduced by EMI in 1978 has added a new dimension to computerised tomography in otology. The apparatus used for this study was an EMI CT 5005 body scanner adapted for head and neck scanning and incorporating a high resolution facility. The latter has proved most advantageous in areas of relatively high differential absorption, so that its application to the demonstration of abnormalities in the petrous temporal bone, and in particular middle ear disease, has been very rewarding. Traumatic ossicular disruptions may now be demonstrated and the high contrast of CT often shows them better than conventional hypocycloidal tomography. The stapes is also better visualised and congenital abnormalities of its superstructure have been recorded. These studies have been achieved with a very acceptable level of radiation to the eye, lens and cornea and the technique is clearly a rival to conventional pluridirectional tomography in the assessment of the petrous temporal bone. With further design improvements high resolution CT could completely replace existing techniques. (orig.) [de

Overview of high-level waste management accomplishments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawroski, H.; Berreth, J.R.; Freeby, W.A.

1980-01-01

Storage of power reactor spent fuel is necessary at present because of the lack of reprocessing operations particularly in the U.S. By considering the above solidification and storage scenario, there is more than reasonable assurance that acceptable, stable, low heat generation rate, solidified waste can be produced, and safely disposed. The public perception of no waste disposal solutions is being exploited by detractors of nuclear power application. The inability to even point to one overall system demonstration lends credibility to the negative assertions. By delaying the gathering of on-line information to qualify repository sites, and to implement a demonstration, the actions of the nuclear power detractors are self serving in that they can continue to point out there is no demonstration of satisfactory high-level waste disposal. By maintaining the liquid and solidified high-level waste in secure above ground storage until acceptable decay heat generation rates are achieved, by producing a compatible, high integrity, solid waste form, by providing a second or even third barrier as a compound container and by inserting the enclosed waste form in a qualified repository with spacing to assure moderately low temperature disposal conditions, there appears to be no technical reason for not progressing further with the disposal of high-level wastes and needed implementation of the complete nuclear power fuel cycle

Transmutation of high level nuclear waste in an accelerator driven system: towards a demonstration device of industrial interest (EUROTRANS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knebel, Joachim U.; Ait Abderrahim, Hamid; Caron-Carles, Marylise

2010-01-01

The Integrated Project EUROTRANS (EURopean Research Programme for the TRANSmutation of High Level Nuclear Waste in an Accelerator Driven System) within the ongoing EURATOM 6th Framework Programme (FP6) is devoted to the study of transmutation of high-level waste from nuclear power plants. The work is focused on transmutation in an Accelerator Driven System (ADS). The objective of EUROTRANS is the assessment of the design and the feasibility of an industrial ADS prototype dedicated to transmutation. The necessary R and D results in the areas of accelerator components, fuel development, structural materials, thermal-hydraulics, heavy liquid metal technology and nuclear data will be made available, together with the experimental demonstration of the ADS component coupling. The outcome of this work will allow to provide a reasonably reliable assessment of technological feasibility and a cost estimate for ADS based transmutation, and to possibly decide on the detailed design of an experimental ADS and its construction in the future. EUROTRANS is integrating activities of 51 participants from 16 countries, within the industry (10 participants), the national research centres (20) and 17 universities. 16 universities are collectively represented by ENEN (European Nuclear Education Network). EUROTRANS is the continuation of the three FP5 Clusters FUETRA, BASTRA and TESTRA together with the PDS-XADS Project. It is a five-year project which started in April 2005

Current high-level waste solidification technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonner, W.F.; Ross, W.A.

1976-01-01

Technology has been developed in the U.S. and abroad for solidification of high-level waste from nuclear power production. Several processes have been demonstrated with actual radioactive waste and are now being prepared for use in the commercial nuclear industry. Conversion of the waste to a glass form is favored because of its high degree of nondispersibility and safety

Technological demonstrators. Researches and studies on the storage and disposal of long living intermediate level and high level radioactive wastes; Les demonstrateurs technologiques. Recherches et etudes sur le stockage et l'entreposage des dechets de haute activite et de moyenne activite a vie longue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-01

This brochure presents the technological demonstrators made by the French national agency of radioactive wastes (ANDRA) and exhibited at Limay (Yvelines, France). These demonstrators, built at scale 1, have been an essential support to the establishment of the 'Dossier 2005' which demonstrates the feasibility of a reversible disposal of long living-intermediate level and high level radioactive wastes in the Callovo-Oxfordian argillite of Meuse-Haute Marne. Two type of demonstrators were built: demonstrators of storage containers for long living-intermediate level wastes and for spent fuels, and dynamic demonstrators for containers handling. This brochure presents these different demonstrators, their characteristics and the results of their tests. (J.S.)

High-level waste processing and disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crandall, J.L.; Krause, H.; Sombret, C.; Uematsu, K.

1984-01-01

The national high-level waste disposal plans for France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, and the United States are covered. Three conclusions are reached. The first conclusion is that an excellent technology already exists for high-level waste disposal. With appropriate packaging, spent fuel seems to be an acceptable waste form. Borosilicate glass reprocessing waste forms are well understood, in production in France, and scheduled for production in the next few years in a number of other countries. For final disposal, a number of candidate geological repository sites have been identified and several demonstration sites opened. The second conclusion is that adequate financing and a legal basis for waste disposal are in place in most countries. Costs of high-level waste disposal will probably add about 5 to 10% to the costs of nuclear electric power. The third conclusion is less optimistic. Political problems remain formidable in highly conservative regulations, in qualifying a final disposal site, and in securing acceptable transport routes

Demonstration test for transporting vitrified high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, C.; Kato, Y.; Kato, O.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the integrity of the cask against a 0.3-m free-drop test and to confirm the drop-test analytical method. 1. Test cask; The cask used in the drop test is characterized structurally as follows. (1) The Cask body is covered with a neutron absorber covered with a thin steel plate. Fins are attached between the cask body and thin steel plate. (2) The impact energy was absorbed mainly by the inelastic deformation of the neutron absorber and thin steel plate. 2. Test methods; Electric heaters were put into the package to reproduce the real cask conditions. Strains and accelerations due to the drop were measured at the drop by the strain gauges and accelerometers attached on the cask. 3. Analysis; We use the DYNA-3D and NIKE-2D codes to analyze the drop test. A half symmetrical model was applied to overall analysis to calculate the strains and accelerations at the cask body. The maximum acceleration value obtained by the overall analysis and basket model were used to statistically calculate the strains at the basket. 4. Results; The cask integrity was comfirmed through the strains and the results of He leak test. (author)

HAW project. Demonstrative disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in the Asse salt mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.; Duijves, K.; Stippler, R.

1988-01-01

Since 1968 the GSF has been carrying out research and development programs for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HAW) in salt formations. The heat producing waste has been simulated so far by means of electrical heaters and also cobalt-60-sources. In order to improve the final concept for HAW disposal in salt formations the complete technical system of an underground repository is to be tested in an one-to-one scale test facility. To satisfy the test objectives thirty high radioactive canisters containing the radionuclides Cs-137 and Sr-90 will be emplaced in six boreholes located in two test galleries at the 800 m-level in the Asse salt mine. The duration of testing will be approximately five years. For the handling of the radioactive canisters and their emplacement into the boreholes a system consisting of transportation casks, transportation vehicle, disposal machine, and borehole slider will be developed and tested. The actual scientific investigation program is based on the estimation and observation of the interaction between the radioactive canisters and the rock salt. This program includes measurement of thermally and radiolytically induced water and gas release from the rock salt and the radiolytical decomposition of salt minerals. Also the thermally induced stress and deformation fields in the surrounding rock mass will be investigated carefully. The project is funded by the BMFT and the CEC and carrier out in close co-operation with the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN)

Low-Level Legacy Waste Processing Experience at the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valenti, P.J.; Rowell, L.E.; Kurasch, D.H.; Moore, H.R.

2006-01-01

This paper presents detailed results and lessons learned from the very challenging and highly successful 2005 low level radioactive waste sorting, packaging, and shipping campaign that removed over 95% of the available inventory of 350,000 ft 3 of legacy low level waste at the West Valley Demonstration Project near West Valley, New York. First some programmatic perspective and site history is provided to provide pertinent context for DOE's waste disposal mandates at the site. This is followed by a detailed description of the waste types, the storage locations, the containers, and the varied sorting and packaging facilities used to accomplish the campaign. The overall sorting and packaging protocols for this inventory of wastes are defined. This is followed by detailed sorting data and results concluding with lessons learned. (authors)

PAIRWISE BLENDING OF HIGH LEVEL WASTE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CERTA, P.J.

2006-01-01

The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate a mission scenario that uses pairwise and incidental blending of high level waste (HLW) to reduce the total mass of HLW glass. Secondary objectives include understanding how recent refinements to the tank waste inventory and solubility assumptions affect the mass of HLW glass and how logistical constraints may affect the efficacy of HLW blending

Savannah River Plant low-level waste incinerator demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallman, J.A.

1984-01-01

A two-year demonstration facility was constructed at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) to incinerate suspect contaminated solid and low-level solvent wastes. Since startup in January 1984, 4460 kilograms and 5300 liters of simulated (uncontaminated) solid and solvent waste have been incinerated to establish the technical and operating data base for the facility. Combustion safeguards have been enhanced, process controls and interlocks refined, some materials handling problems identified and operating experience gained as a result of the 6 month cold run-in. Volume reductions of 20:1 for solid and 25:1 for solvent waste have been demonstrated. Stack emissions (NO 2 , SO 2 , CO, and particulates) were only 0.5% of the South Carolina ambient air quality standards. Radioactive waste processing is scheduled to begin in July 1984. 2 figures, 2 tables

DEMONSTRATION AND EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL HIGH LEVEL WASTE MELTER DECONTAMINATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR SAVANNAH RIVER SITE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weger, Hans; Kodanda, Raja Tilek Meruva; Mazumdar, Anindra; Srivastava, Rajiv Ph.D.; Ebadian, M.A. Ph.D.

2003-01-01

Four hand-held tools were tested for failed high-level waste melter decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). The forces felt by the tools during operation were measured using a tri-axial accelerometer since they will be operated by a remote manipulator. The efficiency of the tools was also recorded. Melter D and D consists of three parts: (1) glass fracturing: removing from the furnace the melted glass that can not be poured out through normal means, (2) glass cleaning: removing the thin layer of glass that has formed over the surface of the refractory material, and (3) K-3 refractory breakup: removing the K-3 refractory material. Surrogate glass, from a formula provided by the Savannah River Site, was melted in a furnace and poured into steel containers. K-3 refractory material, the same material used in the Defense Waste Processing Facility, was utilized for the demonstrations. Four K-3 blocks were heated at 1150 C for two weeks with a glass layer on top to simulate the hardened glass layer on the refractory surface in the melter. Tools chosen for the demonstrations were commonly used D and D tools, which have not been tested specifically for the different aspects of melter D and D. A jackhammer and a needle gun were tested for glass fracturing; a needle gun and a rotary grinder with a diamond face wheel (diamond grinder) were tested for glass cleaning; and a jackhammer, diamond grinder, and a circular saw with a diamond blade were tested for refractory breakup. The needle gun was not capable of removing or fracturing the surrogate glass. The diamond grinder only had a removal rate of 3.0 x 10-4 kg/s for K-3 refractory breakup and needed to be held firmly against the material. However, the diamond grinder was effective for glass cleaning, with a removal rate of 3.9 cm2/s. The jackhammer was successful in fracturing glass and breaking up the K-3 refractory block. The jackhammer had a glass-fracturing rate of 0.40 kg/s. The jackhammer split the K-3 refractory

Treatment technologies for non-high-level wastes (USA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooley, C.R.; Clark, D.E.

1976-06-01

Non-high-level waste arising from operations at nuclear reactors, fuel fabrication facilities, and reprocessing facilities can be treated using one of several technical alternatives prior to storage. Each alternative and the associated experience and status of development are summarized. The technology for treating non-high-level wastes is generally available for industrial use. Improved techniques applicable to the commercial nuclear fuel cycle are being developed and demonstrated to reduce the volume of waste and to immobilize it for storage. 36 figures, 59 references

Small-scale integrated demonstration of high-level radioactive waste processing and vitrification using actual SRP waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woolsey, G.B.; Baumgarten, P.K.; Eibling, R.E.; Ferguson, R.B.

1981-01-01

A small-scale pilot plant for chemical processing and vitrification of actual high-level waste has been constructed at the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL). This fully integrated facility has been constructed in six shielded cells and has eight major unit operations. Equipment performance and processing characteristics of the unit operations are reported

The HAW project. Demonstrative disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in the Asse salt mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.; Duijves, K.

1988-04-01

Since 1968 the GSF has been carrying out research and development programs for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HAW) in salt formations. The heat producing waste has been simulated so far by means of electrical heaters and also cobalt-60-sources. In order to improve the final concept for HAW disposal in salt formations the complete technical system of an underground repository is to be tested in a one-to-one scale test facility. To satisfy the test objectives thirty high radioactive canisters containing the radionuclides Cs-137 and Sr-90 will be emplaced in six boreholes located in two test galleries at the 800 m-level in the Asse salt mine. The duration of testing will be approximately five years. For the handling of the radioactive canisters and their emplacement into the boreholes a system consisting of transportation casks, transportation vehicle, disposal machine, and borehole slider will be developed and tested. The actual scientific investigation program is based on the estimation and observation of the interaction between the radioactive canisters and the rock salt. This program includes measurement of thermally and radiolytically induced water and gas release from the rock salt and the radiolytical decomposition of salt minerals. Also the thermally induced stress and deformation fields in the surrounding rock mass will be investigated carefully. (orig./HP)

Planning an Availability Demonstration Test with Consideration of Confidence Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Müller

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The full service life of a technical product or system is usually not completed after an initial failure. With appropriate measures, the system can be returned to a functional state. Availability is an important parameter for evaluating such repairable systems: Failure and repair behaviors are required to determine this availability. These data are usually given as mean value distributions with a certain confidence level. Consequently, the availability value also needs to be expressed with a confidence level. This paper first highlights the bootstrap Monte Carlo simulation (BMCS for availability demonstration and inference with confidence intervals based on limited failure and repair data. The BMCS enables point-, steady-state and average availability to be determined with a confidence level based on the pure samples or mean value distributions in combination with the corresponding sample size of failure and repair behavior. Furthermore, the method enables individual sample sizes to be used. A sample calculation of a system with Weibull-distributed failure behavior and a sample of repair times is presented. Based on the BMCS, an extended, new procedure is introduced: the “inverse bootstrap Monte Carlo simulation” (IBMCS to be used for availability demonstration tests with consideration of confidence levels. The IBMCS provides a test plan comprising the required number of failures and repair actions that must be observed to demonstrate a certain availability value. The concept can be applied to each type of availability and can also be applied to the pure samples or distribution functions of failure and repair behavior. It does not require special types of distribution. In other words, for example, a Weibull, a lognormal or an exponential distribution can all be considered as distribution functions of failure and repair behavior. After presenting the IBMCS, a sample calculation will be carried out and the potential of the BMCS and the IBMCS

Solidification of Savannah River Plant high level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maher, R.; Shafranek, L.F.; Kelley, J.A.; Zeyfang, R.W.

1981-11-01

Authorization for construction of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is expected in FY 83. The optimum time for stage 2 authorization is about three years later. Detailed design and construction will require approximately five years for stage 1, with stage 2 construction completed about two to three years later. Production of canisters of waste glass would begin in 1988, and the existing backlog of high level waste sludge stored at SRP would be worked off by about the year 2000. Stage 2 operation could begin in 1990. The technology and engineering are ready for construction and eventual operation of the DWPF for immobilizing high level radioactive waste at Savannah River Plant (SRP). Proceeding with this project will provide the public, and the leadership of this country, with a crucial demonstration that a major quantity of existing high level nuclear wastes can be safely and permanently immobilized. Early demonstration will both expedite and facilitate rational decision making on this aspect of the nuclear program. Delay in providing these facilities will result in significant DOE expenditures at SRP for new tanks just for continued temporary storage of wastes, and would probably result in dissipation of the intellectual and planning momentum that has built up in developing the project

Approximate Bisimulation for High-Level Datapaths in Intelligent Transportation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Deng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A relation called approximate bisimulation is proposed to achieve behavior and structure optimization for a type of high-level datapath whose data exchange processes are expressed by nonlinear polynomial systems. The high-level datapaths are divided into small blocks with a partitioning method and then represented by polynomial transition systems. A standardized form based on Ritt-Wu's method is developed to represent the equivalence relation for the high-level datapaths. Furthermore, we establish an approximate bisimulation relation within a controllable error range and express the approximation with an error control function, which is processed by Sostools. Meanwhile, the error is controlled through tuning the equivalence restrictions. An example of high-level datapaths demonstrates the efficiency of our method.

Design features of a full-scale high-level waste vitrification system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siemens, D.H.; Bonner, W.F.

1976-08-01

A system has been designed and is currently under construction for vitrification of commercial high-level waste. The process consists of a spray calciner coupled to an in-can melter. Due to the high radiation levels expected, this equipment is designed for totally remote operation and maintenance. The in-cell arrangement of this equipment has been developed cooperatively with a nuclear fuel reprocessor. The system will be demonstrated both full scale with nonradioactive simulated waste and pilot scale with actual high-level waste

Transmission Level High Temperature Superconducting Fault Current Limiter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stewart, Gary [SuperPower, Inc., Schenectady, NY (United States)

2016-10-05

The primary objective of this project was to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of utilizing high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials in a Transmission Level Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (SFCL) application. During the project, the type of high-temperature superconducting material used evolved from 1^st generation (1G) BSCCO-2212 melt cast bulk high-temperature superconductors to 2^nd generation (2G) YBCO-based high-temperature superconducting tape. The SFCL employed SuperPower's “Matrix” technology, that offers modular features to enable scale up to transmission voltage levels. The SFCL consists of individual modules that contain elements and parallel inductors that assist in carrying the current during the fault. A number of these modules are arranged in an m x n array to form the current-limiting matrix.

Design and operating features of the high-level waste vitrification system for the West Valley demonstration project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siemens, D.H.; Beary, M.M.; Barnes, S.M.; Berger, D.N.; Brouns, R.A.; Chapman, C.C.; Jones, R.M.; Peters, R.D.; Peterson, M.E.

1986-03-01

A liquid-fed joule-heated ceramic melter system is the reference process for immobilization of the high-level liquid waste in the US and several foreign countries. This system has been under development for over ten years at Pacific Northwest Laboratory and other national laboratories operated for the US Department of Energy. Pacific Northwest Laboratory contributed to this research through its Nuclear Waste Treatment Program and used applicable data to design and test melters and related systems using remote handling of simulated radioactive wastes. This report describes the equipment designed in support of the high-level waste vitrification program at West Valley, New York. Pacific Northwest Laboratory worked closely with West Valley Nuclear Services Company to design a liquid-fed ceramic melter, a liquid waste preparation and feed tank and pump, an off-gas treatment scrubber, and an enclosed turntable for positioning the waste canisters. Details of these designs are presented including the rationale for the design features and the alternatives considered

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

The HAW-project: Demonstration facility for the disposal of high-level waste in salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.; Duijves, K.A.; Mueller-Lyda, I.

1990-04-01

To satisfy the test objectives thirty highly radioactive canisters containing the radionuclides Cs-137 and Sr-90 will be emplaced in six boreholes located in two test galleries at the 800 m-level in the Asse salt mine. For handling of the radioactive canisters and their emplacement into the boreholes a system consisting of a transport cask, a transport vehicle, a disposal machine, and of a borehole slider has been developed. The actual scientific investigation programme is based on the estimation and observation of the interaction between the radioactive canisters and the rock salt. This programme includes measurement of thermally and radiolytically induced water and gas release from the rock salt and the radiolytical decomposition of salt minerals. Also the thermally induced stress and deformation fields in the surrounding rock mass will be investigated carefully. (orig./DG)

High-level verification

CERN Document Server

Lerner, Sorin; Kundu, Sudipta

2011-01-01

Given the growing size and heterogeneity of Systems on Chip (SOC), the design process from initial specification to chip fabrication has become increasingly complex. This growing complexity provides incentive for designers to use high-level languages such as C, SystemC, and SystemVerilog for system-level design. While a major goal of these high-level languages is to enable verification at a higher level of abstraction, allowing early exploration of system-level designs, the focus so far for validation purposes has been on traditional testing techniques such as random testing and scenario-based

Department of Energy pretreatment of high-level and low-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGinnis, C.P.; Hunt, R.D.

1995-01-01

The remediation of the 1 x 10 8 gal of highly radioactive waste in the underground storage tanks (USTs) at five US Department of Energy (DOE) sites is one of DOE's greatest challenges. Therefore, the DOE Office of Environmental Management has created the Tank Focus Area (TFA) to manage an integrated technology development program that results in the safe and efficient remediation of UST waste. The TFA has divided its efforts into five areas, which are safety, characterization, retrieval/closure, pretreatment, and immobilization. All DOE pretreatment activities are integrated by the Pretreatment Technical Integration Manager of the TFA. For FY 1996, the 14 pretreatment tasks are divided into 3 systems: supernate separations, sludge treatment, and solid/liquid separation. The plans and recent results of these TFA tasks, which include two 25,000-gal demonstrations and two former TFA tasks on Cs removal, are presented. The pretreatment goals are to minimize the volume of high-level waste and the radioactivity in low-level waste

First-time demonstration of measuring concrete prestress levels with metal packaged fibre optic sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Mckeeman, I.; Fusiek, G.; Perry, M.; Johnston, M.; Saafi, M.; Niewczas, P.; Walsh, M.; Khan, S.

2016-09-01

In this work we present the first large-scale demonstration of metal packaged fibre Bragg grating sensors developed to monitor prestress levels in prestressed concrete. To validate the technology, strain and temperature sensors were mounted on steel prestressing strands in concrete beams and stressed up to 60% of the ultimate tensile strength of the strand. We discuss the methods and calibration procedures used to fabricate and attach the temperature and strain sensors. The use of induction brazing for packaging the fibre Bragg gratings and welding the sensors to prestressing strands eliminates the use of epoxy, making the technique suitable for high-stress monitoring in an irradiated, harsh industrial environment. Initial results based on the first week of data after stressing the beams show the strain sensors are able to monitor prestress levels in ambient conditions.

Licensing information needs for a high-level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, R.J.; Greeves, J.T.; Logsdon, M.J.

1985-01-01

The information needs for licensing findings during the development of a repository for high-level waste (HLW) are described. In particular, attention is given to the information and needs to demonstrate, for construction authorization purposes: repository constructibility, waste retrievability, waste containment, and waste isolation

High level of CA 125 due to large endometrioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Phupong, Vorapong; Chen, Orawan; Ultchaswadi, Pornthip

2004-09-01

CA 125 is a tumor-associated antigen. Its high levels are usually associated with ovarian malignancies, whereas smaller increases in the levels were associated with benign gynecologic conditions. The authors report a high level of CA 125 in a case of large ovarian endometrioma. A 45-year-old nulliparous Thai woman, presented with an increase of her abdominal girth for 7 months. Transabdominal ultrasonogram demonstrated a large ovarian cyst and multiple small leiomyoma uteri, and serum CA 125 level was 1,006 U/ml. The preoperative diagnosis was ovarian cancer with leiomyoma uteri. Exploratory laparotomy was performed. There were a large right ovarian endometrioma, small left ovarian endometrioma and multiple small leiomyoma. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of endometrioma and leiomyoma. The serum CA 125 level declined to non-detectable at the 4th week. She was well at discharge and throughout her 4th week follow-up period Although a very high level of CA 125 is associated with a malignant process, it can also be found in benign conditions such as a large endometrioma. The case emphasizes the association of high levels of CA 125 with benign gynecologic conditions.

Demonstration tests for low level radioactive waste packaging safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagano, I.; Shimura, S.; Miki, T.; Tamamura, T.; Kunitomi, K.

1993-01-01

The transport packaging for low level radioactive waste (so-called the LLW packaging) has been developed to be utilized for transportation of LLW in 200 liter-drums from Japanese nuclear power stations to the LLW Disposal Center at Rokkashomura in Aomori Prefecture. Transportation is expected to start from December in 1992. We will explain the brief history of the development, technical features and specifications as well as two kinds of safety demonstration tests, namely one is '1.2 meter free drop test' and the other is 'ISO container standard test'. (J.P.N.)

Indium-111 labeled leukocyte images demonstrating a lung abscess with prominent fluid level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massie, J.D.; Winer-Muram, H.

1986-01-01

In-111 labeled leukocyte images show an abscess cavity with a fluid level on 24-hour upright images. Fluid levels, frequently seen on radiographs, are uncommon on nuclear images. This finding demonstrates rapid migration of labeled leukocytes into purulent abscess fluid

Multi-threaded algorithms for GPGPU in the ATLAS High Level Trigger

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00212700; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

General purpose Graphics Processor Units (GPGPU) are being evaluated for possible future inclusion in an upgraded ATLAS High Level Trigger farm. We have developed a demonstrator including GPGPU implementations of Inner Detector and Muon tracking and Calorimeter clustering within the ATLAS software framework. ATLAS is a general purpose particle physics experiment located on the LHC collider at CERN. The ATLAS Trigger system consists of two levels, with Level-1 implemented in hardware and the High Level Trigger implemented in software running on a farm of commodity CPU. The High Level Trigger reduces the trigger rate from the 100 kHz Level-1 acceptance rate to 1.5 kHz for recording, requiring an average per-event processing time of ∼ 250 ms for this task. The selection in the high level trigger is based on reconstructing tracks in the Inner Detector and Muon Spectrometer and clusters of energy deposited in the Calorimeter. Performing this reconstruction within the available farm resources presents a significa...

Demonstration of nuclide migration phenomena in rock on high level irradiation waste geological disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanazawa, Yasuo; Okuyama, Yasuko; Takahashi, Manabu

1997-01-01

We have studied on main three theme. From study of material movement in rock-groundwater system in the area of high concentration of irradiative elements, the results proved that minerals with Fe 3+ and clay mineral were very important as mineral held nuclide, the existence of pyrite suggested uranium nuclei enrichment and the latter reduced circumstances, and nuclei movement and accumulation could be estimated from oxidation-reduction potential, kinds of dissolved ions and activity ratio. By study of evaluation of permeability in deep rock fissure system, each measurement method of transmissivity in the Transient Pulse method, the Oscillation test and the Flow Pump method was established. The effect of principle stress, confining pressure, pore water pressure and axial pressure on transmissivity could be determined in the limited level of stress. By study of nuclide migration phenomena and change of rock depend on fissure system, the relation between the degree of change and fissure system was investigated and alternation mineral was identified and it's formation conditions estimated. (S.Y.)

Status of commercial nuclear high-level waste disposal. Special report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dau, G.J.; Williams, R.F.

1976-09-01

The results of this review, presented in the form of a functional description of high level waste management system, shows that technology is available to dispose of nuclear waste safely by several different processes. The most attractive alternative in terms of available technology and shortness of time to demonstrate it at commercial scale is a system that converts the waste to a solid by immobilizing the radioactive elements in a glass matrix. Brief comments are also given on international efforts in high level waste management and advanced disposal concepts

Test of a demonstrator of an MDT-based first-level muon Trigger for HL-LHC under realistic operating conditions

CERN Document Server

Kroha, Hubert; The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

Highly selective first level triggers are essential for the physics programme of the ATLAS Experiment at the HL-LHC where the instantaneous luminosity will exceed the LHC’s instantaneous luminosity by almost an order of magnitude. The ATLAS first level muon trigger rate is dominated by low momentum sub-trigger threshold muons due to the limited momentum resolution at trigger level caused by the moderate spatial resolution of the resistive plate and thin gap trigger chambers. This limitation can be overcome by including the data of the precision muon drift tube chambers in the first level Trigger decision. This requires the implementation of a fast MDT read-out chain and a fast MDT track reconstruction. A hardware demonstrator of the fast read-out chain was successfully tested under HL-LHC operating conditions at CERN’s Gamma Irradiation Facility. It could be shown that the data provided by the demonstrator can be processed with a fast track reconstruction algorithm on an ARM CPU within the 6 microseconds ...

Demonstrate use of capillary electrophoresis low level transient of anions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moum, Kari-Lye; Solheim, Torill; McElrath, Joel; Frattini, Paul

2012-09-01

Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) is a well-known analytical method capable of rapid detection of very low concentration of cations and anionic species such as chloride, sulfate and nitrate. These anions are of crucial importance in reducing the potential of stainless steel components to undergo stress corrosion cracking. Currently, Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) use Ion Chromatography (IC) as the analytical technique to achieve the required detection levels of ionic species. At the Halden Reactor Project (HRP) IC was replaced by CE in 1996, and since then HRP has gained nearly 20 years of operational experience. During the last 15 years, EPRI has done research on the CE technique and has achieved extensive experience in this area. EPRI has demonstrated detection levels at ppt and sub-ppb levels. This paper presents the ability of the CE technique to follow low level transients of anions in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) coolant. A transient caused by approx. 10 ppb chloride and sulfate was simulated in an experimental circuit simulating BWR conditions. A series of grab samples were taken and analysed using HRPs CE (Agilent G1600). (authors)

Good-to-Great Superintendents: An Examination of Jim Collins' Good-to-Great Level Five Leadership Attributes as Demonstrated by the Leadership Behaviors of Superintendents of High-Performing California Public Single-School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James D.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine Collins' good-to-great Level Five leadership attributes, as demonstrated by the leadership behaviors of superintendents of high-performing California public single-school districts. Methodology: The researcher used a case study design to conduct this study. Personal interviews were conducted in…

Engineering-scale vitrification of commercial high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonner, W.F.; Bjorklund, W.J.; Hanson, M.S.; Knowlton, D.E.

1980-04-01

To date, technology for immobilizing commercial high-level waste (HLW) has been extensively developed, and two major demonstration projects have been completed, the Waste Solidification Engineering Prototypes (WSEP) Program and the Nuclear Waste Vitrification Project (NWVP). The feasibility of radioactive waste solidification was demonstrated in the WSEP program between 1966 and 1970 (McElroy et al. 1972) using simulated power-reactor waste composed of nonradioactive chemicals and HLW from spent, Hanford reactor fuel. Thirty-three engineering-scale canisters of solidified HLW were produced during the operations. In early 79, the NWVP demonstrated the vitrification of HLW from the processing of actual commercial nuclear fuel. This program consisted of two parts, (1) waste preparation and (2) vitrification by spray calcination and in-can melting. This report presents results from the NWVP

Human induced pluripotent cells resemble embryonic stem cells demonstrating enhanced levels of DNA repair and efficacy of nonhomologous end-joining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan Jinshui; Robert, Carine [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, BRB 7-023A, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States); Jang, Yoon-Young; Liu Hua; Sharkis, Saul; Baylin, Stephen Bruce [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, MD 21231-1000 (United States); Rassool, Feyruz Virgilia, E-mail: frassool@som.umaryland.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, BRB 7-023A, Baltimore, MD 21201 (United States)

2011-08-01

Highlights: {yields} iPSC and hESC demonstrate a similar cell cycle profile, with increased S phase cells and decreased G0/G1. {yields} iPSC and hESC increased ROS and decreased DSBs, compared with differentiated parental cells. {yields} iPSC and hESC demonstrate elevated DSB repair activity, including nonhomologous end-joining, compared with differentiated parental cells. {yields} iPSC however show a partial apoptotic response to DNA damage, compared to hESC. {yields} DNA damage responses may constitute important markers for the efficacy of iPSC reprogramming. - Abstract: To maintain the integrity of the organism, embryonic stem cells (ESC) need to maintain their genomic integrity in response to DNA damage. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most lethal forms of DNA damage and can have disastrous consequences if not repaired correctly, leading to cell death, genomic instability and cancer. How human ESC (hESC) maintain genomic integrity in response to agents that cause DSBs is relatively unclear. Adult somatic cells can be induced to 'dedifferentiate' into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and reprogram into cells of all three germ layers. Whether iPSC have reprogrammed the DNA damage response is a critical question in regenerative medicine. Here, we show that hESC demonstrate high levels of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can contribute to DNA damage and may arise from high levels of metabolic activity. To potentially counter genomic instability caused by DNA damage, we find that hESC employ two strategies: First, these cells have enhanced levels of DNA repair proteins, including those involved in repair of DSBs, and they demonstrate elevated nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) activity and repair efficacy, one of the main pathways for repairing DSBs. Second, they are hypersensitive to DNA damaging agents, as evidenced by a high level of apoptosis upon irradiation. Importantly, iPSC, unlike the parent cells they are derived

Human induced pluripotent cells resemble embryonic stem cells demonstrating enhanced levels of DNA repair and efficacy of nonhomologous end-joining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Jinshui; Robert, Carine; Jang, Yoon-Young; Liu Hua; Sharkis, Saul; Baylin, Stephen Bruce; Rassool, Feyruz Virgilia

2011-01-01

Highlights: → iPSC and hESC demonstrate a similar cell cycle profile, with increased S phase cells and decreased G0/G1. → iPSC and hESC increased ROS and decreased DSBs, compared with differentiated parental cells. → iPSC and hESC demonstrate elevated DSB repair activity, including nonhomologous end-joining, compared with differentiated parental cells. → iPSC however show a partial apoptotic response to DNA damage, compared to hESC. → DNA damage responses may constitute important markers for the efficacy of iPSC reprogramming. - Abstract: To maintain the integrity of the organism, embryonic stem cells (ESC) need to maintain their genomic integrity in response to DNA damage. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most lethal forms of DNA damage and can have disastrous consequences if not repaired correctly, leading to cell death, genomic instability and cancer. How human ESC (hESC) maintain genomic integrity in response to agents that cause DSBs is relatively unclear. Adult somatic cells can be induced to 'dedifferentiate' into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and reprogram into cells of all three germ layers. Whether iPSC have reprogrammed the DNA damage response is a critical question in regenerative medicine. Here, we show that hESC demonstrate high levels of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can contribute to DNA damage and may arise from high levels of metabolic activity. To potentially counter genomic instability caused by DNA damage, we find that hESC employ two strategies: First, these cells have enhanced levels of DNA repair proteins, including those involved in repair of DSBs, and they demonstrate elevated nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) activity and repair efficacy, one of the main pathways for repairing DSBs. Second, they are hypersensitive to DNA damaging agents, as evidenced by a high level of apoptosis upon irradiation. Importantly, iPSC, unlike the parent cells they are derived from, mimic hESC in their ROS levels

The Belgian demonstration programme for the disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernier, F.; Demarche, M.

2006-01-01

The EIG EURIDICE is responsible for performing large-scale tests, technical demonstrations and experiments so as to assess the feasibility of a final disposal of vitrified radioactive waste in deep clay layers. This programme is part of the Belgian Research and Development programme managed by ONDRAF/NIRAS. The research infrastructure includes the Underground Research Facilities HADES (URF HADES) in the Boom Clay geological formation and surface facilities. The achievements of the demonstration programme are the demonstration of the construction of shafts and galleries at industrial scale, the characterisation of the hydro-mechanical response of the host rock, and the 'OPHELIE mock-up' a large scale hydration test under thermal load of pre-fabricated bentonite blocks. The future works will consist mainly in the realisation of the 'PRACLAY experiments' including a large scale heater test. The results of this test will constitute an important input for the Safety and Feasibility Cases 1 (SFC-1, 2013) and 2 (SFC-2, 2020). (author)

Radioactive Demonstration of Caustic Recovery from Low-Level Alkaline Nuclear Waste by an Electrochemical Separation Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hobbs, D.T.

1998-04-01

Bench-scale radioactive tests successfully demonstrated an electrochemical process for the recovery of sodium hydroxide (caustic) from Decontaminated Salt Solution produced from the In-Tank Precipitation and Effluent Treatment Processes at the Savannah River Site (SRS). This testing evaluated two membranes: an organic-based membrane, Nafion Type 350, manufactured by E. I. duPont de Nemours ampersand Company, Inc. (DuPont) and an inorganic-based membrane, NAS D, being developed by Ceramatec. Both membranes successfully separated caustic from radioactive SRS waste.Key findings of the testing indicate the following attributes and disadvantages of each membrane. The commercially-available Nafion membrane proved highly conductive. Thus, the electrochemical cell can operate at high current density minimizing the number of cells at the desired volumetric processing rate. Testing indicated cesium transported across the Nafion membrane into the caustic product. Therefore, the caustic product will contain low-levels of radioactive cesium due to the presence of 134,137 Cs in the waste feed. To meet customer requirements, a post treatment stage may prove necessary to remove radioactive cesium resulting in increased overall process costs and decreased cost savings. In contrast to the Nafion membrane, the NAS D membrane demonstrated the production of caustic with much lower levels of gamma radioactivity ( 137 Cs activity was < 51 dpm/g). Therefore, the caustic product could possibly release for onsite/offsite use without further treatment. The NAS D membrane remains in the development stage and does not exist as a commercial product. Operating costs and long-term membrane durability remain unknown.Caustic recovery has been successfully demonstrated in a bench-scale, 2-compartment electrochemical reactor operated for brief periods of time with simulated and radioactive waste solutions and two different types of membranes. The next phase of testing should be directed at (1

The high level vibration test program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmayer, C.H.; Curreri, J.R.; Park, Y.J.; Kato, W.Y.; Kawakami, S.

1989-01-01

As part of cooperative agreements between the US and Japan, tests have been performed on the seismic vibration table at the Tadotsu Engineering Laboratory of Nuclear Power Engineering Test Center (NUPEC) in Japan. The objective of the test program was to use the NUPEC vibration table to drive large diameter nuclear power piping to substantial plastic strain with an earthquake excitation and to compare the results with state-of-the-art analysis of the problem. The test model was subjected to a maximum acceleration well beyond what nuclear power plants are designed to withstand. A modified earthquake excitation was applied and the excitation level was increased carefully to minimize the cumulative fatigue damage due to the intermediate level excitations. Since the piping was pressurized, and the high level earthquake excitation was repeated several times, it was possible to investigate the effects of ratchetting and fatigue as well. Elastic and inelastic seismic response behavior of the test model was measured in a number of test runs with an increasing excitation input level up to the limit of the vibration table. In the maximum input condition, large dynamic plastic strains were obtained in the piping. Crack initiation was detected following the second maximum excitation run. Crack growth was carefully monitored during the next two additional maximum excitation runs. The final test resulted in a maximum crack depth of approximately 94% of the wall thickness. The HLVT (high level vibration test) program has enhanced understanding of the behavior of piping systems under severe earthquake loading. As in other tests to failure of piping components, it has demonstrated significant seismic margin in nuclear power plant piping

Remediation and production of low-sludge high-level waste glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsey, W.G.; Brown, K.G.; Beam, D.C.

1994-01-01

High-level radioactive sludge will constitute 24-28 oxide weight percent of the high-level waste glass produced at the Savannah River Site. A recent melter campaign using non-radioactive, simulated feed was performed with a sludge content considerably lower than 24 percent. The resulting glass was processed and shown to have acceptable durability. However, the durability was lower than predicted by the durability algorithm. Additional melter runs were performed to demonstrate that low sludge feed could be remediated by simply adding sludge oxides. The Product Composition Control System, a computer code developed to predict the proper feed composition for production of high-level waste glass, was utilized to determine the necessary chemical additions. The methodology used to calculate the needed feed additives, the effects of sludge oxides on glass production, and the resulting glass durability are discussed

Development of a test system for high level liquid waste partitioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duan Wu H.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The partitioning and transmutation strategy has increasingly attracted interest for the safe treatment and disposal of high level liquid waste, in which the partitioning of high level liquid waste is one of the critical technical issues. An improved total partitioning process, including a tri-alkylphosphine oxide process for the removal of actinides, a crown ether strontium extraction process for the removal of strontium, and a calixcrown ether cesium extraction process for the removal of cesium, has been developed to treat Chinese high level liquid waste. A test system containing 72-stage 10-mm-diam annular centrifugal contactors, a remote sampling system, a rotor speed acquisition-monitoring system, a feeding system, and a video camera-surveillance system was successfully developed to carry out the hot test for verifying the improved total partitioning process. The test system has been successfully used in a 160 hour hot test using genuine high level liquid waste. During the hot test, the test system was stable, which demonstrated it was reliable for the hot test of the high level liquid waste partitioning.

Research on high level radioactive waste repository seismic design criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Xu

2012-01-01

Review seismic hazard analysis principle and method in site suitable assessment process of Yucca Mountain Project, and seismic design criteria and seismic design basis in primary design process. Demonstrated spatial character of seismic hazard by calculated regional seismic hazard map. Contrasted different level seismic design basis to show their differences and relation. Discussed seismic design criteria for preclosure phrase of high level waste repository and preference goal under beyond design basis ground motion. (author)

Relationship of Cognitive Style and Job Level: First Demonstration of Cultural Differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Kageyama, Tetsuya; Sugiura, Motoaki

2017-01-01

Higher-level managers are said to have a more intuitive cognitive style. To verify this hypothesis, we must consider three factors that have often been left out of account. Previous studies, related to managerial cognitive style and job level, used a unidimensional model of cognitive style, did not consider age, and have mainly been conducted in the UK. Our study replicated previous studies on a population of 1,533 Japanese fulltime workers, using a questionnaire based on a two-dimensional model of cognitive style and setting a frame by age for each job level. Our results showed that higher job levels are associated with more rational cognitive styles. There were significant main effects of the interaction of job level and job level by age in rational thinking style. There was no correlation between intuition and job level. Our findings are the first demonstration that the relationship between job level and cognitive style likely depends on culture.

Relationship of Cognitive Style and Job Level: First Demonstration of Cultural Differences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tetsuya Kageyama

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Higher-level managers are said to have a more intuitive cognitive style. To verify this hypothesis, we must consider three factors that have often been left out of account. Previous studies, related to managerial cognitive style and job level, used a unidimensional model of cognitive style, did not consider age, and have mainly been conducted in the UK. Our study replicated previous studies on a population of 1,533 Japanese fulltime workers, using a questionnaire based on a two-dimensional model of cognitive style and setting a frame by age for each job level. Our results showed that higher job levels are associated with more rational cognitive styles. There were significant main effects of the interaction of job level and job level by age in rational thinking style. There was no correlation between intuition and job level. Our findings are the first demonstration that the relationship between job level and cognitive style likely depends on culture.

Safe disposal of high-level radioactive wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ringwood, A E [Australian National Univ., Canberra. Research School of Earth Sciences

1980-10-01

Current strategies in most countries favour the immobilisation of high-level radioactive wastes in borosilicate glasses, and their burial in large, centralised, mined repositories. Strong public opposition has been encountered because of concerns over safety and socio-political issues. The author develops a new disposal strategy, based on immobilisation of wastes in an extremely resistant ceramic, SYNROC, combined with burial in an array of widely dispersed, very deep drill holes. It is demonstrated that the difficulties encountered by conventional disposal strategies can be overcome by this new approach.

Fasciola hepatica demonstrates high levels of genetic diversity, a lack of population structure and high gene flow: possible implications for drug resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Beesley, Nicola J; Williams, Diana J L; Paterson, Steve; Hodgkinson, Jane

2017-01-01

Fasciola hepatica, the liver fluke, is a trematode parasite of considerable economic importance to the livestock industry and is a re-emerging zoonosis that poses a risk to human health in F. hepatica-endemic areas worldwide. Drug resistance is a substantial threat to the current and future control of F. hepatica, yet little is known about how the biology of the parasite influences the development and spread of resistance. Given that F. hepatica can self-fertilise and therefore inbreed, there is the potential for greater population differentiation and an increased likelihood of recessive alleles, such as drug resistance genes, coming together. This could be compounded by clonal expansion within the snail intermediate host and aggregation of parasites of the same genotype on pasture. Alternatively, widespread movement of animals that typically occurs in the UK could promote high levels of gene flow and prevent population differentiation. We identified clonal parasites with identical multilocus genotypes in 61% of hosts. Despite this, 84% of 1579 adult parasites had unique multilocus genotypes, which supports high levels of genotypic diversity within F. hepatica populations. Our analyses indicate a selfing rate no greater than 2%, suggesting that this diversity is in part due to the propensity for F. hepatica to cross-fertilise. Finally, although we identified high genetic diversity within a given host, there was little evidence for differentiation between populations from different hosts, indicating a single panmictic population. This implies that, once those emerge, anthelmintic resistance genes have the potential to spread rapidly through liver fluke populations. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Development of technical information database for high level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudo, Koji; Takada, Susumu; Kawanishi, Motoi

2005-01-01

A concept design of the high level waste disposal information database and the disposal technologies information database are explained. The high level waste disposal information database contains information on technologies, waste, management and rules, R and D, each step of disposal site selection, characteristics of sites, demonstration of disposal technology, design of disposal site, application for disposal permit, construction of disposal site, operation and closing. Construction of the disposal technologies information system and the geological disposal technologies information system is described. The screen image of the geological disposal technologies information system is shown. User is able to search the full text retrieval and attribute retrieval in the image. (S.Y. )

High-level language computer architecture

CERN Document Server

Chu, Yaohan

1975-01-01

High-Level Language Computer Architecture offers a tutorial on high-level language computer architecture, including von Neumann architecture and syntax-oriented architecture as well as direct and indirect execution architecture. Design concepts of Japanese-language data processing systems are discussed, along with the architecture of stack machines and the SYMBOL computer system. The conceptual design of a direct high-level language processor is also described.Comprised of seven chapters, this book first presents a classification of high-level language computer architecture according to the pr

Other-than-high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bray, G.R.

1976-01-01

The main emphasis of the work in the area of partitioning transuranic elements from waste has been in the area of high-level liquid waste. But there are ''other-than-high-level wastes'' generated by the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle that are both large in volume and contaminated with significant quantities of transuranic elements. The combined volume of these other wastes is approximately 50 times that of the solidified high-level waste. These other wastes also contain up to 75% of the transuranic elements associated with waste generated by the back end of the fuel cycle. Therefore, any detailed evaluation of partitioning as a viable waste management option must address both high-level wastes and ''other-than-high-level wastes.''

Development of Concentration and Calcination Technology For High Level Liquid Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pande, D.P.

2006-01-01

The concentrated medium and high-level liquid radio chemicals effluents contain nitric acid, water along with the dissolved chemicals including the nitrates of the radio nuclides. High level liquid waste contain mainly nitrates of cesium, strontium, cerium, zirconium, chromium, barium, calcium, cobalt, copper, pickle, iron etc. and other fission products. This concentrated solution requires further evaporation, dehydration, drying and decomposition in temperature range of 150 to 700 deg. C. The addition of the calcined solids in vitrification pot, instead of liquid feed, helps to avoid low temperature zone because the vaporization of the liquid and decomposition of nitrates do not take place inside the melter. In our work Differential and thermo gravimetric studies has been carried out in the various stages of thermal treatment including drying, dehydration and conversion to oxide forms. Experimental studies were done to characterize the chemicals present in high-level radioactive waste. A Rotary Ball Kiln Calciner was used for development of the process because this is amenable for continuous operation and moderately good heat transfer can be achieved inside the kiln. This also has minimum secondary waste and off gases generation. The Rotary Ball Kiln Calciner Demonstration facility system was designed and installed for the demonstration of calcination process. The Rotary Ball Kiln Calciner is a slowly rotating slightly inclined horizontal tube that is externally heated by means of electric resistance heating. The liquid feed is sprayed onto the moving bed of metal balls in a slowly rotating calciner by a peristaltic type-metering pump. The vaporization of the liquid occurs in the pre-calcination zone due to counter current flow of hot gases. The dehydration and denitration of the solids occurs in the calcination zone, which is externally heated by electrical furnace. The calcined powder is cooled in the post calcination portion. It has been demonstrated that the

Experiences in messaging middle-ware for high-level control applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wanga, N.; Shasharina, S.; Matykiewicz, J.; Rooparani Pundaleeka

2012-01-01

Existing high-level applications in accelerator control and modeling systems leverage many different languages, tools and frameworks that do not inter-operate with one another. As a result, the accelerator control community is moving toward the proven Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach to address the inter-operability challenges among heterogeneous high-level application modules. Such SOA approach enables developers to package various control subsystems and activities into 'services' with well-defined 'interfaces' and make leveraging heterogeneous high-level applications via flexible composition possible. Examples of such applications include presentation panel clients based on Control System Studio (CSS) and middle-layer applications such as model/data servers. This paper presents our experiences in developing a demonstrative high-level application environment using emerging messaging middle-ware standards. In particular, we utilize new features in EPICS v4 and other emerging standards such as Data Distribution Service (DDS) and Extensible Type Interface by the Object Management Group. We first briefly review examples we developed previously. We then present our current effort in integrating DDS into such a SOA environment for control systems. Specifically, we illustrate how we are integrating DDS into CSS and develop a Python DDS mapping. (authors)

Processing and solidification of Savannah River Plant high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelley, J.A.

1981-01-01

The entire flowsheet for processing and solidification of Savannah River Plant (SRP) high-level wastes has been demonstrated. A new small-scale integrated pilot plant is operating with actual radioactive wastes, and large-scale equipment is being demonstrated with nonradioactive simulated wastes. Design of a full-scale waste solidification plant is in progress. Plant construction is expected to begin in 1983, and startup is anticipated in 1988. The plant will poduce about 500 cans of glass per year with each can containing about 1.5 tons of glass

Chemotoxic materials in a final repository for high-level radioactive wastes. CHEMOTOX concept for defence in depth concerning ground water protection from chemotoxic materials in a final high-level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alt, Stefan; Sailer, Michael; Schmidt, Gerhard; Herbert, Horst-Juergen; Krone, Juergen; Tholen, Marion

2009-01-01

The disposal of high-level radioactive wastes in a final repository includes chemotoxic materials. The chemotoxic materials are either part of the radioactive material or part of the packaging material, or the structures within the repository. In the frame of the licensing procedure it has to be demonstrated that no hazardous pollution of the ground water or other disadvantageous changes can occur. The report describes the common project of the Oeko-Institut e.V., the DBE Technology GmbH and the GRS mbH concerning the possible demonstration of a systematic protection of the groundwater against chemotoxic materials in case of a final high-level-radioactive waste repository in the host materials salt and clay stone.

Hardware demonstration of high-speed networks for satellite applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donaldson, Jonathon W.; Lee, David S.

2008-09-01

This report documents the implementation results of a hardware demonstration utilizing the Serial RapidIO{trademark} and SpaceWire protocols that was funded by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL's) Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) office. This demonstration was one of the activities in the Modeling and Design of High-Speed Networks for Satellite Applications LDRD. This effort has demonstrated the transport of application layer packets across both RapidIO and SpaceWire networks to a common downlink destination using small topologies comprised of commercial-off-the-shelf and custom devices. The RapidFET and NEX-SRIO debug and verification tools were instrumental in the successful implementation of the RapidIO hardware demonstration. The SpaceWire hardware demonstration successfully demonstrated the transfer and routing of application data packets between multiple nodes and also was able reprogram remote nodes using configuration bitfiles transmitted over the network, a key feature proposed in node-based architectures (NBAs). Although a much larger network (at least 18 to 27 nodes) would be required to fully verify the design for use in a real-world application, this demonstration has shown that both RapidIO and SpaceWire are capable of routing application packets across a network to a common downlink node, illustrating their potential use in real-world NBAs.

Execution techniques and approach for high level radioactive waste disposal in Japan: Demonstration of geological disposal techniques and implementation approach of HLW project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawanishi, M.; Komada, H.; Kitayama, K.; Akasaka, H.; Tsuchi, H.

2001-01-01

In Japan, the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal project is expected to start fully after establishment of the implementing organization, which is planned around the year 2000 and to dispose the wastes in the 2030s to at latest in the middle of 2040s. Considering each step in the implementation of the HLW disposal project in Japan, this paper discusses the execution procedure for HLW disposal project, such as the selection of candidate/planned disposal sites, the construction and operation of the disposal facility, the closure and decommissioning of facilities, and the institutional control and monitoring after the closure of disposal facility, from a technical viewpoint for the rational execution of the project. Furthermore, we investigate and propose some ideas for the concept of the design of geological disposal facility, the validation and demonstration of the reliability on the disposal techniques and performance assessment methods at a candidate/planned site. Based on these investigation results, we made clear a milestone for the execution of the HLW disposal project in Japan. (author)

Japanese HTTR program for demonstration of high temperature applications of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihara, T.; Hada, K.; Shiozawa, S.

1997-01-01

Construction works of the HTTR started in March 1991 in order to establish and upgrade the HTGR technology basis, to carry out innovative basic researches on high temperature engineering and to demonstrate high temperature heat utilization and application of nuclear heat. This report describes the demonstration program of high temperature heat utilization and application. (author). 2 refs, 4 figs, 3 tabs

The management of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lennemann, Wm.L.

1979-01-01

The definition of high-level radioactive wastes is given. The following aspects of high-level radioactive wastes' management are discussed: fuel reprocessing and high-level waste; storage of high-level liquid waste; solidification of high-level waste; interim storage of solidified high-level waste; disposal of high-level waste; disposal of irradiated fuel elements as a waste

Ceramic process and plant design for high-level nuclear waste immobilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grantham, L.F.; McKisson, R.L.; De Wames, R.E.; Guon, J.; Flintoff, J.F.; McKenzie, D.E.

1983-01-01

In the last 3 years, significant advances in ceramic technology for high-level nuclear waste solidification have been made. Product quality in terms of leach-resistance, compositional uniformity, structural integrity, and thermal stability promises to be superior to borosilicate glass. This paper addresses the process effectiveness and preliminary designs for glass and ceramic immobilization plants. The reference two-step ceramic process utilizes fluid-bed calcination (FBC) and hot isostatic press (HIP) consolidation. Full-scale demonstration of these well-developed processing steps has been established at DOE and/or commercial facilities for processing radioactive materials. Based on Savannah River-type waste, our model predicts that the capital and operating cost for the solidification of high-level nuclear waste is about the same for the ceramic and glass options. However, when repository costs are included, the ceramic option potentially offers significantly better economics due to its high waste loading and volume reduction. Volume reduction impacts several figures of merit in addition to cost such as system logistics, storage, transportation, and risk. The study concludes that the ceramic product/process has many potential advantages, and rapid deployment of the technology could be realized due to full-scale demonstrations of FBC and HIP technology in radioactive environments. Based on our finding and those of others, the ceramic innovation not only offers a viable backup to the glass reference process but promises to be a viable future option for new high-level nuclear waste management opportunities

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

Disposal of high level nuclear wastes: Thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

RANA Mukhtar Ahmed

2009-01-01

Contamination of soil, water or air, due to a failure of containment or disposal of high level nuclear wastes, can potentially cause serious hazards to the environment or human health. Essential elements of the environment and radioactivity dangers to it are illustrated. Issues of high level nuclear waste disposal are discussed with a focus on thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics. Major aspects of the issues are analyzed and described briefly to build a perception of risks involved and ethical implications. Nuclear waste containment repository should be as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium. A clear demonstration about safety aspects of nuclear waste management is required in gaining public and political confidence in any possible scheme of permanent disposal. Disposal of high level nuclear waste offers a spectrum of environment connected challenges and a long term future of nuclear power depends on the environment friendly solution of the problem of nuclear wastes.

RPython high-level synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Cieszewski, Radoslaw; Linczuk, Maciej

2016-09-01

The development of FPGA technology and the increasing complexity of applications in recent decades have forced compilers to move to higher abstraction levels. Compilers interprets an algorithmic description of a desired behavior written in High-Level Languages (HLLs) and translate it to Hardware Description Languages (HDLs). This paper presents a RPython based High-Level synthesis (HLS) compiler. The compiler get the configuration parameters and map RPython program to VHDL. Then, VHDL code can be used to program FPGA chips. In comparison of other technologies usage, FPGAs have the potential to achieve far greater performance than software as a result of omitting the fetch-decode-execute operations of General Purpose Processors (GPUs), and introduce more parallel computation. This can be exploited by utilizing many resources at the same time. Creating parallel algorithms computed with FPGAs in pure HDL is difficult and time consuming. Implementation time can be greatly reduced with High-Level Synthesis compiler. This article describes design methodologies and tools, implementation and first results of created VHDL backend for RPython compiler.

ATM Technology Demonstration 1 (ATD-1): EcoDemonstrator ASTAR Guided Arrival Research (EAGAR)

Science.gov (United States)

Roper, Roy

2015-01-01

In Spring 2013, high level NASA and Boeing management were seeking opportunities to collaborate on a flight test activity involving the ecoDemonstrator. The Airspace Systems Program Office identified FIM as a viable candidate. ATD-1 accepted the challenge. Work began in July for a December 2013 flight test.

Optical interconnects for in-plane high-speed signal distribution at 10 Gb/s: Analysis and demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yin-Jung

With decreasing transistor size, increasing chip speed, and larger numbers of processors in a system, the performance of a module/system is being limited by the off-chip and off-module bandwidth-distance products. Optical links have moved from fiber-based long distance communications to the cabinet level of 1m--100m, and recently to the backplane-level (10cm--1m). Board-level inter-chip parallel optical interconnects have been demonstrated recently by researchers from Intel, IBM, Fujitsu, NTT and a few research groups in universities. However, the board-level signal/clock distribution function using optical interconnects, the lightwave circuits, the system design, a practically convenient integration scheme committed to the implementation of a system prototype have not been explored or carefully investigated. In this dissertation, the development of a board-level 1 x 4 optical-to-electrical signal distribution at 10Gb/s is presented. In contrast to other prototypes demonstrating board-level parallel optical interconnects that have been drawing much attention for the past decade, the optical link design for the high-speed signal broadcasting is even more complicated and the pitch between receivers could be varying as opposed to fixed-pitch design that has been widely-used in the parallel optical interconnects. New challenges for the board-level high-speed signal broadcasting include, but are not limited to, a new optical link design, a lightwave circuit as a distribution network, and a novel integration scheme that can be a complete radical departure from the traditional assembly method. One of the key building blocks in the lightwave circuit is the distribution network in which a 1 x 4 multimode interference (MMI) splitter is employed. MMI devices operating at high data rates are important in board-level optical interconnects and need to be characterized in the application of board-level signal broadcasting. To determine the speed limitations of MMI devices, the

Argentine project for the final disposal of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacios, E.; Ciallella, N.R.; Petraitis, E.J.

1989-01-01

From 1980 Argentina is carrying out a research program on the final disposal of high level radioactive wastes. The quantity of wastes produced will be significant in next century. However, it was decided to start with the studies well in advance in order to demonstrate that the high level wastes could be disposed in a safety way. The option of the direct disposal of irradiated fuel elements was discarded, not only by the energetic value of the plutonium, but also for ecological reasons. In fact, the presence of a total inventory of actinides in the non-processed fuel would imply a more important radiological impact than that caused if the plutonium is recycled to produce energy. The decision to solve the technological aspects connected with the elimination of high-level radioactive wastes well in advance, was made to avoid transfering the problem to future generations. This decision is based not only on technical evaluations but also on ethic premises. (Author)

Disposal of high level nuclear wastes: thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rana, M.A.

2009-01-01

Contamination of soil, water or air, due to a failure of containment or disposal of high level nuclear wastes, can potentially cause serious hazards to the environment or human health. Essential elements of the environment and radioactivity dangers to it are illustrated. Issues of high level nuclear waste disposal are discussed with a focus on thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics. Major aspects of the issues are analyzed and described briefly to build a perception of risks involved and ethical implications. Nuclear waste containment repository should be as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium. A clear demonstration about safety aspects of nuclear waste management is required in gaining public and political confidence in any possible scheme of permanent disposal. Disposal of high level nuclear waste offers a spectrum of environment connected challenges and a long term future of nuclear power depends on the environment friendly solution of the problem of nuclear wastes. (authors)

High potassium level

Science.gov (United States)

... level is very high, or if you have danger signs, such as changes in an ECG . Emergency ... Seifter JL. Potassium disorders. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: ...

High-level Petri Nets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

various journals and collections. As a result, much of this knowledge is not readily available to people who may be interested in using high-level nets. Within the Petri net community this problem has been discussed many times, and as an outcome this book has been compiled. The book contains reprints...... of some of the most important papers on the application and theory of high-level Petri nets. In this way it makes the relevant literature more available. It is our hope that the book will be a useful source of information and that, e.g., it can be used in the organization of Petri net courses. To make......High-level Petri nets are now widely used in both theoretical analysis and practical modelling of concurrent systems. The main reason for the success of this class of net models is that they make it possible to obtain much more succinct and manageable descriptions than can be obtained by means...

The integrated melter off-gas treatment systems at the West Valley Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vance, R.F. [West Valley Nuclear Services Co., Inc., NY (United States)

1995-02-01

The West Valley Demonstration Project was established by Public Law 96-368, the {open_quotes}West Valley Demonstration Project Act, {close_quotes} on October 1, l980. Under this act, Congress directed the Department of Energy to carry out a high level radioactive waste management demonstration project at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center in West Valley, New York. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate solidification techniques which can be used for preparing high level radioactive waste for disposal. In addition to developing this technology, the West Valley Demonstration Project Act directs the Department of Energy to: (1) develop containers suitable for permanent disposal of the high level waste; (2) transport the solidified high level waste to a Federal repository; (3) dispose of low level and transuranic waste produced under the project; and (4) decontaminate and decommission the facilities and materials associated with project activities and the storage tanks originally used to store the liquid high level radioactive waste. The process of vitrification will be used to solidify the high level radioactive liquid wastes into borosilicate glass. This report describes the functions, the controlling design criteria, and the resulting design of the melter off-gas treatment systems which are used in the vitrification process.

Increasing seat belt use through state-level demonstration projects : a compendium of initial findings

Science.gov (United States)

2008-08-01

This report summarizes the efforts and results from four of six State-level demonstration projects supported with cooperative agreements from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The projects were intended to increase seat belt use sta...

A high-level language for rule-based modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Michael; Phillips, Andrew; Plotkin, Gordon D

2015-01-01

Rule-based languages such as Kappa excel in their support for handling the combinatorial complexities prevalent in many biological systems, including signalling pathways. But Kappa provides little structure for organising rules, and large models can therefore be hard to read and maintain. This paper introduces a high-level, modular extension of Kappa called LBS-κ. We demonstrate the constructs of the language through examples and three case studies: a chemotaxis switch ring, a MAPK cascade, and an insulin signalling pathway. We then provide a formal definition of LBS-κ through an abstract syntax and a translation to plain Kappa. The translation is implemented in a compiler tool which is available as a web application. We finally demonstrate how to increase the expressivity of LBS-κ through embedded scripts in a general-purpose programming language, a technique which we view as generally applicable to other domain specific languages.

Apparatus for Crossflow Filtration Testing of High Level Waste Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nash, C.

1998-05-01

Remotely-operated experimental apparatuses for verifying crossflow filtration of high level nuclear waste have been constructed at the Savannah River Site (SRS). These units have been used to demonstrate filtration processes at the Savannah River Site, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The current work covers the design considerations for experimentation as well as providing results from testing at SRS

Preliminary Demonstration Reactor Point Design for the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qualls, A. L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Betzler, Benjamin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brown, Nicholas R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Carbajo, Juan [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Greenwood, Michael Scott [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hale, Richard Edward [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Harrison, Thomas J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Powers, Jeffrey J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Robb, Kevin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Terrell, Jerry W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-12-01

Development of the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (FHR) Demonstration Reactor (DR) is a necessary intermediate step to enable commercial FHR deployment through disruptive and rapid technology development and demonstration. The FHR DR will utilize known, mature technology to close remaining gaps to commercial viability. Lower risk technologies are included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated within an acceptable budget and schedule. These technologies include tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, replaceable core structural material, the use of that same material for the primary and intermediate loops, and tube-and-shell heat exchangers. This report provides an update on the development of the FHR DR. At this writing, the core neutronics and thermal hydraulics have been developed and analyzed. The mechanical design details are still under development and are described to their current level of fidelity. It is anticipated that the FHR DR can be operational within 10 years because of the use of low-risk, near-term technology options.

Preliminary Demonstration Reactor Point Design for the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qualls, A. L.; Betzler, Benjamin R.; Brown, Nicholas R.; Carbajo, Juan; Greenwood, Michael Scott; Hale, Richard Edward; Harrison, Thomas J.; Powers, Jeffrey J.; Robb, Kevin R.; Terrell, Jerry W.

2015-01-01

Development of the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (FHR) Demonstration Reactor (DR) is a necessary intermediate step to enable commercial FHR deployment through disruptive and rapid technology development and demonstration. The FHR DR will utilize known, mature technology to close remaining gaps to commercial viability. Lower risk technologies are included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated within an acceptable budget and schedule. These technologies include tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, replaceable core structural material, the use of that same material for the primary and intermediate loops, and tube-and-shell heat exchangers. This report provides an update on the development of the FHR DR. At this writing, the core neutronics and thermal hydraulics have been developed and analyzed. The mechanical design details are still under development and are described to their current level of fidelity. It is anticipated that the FHR DR can be operational within 10 years because of the use of low-risk, near-term technology options.

High-level, but not low-level, motion perception is impaired in patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandil, Farid I; Pedersen, Anya; Wehnes, Jana; Ohrmann, Patricia

2013-01-01

Smooth pursuit eye movements are compromised in patients with schizophrenia and their first-degree relatives. Although research has demonstrated that the motor components of smooth pursuit eye movements are intact, motion perception has been shown to be impaired. In particular, studies have consistently revealed deficits in performance on tasks specific to the high-order motion area V5 (middle temporal area, MT) in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, data from low-level motion detectors in the primary visual cortex (V1) have been inconsistent. To differentiate between low-level and high-level visual motion processing, we applied a temporal-order judgment task for motion events and a motion-defined figure-ground segregation task using patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Successful judgments in both tasks rely on the same low-level motion detectors in the V1; however, the first task is further processed in the higher-order motion area MT in the magnocellular (dorsal) pathway, whereas the second task requires subsequent computations in the parvocellular (ventral) pathway in visual area V4 and the inferotemporal cortex (IT). These latter structures are supposed to be intact in schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia revealed a significantly impaired temporal resolution on the motion-based temporal-order judgment task but only mild impairment in the motion-based segregation task. These results imply that low-level motion detection in V1 is not, or is only slightly, compromised; furthermore, our data restrain the locus of the well-known deficit in motion detection to areas beyond the primary visual cortex.

Neural Networks Mediating High-Level Mentalizing in Patients With Right Cerebral Hemispheric Gliomas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riho Nakajima

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Mentalizing is the ability to understand others’ mental state through external cues. It consists of two networks, namely low-level and high-level metalizing. Although it is an essential function in our daily social life, surgical resection of right cerebral hemisphere disturbs mentalizing processing with high possibility. In the past, little was known about the white matter related to high-level mentalizing, and the conservation of high-level mentalizing during surgery has not been a focus of attention. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine the neural networks underlying high-level mentalizing and then, secondarily, investigate the usefulness of awake surgery in preserving the mentalizing network. A total of 20 patients with glioma localized in the right hemisphere who underwent awake surgery participated in this study. All patients were assigned to two groups: with or without intraoperative assessment of high-level mentalizing. Their high-level mentalizing abilities were assessed before surgery and 1 week and 3 months after surgery. At 3 months after surgery, only patients who received the intraoperative high-level mentalizing test showed the same score as normal healthy volunteers. The tract-based lesion symptom analysis was performed to confirm the severity of damage of associated fibers and high-level mentalizing accuracy. This analysis revealed the superior longitudinal fascicles (SLF III and fronto-striatal tract (FST to be associated with high-level mentalizing processing. Moreover, the voxel-based lesion symptom analysis demonstrated that resection of orbito-frontal cortex (OFC causes persistent mentalizing dysfunction. Our study indicates that damage of the OFC and structural connectivity of the SLF and FST causes the disorder of mentalizing after surgery, and assessing high-level mentalizing during surgery may be useful to preserve these pathways.

Waste management system functional requirements for Interim Waste Management Facilities (IWMFs) and technology demonstrations, LLWDDD [Low-Level Disposal Development and Demonstration] Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-03-01

The purpose of this report is to build upon the preceding decisions and body of information to prepare draft system functional requirements for each classification of waste disposal currently proposed for Low-Level Waste Disposal Development Demonstration (LLWDDD) projects. Functional requirements identify specific information and data needs necessary to satisfy engineering design criteria/objectives for Interim Waste Management Facilities. This draft will suppor the alternatives evaluation process and will continue to evolve as strategy is implemented, regulatory limits are established, technical and economic uncertainties are resolved, and waste management plans are being implemented. This document will become the planning basis for the new generation of solid LLW management facilities on new sites on the Reservation. Eighteen (18) general system requirements are identified which are applicable to all four Low-Level Waste (LLW) disposal classifications. Each classification of LLW disposal is individually addressed with respect ot waste characteristics, site considerations, facility operations, facility closure/post-closure, intruder barriers, institutional control, and performance monitoring requirements. Three initial LLW disposal sites have been proposed as locations on the ORR for the first demonstrations

High level secretion of cellobiohydrolases by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahlgren Simon

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The main technological impediment to widespread utilization of lignocellulose for the production of fuels and chemicals is the lack of low-cost technologies to overcome its recalcitrance. Organisms that hydrolyze lignocellulose and produce a valuable product such as ethanol at a high rate and titer could significantly reduce the costs of biomass conversion technologies, and will allow separate conversion steps to be combined in a consolidated bioprocess (CBP. Development of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for CBP requires the high level secretion of cellulases, particularly cellobiohydrolases. Results We expressed various cellobiohydrolases to identify enzymes that were efficiently secreted by S. cerevisiae. For enhanced cellulose hydrolysis, we engineered bimodular derivatives of a well secreted enzyme that naturally lacks the carbohydrate-binding module, and constructed strains expressing combinations of cbh1 and cbh2 genes. Though there was significant variability in the enzyme levels produced, up to approximately 0.3 g/L CBH1 and approximately 1 g/L CBH2 could be produced in high cell density fermentations. Furthermore, we could show activation of the unfolded protein response as a result of cellobiohydrolase production. Finally, we report fermentation of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel™ to ethanol by CBH-producing S. cerevisiae strains with the addition of beta-glucosidase. Conclusions Gene or protein specific features and compatibility with the host are important for efficient cellobiohydrolase secretion in yeast. The present work demonstrated that production of both CBH1 and CBH2 could be improved to levels where the barrier to CBH sufficiency in the hydrolysis of cellulose was overcome.

ROBOT LEARNING OF OBJECT MANIPULATION TASK ACTIONS FROM HUMAN DEMONSTRATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Kyrarini

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Robot learning from demonstration is a method which enables robots to learn in a similar way as humans. In this paper, a framework that enables robots to learn from multiple human demonstrations via kinesthetic teaching is presented. The subject of learning is a high-level sequence of actions, as well as the low-level trajectories necessary to be followed by the robot to perform the object manipulation task. The multiple human demonstrations are recorded and only the most similar demonstrations are selected for robot learning. The high-level learning module identifies the sequence of actions of the demonstrated task. Using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW and Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM, the model of demonstrated trajectories is learned. The learned trajectory is generated by Gaussian mixture regression (GMR from the learned Gaussian mixture model.  In online working phase, the sequence of actions is identified and experimental results show that the robot performs the learned task successfully.

Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor Levels in Tuberculosis Patients at High Risk for Multidrug Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tri Yudani Mardining Raras

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR has been shown to be a strong prognostic biomarker for tuberculosis (TB. In the present study, the profiles of plasma suPAR levels in pulmonary TB patients at high risk for multidrug resistance were analyzed and compared with those in multidrug resistant (MDR-TB patients. Forty patients were prospectively included, consisting of 10 MDR-TB patients and 30 TB patients at high risk for MDR, underwent clinical assesment. Plasma suPAR levels were measured using ELISA (SUPARnostic, Denmark and bacterial cultures were performed in addition to drug susceptibility tests. All patients of suspected MDR-TB group demonstrated significantly higher suPAR levels compared with the healthy TB-negative group (1.79 ng/mL. Among the three groups at high risk for MDR-TB, only the relapse group (7.87 ng/mL demonstrated suPAR levels comparable with those of MDR-TB patients (7.67 ng/mL. suPAR levels in the two-month negative acid-fast bacilli conversion group (9.29 ng/mL were higher than positive control, whereas levels in the group consisting of therapy failure patients (5.32 ng/mL were lower. Our results strongly suggest that suPAR levels enable rapid screening of suspected MDR-TB patients, but cannot differentiate between groups.

Environmental assessment for the treatment of Class A low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste generated by the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-11-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently evaluating low-level radioactive waste management alternatives at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) located on the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC) near West Valley, New York. The WVDP's mission is to vitrify high-level radioactive waste resulting from commercial fuel reprocessing operations that took place at the WNYNSC from 1966 to 1972. During the process of high-level waste vitrification, low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and mixed low-level waste (MILLW) will result and must be properly managed. It is estimated that the WVDP's LLW storage facilities will be filled to capacity in 1996. In order to provide sufficient safe storage of LLW until disposal options become available and partially fulfill requirements under the Federal Facilities Compliance Act (FFCA), the DOE is proposing to use U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed and permitted commercial facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Clive, Utah; and Houston, Texas to treat (volume-reduce) a limited amount of Class A LLW and MLLW generated from the WVDP. Alternatives for ultimate disposal of the West Valley LLW are currently being evaluated in an environmental impact statement. This proposed action is for a limited quantity of waste, over a limited period of time, and for treatment only; this proposal does not include disposal. The proposed action consists of sorting, repacking, and loading waste at the WVDP; transporting the waste for commercial treatment; and returning the residual waste to the WVDP for interim storage. For the purposes of this assessment, environmental impacts were quantified for a five-year operating period (1996 - 2001). Alternatives to the proposed action include no action, construction of additional on-site storage facilities, construction of a treatment facility at the WVDP comparable to commercial treatment, and off-site disposal at a commercial or DOE facility

Modular pathway rewiring of Saccharomyces cerevisiae enables high-level production of L-ornithine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Jiufu; Zhou, Yongjin J.; Krivoruchko, Anastasia

2015-01-01

intermediates can serve as platform cell factories for production of such products. Here we implement a modular pathway rewiring (MPR) strategy and demonstrate its use for pathway optimization resulting in high-level production of L-ornithine, an intermediate of L-arginine biosynthesis and a precursor...

QSPIN: A High Level Java API for Quantum Computing Experimentation

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Tim

2017-01-01

QSPIN is a high level Java language API for experimentation in QC models used in the calculation of Ising spin glass ground states and related quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) problems. The Java API is intended to facilitate research in advanced QC algorithms such as hybrid quantum-classical solvers, automatic selection of constraint and optimization parameters, and techniques for the correction and mitigation of model and solution errors. QSPIN includes high level solver objects tailored to the D-Wave quantum annealing architecture that implement hybrid quantum-classical algorithms [Booth et al.] for solving large problems on small quantum devices, elimination of variables via roof duality, and classical computing optimization methods such as GPU accelerated simulated annealing and tabu search for comparison. A test suite of documented NP-complete applications ranging from graph coloring, covering, and partitioning to integer programming and scheduling are provided to demonstrate current capabilities.

High-level waste solidification system for the Western New York Nuclear Service Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrell, J.R.; Holton, L.K.; Siemens, D.H.

1982-01-01

A preconceptual design for a waste conditioning and solidification system for the immobilization of the high-level liquid wastes (HLLW) stored at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC), West Valley, New York was completed in 1981. The preconceptual design was conducted as part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) West Valley Demonstration Project, which requires a waste management demonstration at the WNYNSC. This paper summarizes the bases, assumptions, results and conclusions of the preconceptual design study

Steam stripping of polycyclic aromatics from simulated high-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, D.P.; Shah, H.B.; Young, S.R.; Edwards, R.E.; Carter, J.T.

1992-01-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) will be the United States' first facility to process High Level radioactive Waste (HLW) into a borosilicate glass matrix. The removal of aromatic precipitates by hydrolysis, evaporation, liquid-liquid extraction and decantation will be a key step in the processing of the HLW. This step, titled the Precipitate Hydrolysis Process, has been demonstrated by the Savannah River Technology Center with the Precipitate Hydrolysis Experimental Facility (PHEF). The mission of the PHEF is to demonstrate processing of simulated high level radioactive waste which contains tetraphenylborate precipitates and nitrite. Aqueous washing or nitrite destruction is used to reduce nitrite. Formic acid with a copper catalyst is used to hydrolyze tetraphenylborate (TPB). The primary offgases are benzene, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and nitric oxide. Hydrolysis of TPB in the presence of nitrite results in the production of polycyclic aromatics and aromatic amines (referred as high boiling organics) such as biphenyl, diphenylamine, terphenyls etc. The decanter separates the organic (benzene) and aqueous phase, but the high boiling organic separation is difficult. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the operating strategies, including steam stripping, to maximize the removal of the high boiling organics from the aqueous stream. Two areas were investigated, (1) a stream stripping comparison of the late wash flowsheet to the HAN flowsheet and (2) the extraction performance of the original decanter to the new decanter. The focus of both studies was to minimize the high boiling organic content of the Precipitate Hydrolysis Aqueous (PHA) product in order to minimize downstream impacts caused by organic deposition

High-Level Waste Tank Lay-Up Assessment - Year-End Progress Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmore, Monte R.; Henderson, Colin

2002-01-01

This report documents the preliminary needs assessment of high-level waste (HLW) tank lay-up requirements and considerations for the Hanford Site, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab (INEEL), Savannah River Site (SRS) and Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). This assessment includes the development of a high-level requirements and considerations list that evolved from work done for the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) earlier in fiscal year (FY) 2001, and is based on individual site conditions and tank retrieval/tank closure schedules. Because schedules are continually subject to change, this assessment is considered preliminary and needs review and validation by the individual sites. The lay-up decision methodology developed for WVDP was based on standard systems engineering principles, and provided a structured framework for producing an effective, technically-defensible lay-up strategy

Incidence of high-level evernimicin resistance in Enterococcus faecium among food animals and humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarestrup, Frank Møller; McNicholas, P. M.

2002-01-01

Six high-level evernimicin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates were identified among 304 avilarnycin-resistant E. faecium isolates from animals and 404 stool samples from humans with diarrhea. All four animal isolates, and one of the human isolates, were able to transfer resistance...... to a susceptible E. faecium strain. The resulting transconjugants all tested positive for the presence of emtA, a gene encoding a methyltransferase previously linked with high-level evernimicin resistance. The four transconjugants derived from animal isolates all carried the same plasmid, while a differently sized...... plasmid was found in the isolate from humans. This study demonstrated a low incidence of high-level evernimicin resistance mediated by the emtA gene in different E. faecium isolates of animal and human origin....

The Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 is reliable in young high-level soccer players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dieter Deprez

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to investigate test reliability of the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIR1 in 36 high-level youth soccer players, aged between 13 and 18 years. Players were divided into three age groups (U15, U17 and U19 and completed three YYIR1 in three consecutive weeks. Pairwise comparisons were used to investigate test reliability (for distances and heart rate responses using technical error (TE, coefficient of variation (CV, intra-class correlation (ICC and limits of agreement (LOA with Bland-Altman plots. The mean YYIR1 distances for the U15, U17 and U19 groups were 2024 ± 470 m, 2404 ± 347 m and 2547 ± 337 m, respectively. The results revealed that the TEs varied between 74 and 172 m, CVs between 3.0 and 7.5%, and ICCs between 0.87 and 0.95 across all age groups for the YYIR1 distance. For heart rate responses, the TEs varied between 1 and 6 bpm, CVs between 0.7 and 4.8%, and ICCs between 0.73 and 0.97. The small ratio LOA revealed that any two YYIR1 performances in one week will not differ by more than 9 to 28% due to measurement error. In summary, the YYIR1 performance and the physiological responses have proven to be highly reliable in a sample of Belgian high-level youth soccer players, aged between 13 and 18 years. The demonstrated high level of intermittent endurance capacity in all age groups may be used for comparison of other prospective young soccer players.

Project Guarantee 1985. Repository for high-level radioactive waste: construction and operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1985-01-01

An engineering project study aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of constructing a deep repository for high-level waste (Type C repository) has been carried out; the study is based on a model data-set representing typical geological and rock mechanical conditions as found outside the so-called Permocarboniferous basin in the regions under investigation by Nagra in Cantons Aargau, Schaffhausen, Solothurn and Zuerich. The repository is intended for disposal of high-level waste and any intermediate-level waste from re-processing in which the concentration of long-lived alpha-emitters exceeds the permissible limits set for a Type B repository. Final disposal of high-level waste is in subterranean, horizontally mined tunnels and of intermediate-level waste in underground vertical silos. The repository is intended to accomodate a total of around 6'000 HWL-cylinders (gross volume of around 1'200 m3) and around 10'000 m3 of intermediate-level waste. The total excavated volume is around 1'100'000 m3 and a construction time for the whole repository (up to the beginning of emplacement) of around 15 years is expected. For the estimated 50-year emplacement operations, a working team of around 60 people will be needed and a team of around 160 for the simultaneous tunnelling operations and auxiliary work. The project described in the present report permits the conclusion that construction of a repository for high-level radioactive waste and, if necessary, spent fuel-rods is feasible with present-day technology

National high-level waste systems analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristofferson, K.; O'Holleran, T.P.

1996-01-01

Previously, no mechanism existed that provided a systematic, interrelated view or national perspective of all high-level waste treatment and storage systems that the US Department of Energy manages. The impacts of budgetary constraints and repository availability on storage and treatment must be assessed against existing and pending negotiated milestones for their impact on the overall HLW system. This assessment can give DOE a complex-wide view of the availability of waste treatment and help project the time required to prepare HLW for disposal. Facilities, throughputs, schedules, and milestones were modeled to ascertain the treatment and storage systems resource requirements at the Hanford Site, Savannah River Site, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and West Valley Demonstration Project. The impacts of various treatment system availabilities on schedule and throughput were compared to repository readiness to determine the prudent application of resources. To assess the various impacts, the model was exercised against a number of plausible scenarios as discussed in this paper

Spent fuel pyroprocessing demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFarlane, L.F.; Lineberry, M.J.

1995-01-01

A major element of the shutdown of the US liquid metal reactor development program is managing the sodium-bonded spent metallic fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II to meet US environmental laws. Argonne National Laboratory has refurbished and equipped an existing hot cell facility for treating the spent fuel by a high-temperature electrochemical process commonly called pyroprocessing. Four products will be produced for storage and disposal. Two high-level waste forms will be produced and qualified for disposal of the fission and activation products. Uranium and transuranium alloys will be produced for storage pending a decision by the US Department of Energy on the fate of its plutonium and enriched uranium. Together these activities will demonstrate a unique electrochemical treatment technology for spent nuclear fuel. This technology potentially has significant economic and technical advantages over either conventional reprocessing or direct disposal as a high-level waste option

EAP high-level product architecture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guðlaugsson, Tómas Vignir; Mortensen, Niels Henrik; Sarban, Rahimullah

2013-01-01

EAP technology has the potential to be used in a wide range of applications. This poses the challenge to the EAP component manufacturers to develop components for a wide variety of products. Danfoss Polypower A/S is developing an EAP technology platform, which can form the basis for a variety...... of EAP technology products while keeping complexity under control. High level product architecture has been developed for the mechanical part of EAP transducers, as the foundation for platform development. A generic description of an EAP transducer forms the core of the high level product architecture...... the function of the EAP transducers to be changed, by basing the EAP transducers on a different combination of organ alternatives. A model providing an overview of the high level product architecture has been developed to support daily development and cooperation across development teams. The platform approach...

High Level Radioactive Waste Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The proceedings of the second annual international conference on High Level Radioactive Waste Management, held on April 28--May 3, 1991, Las Vegas, Nevada, provides information on the current technical issue related to international high level radioactive waste management activities and how they relate to society as a whole. Besides discussing such technical topics as the best form of the waste, the integrity of storage containers, design and construction of a repository, the broader social aspects of these issues are explored in papers on such subjects as conformance to regulations, transportation safety, and public education. By providing this wider perspective of high level radioactive waste management, it becomes apparent that the various disciplines involved in this field are interrelated and that they should work to integrate their waste management activities. Individual records are processed separately for the data bases

Creative thinking level of students with high capability in relations and functions by problem-based learning

Science.gov (United States)

Nurdyani, F.; Slamet, I.; Sujadi, I.

2018-03-01

This research was conducted in order to describe the creative thinking level of students with high capability in relations and functions with Problem Based Learning. The subjects of the research were students with high capability grade VIII at SMPIT Ibnu Abbas Klaten. This research is an qualitative descriptive research. The data were collected using observation, tests and interviews. The result showed that the creative thinking level of students with high capability in relations and functions by Problem Based Learning was at level 4 or very creative because students were able to demonstrate fluency, flexibility, and novelty.

Disposal of high level and intermediate level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flowers, R.H.

1991-01-01

The waste products from the nuclear industry are relatively small in volume. Apart from a few minor gaseous and liquid waste streams, containing readily dispersible elements of low radiotoxicity, all these products are processed into stable solid packages for disposal in underground repositories. Because the volumes are small, and because radioactive wastes are latecomers on the industrial scene, a whole new industry with a world-wide technological infrastructure has grown up alongside the nuclear power industry to carry out the waste processing and disposal to very high standards. Some of the technical approaches used, and the Regulatory controls which have been developed, will undoubtedly find application in the future to the management of non-radioactive toxic wastes. The repository site outlined would contain even high-level radioactive wastes and spent fuels being contained without significant radiation dose rates to the public. Water pathway dose rates are likely to be lowest for vitrified high-level wastes with spent PWR fuel and intermediate level wastes being somewhat higher. (author)

Program of Hanford high-level waste retrieval task: a narrative description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallskog, H.A.

1976-12-01

The objective of this task is to develop and demonstrate the equipment and methods for the retrieval of high-level radioactive wastes from underground storage tanks at Hanford. The approach will be to continue with engineering studies and the conceptual design in progress and follow on with the engineering design, construction, testing and demonstration of a Prototype Retrieval System. This system will consist of a large, mobile platform providing the support and control of an articulated arm used to remotely position waste recovery/removal tools. Other major components include the equipment needed to bring the material up to the platform for packaging and subsequent transport to a processing facility, and the television viewing and lighting subsystem. This prototype system will be functionally complete and will contain items such as a control center, tool change and maintenance/repair capability, etc. The program includes a complete non-radioactive demonstration of the system in a mock waste tank as well as a radioactive demonstration involving one or more waste tanks

Overview of ERA Integrated Technology Demonstration (ITD) 51A Ultra-High Bypass (UHB) Integration for Hybrid Wing Body (HWB)

Science.gov (United States)

Flamm, Jeffrey D.; James, Kevin D.; Bonet, John T.

2016-01-01

The NASA Environmentally Responsible Aircraft Project (ERA) was a ve year project broken into two phases. In phase II, high N+2 Technical Readiness Level demonstrations were grouped into Integrated Technology Demonstrations (ITD). This paper describes the work done on ITD-51A: the Vehicle Systems Integration, Engine Airframe Integration Demonstration. Refinement of a Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) aircraft from the possible candidates developed in ERA Phase I was continued. Scaled powered, and unpowered wind- tunnel testing, with and without acoustics, in the NASA LARC 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Tunnel, the NASA ARC Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and the 40- by 80-foot test section of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) in conjunction with very closely coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics was used to demonstrate the fuel burn and acoustic milestone targets of the ERA Project.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF HIGH LEVELS OF SO2 REMOVAL IN ATMOSPHERIC-PRESSURE FUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTORS

Science.gov (United States)

The report describes tests conducted in an atmospheric-pressure-fluidized-bed combustor (FBC) with a cross-section of 1 x 1.6 m) to demonstrate high levels of S02 removal when burning a high-sulfur coal and feeding limestone sorbent for S02 removal. The goal was to achieve 90-plu...

Robot Learning from Demonstration: A Task-level Planning Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Staffan Ekvall

2008-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we deal with the problem of learning by demonstration, task level learning and planning for robotic applications that involve object manipulation. Preprogramming robots for execution of complex domestic tasks such as setting a dinner table is of little use, since the same order of subtasks may not be conceivable in the run time due to the changed state of the world. In our approach, we aim to learn the goal of the task and use a task planner to reach the goal given different initial states of the world. For some tasks, there are underlying constraints that must be fulfille, and knowing just the final goal is not sufficient. We propose two techniques for constraint identification. In the first case, the teacher can directly instruct the system about the underlying constraints. In the second case, the constraints are identified by the robot itself based on multiple observations. The constraints are then considered in the planning phase, allowing the task to be executed without violating any of them. We evaluate our work on a real robot performing pick-and-place tasks.

Out-of-Core Computations of High-Resolution Level Sets by Means of Code Transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Brian Bunch; Nielsen, Michael Bang; Museth, Ken

2012-01-01

We propose a storage efficient, fast and parallelizable out-of-core framework for streaming computations of high resolution level sets. The fundamental techniques are skewing and tiling transformations of streamed level set computations which allow for the combination of interface propagation, re...... computations are now CPU bound and consequently the overall performance is unaffected by disk latency and bandwidth limitations. We demonstrate this with several benchmark tests that show sustained out-of-core throughputs close to that of in-core level set simulations....

Heat transfer in high-level waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickey, B.R.; Hogg, G.W.

1979-01-01

Heat transfer in the storage of high-level liquid wastes, calcining of radioactive wastes, and storage of solidified wastes are discussed. Processing and storage experience at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant are summarized for defense high-level wastes; heat transfer in power reactor high-level waste processing and storage is also discussed

Multi­-Threaded Algorithms for General purpose Graphics Processor Units in the ATLAS High Level Trigger

CERN Document Server

Conde Mui\\~no, Patricia; The ATLAS collaboration

2016-01-01

General purpose Graphics Processor Units (GPGPU) are being evaluated for possible future inclusion in an upgraded ATLAS High Level Trigger farm. We have developed a demonstrator including GPGPU implementations of Inner Detector and Muon tracking and Calorimeter clustering within the ATLAS software framework. ATLAS is a general purpose particle physics experiment located on the LHC collider at CERN. The ATLAS Trigger system consists of two levels, with level 1 implemented in hardware and the High Level Trigger implemented in software running on a farm of commodity CPU. The High Level Trigger reduces the trigger rate from the 100 kHz level 1 acceptance rate to 1 kHz for recording, requiring an average per­-event processing time of ~250 ms for this task. The selection in the high level trigger is based on reconstructing tracks in the Inner Detector and Muon Spectrometer and clusters of energy deposited in the Calorimeter. Performing this reconstruction within the available farm resources presents a significant ...

Disposal demonstration of a high integrity container (HIC) containing an EPICOR-II prefilter from Three Mile Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McConnell, J.W. Jr.; Tyacke, M.J.; Schmitt, R.C.; Reno, H.W.

1985-02-01

A high integrity container (HIC) was developed, tested, and certified for use in disposing of unusual low-level radioactive waste from Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2). The work was coordinated by EG and G Idaho, Inc. and funded by the US Department of Energy. A disposal demonstration using an HIC containing an EPICOR-II prefilter from TMI-2 was completed at the commercial disposal facility in the State of Washington. A Certification of Compliance was issued by the Department of Social and Health Services of the State of Washington to use the HIC in disposing of up to 50 EPICOR-II prefilters. That Certification of Compliance was issued after rigorous review of the HIC design and test program by the State and by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This report describes the processes of loading, transporting, and disposing of the demonstration HIC and briefly describes the design, testing, and approval effort leading up to the demonstration

Low-level waste disposal site selection demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, V.C.

1984-01-01

This paper discusses the results of recent studies undertaken at EPRI related to low-level waste disposal technology. The initial work provided an overview of the state of the art including an assessment of its influence upon transportation costs and waste form requirements. The paper discusses work done on the overall system design aspects and computer modeling of disposal site performance characteristics. The results of this analysis are presented and provide a relative ranking of the importance of disposal parameters. This allows trade-off evaluations to be made of factors important in the design of a shallow land burial facility. To help minimize the impact of a shortage of low-level radioactive waste disposal sites, EPRI is closely observing the development of bellweather projects for developing new sites. The purpose of this activity is to provide information about lessons learned in those projects in order to expedite the development of additional disposal facilities. This paper describes most of the major stems in selecting a low-level radioactive waste disposal site in Texas. It shows how the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority started with a wide range of potential siting areas in Texas and narrowed its attention down to a few preferred sites. The parameters used to discriminate between large areas of Texas and, eventually, 50 candidate disposal sites are described, along with the steps in the process. The Texas process is compared to those described in DOE and EPRI handbooks on site selection and to pertinent NRC requirements. The paper also describes how an inventory of low-level waste specific to Texas was developed and applied in preliminary performance assessments of two candidate sites. Finally, generic closure requirements and closure operations for low-level waste facilities in arid regions are given

Demonstration of a Concurrently Programmed Tactical Level Control Software for Autonomous Vehicles and the Interface to the Execution Level Code

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Carroll, William

2000-01-01

.... One of the greatest challenges to the successful development of truly autonomous vehicles is the ability to link logically based high-level mission planning with low-level vehicle control software...

Systems-level computational modeling demonstrates fuel selection switching in high capacity running and low capacity running rats

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Nathan R.

2018-01-01

High capacity and low capacity running rats, HCR and LCR respectively, have been bred to represent two extremes of running endurance and have recently demonstrated disparities in fuel usage during transient aerobic exercise. HCR rats can maintain fatty acid (FA) utilization throughout the course of transient aerobic exercise whereas LCR rats rely predominantly on glucose utilization. We hypothesized that the difference between HCR and LCR fuel utilization could be explained by a difference in mitochondrial density. To test this hypothesis and to investigate mechanisms of fuel selection, we used a constraint-based kinetic analysis of whole-body metabolism to analyze transient exercise data from these rats. Our model analysis used a thermodynamically constrained kinetic framework that accounts for glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and mitochondrial FA transport and oxidation. The model can effectively match the observed relative rates of oxidation of glucose versus FA, as a function of ATP demand. In searching for the minimal differences required to explain metabolic function in HCR versus LCR rats, it was determined that the whole-body metabolic phenotype of LCR, compared to the HCR, could be explained by a ~50% reduction in total mitochondrial activity with an additional 5-fold reduction in mitochondrial FA transport activity. Finally, we postulate that over sustained periods of exercise that LCR can partly overcome the initial deficit in FA catabolic activity by upregulating FA transport and/or oxidation processes. PMID:29474500

An optimal retrieval, processing, and blending strategy for immobilization of Hanford high-level tank waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoza, M.

1996-01-01

Hanford tank waste will be separated into high-level and low-level portions; each portion will then be vitrified (other waste forms are also being considered for low-level waste) to produce a stable glass form for disposal. Because of the wide variability in the tank waste compositions, blending is being considered as a way to reduce the number of distinct compositions that must be vitrified and to minimize the resultant volume of vitrified waste. Three years of computational glass formulation and blending studies have demonstrated that blending of the high-level waste before vitrification can reduce the volume of high-level waste glass required by as much as 50 percent. This level of reduction would be obtained if all the high-level waste were blended together (Total Blend) prior to vitrification, requiring the retrieval and pretreatment of all tank waste before high-level vitrification was started. This paper will present an overall processing strategy that should be able to match the blending performance of the Total Blend and be more logistically feasible. The strategy includes retrieving, pretreating, blending and vitrifying Hanford tank waste. This strategy utilizes blending both before and after pretreatment. Similar wastes are blended before pretreatment, so as not to dilute species targeted for removal. The high-level portions of these pretreated early blends are then selectively blended to produce a small number of high-level vitrification feed streams

Identification of sites for the low-level waste disposal development and demonstration program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketelle, R.H.; Lee, D.W.

1988-04-01

This report presents the results of site selection studies for potential low-level radioactive waste disposal sites on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Summaries of the site selection procedures used and results of previous site selection studies on the ORR are included. This report includes recommendations of sites for demonstration of shallow land burial using engineered trench designs and demonstration of above-grade disposal using design concepts similar to those used in tumulus disposal. The site selection study, like its predecessor (ORNL/TM-9717, Use of DOE Site Selection Criteria for Screening Low-Level Waste Disposal Sites on the Oak Ridge Reservation), involved application of exclusionary site screening criteria to the region of interest to eliminate unacceptable areas from consideration. Also like the previous study, the region of interest for this study was limited to the Oak Ridge Department of Energy Reservation. Reconnaissance-level environmental data were used in the study, and field inspections of candidate sites were made to verify the available reconnaissance data. Five candidate sites, all underlain by Knox dolomite residuum and bedrock, were identified for possible development of shallow land burial facilities. Of the five candidate sites, the West Chestnut site was judged to be best suited for deployment of the shallow land burial technology. Three candidate sites, all underlain by the Conasauga Group in Bear Creek Valley, were identified for possible development of above-grade disposal technologies. Of the three sites identified, the Central Bear Creek Valley site lying between State Route 95 and Gum Hollow Road was ranked most favorable for deployment of the above-grade disposal technology

United States regulations for institutional controls at high-level waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piccone, Josephine

2015-01-01

The United States regulations for disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste are found at Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Parts 60 and 63, which cover deep geologic disposal at a generic site and at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, respectively. As an independent regulator, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for licensing and oversight of a high-level waste repository in the United States. The licensing approach for disposal has discreet decisions, made by the NRC, that include approval of construction authorisation, approval to receive and possess high-level radioactive waste, and approval for permanent closure. For construction authorisation approval, the applicant must provide a description of the programme to be used to maintain the records. The NRC will have an active oversight role during the construction and operation period, which can be on the order of 100 years for the facility before permanent closure. The oversight activities are part of the active institutional controls, and serve as a means of conveying knowledge for that initial period, given that this will likely involve multiple generations of workers for both the implementer and the regulator. Additionally, the NRC provides requirements for the physical protection of stored spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at 10 CFR Chap. 73.51. For permanent closure approval, the applicant must provide a detailed description of the measures to be employed-such as land use controls, construction of monuments, and preservation of records. The NRC's regulatory role in any licensing action is to apply the applicable regulations and guidance, and to review applications for proposed actions to determine if compliance with regulations has been achieved. The burden of proof is on the applicant or licensee to show that the proposed action is safe, to demonstrate that regulations are met, and to ensure continued compliance with the regulations

Scaphoid Stress Fracture in High-Level Gymnast: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. C. Nakamoto

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We present the case of an 18-year-old high-level gymnast who sustained a stress fracture of the scaphoid associated with a distal radial epiphysiolysis. Clinical evaluation demonstrated decreased range of motion of the affected wrist and insidious pain on the snuffbox and tenderness on the distal radial physis. He was submitted to surgical treatment with scaphoid percutaneous fixation and radial styloid process in situ fixation. Clinical features improved, and he got back to competition 6 months after surgery without symptoms and with complete range of motion.

Powder technological vitrification of simulated high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gahlert, S.

1988-03-01

High-level waste simulate from the reprocessing of light water reactor and fast breeder fuel was vitrified by powder technology. After denitration with formaldehyde, the simulated HLW is mixed with glass frit and simultaneously dried in an oil-heated mixer. After 'in-can calcination' for at least 24 hours at 850 or 950 K (depending on the type of waste and glass), the mixture is hot-pressed in-can for several hours at 920 or 1020 K respectively, at pressures between 0.4 and 1.0 MPa. The technology has been demonstrated inactively up to diameters of 30 cm. Leach resistance is significantly enhanced when compared to common borosilicate glasses by the utilization of glasses with higher silicon and aluminium content and lower sodium content. (orig.) [de

Recovering method for high level radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukui, Toshiki

1998-01-01

Offgas filters such as of nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities and waste control facilities are burnt, and the burnt ash is melted by heating, and then the molten ashes are brought into contact with a molten metal having a low boiling point to transfer the high level radioactive materials in the molten ash to the molten metal. Then, only the molten metal is evaporated and solidified by drying, and residual high level radioactive materials are recovered. According to this method, the high level radioactive materials in the molten ashes are transferred to the molten metal and separated by the difference of the distribution rate of the molten ash and the molten metal. Subsequently, the molten metal to which the high level radioactive materials are transferred is heated to a temperature higher than the boiling point so that only the molten metal is evaporated and dried to be removed, and residual high level radioactive materials are recovered easily. On the other hand, the molten ash from which the high level radioactive material is removed can be discarded as ordinary industrial wastes as they are. (T.M.)

High-level-waste immobilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crandall, J.L.

1982-01-01

Analysis of risks, environmental effects, process feasibility, and costs for disposal of immobilized high-level wastes in geologic repositories indicates that the disposal system safety has a low sensitivity to the choice of the waste disposal form

Cover technology demonstration for low-level radioactive sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, F.J.; Warren, J.L.

1988-01-01

The performance of a shallow land burial site in isolating low-level radioactive and mixed waste is strongly influenced by the behavior of the precipitation falling on the site. Predicting the long-term integrity of a cover design requires a knowledge of the water balance dynamics, and the use of predictive models. The multiplicity of factors operating on a site in the years post-closure (precipitation intensity and duration, soil conditions, vegetation seasonality and variability) have made it extremely difficult to predict the effects of natural precipitation with accuracy. Preliminary results are presented on a three-year field demonstration at Los Alamos National Laboratory to evaluate the influence of different waste trench cap designs on water balance under natural precipitation. Erosion plots having two different vegetative covers (shrubs and grasses) and with either gravel-mulched or unmulched soil surface treatments have been established on three different soil profiles on an inactive waste site. Total runoff and soil loss from each plot are measured biweekly while plant canopy cover is measured seasonally. Preliminary results from the first year show that the application of a gravel mulch reduced runoff by 73 to 90%. Total soil loss was reduced by 83 to 93% by the mulch treatment. On unmulched plots, grass cover reduced both runoff and soil loss by about 50% compared to the shrub plots. Soil moisture reduction during the growing season was more pronounced on the shrub plots. This indicates that a more complex vegetative cover provides greater soil moisture storage capacity for winter precipitation than the usual grass cover

Process description and plant design for preparing ceramic high-level waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grantham, L.F.; McKisson, R.L.; Guon, J.; Flintoff, J.F.; McKenzie, D.E.

1983-01-01

The ceramics process flow diagram has been simplified and upgraded to utilize only two major processing steps - fluid-bed calcination and hot isostatic press consolidating. Full-scale fluid-bed calcination has been used at INEL to calcine high-level waste for 18 y; and a second-generation calciner, a fully remotely operated and maintained calciner that meets ALARA guidelines, started calcining high-level waste in 1982. Full-scale hot isostatic consolidation has been used by DOE and commercial enterprises to consolidate radioactive components and to encapsulate spent fuel elements for several years. With further development aimed at process integration and parametric optimization, the operating knowledge of full-scale demonstration of the key process steps should be rapidly adaptable to scale-up of the ceramic process to full plant size. Process flowsheets used to prepare ceramic and glass waste forms from defense and commercial high-level liquid waste are described. Preliminary layouts of process flow diagrams in a high-level processing canyon were prepared and used to estimate the preliminary cost of the plant to fabricate both waste forms. The estimated costs for using both options were compared for total waste management costs of SRP high-level liquid waste. Using our design, for both the ceramic and glass plant, capital and operating costs are essentially the same for both defense and commercial wastes, but total waste management costs are calculated to be significantly less for defense wastes using the ceramic option. It is concluded from this and other studies that the ceramic form may offer important advantages over glass in leach resistance, waste loading, density, and process flexibility. Preliminary economic calculations indicate that ceramics must be considered a leading candidate for the form to immobilize high-level wastes

ESTIMATING HIGH LEVEL WASTE MIXING PERFORMANCE IN HANFORD DOUBLE SHELL TANKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thien, M.G.; Greer, D.A.; Townson, P.

2011-01-01

The ability to effectively mix, sample, certify, and deliver consistent batches of high level waste (HLW) feed from the Hanford double shell tanks (DSTs) to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) presents a significant mission risk with potential to impact mission length and the quantity of HLW glass produced. The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Tank Operations Contractor (TOC), Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is currently demonstrating mixing, sampling, and batch transfer performance in two different sizes of small-scale DSTs. The results of these demonstrations will be used to estimate full-scale DST mixing performance and provide the key input to a programmatic decision on the need to build a dedicated feed certification facility. This paper discusses the results from initial mixing demonstration activities and presents data evaluation techniques that allow insight into the performance relationships of the two small tanks. The next steps, sampling and batch transfers, of the small scale demonstration activities are introduced. A discussion of the integration of results from the mixing, sampling, and batch transfer tests to allow estimating full-scale DST performance is presented.

Spray Calciner/In-Can Melter high-level waste solidification technical manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, D.E.

1980-09-01

This technical manual summarizes process and equipment technology developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory over the last 20 years for vitrification of high-level liquid waste by the Spray Calciner/In-Can Melter process. Pacific Northwest Laboratory experience includes process development and demonstration in laboratory-, pilot-, and full-scale equipment using nonradioactive synthetic wastes. Also, laboratory- and pilot-scale process demonstrations have been conducted using actual high-level radioactive wastes. In the course of process development, more than 26 tonnes of borosilicate glass have been produced in 75 canisters. Four of these canisters contained radioactive waste glass. The associated process and glass chemistry is discussed. Technology areas described include calciner feed treatment and techniques, calcination, vitrification, off-gas treatment, glass containment (the canister), and waste glass chemistry. Areas of optimization and site-specific development that would be needed to adapt this base technology for specific plant application are indicated. A conceptual Spray Calciner/In-Can Melter system design and analyses are provided in the manual to assist prospective users in evaluating the process for plant application, to provide equipment design information, and to supply information for safety analyses and environmental reports. The base (generic) technology for the Spray Calciner/In-Can Melter process has been developed to a point at which it is ready for plant application

A High-Voltage Level Tolerant Transistor Circuit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Annema, Anne J.; Geelen, Godefridus Johannes Gertrudis Maria

2001-01-01

A high-voltage level tolerant transistor circuit, comprising a plurality of cascoded transistors, including a first transistor (T1) operatively connected to a high-voltage level node (3) and a second transistor (T2) operatively connected to a low-voltage level node (2). The first transistor (T1)

High-level waste tank modifications, installation of mobilization equipment/check out

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiffhauer, M.A.; Thompson, S.C.

1992-01-01

PUREX high-level waste (HLW) is contained at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) in an underground carbon-steel storage tank. The HLW consists of a precipitated sludge and an alkaline supernate. This report describes the system that the WVDP has developed and implemented to resuspend and wash the HLW sludge from the tank. The report discusses Sludge Mobilization and Wash System (SMWS) equipment design, installation, and testing. The storage tank required modifications to accommodate the SMWS. These modifications are discussed as well

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. A CT demonstration of a high-density lesion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirata, Kazuhiro; Muramoto, Masato; Chiba, Yasuhiro; Yagishita, Saburo

1987-08-01

CT scan studies of the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome have seldom been reported; positive abnormal findings are especially rare. A 36-year-old man suffered from steady, boring pain behind the left eye for one year. On admission he complained of diplopia on the right lateral gaze and hypesthesea of the first and second divisions of the left trigeminal nerve. A CT scan demonstrated a slightly high-density lesion, which was homogeneously enhanced, in the left cavernous portion and the superior orbital fissure. Carotid angiograms demonstrated no abnormal finding, and the cavernous sinus venography revealed no filling of the left cavernous sinus. A left front-temporal craniotomy was performed for the purpose of biopsy. A histological examination revealed non-specific focal granulomatous pachymeningitis. He responded dramatically to systemic steroid therapy, and he became pain-free by the fourth post-operative day. This diagnosis of the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome was confirmed both clinically and etiologically; however, the CT scan after the treatment demonstrated no definitive change in the lesion. The CT scan is useful for the diagnosis of this syndrome. Considering the stage of the illness, it is possible that the high-resolution CT scan can demonstrate this lesion with an advanced technique. The clinical diagnosis is almost easy, and surgical exploration is not always necessary if there is a prompt remission upon systemic steroid therapy. However, this syndrome should be differentiated from the other causes by appropriate examinations. Some cases similar to ours, especially suspected tumors, need surgical exploration because these angiographic findings are not specific.

Separation of aromatic precipitates from simulated high level radioactive waste by hydrolysis, evaporation and liquid-liquid extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, S.R.; Shah, H.B.; Carter, J.T.

1991-01-01

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the SRS will be the United States' first facility to process High Level radioactive Waste (HLW) into a borosilicate glass matrix. The removal of aromatic precipitates by hydrolysis, evaporation and liquid-liquid extraction will be a key step in the processing of the HLW. This step, titled the Precipitate Hydrolysis Process, has been demonstrated by the Savannah River Laboratory with the Precipitate Hydrolysis Experimental Facility (PHEF). The mission of the PHEF is to demonstrate processing of simulated high level radioactive waste which contains tetraphenylborate precipitates and nitrite. Reduction of nitrite by hydroxylamine nitrate and hydrolysis of the tetraphenylborate by formic acid is discussed. Gaseous production, which is primarily benzene, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, has been quantified. Production of high-boiling organic compounds and the accumulation of these organic compounds within the process are addressed

Quality of Security Service Costing Demonstration for the MSHN Project

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Spyropoulou, Evdoxia

2000-01-01

.... Each service has two costs: an initialization cost and a run-time cost. The demonstration illustrates the costs incurred as network modes and security levels are changed. High level and detailed specifications are provided.

A demonstration experiment of steam-driven, high-pressure melt ejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, M.D.; Pitch, M.; Nichols, R.T.

1990-08-01

A steam blowdown test was performed at the Surtsey Direct Heating Test Facility to test the steam supply system and burst diaphragm arrangement that will be used in subsequent Surtsey Direct Containment Heating (DCH) experiments. Following successful completion of the steam blowdown test, the HIPS-10S (High-Pressure Melt Streaming) experiment was conducted to demonstrate that the technology to perform steam-driven, high-pressure melt ejection (HPME) experiments has been successfully developed. In addition, the HIPS-10S experiment was used to assess techniques and instrumentation design to create the proper timing of events in HPME experiments. This document discusses the results of this test

Multi-Threaded Algorithms for GPGPU in the ATLAS High Level Trigger

Science.gov (United States)

Conde Muíño, P.; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

General purpose Graphics Processor Units (GPGPU) are being evaluated for possible future inclusion in an upgraded ATLAS High Level Trigger farm. We have developed a demonstrator including GPGPU implementations of Inner Detector and Muon tracking and Calorimeter clustering within the ATLAS software framework. ATLAS is a general purpose particle physics experiment located on the LHC collider at CERN. The ATLAS Trigger system consists of two levels, with Level-1 implemented in hardware and the High Level Trigger implemented in software running on a farm of commodity CPU. The High Level Trigger reduces the trigger rate from the 100 kHz Level-1 acceptance rate to 1.5 kHz for recording, requiring an average per-event processing time of ∼ 250 ms for this task. The selection in the high level trigger is based on reconstructing tracks in the Inner Detector and Muon Spectrometer and clusters of energy deposited in the Calorimeter. Performing this reconstruction within the available farm resources presents a significant challenge that will increase significantly with future LHC upgrades. During the LHC data taking period starting in 2021, luminosity will reach up to three times the original design value. Luminosity will increase further to 7.5 times the design value in 2026 following LHC and ATLAS upgrades. Corresponding improvements in the speed of the reconstruction code will be needed to provide the required trigger selection power within affordable computing resources. Key factors determining the potential benefit of including GPGPU as part of the HLT processor farm are: the relative speed of the CPU and GPGPU algorithm implementations; the relative execution times of the GPGPU algorithms and serial code remaining on the CPU; the number of GPGPU required, and the relative financial cost of the selected GPGPU. We give a brief overview of the algorithms implemented and present new measurements that compare the performance of various configurations exploiting GPGPU cards.

Analogue demonstration of a high temperature superconducting sigma-delta modulator with 27 GHz sampling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forrester, M.G.; Hunt, B.D.; Miller, D.L.; Talvacchio, J.; Young, R.M. [Northrop Grumman Science and Technology Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5098 (United States)

1999-11-01

We have successfully fabricated and tested a high temperature superconducting (HTS) sigma-delta modulator for analogue-to-digital conversion. This is the first demonstration of a GHz sampling A-to-D in HTS. The 15-junction single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuit, fabricated using an epitaxial multilayer HTS process with YBCO/Co-YBCO/YBCO edge junctions, was internally clocked at 27 GHz and used to convert a 5.01 MHz signal. The modulator demonstrated a spur-free dynamic range of more than 75 dB. Two-tone measurements with 5.01 MHz and 5.51 MHz signals demonstrated third-order intermodulation products to be lower than -59 dBc. Demonstration of a functional HTS modulator represents a significant milestone in the development of high dynamic range ADCs suitable for such applications as surveillance radar. (author)

Decrease in plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at puberty in boys with delayed adolescence: correlation with plasma testosterone levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirkland, R.T.; Keenan, B.S.; Probstfield, J.L.; Patsch, W.; Lin, T.L.; Clayton, G.W.; Insull, W. Jr.

1987-01-01

A three-phase study tested the hypothesis that the decrease in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level observed in boys at puberty is related to an increase in the plasma testosterone concentration. In phase I, 57 boys aged 10 to 17 years were categorized into four pubertal stages based on clinical parameters and plasma testosterone levels. These four groups showed increasing plasma testosterone values and decreasing HDL-C levels. In phase II, 14 boys with delayed adolescence were treated with testosterone enanthate. Plasma testosterone levels during therapy were in the adult male range. Levels of HDL-C decreased by a mean of 7.4 mg/dL (0.20 mmol/L) and 13.7 mg/dL (0.35 mmol/L), respectively, after the first two doses. In phase III, 13 boys with delayed adolescence demonstrated increasing plasma testosterone levels and decreasing HDL-C levels during spontaneous puberty. Levels of HDL-C and apolipoprotein A-1 were correlated during induced and spontaneous puberty. Testosterone should be considered a significant determinant of plasma HDL-C levels during pubertal development

High-Rate Field Demonstration of Large-Alphabet Quantum Key Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-12

count rate of Bob’s detectors. In this detector-limited regime , it is advantageous to increase M to encode as much information as possible in each...High- rate field demonstration of large-alphabet quantum key distribution Catherine Lee,1, 2 Darius Bunandar,1 Zheshen Zhang,1 Gregory R. Steinbrecher...October 12, 2016) 2 Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables secure symmetric key exchange for information-theoretically secure com- munication via one-time

Selectivity in Postencoding Connectivity with High-Level Visual Cortex Is Associated with Reward-Motivated Memory

OpenAIRE

Murty, Vishnu P.; Tompary, Alexa; Adcock, R. Alison; Davachi, Lila

2017-01-01

Reward motivation has been demonstrated to enhance declarative memory by facilitating systems-level consolidation. Although high-reward information is often intermixed with lower reward information during an experience, memory for high value information is prioritized. How is this selectivity achieved? One possibility is that postencoding consolidation processes bias memory strengthening to those representations associated with higher reward. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the influ...

High levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced immunoglobulin G2 are associated with lower high-density lipoprotein levels in chronic periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ardila, Carlos M; Guzmán, Isabel C

2016-11-01

To investigate the association between the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced immunoglobulin G antibodies and the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level. A total of 108 individuals were examined. The presence of P. gingivalis was detected using primers designed to target the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Peripheral blood was collected from each subject to determine the levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG1 and IgG2 serum antibodies. The HDL levels were determined using fully enzymatic methods. A higher proportion of periodontitis patients had high levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG1 and IgG2, and the proportion of subjects with a HDL level of chronic periodontitis patients. In the unadjusted regression model, the presence of high levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG2 was associated with a HDL level of periodontitis patients with high levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG2 showed 3.2 more chances of having pathological HDL levels (odds ratio = 3.2, 95% confidence interval = 1.2-9.8). High levels of P. gingivalis-induced IgG2 were associated with low HDL concentrations in patients with periodontitis, which suggests that the response of the host to periodontal infection may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Evaluation of high-level waste pretreatment processes with an approximate reasoning model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bott, T.F.; Eisenhawer, S.W.; Agnew, S.F.

1999-01-01

The development of an approximate-reasoning (AR)-based model to analyze pretreatment options for high-level waste is presented. AR methods are used to emulate the processes used by experts in arriving at a judgment. In this paper, the authors first consider two specific issues in applying AR to the analysis of pretreatment options. They examine how to combine quantitative and qualitative evidence to infer the acceptability of a process result using the example of cesium content in low-level waste. They then demonstrate the use of simple physical models to structure expert elicitation and to produce inferences consistent with a problem involving waste particle size effects

Near-surface storage facilities for vitrified high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondrat'ev, A.N.; Kulichenko, V.V.; Kryukov, I.I.; Krylova, N.V.; Paramoshkin, V.I.; Strakhov, M.V.

1980-01-01

Concurrently with the development of methods for solidifying liquid radioactive wastes, reliable and safe methods for the storage and disposal of solidified wastes are being devised in the USSR and other countries. One of the main factors affecting the choice of storage conditions for solidified wastes originating from the vitrification of high-level liquid wastes from fuel reprocessing plants is the problem of removing the heat produced by radioactive decay. In order to prevent the temperature of solidified wastes from exceeding the maximum permissible level for the material concerned, it is necessary to limit either the capacity of waste containers or the specific heat release of the wastes themselves. In order that disposal of high-level wastes in geological formations should be reliable and economic, solidified wastes undergo interim storage in near-surface storage facilities with engineered cooling systems. The paper demonstrates the relative influences of specific heat release, of the maximum permissible storage temperature for vitrified wastes and of the methods chosen for cooling wastes in order for the dimensions of waste containers to be reduced to the extent required. The effect of concentrating wastes to a given level in the vitrification process on the cost of storage in different types of storage facility is also examined. Calculations were performed for the amount of vitrified wastes produced by a reprocessing plant with a capacity of five tonnes of uranium per 24 hours. Fuel elements from reactors of the water-cooled, water-moderated type are sent for reprocessing after having been held for about two years. The dimensions of the storage facility are calculated on the assumption that it will take five years to fill

Experimental demonstration of high fidelity entanglement distribution over decoherence channels via qubit transduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Hyang-Tag; Hong, Kang-Hee; Kim, Yoon-Ho

2015-10-21

Quantum coherence and entanglement, which are essential resources for quantum information, are often degraded and lost due to decoherence. Here, we report a proof-of-principle experimental demonstration of high fidelity entanglement distribution over decoherence channels via qubit transduction. By unitarily switching the initial qubit encoding to another, which is insensitive to particular forms of decoherence, we have demonstrated that it is possible to avoid the effect of decoherence completely. In particular, we demonstrate high-fidelity distribution of photonic polarization entanglement over quantum channels with two types of decoherence, amplitude damping and polarization-mode dispersion, via qubit transduction between polarization qubits and dual-rail qubits. These results represent a significant breakthrough in quantum communication over decoherence channels as the protocol is input-state independent, requires no ancillary photons and symmetries, and has near-unity success probability.

Evaluation of the FIR Example using Xilinx Vivado High-Level Synthesis Compiler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Zheming [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Finkel, Hal [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Yoshii, Kazutomo [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Cappello, Franck [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2017-07-28

Compared to central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have major advantages in reconfigurability and performance achieved per watt. This development flow has been augmented with high-level synthesis (HLS) flow that can convert programs written in a high-level programming language to Hardware Description Language (HDL). Using high-level programming languages such as C, C++, and OpenCL for FPGA-based development could allow software developers, who have little FPGA knowledge, to take advantage of the FPGA-based application acceleration. This improves developer productivity and makes the FPGA-based acceleration accessible to hardware and software developers. Xilinx Vivado HLS compiler is a high-level synthesis tool that enables C, C++ and System C specification to be directly targeted into Xilinx FPGAs without the need to create RTL manually. The white paper [1] published recently by Xilinx uses a finite impulse response (FIR) example to demonstrate the variable-precision features in the Vivado HLS compiler and the resource and power benefits of converting floating point to fixed point for a design. To get a better understanding of variable-precision features in terms of resource usage and performance, this report presents the experimental results of evaluating the FIR example using Vivado HLS 2017.1 and a Kintex Ultrascale FPGA. In addition, we evaluated the half-precision floating-point data type against the double-precision and single-precision data type and present the detailed results.

DESIGN ANALYSIS FOR THE DEFENSE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL CONTAINER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radulesscu, G.; Tang, J.S.

2000-01-01

The purpose of ''Design Analysis for the Defense High-Level Waste Disposal Container'' analysis is to technically define the defense high-level waste (DHLW) disposal container/waste package using the Waste Package Department's (WPD) design methods, as documented in ''Waste Package Design Methodology Report'' (CRWMS M andO [Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management and Operating Contractor] 2000a). The DHLW disposal container is intended for disposal of commercial high-level waste (HLW) and DHLW (including immobilized plutonium waste forms), placed within disposable canisters. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-managed spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in disposable canisters may also be placed in a DHLW disposal container along with HLW forms. The objective of this analysis is to demonstrate that the DHLW disposal container/waste package satisfies the project requirements, as embodied in Defense High Level Waste Disposal Container System Description Document (SDD) (CRWMS M andO 1999a), and additional criteria, as identified in Waste Package Design Sensitivity Report (CRWMS M andQ 2000b, Table 4). The analysis briefly describes the analytical methods appropriate for the design of the DHLW disposal contained waste package, and summarizes the results of the calculations that illustrate the analytical methods. However, the analysis is limited to the calculations selected for the DHLW disposal container in support of the Site Recommendation (SR) (CRWMS M andO 2000b, Section 7). The scope of this analysis is restricted to the design of the codisposal waste package of the Savannah River Site (SRS) DHLW glass canisters and the Training, Research, Isotopes General Atomics (TRIGA) SNF loaded in a short 18-in.-outer diameter (OD) DOE standardized SNF canister. This waste package is representative of the waste packages that consist of the DHLW disposal container, the DHLW/HLW glass canisters, and the DOE-managed SNF in disposable canisters. The intended use of this

DESIGN ANALYSIS FOR THE DEFENSE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL CONTAINER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. Radulesscu; J.S. Tang

2000-06-07

The purpose of ''Design Analysis for the Defense High-Level Waste Disposal Container'' analysis is to technically define the defense high-level waste (DHLW) disposal container/waste package using the Waste Package Department's (WPD) design methods, as documented in ''Waste Package Design Methodology Report'' (CRWMS M&O [Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management and Operating Contractor] 2000a). The DHLW disposal container is intended for disposal of commercial high-level waste (HLW) and DHLW (including immobilized plutonium waste forms), placed within disposable canisters. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-managed spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in disposable canisters may also be placed in a DHLW disposal container along with HLW forms. The objective of this analysis is to demonstrate that the DHLW disposal container/waste package satisfies the project requirements, as embodied in Defense High Level Waste Disposal Container System Description Document (SDD) (CRWMS M&O 1999a), and additional criteria, as identified in Waste Package Design Sensitivity Report (CRWMS M&Q 2000b, Table 4). The analysis briefly describes the analytical methods appropriate for the design of the DHLW disposal contained waste package, and summarizes the results of the calculations that illustrate the analytical methods. However, the analysis is limited to the calculations selected for the DHLW disposal container in support of the Site Recommendation (SR) (CRWMS M&O 2000b, Section 7). The scope of this analysis is restricted to the design of the codisposal waste package of the Savannah River Site (SRS) DHLW glass canisters and the Training, Research, Isotopes General Atomics (TRIGA) SNF loaded in a short 18-in.-outer diameter (OD) DOE standardized SNF canister. This waste package is representative of the waste packages that consist of the DHLW disposal container, the DHLW/HLW glass canisters, and the DOE-managed SNF in disposable

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

A Simple Demonstration of the High-Temperature Electrical Conductivity of Glass

Science.gov (United States)

Chiaverina, Chris

2014-01-01

We usually think of glass as a good electrical insulator; this, however, is not always the case. There are several ways to show that glass becomes conducting at high temperatures, but the following approach, devised by Brown University demonstration manager Gerald Zani, may be one of the simplest to perform.

High-resolution phenotypic profiling of natural products-induced effects on the single-cell level

KAUST Repository

Kremb, Stephan Georg

2017-03-15

Natural products (NPs) are highly evolved molecules making them a valuable resource for new therapeutics. Here we demonstrate the usefulness of broad-spectrum phenotypic profiling of NP-induced perturbations on single cells with imaging-based High-Content Screening to inform on physiology, mechanisms-of-actions, and multi-level toxicity. Our technology platform aims at broad applicability using a comprehensive marker panel with standardized settings streamlined towards an easy implementation in laboratories dedicated to natural products research.

High-Level Application Framework for LCLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, P; Chevtsov, S.; Fairley, D.; Larrieu, C.; Rock, J.; Rogind, D.; White, G.; Zalazny, M.; /SLAC

2008-04-22

A framework for high level accelerator application software is being developed for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). The framework is based on plug-in technology developed by an open source project, Eclipse. Many existing functionalities provided by Eclipse are available to high-level applications written within this framework. The framework also contains static data storage configuration and dynamic data connectivity. Because the framework is Eclipse-based, it is highly compatible with any other Eclipse plug-ins. The entire infrastructure of the software framework will be presented. Planned applications and plug-ins based on the framework are also presented.

Site selection procedure for high level radioactive waste disposal in Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evstatiev, D.; Vachev, B.

1993-01-01

A combined site selection approach is implemented. Bulgaria's territory has been classified in three categories, presented on a 1:500000 scale map. The number of suitable sites has been reduced to 20 using the method of successive screening. The formulated site selection problem is a typical discrete multi-criteria decision making problem under uncertainty. A 5-level procedure using Expert Choice Rating and relative models is created. It is a part of a common procedure for evaluation and choice of variants for high level radwaste disposal construction. On this basis 7-8 more preferable sites are demonstrated. A new knowledge and information about the relative importance of the criteria and their subsets, about the level of criteria uncertainty and the reliability are gained. It is very useful for planning and managing of the next final stages of the site selection procedure. 7 figs., 8 refs., 4 suppls. (author)

General Algorithm (High level)

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. General Algorithm (High level). Iteratively. Use Tightness Property to remove points of P1,..,Pi. Use random sampling to get a Random Sample (of enough points) from the next largest cluster, Pi+1. Use the Random Sampling Procedure to approximate ci+1 using the ...

High-level radioactive waste glass and storage canister design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slate, S.C.; Ross, W.A.

1979-01-01

Management of high-level radioactive wastes is a primary concern in nuclear operations today. The main objective in managing these wastes is to convert them into a solid, durable form which is then isolated from man. A description is given of the design and evaluation of this waste form. The waste form has two main components: the solidified waste and the storage canister. The solid waste form discussed in this study is glass. Waste glasses have been designed to be inert to water attack, physically rugged, low in volatility, and stable over time. Two glass-making processes are under development at PNL. The storage canister is being designed to provide high-integrity containment for solidified wastes from processing to terminal storage. An outline is given of the steps in canister design: material selection, stress and thermal analyses, quality verification, and postfill processing. Examples are given of results obtained from actual nonradioactive demonstration tests. 14 refs

High-level fluorescence labeling of gram-positive pathogens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Aymanns

Full Text Available Fluorescence labeling of bacterial pathogens has a broad range of interesting applications including the observation of living bacteria within host cells. We constructed a novel vector based on the E. coli streptococcal shuttle plasmid pAT28 that can propagate in numerous bacterial species from different genera. The plasmid harbors a promoterless copy of the green fluorescent variant gene egfp under the control of the CAMP-factor gene (cfb promoter of Streptococcus agalactiae and was designated pBSU101. Upon transfer of the plasmid into streptococci, the bacteria show a distinct and easily detectable fluorescence using a standard fluorescence microscope and quantification by FACS-analysis demonstrated values that were 10-50 times increased over the respective controls. To assess the suitability of the construct for high efficiency fluorescence labeling in different gram-positive pathogens, numerous species were transformed. We successfully labeled Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus anginosus and Staphylococcus aureus strains utilizing the EGFP reporter plasmid pBSU101. In all of these species the presence of the cfb promoter construct resulted in high-level EGFP expression that could be further increased by growing the streptococcal and enterococcal cultures under high oxygen conditions through continuous aeration.

Thermo-aeraulics of high level waste storage facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagrave, Herve; Gaillard, Jean-Philippe; Laurent, Franck; Ranc, Guillaume; Duret, Bernard

2006-01-01

This paper discusses the research undertaken in response to axis 3 of the 1991 radioactive waste management act, and possible solutions concerning the processes under consideration for conditioning and long-term interim storage of long-lived radioactive waste. The notion of 'long-term' is evaluated with respect to the usual operating lifetime of a basic nuclear installation, about 50 years. In this context, 'long-term' is defined on a secular time scale: the lifetime of the facility could be as long as 300 years. The waste package taken into account is characterized notably by its high thermal power release. Studies were carried out in dedicated facilities for vitrified waste and for spent UOX and MOX fuel. The latter are not considered as wastes, owing to the value of the reusable material they contain. Three primary objectives have guided the design of these long-term interim storage facilities: - ensure radionuclide containment at all times; - permit retrieval of the containers at any time; - minimize surveillance; - maintenance costs. The CEA has also investigated surface and subsurface facilities. It was decided to work on generic sites with a reasonable set of parameters values that should be applicable at most sites in France. All the studies and demonstrations to date lead to the conclusion that long-term interim storage is technically feasible. The paper addresses the following items: - Long-term interim storage concepts for high-level waste; - Design principles and options for the interim storage facilities; - General architecture; - Research topics, Storage facility ventilation, Dimensioning of the facility; - Thermo-aeraulics of a surface interim storage facility; - VALIDA surface loop, VALIDA single container test campaign, Continuation of the VALIDA program; - Thermo-aeraulics of a network of subsurface interim storage galleries; - SIGAL subsurface loop; - PROMETHEE subsurface loop; - Temperature behaviour of the concrete structures; - GALATEE

Thermo-aeraulics of high level waste storage facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lagrave, Herve; Gaillard, Jean-Philippe; Laurent, Franck; Ranc, Guillaume [CEA/Valrho, B.P. 17171, F-30207 Bagnols-sur-Ceze (France); Duret, Bernard [CEA Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble cedex 9 (France)

2006-07-01

This paper discusses the research undertaken in response to axis 3 of the 1991 radioactive waste management act, and possible solutions concerning the processes under consideration for conditioning and long-term interim storage of long-lived radioactive waste. The notion of 'long-term' is evaluated with respect to the usual operating lifetime of a basic nuclear installation, about 50 years. In this context, 'long-term' is defined on a secular time scale: the lifetime of the facility could be as long as 300 years. The waste package taken into account is characterized notably by its high thermal power release. Studies were carried out in dedicated facilities for vitrified waste and for spent UOX and MOX fuel. The latter are not considered as wastes, owing to the value of the reusable material they contain. Three primary objectives have guided the design of these long-term interim storage facilities: - ensure radionuclide containment at all times; - permit retrieval of the containers at any time; - minimize surveillance; - maintenance costs. The CEA has also investigated surface and subsurface facilities. It was decided to work on generic sites with a reasonable set of parameters values that should be applicable at most sites in France. All the studies and demonstrations to date lead to the conclusion that long-term interim storage is technically feasible. The paper addresses the following items: - Long-term interim storage concepts for high-level waste; - Design principles and options for the interim storage facilities; - General architecture; - Research topics, Storage facility ventilation, Dimensioning of the facility; - Thermo-aeraulics of a surface interim storage facility; - VALIDA surface loop, VALIDA single container test campaign, Continuation of the VALIDA program; - Thermo-aeraulics of a network of subsurface interim storage galleries; - SIGAL subsurface loop; - PROMETHEE subsurface loop; - Temperature behaviour of the concrete

Partitioning of high level liquid waste: experiences in plant level adoption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manohar, Smitha; Kaushik, C.P.

2016-01-01

High Level Radioactive Wastes are presently vitrified in borosilicate matrices in all our back end facilities in our country. This is in accordance with internationally endorsed methodology for the safe management of high level radioactive wastes. Recent advancements in the field of partitioning technology in our group, has presented us with an opportunity to have a fresh perspective on management of high level liquid radioactive wastes streams, that emanate from reprocessing operations. This paper will highlight our experiences with respect to both partitioning studies and vitrification practices, with a focus on waste volume reduction for final disposal. Incorporation of this technique has led to the implementation of the concept of recovering wealth from waste, a marked decrease on the load of disposal in deep geological repositories and serve as a step towards the vision of transmutation of long lived radionuclides

High sensitivity optical fiber liquid level sensor based on a compact MMF-HCF-FBG structure

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yunshan; Zhang, Weigang; Chen, Lei; Zhang, Yanxin; Wang, Song; Yan, Tieyi

2018-05-01

An ultra-high sensitivity fiber liquid level sensor based on wavelength demodulation is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor is composed of a segment of multimode fiber and a large aperture hollow-core fiber assisted by a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). Interference occurs due to core mismatching and different modes with different effective refractive indices. The experimental results show that the liquid level sensitivity of the sensor is 1.145 nm mm‑1, and the linearity is up to 0.996. The dynamic temperature compensation of the sensor can be achieved by cascading an FBG. Considering the high sensitivity and compact structure of the sensor, it can be used for real-time intelligent monitoring of tiny changes in liquid level.

Acute stress induces hyperacusis in women with high levels of emotional exhaustion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Hasson

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hearing problems is one of the top ten public health disorders in the general population and there is a well-established relationship between stress and hearing problems. The aim of the present study was to explore if an acute stress will increase auditory sensitivity (hyperacusis in individuals with high levels of emotional exhaustion (EE. METHODS: Hyperacusis was assessed using uncomfortable loudness levels (ULL in 348 individuals (140 men; 208 women; age 23-71 years. Multivariate analyses (ordered logistic regression, were used to calculate odds ratios, including interacting or confounding effects of age, gender, ear wax and hearing loss (PTA. Two-way ANCOVAs were used to assess possible differences in mean ULLs between EE groups pre- and post-acute stress task (a combination of cold pressor, emotional Stroop and Social stress/video recording. RESULTS: There were no baseline differences in mean ULLs between the three EE groups (one-way ANOVA. However, after the acute stress exposure there were significant differences in ULL means between the EE-groups in women. Post-hoc analyses showed that the differences in mean ULLs were between those with high vs. low EE (range 5.5-6.5 dB. Similar results were found for frequencies 0.5 and 1 kHz. The results demonstrate that women with high EE-levels display hyperacusis after an acute stress task. The odds of having hyperacusis were 2.5 (2 kHz, right ear; left ns and 2.2 (4 kHz, right ear; left ns times higher among those with high EE compared to those with low levels. All these results are adjusted for age, hearing loss and ear wax. CONCLUSION: Women with high levels of emotional exhaustion become more sensitive to sound after an acute stress task. This novel finding highlights the importance of including emotional exhaustion in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing problems.

Acute stress induces hyperacusis in women with high levels of emotional exhaustion.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasson, Dan; Theorell, Töres; Bergquist, Jonas; Canlon, Barbara

2013-01-01

Hearing problems is one of the top ten public health disorders in the general population and there is a well-established relationship between stress and hearing problems. The aim of the present study was to explore if an acute stress will increase auditory sensitivity (hyperacusis) in individuals with high levels of emotional exhaustion (EE). Hyperacusis was assessed using uncomfortable loudness levels (ULL) in 348 individuals (140 men; 208 women; age 23-71 years). Multivariate analyses (ordered logistic regression), were used to calculate odds ratios, including interacting or confounding effects of age, gender, ear wax and hearing loss (PTA). Two-way ANCOVAs were used to assess possible differences in mean ULLs between EE groups pre- and post-acute stress task (a combination of cold pressor, emotional Stroop and Social stress/video recording). There were no baseline differences in mean ULLs between the three EE groups (one-way ANOVA). However, after the acute stress exposure there were significant differences in ULL means between the EE-groups in women. Post-hoc analyses showed that the differences in mean ULLs were between those with high vs. low EE (range 5.5-6.5 dB). Similar results were found for frequencies 0.5 and 1 kHz. The results demonstrate that women with high EE-levels display hyperacusis after an acute stress task. The odds of having hyperacusis were 2.5 (2 kHz, right ear; left ns) and 2.2 (4 kHz, right ear; left ns) times higher among those with high EE compared to those with low levels. All these results are adjusted for age, hearing loss and ear wax. Women with high levels of emotional exhaustion become more sensitive to sound after an acute stress task. This novel finding highlights the importance of including emotional exhaustion in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing problems.

CALDERON COKEMAKING PROCESS/DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albert Calderon

1998-01-01

This project deals with the demonstration of a coking process using proprietary technology of Calderon, with the following objectives geared to facilitate commercialization: (1) making coke of such quality as to be suitable for use in hard-driving, large blast furnaces; (2) providing proof that such process is continuous and environmentally closed to prevent emissions; (3) demonstrating that high-coking-pressure (non-traditional) coal blends which cannot be safely charged into conventional by-product coke ovens can be used in the Calderon process; and (4) demonstrating that coke can be produced economically, at a level competitive with coke imports. The activities of the past quarter were focused on the following: Conducting bench-scale tests to produce coke and acceptable tar from the process to satisfy Koppers, a prospective stakeholder; Consolidation of the project team players to execute the full size commercial cokemaking reactor demonstration; and Progress made in advancing the design of the full size commercial cokemaking reactor

CALDERON COKEMAKING PROCESS/DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albert Calderon

1999-01-01

This project deals with the demonstration of a coking process using proprietary technology of Calderon, with the following objectives geared to facilitate commercialization: (1) making coke of such quality as to be suitable for use in hard-driving, large blast furnaces; (2) providing proof that such process is continuous and environmentally closed to prevent emissions; (3) demonstrating that high-coking-pressure (non-traditional) coal blends which cannot be safely charged into conventional by-product coke ovens can be used in the Calderon process; and (4) demonstrating that coke can be produced economically, at a level competitive with coke imports. The activities of the past quarter were focused on the following: Consolidation of the team of stakeholders; Move the site for the commercial demonstration to LTV Steel, Cleveland, Ohio; Permitting for new site; Site specific engineering; Cost update of the project as it relates to the Cleveland location; FETC update; DCAA audit; and Updated endorsement of Calderon process by Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA, Region 5

Optimizing High Level Waste Disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dirk Gombert

2005-01-01

If society is ever to reap the potential benefits of nuclear energy, technologists must close the fuel-cycle completely. A closed cycle equates to a continued supply of fuel and safe reactors, but also reliable and comprehensive closure of waste issues. High level waste (HLW) disposal in borosilicate glass (BSG) is based on 1970s era evaluations. This host matrix is very adaptable to sequestering a wide variety of radionuclides found in raffinates from spent fuel reprocessing. However, it is now known that the current system is far from optimal for disposal of the diverse HLW streams, and proven alternatives are available to reduce costs by billions of dollars. The basis for HLW disposal should be reassessed to consider extensive waste form and process technology research and development efforts, which have been conducted by the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), international agencies and the private sector. Matching the waste form to the waste chemistry and using currently available technology could increase the waste content in waste forms to 50% or more and double processing rates. Optimization of the HLW disposal system would accelerate HLW disposition and increase repository capacity. This does not necessarily require developing new waste forms, the emphasis should be on qualifying existing matrices to demonstrate protection equal to or better than the baseline glass performance. Also, this proposed effort does not necessarily require developing new technology concepts. The emphasis is on demonstrating existing technology that is clearly better (reliability, productivity, cost) than current technology, and justifying its use in future facilities or retrofitted facilities. Higher waste processing and disposal efficiency can be realized by performing the engineering analyses and trade-studies necessary to select the most efficient methods for processing the full spectrum of wastes across the nuclear complex. This paper will describe technologies being

Predictors of Placement in Lower Level versus Higher Level High School Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Archbald, Doug; Farley-Ripple, Elizabeth N.

2012-01-01

Educators and researchers have long been interested in determinants of access to honors level and college prep courses in high school. Factors influencing access to upper level mathematics courses are particularly important because of the hierarchical and sequential nature of this subject and because students who finish high school with only lower…

Separating and stabilizing phosphate from high-level radioactive waste: process development and spectroscopic monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Lumetta, Gregg J; Braley, Jenifer C; Peterson, James M; Bryan, Samuel A; Levitskaia, Tatiana G

2012-06-05

Removing phosphate from alkaline high-level waste sludges at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State is necessary to increase the waste loading in the borosilicate glass waste form that will be used to immobilize the highly radioactive fraction of these wastes. We are developing a process which first leaches phosphate from the high-level waste solids with aqueous sodium hydroxide, and then isolates the phosphate by precipitation with calcium oxide. Tests with actual tank waste confirmed that this process is an effective method of phosphate removal from the sludge and offers an additional option for managing the phosphorus in the Hanford tank waste solids. The presence of vibrationally active species, such as nitrate and phosphate ions, in the tank waste processing streams makes the phosphate removal process an ideal candidate for monitoring by Raman or infrared spectroscopic means. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were acquired for all phases during a test of the process with actual tank waste. Quantitative determination of phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate in the liquid phases was achieved by Raman spectroscopy, demonstrating the applicability of Raman spectroscopy for the monitoring of these species in the tank waste process streams.

High-Level Development of Multiserver Online Games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Glinka

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Multiplayer online games with support for high user numbers must provide mechanisms to support an increasing amount of players by using additional resources. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the practically proven multiserver distribution mechanisms, zoning, instancing, and replication, and the tasks for the game developer implied by them. We propose a novel, high-level development approach which integrates the three distribution mechanisms seamlessly in today's online games. As a possible base for this high-level approach, we describe the real-time framework (RTF middleware system which liberates the developer from low-level tasks and allows him to stay at high level of design abstraction. We explain how RTF supports the implementation of single-server online games and how RTF allows to incorporate the three multiserver distribution mechanisms during the development process. Finally, we describe briefly how RTF provides manageability and maintenance functionality for online games in a grid context with dynamic resource allocation scenarios.

Long-term high-level waste technology program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-04-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting a comprehensive program to isolate all US nuclear wastes from the human environment. The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy - Waste (NEW) has full responsibility for managing the high-level wastes resulting from defense activities and additional responsiblity for providing the technology to manage existing commercial high-level wastes and any that may be generated in one of several alternative fuel cycles. Responsibilities of the Three Divisions of DOE-NEW are shown. This strategy document presents the research and development plan of the Division of Waste Products for long-term immobilization of the high-level radioactive wastes resulting from chemical processing of nuclear reactor fuels and targets. These high-level wastes contain more than 99% of the residual radionuclides produced in the fuels and targets during reactor operations. They include essentially all the fission products and most of the actinides that were not recovered for use

High-Level Radioactive Waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayden, Howard C.

1995-01-01

Presents a method to calculate the amount of high-level radioactive waste by taking into consideration the following factors: the fission process that yields the waste, identification of the waste, the energy required to run a 1-GWe plant for one year, and the uranium mass required to produce that energy. Briefly discusses waste disposal and…

High-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grissom, M.C.

1982-10-01

This bibliography contains 812 citations on high-level radioactive wastes included in the Department of Energy's Energy Data Base from January 1981 through July 1982. These citations are to research reports, journal articles, books, patents, theses, and conference papers from worldwide sources. Five indexes are provided: Corporate Author, Personal Author, Subject, Contract Number, and Report Number

In-Use Evaluation of Peracetic Acid for High-Level Disinfection of Endoscopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chenjiao, Wu; Hongyan, Zhang; Qing, Gu; Xiaoqi, Zhong; Liying, Gu; Ying, Fang

2016-01-01

Many high-level disinfectants have been used for disinfection of endoscopes such as 2% glutaraldehyde (GA), 0.55% ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), and peracetic acid (PAA). Both GA and OPA are widely used in disinfection of endoscopes and have been previously discussed, but there is little research on the practical use of PAA as an endoscope disinfectant. An experimental model of a flexible gastrointestinal endoscope being contaminated with 9 strains of microorganism was designed. After the cleaning and disinfecting procedure was completed, we evaluated the biocidal activity (850 ppm PAA, 2% GA, and 0.55% OPA) on our flexible gastrointestinal endoscope model. We also evaluated sterilization effectiveness of PAA on other bacteria, including some antibiotic-resistant bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and Clostridium difficile). The residual bacterial colony count number of the PAA-disinfected endoscope was significantly lower than that of the GA- and OPA-disinfected endoscopes. The biocidal effect and efficiency of the endoscope disinfection by PAA appeared to be better than either the GA- or OPA-disinfected endoscope. PAA has demonstrated a good sterilization effect on other bacterial species; of particular note are common antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and Clostridium difficile. The results of this study demonstrate that PAA is a fast and effective high-level disinfectant for use in the reprocessing of flexible endoscopes.

Dynamic nuclear polarization at high Landau levels in a quantum point contact

Science.gov (United States)

Fauzi, M. H.; Noorhidayati, A.; Sahdan, M. F.; Sato, K.; Nagase, K.; Hirayama, Y.

2018-05-01

We demonstrate a way to polarize and detect nuclear spin in a gate-defined quantum point contact operating at high Landau levels. Resistively detected nuclear magnetic resonance (RDNMR) can be achieved up to the fifth Landau level and at a magnetic field lower than 1 T. We are able to retain the RDNMR signals in a condition where the spin degeneracy of the first one-dimensional (1D) subband is still preserved. Furthermore, the effects of orbital motion on the first 1D subband can be made smaller than those due to electrostatic confinement. This developed RDNMR technique is a promising means to study electronic states in a quantum point contact near zero magnetic field.

Process for solidifying high-level nuclear waste

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Wayne A.

1978-01-01

The addition of a small amount of reducing agent to a mixture of a high-level radioactive waste calcine and glass frit before the mixture is melted will produce a more homogeneous glass which is leach-resistant and suitable for long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste products.

Characteristics of solidified high-level waste products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

The object of the report is to contribute to the establishment of a data bank for future preparation of codes of practice and standards for the management of high-level wastes. The work currently in progress on measuring the properties of solidified high-level wastes is being studied

High-level waste immobilization program: an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonner, W.R.

1979-09-01

The High-Level Waste Immobilization Program is providing technology to allow safe, affordable immobilization and disposal of nuclear waste. Waste forms and processes are being developed on a schedule consistent with national needs for immobilization of high-level wastes stored at Savannah River, Hanford, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and West Valley, New York. This technology is directly applicable to high-level wastes from potential reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The program is removing one more obstacle previously seen as a potential restriction on the use and further development of nuclear power, and is thus meeting a critical technological need within the national objective of energy independence

National high-level waste systems analysis report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kristofferson, K.; Oholleran, T.P.; Powell, R.H.

1995-09-01

This report documents the assessment of budgetary impacts, constraints, and repository availability on the storage and treatment of high-level waste and on both existing and pending negotiated milestones. The impacts of the availabilities of various treatment systems on schedule and throughput at four Department of Energy sites are compared to repository readiness in order to determine the prudent application of resources. The information modeled for each of these sites is integrated with a single national model. The report suggests a high-level-waste model that offers a national perspective on all high-level waste treatment and storage systems managed by the Department of Energy.

National high-level waste systems analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristofferson, K.; Oholleran, T.P.; Powell, R.H.

1995-09-01

This report documents the assessment of budgetary impacts, constraints, and repository availability on the storage and treatment of high-level waste and on both existing and pending negotiated milestones. The impacts of the availabilities of various treatment systems on schedule and throughput at four Department of Energy sites are compared to repository readiness in order to determine the prudent application of resources. The information modeled for each of these sites is integrated with a single national model. The report suggests a high-level-waste model that offers a national perspective on all high-level waste treatment and storage systems managed by the Department of Energy

Experimental demonstration of high resolution three-dimensional x-ray holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNulty, I.; Trebes, J.E.; Brase, J.M.; Yorkey, T.J.; Levesque, R.; Szoke, H.; Anderson, E.H.; Jacobsen, C.

1992-01-01

Tomographic x-ray holography may make possible the imaging of biological objects at high resolution in three dimensions. We performed a demonstration experiment with soft x-rays to explore the feasibility of this technique. Coherent 3.2-nm undulator radiation was used to record Fourier transform holograms of a microfabricated test object from various illumination angles. The holograms were numerically reconstructed according to the principles of diffraction tomography, yielding images of the object that are well resolved in three dimensions

Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Demonstration Reactor Point Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qualls, A. L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brown, Nicholas R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Betzler, Benjamin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Carbajo, Juan [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hale, Richard Edward [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Harrison, Thomas J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Powers, Jeffrey J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Robb, Kevin R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Terrell, Jerry W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wysocki, Aaron J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-02-01

The fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) demonstration reactor (DR) is a concept for a salt-cooled reactor with 100 megawatts of thermal output (MWt). It would use tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel within prismatic graphite blocks. FLiBe (2 LiF-BeF₂) is the reference primary coolant. The FHR DR is designed to be small, simple, and affordable. Development of the FHR DR is a necessary intermediate step to enable near-term commercial FHRs. Lower risk technologies are purposely included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated within an acceptable budget and schedule. These technologies include TRISO particle fuel, replaceable core structural material, the use of that same material for the primary and intermediate loops, and tube-and-shell primary-to-intermediate heat exchangers. Several preconceptual and conceptual design efforts that have been conducted on FHR concepts bear a significant influence on the FHR DR design. Specific designs include the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) advanced high-temperature reactor (AHTR) with 3400/1500 MWt/megawatts of electric output (MWe), as well as a 125 MWt small modular AHTR (SmAHTR) from ORNL. Other important examples are the Mk1 pebble bed FHR (PB-FHR) concept from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), and an FHR test reactor design developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The MIT FHR test reactor is based on a prismatic fuel platform and is directly relevant to the present FHR DR design effort. These FHR concepts are based on reasonable assumptions for credible commercial prototypes. The FHR DR concept also directly benefits from the operating experience of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE), as well as the detailed design efforts for a large molten salt reactor concept and its breeder variant, the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor. The FHR DR technology is most representative of the 3400 MWt AHTR

Overview: Defense high-level waste technology program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shupe, M.W.; Turner, D.A.

1987-01-01

Defense high-level waste generated by atomic energy defense activities is stored on an interim basis at three U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) operating locations; the Savannah River Plant in South Carolina, the Hanford Site in Washington, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory in Idaho. Responsibility for the permanent disposal of this waste resides with DOE's Office of Defense Waste and Transportation Management. The objective of the Defense High-Level Wast Technology Program is to develop the technology for ending interim storage and achieving permanent disposal of all U.S. defense high-level waste. New and readily retrievable high-level waste are immobilized for disposal in a geologic repository. Other high-level waste will be stabilized in-place if, after completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, it is determined, on a site-specific basis, that this option is safe, cost effective and environmentally sound. The immediate program focus is on implementing the waste disposal strategy selected in compliance with the NEPA process at Savannah River, while continuing progress toward development of final waste disposal strategies at Hanford and Idaho. This paper presents an overview of the technology development program which supports these waste management activities and an assessment of the impact that recent and anticipated legal and institutional developments are expected to have on the program

Disposal of high-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasby, G.P.

1977-01-01

Although controversy surrounding the possible introduction of nuclear power into New Zealand has raised many points including radiation hazards, reactor safety, capital costs, sources of uranium and earthquake risks on the one hand versus energy conservation and alternative sources of energy on the other, one problem remains paramount and is of global significance - the storage and dumping of the high-level radioactive wastes of the reactor core. The generation of abundant supplies of energy now in return for the storage of these long-lived highly radioactive wastes has been dubbed the so-called Faustian bargain. This article discusses the growth of the nuclear industry and its implications to high-level waste disposal particularly in the deep-sea bed. (auth.)

Post Irradiation Examination Plan for High-Burnup Demonstration Project Sister Rods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scaglione, John M [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Montgomery, Rose [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bevard, Bruce Balkcom [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-04-01

This test plan describes the experimental work to be implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to characterize high burnup (HBU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in conjunction with the High Burnup Dry Storage Cask Research and Development Project and serves to coordinate and integrate the multi-year experimental program to collect and develop data regarding the continued storage and eventual transport of HBU (i.e., >45 GWd/MTU) SNF. The work scope involves the development, performance, technical integration, and oversight of measurements and collection of relevant data, guided by analyses and demonstration of need.

Outline of facility for studying high level radioactive materials (CPF) and study programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakamoto, Motoi

1983-01-01

The Chemical Processing Facility for studying high level radioactive materials in Tokai Works of Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. is a facility for fundamental studies centering around hot cells, necessary for the development of fuel recycle techniques for fast breeder reactors, an important point of nuclear fuel cycle, and of the techniques for processing and disposing high level radioactive liquid wastes. The operation of the facility was started in 1982, for both the system A (the test of fuel recycle for fast breeder reactors) and the system B (the test of vitrification of high level liquid wastes). In this report, the outline of the facility, the contents of testings and the reflection of the results are described. For the fuel recycle test, the hot test of the spent fuel pins of JOYO MK-1 core was started, and now the uranium and plutonium extraction test is underway. The scheduled tests are fuel solubility, the confirmation of residual properties in fuel melting, the confirmation of extracting conditions, the electrolytic reduction of plutonium, off-gas behaviour and the test of material reliability. For the test of vitrification of high level liquid wastes, the fundamental test on the solidifying techniques for the actual high level wastes eluted from the Tokai reprocessing plant has been started, and the following tests are programmed: Assessment of the properties of actual liquid wastes, denitration and concentration test, vitrification test, off-gas treatment test, the test of evaluating solidified wastes, and the test of storing solidified wastes. These test results are programmed to be reflected to the safety deliberation and the demonstration operation of a vitrification pilot plant. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

40 CFR 227.30 - High-level radioactive waste.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-level radioactive waste. 227.30...-level radioactive waste. High-level radioactive waste means the aqueous waste resulting from the operation of the first cycle solvent extraction system, or equivalent, and the concentrated waste from...

Demonstration of short-range wind lidar in a high-performance wind tunnel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Anders Tegtmeier; Montes, Belen Fernández; Pedersen, Jens Engholm

2012-01-01

-speed regimes very good correlation with reference measurements was found. Furthermore different staring directions were tested and taking a simple geometrical correction into account very good correlation was again found. These measurements all demonstrate the high accuracy of the lidar and indicate a possible...

A new Highly Selective First Level ATLAS Muon Trigger With MDT Chamber Data for HL-LHC

CERN Document Server

Nowak, Sebastian; The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

Highly selective first level triggers are essential for the physics programme of the ATLAS experiment at the HL-LHC where the instantaneous luminosity will exceed the LHC's instantaneous luminosity by almost an order of magnitude. The ATLAS first level muon trigger rate is dominated by low momentum sub-trigger threshold muons due to the poor momentum resolution at trigger level caused by the moderate spatial resolution of the resistive plate and thin gap trigger chambers. This limitation can be overcome by including the data of the precision muon drift tube chambers in the first level trigger decision. This requires the implementation of a fast MDT read-out chain and a fast MDT track reconstruction. A hardware demonstrator of the fast read-out chain was successfully tested under HL-LHC operating conditions at CERN's Gamma Irradiation Facility. It could be shown that the data provided by the demonstrator can be processed with a fast track reconstruction algorithm on an ARM CPU within the 6 microseconds latency...

Regulatory requirements for demonstration of the achieved safety level at the Mochovce NPP before commissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipar, M.

1997-01-01

A review of regulatory requirements for demonstration of the achieved safety level at the Mochovce NPP before commissioning is given. It contains licensing steps in Slovakia during commissioning; Status and methodology of Mochovce safety analysis report; Mochovce NPP safety enhancement program; Regulatory body policy towards Mochovce NPP safety enhancement; Recent development in Mochovce pre-operational safety enhancement program review and assessment process; Licensing steps in Slovakia during commissioning

An inducible expression system for high-level expression of recombinant proteins in slow growing mycobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Leotta, Lisa; Spratt, Joanne M; Kong, Carlyn U; Triccas, James A

2015-09-01

A novel protein expression vector utilising the inducible hspX promoter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was constructed and evaluated in this study. High-level induction of three mycobacterial antigens, comprising up to 9% of bacterial sonicate, was demonstrated in recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG when grown under low-oxygen tension, which serves to enhance hspX promoter activity. Recombinant proteins were efficiently purified from bacterial lysates in a soluble form by virtue of a C-terminal 6-histidine tag. Purification of the immunodominant M. tuberculosis Ag85B antigen using this system resulted in a recombinant protein that stimulated significant IFN-γ release from Ag85B-reactive T cells generated after vaccination of mice with an Ag85B-expressing vaccine. Further, the M. tuberculosis L-alanine dehydrogenase (Ald) protein purified from recombinant BCG displayed strong enzymatic activity in recombinant form. This study demonstrated that high levels of native-like recombinant mycobacterial proteins can be produced in mycobacterial hosts, and this may aid the analysis of mycobacterial protein function and the development of new treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High Input Voltage, Silicon Carbide Power Processing Unit Performance Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Bozak, Karin E.; Pinero, Luis R.; Scheidegger, Robert J.; Aulisio, Michael V.; Gonzalez, Marcelo C.; Birchenough, Arthur G.

2015-01-01

A silicon carbide brassboard power processing unit has been developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The power processing unit operates from two sources: a nominal 300 Volt high voltage input bus and a nominal 28 Volt low voltage input bus. The design of the power processing unit includes four low voltage, low power auxiliary supplies, and two parallel 7.5 kilowatt (kW) discharge power supplies that are capable of providing up to 15 kilowatts of total power at 300 to 500 Volts (V) to the thruster. Additionally, the unit contains a housekeeping supply, high voltage input filter, low voltage input filter, and master control board, such that the complete brassboard unit is capable of operating a 12.5 kilowatt Hall effect thruster. The performance of the unit was characterized under both ambient and thermal vacuum test conditions, and the results demonstrate exceptional performance with full power efficiencies exceeding 97%. The unit was also tested with a 12.5kW Hall effect thruster to verify compatibility and output filter specifications. With space-qualified silicon carbide or similar high voltage, high efficiency power devices, this would provide a design solution to address the need for high power electric propulsion systems.

High-gradient magnetic separation for the treatment of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebner, A.D.; Ritter, J.A.; Nunez, L.

1999-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory is developing an open-gradient magnetic separation (OGMS) system to fractionate and remove nonglass-forming species from high-level radioactive wastes (HLW); however, to avoid clogging, OGMS may require high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) as a pretreatment to remove the most magnetic species from the HLW. In this study, the feasibility of using HGMS in the pretreatment of HLW was demonstrated. A HLW simulant of hanford's C-103 tank waste, which contained precipitate hydroxides and oxides of Fe, Al, Si, and Ca, was used. Preliminary fractionation results from a 0.3-T bench-scale HGMS unit showed that a significant amount of Fe could be removed from the HLW simulant. Between 1 and 2% of the total Fe in the sludge was removed during each stage, with over 18.5% removed in the 13 stages that were carried out. Also, in each stage, the magnetically retained fraction contained about 20% more Fe than the untreated HLW; however, it also contained a significant amount of SiO 2 in relatively large particles. This indicated that SiO 2 was acting possibly as a nucleation agent for Fe (i.e., an Fe adsorbent) and that the fractionation was based more on size than on magnetic susceptibility

Comparison of doubly labeled water with respirometry at low- and high-activity levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westerterp, K.R.; Brouns, F.; Saris, W.H.; ten Hoor, F.

1988-01-01

In previous studies the doubly labeled water method for measuring energy expenditure in free-living humans has been validated against respirometry under sedentary conditions. In the present investigation, energy expenditure is measured simultaneously with doubly labeled water and respirometry at low- and high-activity levels. Over 6 days, five subjects were measured doing mainly sedentary activities like desk work; their average daily metabolic rate was 1.40 +/- 0.09 (SD) times sleeping metabolic rate. Four subjects were measured twice over 3.5 days, including 2 days with heavy bicycle ergometer work, resulting in an average daily metabolic rate of 2.61 +/- 0.25 (SD) times sleeping metabolic rate. At the low-activity level, energy expenditures from the doubly labeled water method were on the average 1.4 +/- 3.9% (SD) larger than those from respirometry. At the high-activity level, the doubly labeled water method yielded values that were 1.0 +/- 7.0% (SD) lower than those from respirometry. Results demonstrate the utility of the doubly labeled water method for the determination of energy expenditure in the range of activity levels in daily life

An integrative view of storage of low- and high-level visual dimensions in visual short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Magen, Hagit

2017-03-01

Efficient performance in an environment filled with complex objects is often achieved through the temporal maintenance of conjunctions of features from multiple dimensions. The most striking finding in the study of binding in visual short-term memory (VSTM) is equal memory performance for single features and for integrated multi-feature objects, a finding that has been central to several theories of VSTM. Nevertheless, research on binding in VSTM focused almost exclusively on low-level features, and little is known about how items from low- and high-level visual dimensions (e.g., colored manmade objects) are maintained simultaneously in VSTM. The present study tested memory for combinations of low-level features and high-level representations. In agreement with previous findings, Experiments 1 and 2 showed decrements in memory performance when non-integrated low- and high-level stimuli were maintained simultaneously compared to maintaining each dimension in isolation. However, contrary to previous findings the results of Experiments 3 and 4 showed decrements in memory performance even when integrated objects of low- and high-level stimuli were maintained in memory, compared to maintaining single-dimension objects. Overall, the results demonstrate that low- and high-level visual dimensions compete for the same limited memory capacity, and offer a more comprehensive view of VSTM.

HIGH ALUMINUM HLW (HIGH LEVEL WASTE) GLASSES FOR HANFORD'S WTP (WASTE TREATMENT PROJECT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, A.A.; Bowan, B.W.; Joseph, I.; Gan, H.; Kot, W.K.; Matlack, K.S.; Pegg, I.L.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the results of glass formulation development and melter testing to identify high waste loading glasses to treat high-Al high level waste (HLW) at Hanford. Previous glass formulations developed for this HLW had high waste loadings but their processing rates were lower that desired. The present work was aimed at improving the glass processing rate while maintaining high waste loadings. Glass formulations were designed, prepared at crucible-scale and characterized to determine their properties relevant to processing and product quality. Glass formulations that met these requirements were screened for melt rates using small-scale tests. The small-scale melt rate screening included vertical gradient furnace (VGF) and direct feed consumption (DFC) melter tests. Based on the results of these tests, modified glass formulations were developed and selected for larger scale melter tests to determine their processing rate. Melter tests were conducted on the DuraMelter 100 (DMIOO) with a melt surface area of 0.11 m 2 and the DuraMelter 1200 (DMI200) HLW Pilot Melter with a melt surface area of 1.2 m 2 . The newly developed glass formulations had waste loadings as high as 50 wt%, with corresponding Al 2 O 3 concentration in the glass of 26.63 wt%. The new glass formulations showed glass production rates as high as 1900 kg/(m 2 .day) under nominal melter operating conditions. The demonstrated glass production rates are much higher than the current requirement of 800 kg/(m 2 .day) and anticipated future enhanced Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) requirement of 1000 kg/(m 2 .day).

Demonstration of a Fiber Optic Regression Probe in a High-Temperature Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Korman, Valentin; Polzin, Kurt

2011-01-01

empirically anchoring any analysis geared towards lifetime qualification. Erosion rate data over an operating envelope could also be useful in the modeling detailed physical processes. The sensor has been embedded in many regressing media to demonstrate the capabilities in a number of regressing environments. In the present work, sensors were installed in the eroding/regressing throat region of a converging-diverging flow, with the working gas heated to high temperatures by means of a high-pressure arc discharge at steady-state discharge power levels up to 500 kW. The amount of regression observed in each material sample was quantified using a later profilometer, which was compared to the in-situ erosion measurements to demonstrate the efficacy of the measurement technique in very harsh, high-temperature environments.

Delusions of expertise: the high standard of proof needed to demonstrate skills at horserace handicapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Matthew; Rockloff, Matthew J; Blaszcynski, Alex; Allcock, Clive; Windross, Allen

2015-03-01

Gamblers who participate in skill-oriented games (such as poker and sports-betting) are motivated to win over the long-term, and some monitor their betting outcomes to evaluate their performance and proficiency. In this study of Australian off-track horserace betting, we investigated which levels of sustained returns would be required to establish evidence of skill/expertise. We modelled a random strategy to simulate 'naïve' play, in which equal bets were placed on randomly selected horses using a representative sample of 211 weekend races. Results from a Monte Carlo simulation yielded a distribution of return-on-investments for varying number of bets (N), showing surprising volatility, even after a large number of repeated bets. After adjusting for the house advantage, a gambler would have to place over 10,000 bets in individual races with net returns exceeding 9 % to be reasonably considered an expert punter (α = .05). Moreover, a record of fewer bets would require even greater returns for demonstrating expertise. As such, validated expertise is likely to be rare among race bettors. We argue that the counter-intuitively high threshold for demonstrating expertise by tracking historical performance is likely to exacerbate known cognitive biases in self-evaluation of expertise.

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

Performance demonstration of a high-power space-reactor heat-pipe design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merrigan, M.A.; Martinez, E.H.; Keddy, E.S.; Runyan, J.; Kemme, J.E.

1983-01-01

Performance of a 15.9-mm diam, 2-m long, artery heat pipe has been demonstrated at power levels to 22.6 kW and temperatures to 1500 0 K. The heat pipe employed lithium as a working fluid with distribution wicks and arteries fabricated from 400 mesh Mo-41 wt % Re screen. Molybdenum alloy (TZM) was used for the container. Peak axial power density attained in the testing was 19 kW/cm 2 at 1465 0 K. The corresponding radial flux density in the evaporator region of the heat pipe was 150 W/cm 2 . The extrapolated limit for the heat pipe at its 1500 0 K design point is 30 kW, corresponding to an axial flux density of 25 kW/cm 2 . Sonic and capillary limits for the design were investigated in the 1100 to 1500 0 K temperature range. Excellent agreement of measured and predicted temperature and power levels was observed

Cosmogenically-produced isotopes in natural and enriched high-purity germanium detectors for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR

Science.gov (United States)

Gilliss, Thomas; MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR Collaboration

2017-01-01

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR advances toward measurements of the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge. Detectors employed in the DEMONSTRATOR are subject to cosmogenic spallation during production and processing, resulting in activation of certain long-lived radioisotopes. Activation of these cosmogenic isotopes is mitigated by shielded storage of detectors and through underground operation of the DEMONSTRATOR at the 4850 ft level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility. In this work, we explore the appearance and reduction of cosmogenic contributions to the DEMONSTRATOR background spectrum. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, the Particle Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics Programs of the National Science Foundation, and the Sanford Underground Research Facility.

Electrochemical probing of high-level radioactive waste tanks containing washed sludge and precipitates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bickford, D.F.; Congdon, J.W.; Oblath, S.B.

1987-01-01

At the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, corrosion of carbon steel storage tanks containing alkaline, high-level radioactive waste is controlled by specification of limits on waste composition and temperature. Processes for the preparation of waste for final disposal will result in waste with low corrosion inhibitor concentrations and, in some cases, high aromatic organic concentrations, neither of which are characteristic of previous operations. Laboratory tests, conducted to determine minimum corrosion inhibitor levels indicated pitting of carbon steel near the waterline for proposed storage conditions. In situ electrochemical measurements of full-scale radioactive process demonstrations have been conducted to assess the validity of laboratory tests. Probes included pH, Eh (potential relative to a standard hydrogen electrode), tank potential, and alloy coupons. In situ results are compared to those of the laboratory tests, with particular regard given to simulated solution composition

Demonstration of a High Open-Circuit Voltage GaN Betavoltaic Microbattery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Zai-Jun; San Hai-Sheng; Chen Xu-Yuan; Liu Bo; Feng Zhi-Hong

2011-01-01

A high open-circuit voltage betavoltaic microbattery based on a GaN p-i-n diode is demonstrated. Under the irradiation of a 4×4 mm 2 planar solid 63 Ni source with an activity of 2 mCi, the open-circuit voltage V oc of the fabricated single 2×2mm 2 cell reaches as high as 1.62 V, the short-circuit current density J sc is measured to be 16nA/cm 2 . The microbattery has a fill factor of 55%, and the energy conversion efficiency of beta radiation into electricity reaches to 1.13%. The results suggest that GaN is a highly promising potential candidate for long-life betavoltaic microbatteries used as power supplies for microelectromechanical system devices. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Radon reduction and radon-resistant construction demonstrations in New York state. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-02-01

A survey of radon levels in New York State homes indicates that approximately 4.4 percent of the homes have long-term living area radon concentrations above the U.S. EPA guideline of four pCi/l. The project addressed the effectiveness of techniques to reduce the radon level in existing homes and to prevent the occurrence of high radon concentrations in new homes. The goal of the project was to demonstrate the effectiveness of radon reduction techniques in homes containing indoor radon concentrations of more than the current EPA guidelines of four pCi/l. At the same time, radon-resistant construction techniques were demonstrated in homes under construction to provide guidelines for houses being built in areas with a danger of high radon levels. The project demonstrated new radon mitigation techniques in homes containing indoor radon concentrations exceeding four pCi/l; assessed the value of previously installed radon reduction procedures, and demonstrated new radon-resistant construction methods

High-Lift Propeller System Configuration Selection for NASA's SCEPTOR Distributed Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Michael D.; Derlaga, Joseph M.; Borer, Nicholas K.

2016-01-01

Although the primary function of propellers is typically to produce thrust, aircraft equipped with distributed electric propulsion (DEP) may utilize propellers whose main purpose is to act as a form of high-lift device. These \\high-lift propellers" can be placed upstream of wing such that, when the higher-velocity ow in the propellers' slipstreams interacts with the wing, the lift is increased. This technique is a main design feature of a new NASA advanced design project called Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research (SCEPTOR). The goal of the SCEPTOR project is design, build, and y a DEP aircraft to demonstrate that such an aircraft can be much more ecient than conventional designs. This paper provides details into the high-lift propeller system con guration selection for the SCEPTOR ight demonstrator. The methods used in the high-lift propeller system conceptual design and the tradeo s considered in selecting the number of propellers are discussed.

The precautionary principle and high-level nuclear waste policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frishman, S.

1999-01-01

The 'Precautionary Principle' has grown from the broadening observation that there is compelling evidence that damage to humans and the world-wide environment is of such a magnitude and seriousness that new principles for conducting human activities are necessary. One of the various statements of the Precautionary Principle is: when an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. The use of a precautionary principle was a significant recommendation emerging from the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and it is gaining acceptance in discussions ranging from global warming to activities that affect the marine environment, and far beyond. In the US high-level nuclear waste policy, there is a growing trend on the part of geologic repository proponents and regulators to shift the required safety evaluation from a deterministic analysis of natural and engineered barriers and their interactions to risk assessments and total system waste containment and isolation performance assessment. This is largely a result of the realisation that scientific 'proof' of safety cannot be demonstrated to the level repository proponents have led the American public to expect. Therefore, they are now developing other methods in an attempt to effectively lower the repository safety expectations of the public. Implicit in this shift in demonstration of 'proof' is that levels of uncertainty far larger than those generally taken as scientifically acceptable must be accepted in repository safety, simply because greater certainty is either too costly, in time and money, or impossible to achieve at the potential Yucca Mountain repository site. In the context of the Precautionary Principle, the repository proponent must bear the burden of providing 'Acceptable' proof, established by an open

Handling and storage of conditioned high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

This report deals with certain aspects of the management of one of the most important wastes, i.e. the handling and storage of conditioned (immobilized and packaged) high-level waste from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and, although much of the material presented here is based on information concerning high-level waste from reprocessing LWR fuel, the principles, as well as many of the details involved, are applicable to all fuel types. The report provides illustrative background material on the arising and characteristics of high-level wastes and, qualitatively, their requirements for conditioning. The report introduces the principles important in conditioned high-level waste storage and describes the types of equipment and facilities, used or studied, for handling and storage of such waste. Finally, it discusses the safety and economic aspects that are considered in the design and operation of handling and storage facilities

Handling and storage of conditioned high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heafield, W.

1984-01-01

This paper deals with certain aspects of the management of one of the most important radioactive wastes arising from the nuclear fuel cycle, i.e. the handling and storage of conditioned high-level wastes. The paper is based on an IAEA report of the same title published during 1983 in the Technical Reports Series. The paper provides illustrative background material on the characteristics of high-level wastes and, qualitatively, their requirements for conditioning. The principles important in the storage of high-level wastes are reviewed in conjunction with the radiological and socio-political considerations involved. Four fundamentally different storage concepts are described with reference to published information and the safety aspects of particular storage concepts are discussed. Finally, overall conclusions are presented which confirm the availability of technology for constructing and operating conditioned high-level waste storage facilities for periods of at least several decades. (author)

The ATLAS High-Level Calorimeter Trigger in Run-2

CERN Document Server

Wiglesworth, Craig; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

The ATLAS Experiment uses a two-level triggering system to identify and record collision events containing a wide variety of physics signatures. It reduces the event rate from the bunch-crossing rate of 40 MHz to an average recording rate of 1 kHz, whilst maintaining high efficiency for interesting collision events. It is composed of an initial hardware-based level-1 trigger followed by a software-based high-level trigger. A central component of the high-level trigger is the calorimeter trigger. This is responsible for processing data from the electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters in order to identify electrons, photons, taus, jets and missing transverse energy. In this talk I will present the performance of the high-level calorimeter trigger in Run-2, noting the improvements that have been made in response to the challenges of operating at high luminosity.

Engineering high-level production of fatty alcohols by Saccharomyces cerevisiae from lignocellulosic feedstocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

d'Espaux, Leo; Ghosh, Amit; Runguphan, Weerawat

2017-01-01

to similar to 20% of the maximum theoretical yield from glucose, the highest titers and yields reported to date in S. cerevisiae. We further demonstrate high-level production from lignocellulosic feedstocks derived from ionic-liquid treated switchgrass and sorghum, reaching 0.7 g/L in shake flasks......Fatty alcohols in the C12-C18 range are used in personal care products, lubricants, and potentially biofuels. These compounds can be produced from the fatty acid pathway by a fatty acid reductase (FAR), yet yields from the preferred industrial host Saccharomyces cerevisiae remain under 2......% of the theoretical maximum from glucose. Here we improved titer and yield of fatty alcohols using an approach involving quantitative analysis of protein levels and metabolic flux, engineering enzyme level and localization, pull-push-block engineering of carbon flux, and cofactor balancing. We compared four...

Higs-instrument: design and demonstration of a high performance gas concentration imager

Science.gov (United States)

Verlaan, A. L.; Klop, W. A.; Visser, H.; van Brug, H.; Human, J.

2017-09-01

Climate change and environmental conditions are high on the political agenda of international governments. Laws and regulations are being setup all around the world to improve the air quality and to reduce the impact. The growth of a number of trace gasses, including CO2, Methane and NOx are especially interesting due to their environmental impact. The regulations made are being based on both models and measurements of the trend of those trace gases over the years. Now the regulations are in place also enforcement and therewith measurements become more and more important. Instruments enabling high spectral and spatial resolution as well as high accurate measurements of trace gases are required to deliver the necessary inputs. Nowadays those measurements are usually performed by space based spectrometers. The requirement for high spectral resolution and measurement accuracy significantly increases the size of the instruments. As a result the instrument and satellite becomes very expensive to develop and to launch. Specialized instruments with a small volume and the required performance will offer significant advantages in both cost and performance. Huib's Innovative Gas Sensor (HIGS, named after its inventor Huib Visser), currently being developed at TNO is an instrument that achieves exactly that. Designed to measure only a single gas concentration, opposed to deriving it from a spectrum, it achieves high performance within a small design volume. The instrument enables instantaneous imaging of the gas distribution of the selected gas. An instrument demonstrator has been developed for NO2 detection. Laboratory measurements proved the measurement technique to be successful. An on-sky measurement campaign is in preparation. This paper addresses both the instrument design as well as the demonstrated performances.

Design of chimeric expression elements that confer high-level gene activity in chromoplasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Caroca, Rodrigo; Howell, Katharine A; Hasse, Claudia; Ruf, Stephanie; Bock, Ralph

2013-02-01

Non-green plastids, such as chromoplasts, generally have much lower activity of gene expression than chloroplasts in photosynthetically active tissues. Suppression of plastid genes in non-green tissues occurs through a complex interplay of transcriptional and translational control, with the contribution of regulation of transcript abundance versus translational activity being highly variable between genes. Here, we have investigated whether the low expression of the plastid genome in chromoplasts results from inherent limitations in gene expression capacity, or can be overcome by designing appropriate combinations of promoters and translation initiation signals in the 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR). We constructed chimeric expression elements that combine promoters and 5'-UTRs from plastid genes, which are suppressed during chloroplast-to-chromoplast conversion in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) fruit ripening, either just at the translational level or just at the level of mRNA accumulation. These chimeric expression elements were introduced into the tomato plastid genome by stable chloroplast transformation. We report the identification of promoter-UTR combinations that confer high-level gene expression in chromoplasts of ripe tomato fruits, resulting in the accumulation of reporter protein GFP to up to 1% of total cellular protein. Our work demonstrates that non-green plastids are capable of expressing genes to high levels. Moreover, the chimeric cis-elements for chromoplasts developed here are widely applicable in basic and applied research using transplastomic methods. © 2012 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Observing Exoplanets with High-dispersion Coronagraphy. II. Demonstration of an Active Single-mode Fiber Injection Unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mawet, D.; Ruane, G.; Xuan, W.; Echeverri, D.; Klimovich, N.; Randolph, M.; Fucik, J.; Wang, J.; Dekany, R.; Delorme, J.-R. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Wallace, J. K.; Vasisht, G.; Mennesson, B.; Choquet, E.; Serabyn, E., E-mail: dmawet@astro.caltech.edu [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2017-04-01

High-dispersion coronagraphy (HDC) optimally combines high-contrast imaging techniques such as adaptive optics/wavefront control plus coronagraphy to high spectral resolution spectroscopy. HDC is a critical pathway toward fully characterizing exoplanet atmospheres across a broad range of masses from giant gaseous planets down to Earth-like planets. In addition to determining the molecular composition of exoplanet atmospheres, HDC also enables Doppler mapping of atmosphere inhomogeneities (temperature, clouds, wind), as well as precise measurements of exoplanet rotational velocities. Here, we demonstrate an innovative concept for injecting the directly imaged planet light into a single-mode fiber, linking a high-contrast adaptively corrected coronagraph to a high-resolution spectrograph (diffraction-limited or not). Our laboratory demonstration includes three key milestones: close-to-theoretical injection efficiency, accurate pointing and tracking, and on-fiber coherent modulation and speckle nulling of spurious starlight signal coupling into the fiber. Using the extreme modal selectivity of single-mode fibers, we also demonstrated speckle suppression gains that outperform conventional image-based speckle nulling by at least two orders of magnitude.

High-Level Waste System Process Interface Description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Entremont, P.D.

1999-01-01

The High-Level Waste System is a set of six different processes interconnected by pipelines. These processes function as one large treatment plant that receives, stores, and treats high-level wastes from various generators at SRS and converts them into forms suitable for final disposal. The three major forms are borosilicate glass, which will be eventually disposed of in a Federal Repository, Saltstone to be buried on site, and treated water effluent that is released to the environment

High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility Feasibility Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D. A. Lopez

1999-08-01

A ''Settlement Agreement'' between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho mandates that all radioactive high-level waste now stored at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center will be treated so that it is ready to be moved out of Idaho for disposal by a compliance date of 2035. This report investigates vitrification treatment of the high-level waste in a High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility based on the assumption that no more New Waste Calcining Facility campaigns will be conducted after June 2000. Under this option, the sodium-bearing waste remaining in the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm, and newly generated liquid waste produced between now and the start of 2013, will be processed using a different option, such as a Cesium Ion Exchange Facility. The cesium-saturated waste from this other option will be sent to the Calcine Solids Storage Facilities to be mixed with existing calcine. The calcine and cesium-saturated waste will be processed in the High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility by the end of calendar year 2035. In addition, the High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility will process all newly-generated liquid waste produced between 2013 and the end of 2035. Vitrification of this waste is an acceptable treatment method for complying with the Settlement Agreement. This method involves vitrifying the waste and pouring it into stainless-steel canisters that will be ready for shipment out of Idaho to a disposal facility by 2035. These canisters will be stored at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory until they are sent to a national geologic repository. The operating period for vitrification treatment will be from the end of 2015 through 2035.

High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility Feasibility Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D. A. Lopez

1999-01-01

A ''Settlement Agreement'' between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho mandates that all radioactive high-level waste now stored at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center will be treated so that it is ready to be moved out of Idaho for disposal by a compliance date of 2035. This report investigates vitrification treatment of the high-level waste in a High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility based on the assumption that no more New Waste Calcining Facility campaigns will be conducted after June 2000. Under this option, the sodium-bearing waste remaining in the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm, and newly generated liquid waste produced between now and the start of 2013, will be processed using a different option, such as a Cesium Ion Exchange Facility. The cesium-saturated waste from this other option will be sent to the Calcine Solids Storage Facilities to be mixed with existing calcine. The calcine and cesium-saturated waste will be processed in the High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility by the end of calendar year 2035. In addition, the High-Level Waste Vitrification Facility will process all newly-generated liquid waste produced between 2013 and the end of 2035. Vitrification of this waste is an acceptable treatment method for complying with the Settlement Agreement. This method involves vitrifying the waste and pouring it into stainless-steel canisters that will be ready for shipment out of Idaho to a disposal facility by 2035. These canisters will be stored at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory until they are sent to a national geologic repository. The operating period for vitrification treatment will be from the end of 2015 through 2035

High Throughput, High Precision Hot Testing Tool for HBLED Wafer Level Testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solarz, Richard [KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (United States); McCord, Mark [KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (United States)

2015-12-31

The Socrates research effort developed an in depth understanding and demonstrated in a prototype tool new precise methods for teh characterization of color characteristics and flux from individual LEDs for the production of uniform quality lighting. This effort was focused on improving the color quality and consistency of solid state lighting and potentially reducing characterization costs for all LED product types. The patented laser hot testing method was demonstrated to be far more accurate than all current state of the art color and flux characterization methods in use by the solid state lighting industry today. A seperately patented LED grouping method (statistical binning) was demonstrated to be a useful approach to improving utilization of entire lots of large color and flux distributions of manufactured LEDs for high quality color solid-state lighting. At the conclusion of the research in late 2015 the solid-state lighting industry was however generally satisfied with its existing production methods for high quality color products for the small segment of customers that demand it, albeit with added costs.

High level nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Perez, B.

1987-01-01

The transformations involved in the nuclear fuels during the burn-up at the power nuclear reactors for burn-up levels of 33.000 MWd/th are considered. Graphs and data on the radioactivity variation with the cooling time and heat power of the irradiated fuel are presented. Likewise, the cycle of the fuel in light water reactors is presented and the alternatives for the nuclear waste management are discussed. A brief description of the management of the spent fuel as a high level nuclear waste is shown, explaining the reprocessing and giving data about the fission products and their radioactivities, which must be considered on the vitrification processes. On the final storage of the nuclear waste into depth geological burials, both alternatives are coincident. The countries supporting the reprocessing are indicated and the Spanish programm defined in the Plan Energetico Nacional (PEN) is shortly reviewed. (author) 8 figs., 4 tabs

High spin levels in 151Ho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gizon, J.; Gizon, A.; Andre, S.; Genevey, J.; Jastrzebski, J.; Kossakowski, R.; Moszinski, M.; Preibisz, Z.

1981-02-01

We report here on the first study of the level structure of 151 Ho. High spin levels in 151 Ho have been populated in the 141 Pr + 16 O and 144 Sm + 12 C reactions. The level structure has been established up to 6.6 MeV energy and the spins and particles determined up to 49/2 - . Most of the proposed level configurations can be explained by the coupling of hsub(11/2) protons to fsub(7/2) and/or hsub(9/2) neutrons. An isomer with 14 +- 3 ns half-life and a delayed gamma multiplicity equal to 17 +- 2 has been found. Its spin is larger than 57/2 h units

Radiation transport in high-level waste form

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arakali, V.S.; Barnes, S.M.

1992-01-01

The waste form selected for vitrifying high-level nuclear waste stored in underground tanks at West Valley, NY is borosilicate glass. The maximum radiation level at the surface of a canister filled with the high-level waste form is prescribed by repository design criteria for handling and disposition of the vitrified waste. This paper presents an evaluation of the radiation transport characteristics for the vitreous waste form expected to be produced at West Valley and the resulting neutron and gamma dose rates. The maximum gamma and neutron dose rates are estimated to be less than 7500 R/h and 10 mRem/h respectively at the surface of a West Valley canister filled with borosilicate waste glass

Long-lived legacy: Managing high-level and transuranic waste at the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex. Background paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-05-01

The document focuses on high-level and transuranic waste at the DOE nuclear weapons complex. Reviews some of the critical areas and aspects of the DOE waste problem in order to provide data and further analysis of important issues. Partial contents, High-Level Waste Management at the DOE Weapons Complex, are as follows: High-Level Waste Management: Present and Planned; Amount and Distribution; Current and Potential Problems; Vitrification; Calcination; Alternative Waste Forms for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; Technologies for Pretreatment of High-Level Waste; Waste Minimization; Regulatory Framework; Definition of High-Level Waste; Repository Delays and Contingency Planning; Urgency of High-Level Tank Waste Treatment; Technologies for High-Level Waste Treatment; Rethinking the Waste Form and Package; Waste Form for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; Releases to the Atmosphere; Future of the PUREX Plant at Hanford; Waste Minimization; Tritium Production; International Cooperation; Scenarios for Future HLW Production. Partial contents of Chapter 2, Managing Transuranic Waste at the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex, are as follows: Transuranic Waste at Department of Energy Sites; Amount and Distribution; Waste Management: Present and Planned; Current and Potential Problems; Three Technologies for Treating Retrievably Stored Transuranic Waste; In Situ Vitrification; The Applied Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation Plan (RDDT ampersand E); Actinide Conversion (Transmutation); Waste Minimization; The Regulatory Framework; Definition of, and Standards for, Disposal of Transuranic Waste; Repository Delays; Alternative Storage and Disposal Strategies; Remediation of Buried Waste; The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; Waste Minimization; Scenarios for Future Transuranic Waste Production; Conditions of No-Migration Determination

Three Mile Island zeolite vitirification demonstration program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siemens, D.H.; Knowlton, D.E.; Shupe, M.W.

1981-06-01

The cleanup of the high-activity-level water at Three Mile Island (TMI) provides an opportunity to further develop waste management technology. Approximately 790,000 gallons of high-activity-level water at TMI's Unit-2 Nuclear Power Station will be decontaminated at the site using the submerged demineralizer system (SDS). In the SDS process, the cesium and strontium in the water are sorbed onto zeolite that is contained within metal liners. The Department of Energy has asked the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to take a portion of the zeolite from the SDS process and demonstrate, on a production scale, that this zeolite can be vitrified using the in-can melting process. This paper is a brief overview of the TMI zeolite vitrification program. The first section discusses the formulation of a glass suitable for immobilizing SDS zeolite. The following section describes a feed system that was developed to feed zeolite to the in-can melter. It also describes the in-can melting process and the government owned facilities in which the demonstrations will take place. Finally, the schedule for completing the program activities is outlined

High-level waste program integration within the DOE complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valentine, J.H.; Malone, K.; Schaus, P.S.

1998-03-01

Eleven major Department of Energy (DOE) site contractors were chartered by the Assistant Secretary to use a systems engineering approach to develop and evaluate technically defensible cost savings opportunities across the complex. Known as the complex-wide Environmental Management Integration (EMI), this process evaluated all the major DOE waste streams including high level waste (HLW). Across the DOE complex, this waste stream has the highest life cycle cost and is scheduled to take until at least 2035 before all HLW is processed for disposal. Technical contract experts from the four DOE sites that manage high level waste participated in the integration analysis: Hanford, Savannah River Site (SRS), Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), and West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). In addition, subject matter experts from the Yucca Mountain Project and the Tanks Focus Area participated in the analysis. Also, departmental representatives from the US Department of Energy Headquarters (DOE-HQ) monitored the analysis and results. Workouts were held throughout the year to develop recommendations to achieve a complex-wide integrated program. From this effort, the HLW Environmental Management (EM) Team identified a set of programmatic and technical opportunities that could result in potential cost savings and avoidance in excess of $18 billion and an accelerated completion of the HLW mission by seven years. The cost savings, schedule improvements, and volume reduction are attributed to a multifaceted HLW treatment disposal strategy which involves waste pretreatment, standardized waste matrices, risk-based retrieval, early development and deployment of a shipping system for glass canisters, and reasonable, low cost tank closure

The ALICE Dimuon Spectrometer High Level Trigger

CERN Document Server

Becker, B; Cicalo, Corrado; Das, Indranil; de Vaux, Gareth; Fearick, Roger; Lindenstruth, Volker; Marras, Davide; Sanyal, Abhijit; Siddhanta, Sabyasachi; Staley, Florent; Steinbeck, Timm; Szostak, Artur; Usai, Gianluca; Vilakazi, Zeblon

2009-01-01

The ALICE Dimuon Spectrometer High Level Trigger (dHLT) is an on-line processing stage whose primary function is to select interesting events that contain distinct physics signals from heavy resonance decays such as J/psi and Gamma particles, amidst unwanted background events. It forms part of the High Level Trigger of the ALICE experiment, whose goal is to reduce the large data rate of about 25 GB/s from the ALICE detectors by an order of magnitude, without loosing interesting physics events. The dHLT has been implemented as a software trigger within a high performance and fault tolerant data transportation framework, which is run on a large cluster of commodity compute nodes. To reach the required processing speeds, the system is built as a concurrent system with a hierarchy of processing steps. The main algorithms perform partial event reconstruction, starting with hit reconstruction on the level of the raw data received from the spectrometer. Then a tracking algorithm finds track candidates from the recon...

The CMS High-Level Trigger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Covarelli, R.

2009-01-01

At the startup of the LHC, the CMS data acquisition is expected to be able to sustain an event readout rate of up to 100 kHz from the Level-1 trigger. These events will be read into a large processor farm which will run the 'High-Level Trigger'(HLT) selection algorithms and will output a rate of about 150 Hz for permanent data storage. In this report HLT performances are shown for selections based on muons, electrons, photons, jets, missing transverse energy, τ leptons and b quarks: expected efficiencies, background rates and CPU time consumption are reported as well as relaxation criteria foreseen for a LHC startup instantaneous luminosity.

The CMS High-Level Trigger

CERN Document Server

Covarelli, Roberto

2009-01-01

At the startup of the LHC, the CMS data acquisition is expected to be able to sustain an event readout rate of up to 100 kHz from the Level-1 trigger. These events will be read into a large processor farm which will run the "High-Level Trigger" (HLT) selection algorithms and will output a rate of about 150 Hz for permanent data storage. In this report HLT performances are shown for selections based on muons, electrons, photons, jets, missing transverse energy, tau leptons and b quarks: expected efficiencies, background rates and CPU time consumption are reported as well as relaxation criteria foreseen for a LHC startup instantaneous luminosity.

The CMS High-Level Trigger

Science.gov (United States)

Covarelli, R.

2009-12-01

At the startup of the LHC, the CMS data acquisition is expected to be able to sustain an event readout rate of up to 100 kHz from the Level-1 trigger. These events will be read into a large processor farm which will run the "High-Level Trigger" (HLT) selection algorithms and will output a rate of about 150 Hz for permanent data storage. In this report HLT performances are shown for selections based on muons, electrons, photons, jets, missing transverse energy, τ leptons and b quarks: expected efficiencies, background rates and CPU time consumption are reported as well as relaxation criteria foreseen for a LHC startup instantaneous luminosity.

SIGWX Charts - High Level Significant Weather

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — High level significant weather (SIGWX) forecasts are provided for the en-route portion of international flights. NOAA's National Weather Service Aviation Center...

Achieving behavioral control with millisecond resolution in a high-level programming environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Asaad, Wael F; Eskandar, Emad N

2008-08-30

The creation of psychophysical tasks for the behavioral neurosciences has generally relied upon low-level software running on a limited range of hardware. Despite the availability of software that allows the coding of behavioral tasks in high-level programming environments, many researchers are still reluctant to trust the temporal accuracy and resolution of programs running in such environments, especially when they run atop non-real-time operating systems. Thus, the creation of behavioral paradigms has been slowed by the intricacy of the coding required and their dissemination across labs has been hampered by the various types of hardware needed. However, we demonstrate here that, when proper measures are taken to handle the various sources of temporal error, accuracy can be achieved at the 1 ms time-scale that is relevant for the alignment of behavioral and neural events.

Ramifications of defining high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, D.E.; Campbell, M.H.; Shupe, M.W.

1987-01-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering rule making to provide a concentration-based definition of high-level waste (HLW) under authority derived from the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 and the Low Level Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985. The Department of Energy (DOE), which has the responsibility to dispose of certain kinds of commercial waste, is supporting development of a risk-based classification system by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to assist in developing and implementing the NRC rule. The system is two dimensional, with the axes based on the phrases highly radioactive and requires permanent isolation in the definition of HLW in the NWPA. Defining HLW will reduce the ambiguity in the present source-based definition by providing concentration limits to establish which materials are to be called HLW. The system allows the possibility of greater-confinement disposal for some wastes which do not require the degree of isolation provided by a repository. The definition of HLW will provide a firm basis for waste processing options which involve partitioning of waste into a high-activity stream for repository disposal, and a low-activity stream for disposal elsewhere. Several possible classification systems have been derived and the characteristics of each are discussed. The Defense High Level Waste Technology Lead Office at DOE - Richland Operations Office, supported by Rockwell Hanford Operations, has coordinated reviews of the ORNL work by a technical peer review group and other DOE offices. The reviews produced several recommendations and identified several issues to be addressed in the NRC rule making. 10 references, 3 figures

[Surveillance cultures after high-level disinfection of flexible endoscopes in a general hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Robles, Christian; Turín, Christie; Villar, Alicia; Huerta-Mercado, Jorge; Samalvides, Frine

2014-04-01

Flexible endoscopes are instruments with a complex structure which are used in invasive gastroenterological procedures, therefore high-level disinfection (HLD) is recommended as an appropriate reprocessing method. However, most hospitals do not perform a quality control to assess the compliance and results of the disinfection process. To evaluate the effectiveness of the flexible endoscopes’ decontamination after high-level disinfection by surveillance cultures and to assess the compliance with the reprocessing guidelines. Descriptive study conducted in January 2013 in the Gastroenterological Unit of a tertiary hospital. 30 endoscopic procedures were randomly selected. Compliance with guidelines was evaluated and surveillance cultures for common bacteria were performed after the disinfection process. On the observational assessment, compliance with the guidelines was as follows: pre-cleaning 9 (30%), cleaning 5 (16.7%), rinse 3 (10%), first drying 30 (100%), disinfection 30 (100%), final rinse 0 (0%) and final drying 30 (100%), demonstrating that only 3 of 7 stages of the disinfection process were optimally performed. In the microbiological evaluation, 2 (6.7%) of the 30 procedures had a positive culture obtained from the surface of the endoscope. Furthermore, 1 (4.2%) of the 24 biopsy forcepsgave a positive culture. The organisms isolated were different Pseudomonas species. High-level disinfection procedures were not optimally performed, finding in 6.7% positive cultures of Pseudomonas species.

A state of the art review of vitrification of high level waste in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heimerl, W.

This paper gives a review of the state-of-the-art of the development and demonstration of vitrification processes for high level radioactive waste solutions on an industrial scale in four European countries (France, United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany and Belgium). Historical development, experiences and operations present status and future plans are presented. Three of the processes which seem to be of major importance are described (AVM-France, HARVEST-United Kingdom, PAMELA Germany/Belgium). (author)

A High-Level Petri Net Framework for Genetic Regulatory Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Banks Richard

2007-12-01

Full Text Available To understand the function of genetic regulatory networks in the development of cellular systems, we must not only realise the individual network entities, but also the manner by which they interact. Multi-valued networks are a promising qualitative approach for modelling such genetic regulatory networks, however, at present they have limited formal analysis techniques and tools. We present a flexible formal framework for modelling and analysing multi-valued genetic regulatory networks using high-level Petri nets and logic minimization techniques. We demonstrate our approach with a detailed case study in which part of the genetic regulatory network responsible for the carbon starvation stress response in Escherichia coli is modelled and analysed. We then compare and contrast this multivalued model to a corresponding Boolean model and consider their formal relationship.

Demonstration-Scale High-Cell-Density Fermentation of Pichia pastoris.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wan-Cang; Zhu, Ping

2018-01-01

Pichia pastoris has been one of the most successful heterologous overexpression systems in generating proteins for large-scale production through high-cell-density fermentation. However, optimizing conditions of the large-scale high-cell-density fermentation for biochemistry and industrialization is usually a laborious and time-consuming process. Furthermore, it is often difficult to produce authentic proteins in large quantities, which is a major obstacle for functional and structural features analysis and industrial application. For these reasons, we have developed a protocol for efficient demonstration-scale high-cell-density fermentation of P. pastoris, which employs a new methanol-feeding strategy-biomass-stat strategy and a strategy of increased air pressure instead of pure oxygen supplement. The protocol included three typical stages of glycerol batch fermentation (initial culture phase), glycerol fed-batch fermentation (biomass accumulation phase), and methanol fed-batch fermentation (induction phase), which allows direct online-monitoring of fermentation conditions, including broth pH, temperature, DO, anti-foam generation, and feeding of glycerol and methanol. Using this protocol, production of the recombinant β-xylosidase of Lentinula edodes origin in 1000-L scale fermentation can be up to ~900 mg/L or 9.4 mg/g cells (dry cell weight, intracellular expression), with the specific production rate and average specific production of 0.1 mg/g/h and 0.081 mg/g/h, respectively. The methodology described in this protocol can be easily transferred to other systems, and eligible to scale up for a large number of proteins used in either the scientific studies or commercial purposes.

Performance assessment of the disposal of vitrified high-level waste in a clay layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallants, Dirk; Marivoet, Jan; Sillen, Xavier

2001-01-01

Deep disposal is considered a safe solution to the management of high-level radioactive waste. The safety is usually demonstrated by means of a performance assessment. This paper discusses the methodological aspects and some of the results obtained for the performance assessment of the disposal of vitrified high-level waste in a clay layer in Belgium. The calculations consider radionuclide migration through the following multi-barrier components, all of which contribute to the overall safety: (1) engineered barriers and the host clay layer, (2) overlying aquifer, and (3) biosphere. The interfaces between aquifers and biosphere are limited to the well and river pathway. Results of the performance assessment calculations are given in terms of the time evolution of the dose rates of the most important fission and activation products and actinides. The role of the glass matrix in the overall performance of the repository is also discussed

Production and properties of solidified high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodersen, K.

1980-08-01

Available information on production and properties of solidified high-level waste are presented. The review includes literature up to the end of 1979. The feasibility of production of various types of solidified high-level wast is investigated. The main emphasis is on borosilicate glass but other options are also mentioned. The expected long-term behaviour of the materials are discussed on the basis of available results from laboratory experiments. Examples of the use of the information in safety analysis of disposal in salt formations are given. The work has been made on behalf of the Danish utilities investigation of the possibilities of disposal of high-level waste in salt domes in Jutland. (author)

Translation of a High-Level Temporal Model into Lower Level Models: Impact of Modelling at Different Description Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Peter; Sørensen, Jens Otto

2001-01-01

given types of properties, and examine how descriptions on higher levels translate into descriptions on lower levels. Our example looks at temporal properties where the information is concerned with the existence in time. In a high level temporal model with information kept in a three-dimensional space...... the existences in time can be mapped precisely and consistently securing a consistent handling of the temporal properties. We translate the high level temporal model into an entity-relationship model, with the information in a two-dimensional graph, and finally we look at the translations into relational...... and other textual models. We also consider the aptness of models that include procedural mechanisms such as active and object databases...

Evaluation of radionuclide concentrations in high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fehringer, D.J.

1985-10-01

This report describes a possible approach for development of a numerical definition of the term ''high-level radioactive waste.'' Five wastes are identified which are recognized as being high-level wastes under current, non-numerical definitions. The constituents of these wastes are examined and the most hazardous component radionuclides are identified. This report suggests that other wastes with similar concentrations of these radionuclides could also be defined as high-level wastes. 15 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs

Should the U.S. proceed to consider licensing deep geological disposal of high-level nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtiss, J.R.

1993-01-01

The United States, as well as other countries facing the question of how to handle high-level nuclear waste, has decided that the most appropriate means of disposal is in a deep geologic repository. In recent years, the Radioactive Waste Management Committee of the Nuclear Energy Agency has developed several position papers on the technical achievability of deep geologic disposal, thus demonstrating the serious consideration of deep geologic disposal in the international community. The Committee has not, as yet, formally endorsed disposal in a deep geologic repository as the preferred method of handling high-level nuclear waste. The United States, on the other hand, has studied the various methods of disposing of high-level nuclear waste, and has determined that deep geologic disposal is the method that should be developed. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the United States' decision on selecting deep geologic disposal as the preferred method of addressing the high-level waste problem. It presents a short history of the steps taken by the U.S. in determining what method to use, discusses the NRC's waste Confidence Decision, and provides information on other issues in the U.S. program such as reconsideration of the final disposal standard and the growing inventory of spent fuel in storage

Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Phased Array Demonstrated With ACTS

Science.gov (United States)

1996-01-01

performance of experimental, proof-of-concept MMIC K/Ka-band arrays developed with U.S. industry in field demonstrations with ACTS indicates that high density MMIC integration at 20 and 30 GHz is indeed feasible. The successful development and demonstration of the MMIC array systems was possible only because of significant intergovernmental and Government/industry cooperation and the high level of teamwork within Lewis. The results provide a strong incentive for continuing the focused development of MMIC-array technology for satellite communications applications, with emphasis on packaging and cost issues, and for continuing the planning and conducting of other appropriate demonstrations or experiments of phased-array technology with ACTS. Given the present pressures on reducing funding for research and development in Government and industry, the extent to which this can be continued in a cooperative manner will determine whether MMIC array technology will make the transition from the proof-of-concept level to the operational system level.

Timing of High-level Waste Disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

This study identifies key factors influencing the timing of high-level waste (HLW) disposal and examines how social acceptability, technical soundness, environmental responsibility and economic feasibility impact on national strategies for HLW management and disposal. Based on case study analyses, it also presents the strategic approaches adopted in a number of national policies to address public concerns and civil society requirements regarding long-term stewardship of high-level radioactive waste. The findings and conclusions of the study confirm the importance of informing all stakeholders and involving them in the decision-making process in order to implement HLW disposal strategies successfully. This study will be of considerable interest to nuclear energy policy makers and analysts as well as to experts in the area of radioactive waste management and disposal. (author)

High-Level Waste Melter Study Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez, Joseph M.; Bickford, Dennis F.; Day, Delbert E.; Kim, Dong-Sang; Lambert, Steven L.; Marra, Sharon L.; Peeler, David K.; Strachan, Denis M.; Triplett, Mark B.; Vienna, John D.; Wittman, Richard S.

2001-07-13

At the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, the path to site cleanup involves vitrification of the majority of the wastes that currently reside in large underground tanks. A Joule-heated glass melter is the equipment of choice for vitrifying the high-level fraction of these wastes. Even though this technology has general national and international acceptance, opportunities may exist to improve or change the technology to reduce the enormous cost of accomplishing the mission of site cleanup. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Energy requested the staff of the Tanks Focus Area to review immobilization technologies, waste forms, and modifications to requirements for solidification of the high-level waste fraction at Hanford to determine what aspects could affect cost reductions with reasonable long-term risk. The results of this study are summarized in this report.

Salt removal from tanks containing high-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiser, D.L.

1981-01-01

At the Savannah River Plant (SRP), there are 23 waste storage tanks containing high-level radioactive wastes that are to be retired. These tanks contain about 23 million liters of salt and about 10 million liters of sludge, that are to be relocated to new Type III, fully stress-relieved tanks with complete secondary containment. About 19 million liters of salt cake are to be dissolved. Steam jet circulators were originally proposed for the salt dissolution program. However, use of steam jet circulators raised the temperature of the tank contents and caused operating problems. These included increased corrosion risk and required long cooldown periods prior to transfer. Alternative dissolution concepts were investigated. Examination of mechanisms affecting salt dissolution showed that the ability of fresh water to contact the cake surface was the most significant factor influencing dissolution rate. Density driven and mechanical agitation techniques were developed on a bench scale and then were demonstrated in an actual waste tank. Actual waste tank demonstrations were in good agreement with bench-scale experiments at 1/85 scale. The density driven method utilizes simple equipment, but leaves a cake heel in the tank and is hindered by the presence of sludge or Zeolite in the salt cake. Mechanical agitation overcomes the problems found with both steam jet circulators and the density driven technique and is the best method for future waste tank salt removal

Recovery Act - Demonstration of Sodium Ion Battery for Grid Level Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiley, Ted [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Whitacre, Jay [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Weber, Eric [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Eshoo, Michael [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Noland, James [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Blackwood, David [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Campbell, Williams [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Sheen, Eric [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Spears, Christopher [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Smith, Christopher [Aquion Energy, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2012-08-31

Aquion Energy received a $5.179 million cooperative research agreement under the Department of Energy's Smart Grid Demonstration Program Demonstration of Promising Energy Storage Technologies (Program Area 2.5) of FOA DE-FOE-0000036. The main objective of this project was to demonstrate Aquion's low cost, grid-scale, ambient temperature sodium ion energy storage device. The centerpiece of the technology is a novel hybrid energy storage chemistry that has been proven in a laboratory environment. The objective was to translate these groundbreaking results from the small-batch, small-cell test environment to the pilot scale to enable significant numbers of multiple ampere-hour cells to be manufactured and assembled into test batteries. Aquion developed a proof of concept demonstration unit that showed similar performance and major cost improvement over existing technologies. Beyond minimizing cell and system cost, Aquion built a technology that is safe, environmentally benign and durable over many thousands of cycles as used in a variety of grid support roles.

Deletion of PTH rescues skeletal abnormalities and high osteopontin levels in Klotho-/- mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quan Yuan

Full Text Available Maintenance of normal mineral ion homeostasis is crucial for many biological activities, including proper mineralization of the skeleton. Parathyroid hormone (PTH, Klotho, and FGF23 have been shown to act as key regulators of serum calcium and phosphate homeostasis through a complex feedback mechanism. The phenotypes of Fgf23(-/- and Klotho(-/- (Kl(-/- mice are very similar and include hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypervitaminosis D, suppressed PTH levels, and severe osteomalacia/osteoidosis. We recently reported that complete ablation of PTH from Fgf23(-/- mice ameliorated the phenotype in Fgf23(-/-/PTH(-/- mice by suppressing serum vitamin D and calcium levels. The severe osteomalacia in Fgf23(-/- mice, however, persisted, suggesting that a different mechanism is responsible for this mineralization defect. In the current study, we demonstrate that deletion of PTH from Kl(-/- (Kl(-/-/PTH(-/- or DKO mice corrects the abnormal skeletal phenotype. Bone turnover markers are restored to wild-type levels; and, more importantly, the skeletal mineralization defect is completely rescued in Kl(-/-/PTH(-/- mice. Interestingly, the correction of the osteomalacia is accompanied by a reduction in the high levels of osteopontin (Opn in bone and serum. Such a reduction in Opn levels could not be observed in Fgf23(-/-/PTH(-/- mice, and these mice showed sustained osteomalacia. This significant in vivo finding is corroborated by in vitro studies using calvarial osteoblast cultures that show normalized Opn expression and rescued mineralization in Kl(-/-/PTH(-/- mice. Moreover, continuous PTH infusion of Kl(-/- mice significantly increased Opn levels and osteoid volume, and decreased trabecular bone volume. In summary, our results demonstrate for the first time that PTH directly impacts the mineralization disorders and skeletal deformities of Kl(-/-, but not of Fgf23(-/- mice, possibly by regulating Opn expression. These are significant new perceptions into

High-level Waste Long-term management technology development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jong Won; Kang, C. H.; Ko, Y. K.

2012-02-01

The purpose of this project is to develop a long-term management system(A-KRS) which deals with spent fuels from domestic nuclear power stations, HLW from advanced fuel cycle and other wastes that are not admitted to LILW disposal site. Also, this project demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of the key technologies applied in the A-KRS by evaluating them under in-situ condition such as underground research laboratory and provide important information to establish the safety assessment and long-term management plan. To develop the technologies for the high level radioactive wastes disposal, demonstrate their reliability under in-situ condition and establish safety assessment of disposal system, The major objects of this project are the following: Ο An advanced disposal system including waste containers for HLW from advanced fuel cycle and pyroprocess has been developed. Ο Quantitative assessment tools for long-term safety and performance assessment of a radwaste disposal system has been developed. Ο Hydrological and geochemical investigation and interpretation methods has been developed to evaluate deep geological environments. Ο The THMC characteristics of the engineered barrier system and near-field has been evaluated by in-situ experiments. Ο The migration and retardation of radionuclides and colloid materials in a deep geological environment has been investigated. The results from this project will provide important information to show HLW disposal plan safe and reliable. The knowledge from this project can also contribute to environmental conservation by applying them to the field of oil and gas industries to store their wastes safe

Advanced waste form and Melter development for treatment of troublesome high-level wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marra, James [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Kim, Dong -Sang [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Maio, Vincent [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-10-01

A number of waste components in US defense high level radioactive wastes (HLW) have proven challenging for current Joule heated ceramic melter (JHCM) operations and have limited the ability to increase waste loadings beyond already realized levels. Many of these “troublesome" waste species cause crystallization in the glass melt that can negatively impact product quality or have a deleterious effect on melter processing. Recent efforts at US Department of Energy laboratories have focused on understanding crystallization behavior within HLW glass melts and investigating approaches to mitigate the impacts of crystallization so that increases in waste loading can be realized. Advanced glass formulations have been developed to highlight the unique benefits of next-generation melter technologies such as the Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM). Crystal-tolerant HLW glasses have been investigated to allow sparingly soluble components such as chromium to crystallize in the melter but pass out of the melter before accumulating.The Hanford site AZ-101 tank waste composition represents a waste group that is waste loading limited primarily due to high concentrations of Fe₂O₃ (also with high Al₂O₃ concentrations). Systematic glass formulation development utilizing slightly higher process temperatures and higher tolerance to spinel crystals demonstrated that an increase in waste loading of more than 20% could be achieved for this waste composition, and by extension higher loadings for wastes in the same group. An extended duration CCIM melter test was conducted on an AZ-101 waste simulant using the CCIM platform at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The melter was continually operated for approximately 80 hours demonstrating that the AZ-101 high waste loading glass composition could be readily processed using the CCIM technology. The resulting glass was close to the targeted composition and exhibited excellent durability in both

Prototype nickel component demonstration. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boss, D.E.

1994-01-01

We have been developing a process to produce high-purity nickel structures from nickel carbonyl using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The prototype demonstration effort had been separated into a number of independent tasks to allow Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) the greatest flexibility in tailoring the project to their needs. LANL selected three of the proposed tasks to be performed--Task 1- system modification and demonstration, Task 2-stainless steel mandrel trials, and Task 4-manufacturing study. Task 1 focused on converting the CVD system from a hot-wall to a cold-wall configuration and demonstrating the improved efficiency of the reactor type by depositing a 0.01-inch-thick nickel coating on a cylindrical substrate. Since stainless steel substrates were preferred because of their low α-emitter levels, Task 2 evaluated mandrel configurations which would allow removal of the nickel tube from the substrate. The manufacturing study was performed to develop strategies and system designs for manufacturing large quantities of the components needed for the Sudbury Nuetrino Observatory (SNO) program. Each of these tasks was successfully completed. During these efforts, BIRL successfully produced short lengths of 2-inch-diameter tubing and 6-inch-wide foil with levels of α-radiation emitting contaminants lower than either conventional nickel alloys or electroplated materials. We have produced both the tubing and foil using hot-substrate, cold-wall reactors and clearly demonstrated the advantages of higher precursor efficiency and deposition rate associated with this configuration. We also demonstrated a novel mandrel design which allowed easy removal of the nickel tubing and should dramatically simplify the production of 1.5-meter-long tubes in the production phase of the program

Tested Demonstrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, George L., Ed.

1987-01-01

Describes two demonstrations to illustrate characteristics of substances. Outlines a method to detect the changes in pH levels during the electrolysis of water. Uses water pistols, one filled with methane gas and the other filled with water, to illustrate the differences in these two substances. (TW)

Optical and Microcantilever-Based Sensors for Real-Time In Situ Characterization of High-Level Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, Gilbert M.; Bryan, Samuel

2002-01-01

Fundamental research is being conducted to develop sensors for strontium that can be used in real-time to characterize high-level waste (HLW) process streams. Two fundamentally different approaches are being pursued, which have in common the dependence on highly selective molecular recognition agents. In one approach, an array of chemically selective sensors with sensitive fluorescent probes to signal the presence of the constituent of interest are coupled to fiber optics for remote analytical applications. The second approach employs sensitive microcantilever sensors that have been demonstrated to have unprecedented sensitivity in solution for Cs+ and CrO4 -. Selectivity in microcantilever-based sensors is achieved by modifying the surface of a gold-coated cantilever with a monolayer coating of an alkanethiol derivative of the molecular recognition agent. The approaches are complementary since fiber optic sensors can be deployed in the highly alkaline environment of HLW, bu t a method of immobilizing a fluorescent molecular recognition agents in a polymer film or bead on the surface of the optical fiber has yet to be demonstrated. The microcantilever-based sensors function by converting molecular complexation into surface stress, and they have been demonstrated to have the requisite sensitivity. However, we will investigate method of protecting Si or SiN microcantilever sensors in the highly alkaline environment of HLW while maintaining high selectivity. One objective of this project is to develop Sr(II) molecular recognition agents with rapidly established equilibria needed for real-time analysis, and initial research will focus on calixarene-crown ethers as a platform. Sensors for alkali metal ions, hydroxide, and temperature will be part of the array of sensor elements that will be demonstrated in this program for both the cantilever and fiber optic sensor approaches

R and D toward highly repetitive laser fusion demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satoh, Nakahiro; Matsukado, Koji; Watari, Takeshi; Sekine, Takashi; Takeuchi, Yasuki; Kawashima, Toshiyuki

2017-01-01

Hamamatsu Photonics conducts research on a unique continuous neutron generation method by integrating and utilizing elemental technologies such as laser, target, and measurement for laser nuclear fusion research. In addition, in collaboration with the Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries, Toyota Motor Corporation, and others, it is conducting research on laser fusion. As a high power laser of element technology, it constructed an ultrahigh intensity laser system by combining glass slab laser KURE-I and ultrahigh intensity femtosecond laser MATSU-I equipped with titanium sapphire transmitter, and achieved a peak output of 20 TW, It plans to further increase this to 100 TW. As other element technologies, it is also considering nuclear fusion fuel - target technology and light - high energy particle measurement technology. Regarding the demonstration of continuous generation of laser fusion neutrons, it performed 100 times of continuous laser beam irradiation at 1 Hz, and actually measured the number of neutrons generated. It measured 4.5x10 4 pieces of neutrons on average (maximum 10 5 ) with a frequency of 98%. Since 100% of neutron generation should occur in principle, in the future it will be necessary to enhancing laser collecting intensity and to improve solid particle number density in order to put this process into practical use as a neutron source. (A.O.)

Sterilization, high-level disinfection, and environmental cleaning.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutala, William A; Weber, David J

2011-03-01

Failure to perform proper disinfection and sterilization of medical devices may lead to introduction of pathogens, resulting in infection. New techniques have been developed for achieving high-level disinfection and adequate environmental cleanliness. This article examines new technologies for sterilization and high-level disinfection of critical and semicritical items, respectively, and because semicritical items carry the greatest risk of infection, the authors discuss reprocessing semicritical items such as endoscopes and automated endoscope reprocessors, endocavitary probes, prostate biopsy probes, tonometers, laryngoscopes, and infrared coagulation devices. In addition, current issues and practices associated with environmental cleaning are reviewed. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A High-Resolution Terrestrial Modeling System (TMS): A Demonstration in China

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Q.; Dai, Y.; Zheng, X.; Ye, A.; Ji, D.; Chen, Z.

2013-12-01

This presentation describes a terrestrial modeling system (TMS) developed at Beijing Normal University. The TMS is designed to be driven by multi-sensor meteorological and land surface observations, including those from satellites and land based observing stations. The purposes of the TMS are (1) to provide a land surface parameterization scheme fully capable of being coupled with the Earth system models; (2) to provide a standalone platform for retrospective historical simulation and for forecasting of future land surface processes at different space and time scales; and (3) to provide a platform for studying human-Earth system interactions and for understanding climate change impacts. This system is built on capabilities among several groups at BNU, including the Common Land Model (CoLM) system, high-resolution atmospheric forcing data sets, high resolution land surface characteristics data sets, data assimilation and uncertainty analysis platforms, ensemble prediction platform, and high-performance computing facilities. This presentation intends to describe the system design and demonstrate the capabilities of TMS with results from a China-wide application.

An analytical hierarchy process for decision making of high-level-waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.H.C.; Jang, W.

1995-01-01

To prove the existence value of nuclear technology for the world of post cold war, demonstration of safe rad-waste disposal is essential. High-level-waste (HLW) certainly is the key issue to be resolved. To assist a rational and persuasive process on various disposal options, an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for the decision making of HLW management is presented. The basic theory and rationale are discussed, and applications are shown to illustrate the usefulness of the AHP. The authors wish that the AHP can provide a better direction for the current doomed situations of Taiwan nuclear industry, and to exchange with other countries for sharing experiences on the HLW management

Los Alamos National Laboratory simulated sludge vitrification demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cicero, C.A.; Bickford, D.F.; Bennert, D.M.; Overcamp, T.J.

1994-01-01

Technologies are being developed to convert hazardous and mixed wastes to a form suitable for permanent disposal. Vitrification, which has been declared the Best Demonstrated Available Technology (BDAT) for high-level radioactive waste disposal by the EPA, is capable of producing a highly durable wasteform that minimizes disposal volumes through organic destruction, moisture evaporation, and porosity reduction. However, this technology must be demonstrated over a range of waste characteristics, including compositions, chemistries, moistures, and physical characteristics to ensure that it is suitable for hazardous and mixed waste treatment. This project plans to demonstrate vitrification of simulated wastes that are considered representatives of wastes found throughout the DOE complex. For the most part, the primary constituent of the wastes is flocculation aids, such as Fe(OH) 3 , and natural filter aids, such as diatomaceous earth and perlite. The filter aids consist mostly of silica, which serves as an excellent glass former; hence, the reason why vitrification is such a viable option. LANL is currently operating a liquid waste processing plant which produces an inorganic sludge similar to other waste water treatment streams. Since this waste has characteristics that make it suitable for vitrification and the likelihood of success is high, it shall be tested at CU. The objective of this task is to characterize the process behavior and glass product formed upon vitrification of simulated LANL sludge. The off-gases generated from the production runs will also be characterized to help further develop vitrification processes for mixed and low level wastes

An integrated approach to strategic planning in the civilian high-level radioactive waste management program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprecher, W.M.; Katz, J.; Redmond, R.J.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the approach that the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) of the Department of Energy (DOE) is taking to the task of strategic planning for the civilian high-level radioactive waste management program. It highlights selected planning products and activities that have emerged over the past year. It demonstrates that this approach is an integrated one, both in the sense of being systematic on the program level but also as a component of DOE strategic planning efforts. Lastly, it indicates that OCRWM strategic planning takes place in a dynamic environment and consequently is a process that is still evolving in response to the demands placed upon it

Real-time high-level video understanding using data warehouse

Science.gov (United States)

Lienard, Bruno; Desurmont, Xavier; Barrie, Bertrand; Delaigle, Jean-Francois

2006-02-01

High-level Video content analysis such as video-surveillance is often limited by computational aspects of automatic image understanding, i.e. it requires huge computing resources for reasoning processes like categorization and huge amount of data to represent knowledge of objects, scenarios and other models. This article explains how to design and develop a "near real-time adaptive image datamart", used, as a decisional support system for vision algorithms, and then as a mass storage system. Using RDF specification as storing format of vision algorithms meta-data, we can optimise the data warehouse concepts for video analysis, add some processes able to adapt the current model and pre-process data to speed-up queries. In this way, when new data is sent from a sensor to the data warehouse for long term storage, using remote procedure call embedded in object-oriented interfaces to simplified queries, they are processed and in memory data-model is updated. After some processing, possible interpretations of this data can be returned back to the sensor. To demonstrate this new approach, we will present typical scenarios applied to this architecture such as people tracking and events detection in a multi-camera network. Finally we will show how this system becomes a high-semantic data container for external data-mining.

Reliability demonstration test planning: A three dimensional consideration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Om Prakash; Singh, Nanua; Goel, Parveen S.

2006-01-01

Increasing customer demand for reliability, fierce market competition on time-to-market and cost, and highly reliable products are making reliability testing more challenging task. This paper presents a systematic approach for identifying critical elements (subsystems and components) of the system and deciding the types of test to be performed to demonstrate reliability. It decomposes the system into three dimensions (i.e. physical, functional and time) and identifies critical elements in the design by allocating system level reliability to each candidate. The decomposition of system level reliability is achieved by using criticality index. The numerical value of criticality index for each candidate is derived based on the information available from failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) document or warranty data from a prior system. It makes use of this information to develop reliability demonstration test plan for the identified (critical) failure mechanisms and physical elements. It also highlights the benefits of using prior information in order to locate critical spots in the design and in subsequent development of test plans. A case example is presented to demonstrate the proposed approach

The sleep of elite athletes at sea level and high altitude: a comparison of sea-level natives and high-altitude natives (ISA3600).

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, Gregory D; Schmidt, Walter F; Aughey, Robert J; Bourdon, Pitre C; Soria, Rudy; Claros, Jesus C Jimenez; Garvican-Lewis, Laura A; Buchheit, Martin; Simpson, Ben M; Hammond, Kristal; Kley, Marlen; Wachsmuth, Nadine; Gore, Christopher J; Sargent, Charli

2013-12-01

Altitude exposure causes acute sleep disruption in non-athletes, but little is known about its effects in elite athletes. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of altitude on two groups of elite athletes, that is, sea-level natives and high-altitude natives. Sea-level natives were members of the Australian under-17 soccer team (n=14). High-altitude natives were members of a Bolivian under-20 club team (n=12). Teams participated in an 18-day (19 nights) training camp in Bolivia, with 6 nights at near sea level in Santa Cruz (430 m) and 13 nights at high altitude in La Paz (3600 m). Sleep was assessed on every day/night using activity monitors. The Australians' sleep was shorter, and of poorer quality, on the first night at altitude compared with sea level. Sleep quality returned to normal by the end of the first week at altitude, but sleep quantity had still not stabilised at its normal level after 2 weeks. The quantity and quality of sleep obtained by the Bolivians was similar, or greater, on all nights at altitude compared with sea level. The Australians tended to obtain more sleep than the Bolivians at sea level and altitude, but the quality of the Bolivians' sleep tended to be better than that of the Australians at altitude. Exposure to high altitude causes acute and chronic disruption to the sleep of elite athletes who are sea-level natives, but it does not affect the sleep of elite athletes who are high-altitude natives.

The measurement for level of marine high-temperature and high-pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Jie.

1986-01-01

The various error factors in measurement for level of marine high-temperature and high-pressure vessels are anslysed. The measuring method of error self compensation and its simplification for land use are shown

Zeolite Vitrification Demonstration Program nonradioactive-process operations summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, G.H.; Knox, C.A.; Goles, R.G.; Ethridge, L.J.; Siemens, D.H.

1982-09-01

The Submerged Demineralizer System is a process developed to decontaminate high-activity level water at Three Mile Island by sorbing the activity (primarily Cs and Sr) onto beds of zeolite. Pacific Northwest Laboratory's Zeolite Vitrification Demonstration Program has the responsibility of demonstrating the full-scale vitrification of this zeolite material. The first phase of this program has been to develop a glass formulation and demonstrate the vitrification process with the use of nonradioactive materials. During this phase, four full-scale nonradioactive demonstration runs were completed. The same zeolite mixture being used in the SDS system was loaded with nonradioactive isotopes of Cs and Sr, dried, blended with glass-forming chemicals and fed to a canister in an in-can melter furnace. During each run, the gaseous effluents were sampled. After each run, glass samples were removed and analyzed

Final repositories for high-level radioactive waste; Endlagerung hochradioaktiver Abfaelle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2015-10-15

The brochure on final repositories for high-level radioactive waste covers the following issues: What is the origin of radioactive wastes? How large are the waste amounts? What is going to happen with the wastes? What is the solution for the Waste disposal? A new site search is started. Safety requirements for the final disposal of high-level radioactive wastes. Comparison of host rocks. Who is responsible and who will pay? Final disposal of high-level radioactive wastes worldwide. Short summary: History of the search for a final repository for high-level radioactive wastes in Germany.

Discovery of high-level tasks in the operating room

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouarfa, L.; Jonker, P.P.; Dankelman, J.

2010-01-01

Recognizing and understanding surgical high-level tasks from sensor readings is important for surgical workflow analysis. Surgical high-level task recognition is also a challenging task in ubiquitous computing because of the inherent uncertainty of sensor data and the complexity of the operating

JOYO modification program for demonstration tests of FBR innovative technology development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimi, H.; Hachiya, Y.

1990-01-01

A plan is under way at PNC to modify the experimental fast reactor JOYO. The project is called MARK-III (MK-III) program. The purpose of MK-III is to expand the function of JOYO, and to make it possible to receive demonstration tests of new or high level technologies for FBR development. The MK-III program consists of two main modifications: conversion to a highly efficient irradiation facility; and a modification for demonstration testing of new technologies and concepts that have a high potential to reduce FBR plant construction cost, to evaluate plant reliability and to improve plant safety. These modifications are scheduled to start in 1991

Evaluation of solidified high-level waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

One of the objectives of the IAEA waste management programme is to coordinate and promote development of improved technology for the safe management of radioactive wastes. The Agency accomplished this objective specifically through sponsoring Coordinated Research Programmes on the ''Evaluation of Solidified High Level Waste Products'' in 1977. The primary objectives of this programme are to review and disseminate information on the properties of solidified high-level waste forms, to provide a mechanism for analysis and comparison of results from different institutes, and to help coordinate future plans and actions. This report is a summary compilation of the key information disseminated at the second meeting of this programme

Spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trigerman, S.

1988-06-01

The subject of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste storage, is bibliographically reviewed. The review shows that in the majority of the countries, spent fuels and high-level radioactive wastes are planned to be stored for tens of years. Sites for final disposal of high-level radioactive wastes have not yet been found. A first final disposal facility is expected to come into operation in the United States of America by the year 2010. Other final disposal facilities are expected to come into operation in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan by the year 2020. Meanwhile , stress is placed upon the 'dry storage' method which is carried out successfully in a number of countries (Britain and France). In the United States of America spent fuels are stored in water pools while the 'dry storage' method is still being investigated. (Author)

Radionuclide accumulation peculiarities demonstrated by vegetable varieties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruk, A.V.; Goncharenko, G.G.; Kilchevsky, A.V.

2004-01-01

This study focused on ecological and genetic aspects of radionuclide accumulation demonstrated by a number of vegetable varieties. The researches resulted in determining the cabbage varieties which were characterised by the minimal level of radionuclide accumulation. It was shown that the above varieties manifested the relation between radionuclide accumulation and morphobiological characteristics such as vegetation period duration and yield criteria. The study specified the genotypes with high ecological stability as regards to radionuclide accumulation: 'Beloruskaya 85' cabbage and 'Dokhodny' tomato showed the best response to Cs 137, while 'Beloruskaya 85', 'Rusinovka', 'Amager 611' cabbage varieties and 'Sprint' tomato showed the minimal level of Sr 90 accumulation. (authors)

Properties and characteristics of high-level waste glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, W.A.

1977-01-01

This paper has briefly reviewed many of the characteristics and properties of high-level waste glasses. From this review, it can be noted that glass has many desirable properties for solidification of high-level wastes. The most important of these include: (1) its low leach rate; (2) the ability to tolerate large changes in waste composition; (3) the tolerance of anticipated storage temperatures; (4) its low surface area even after thermal shock or impact

Stable superconducting magnet. [high current levels below critical temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Boom, R. W. (Inventor)

1967-01-01

Operation of a superconducting magnet is considered. A method is described for; (1) obtaining a relatively high current in a superconducting magnet positioned in a bath of a gas refrigerant; (2) operating a superconducting magnet at a relatively high current level without training; and (3) operating a superconducting magnet containing a plurality of turns of a niobium zirconium wire at a relatively high current level without training.

Calderon cokemaking process/demonstration project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albert Calderon

1998-01-01

This project deals with the demonstration of a coking process using proprietary technology of Calderon, with the following objectives geared to facilitate commercialization: (i) making coke of such quality as to be suitable for use in hard-driving, large blast furnaces; (ii) providing proof that such process is continuous and environmentally closed to prevent emissions; (iii) demonstrating that high-coking-pressure (non-traditional) coal blends which cannot be safely charged into conventional by-product coke ovens can be used in the Calderon process; and (iv) demonstrating that coke can be produced economically, at a level competitive with coke imports. The activities of the past quarter were focused on the following: Consolidation of the project team-players; Recruiting Koppers Industries as an additional stakeholder; Developing a closed system for the production of binder pitch from tar in the Calderon coking process as the incentive for Koppers to join the team; Gathering appropriate equipment for conducting a set of experiments at bench scale to simulate tar quality produced from the Calderon coking process for the production of binder pitch; and Further progress made in the design of the commercial coking reactor

ALICE High Level Trigger

CERN Multimedia

Alt, T

2013-01-01

The ALICE High Level Trigger (HLT) is a computing farm designed and build for the real-time, online processing of the raw data produced by the ALICE detectors. Events are fully reconstructed from the raw data, analyzed and compressed. The analysis summary together with the compressed data and a trigger decision is sent to the DAQ. In addition the reconstruction of the events allows for on-line monitoring of physical observables and this information is provided to the Data Quality Monitor (DQM). The HLT can process event rates of up to 2 kHz for proton-proton and 200 Hz for Pb-Pb central collisions.

The sleep of elite athletes at sea level and high altitude: a comparison of sea-level natives and high-altitude natives (ISA3600)

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, Gregory D; Schmidt, Walter F; Aughey, Robert J; Bourdon, Pitre C; Soria, Rudy; Claros, Jesus C Jimenez; Garvican-Lewis, Laura A; Buchheit, Martin; Simpson, Ben M; Hammond, Kristal; Kley, Marlen; Wachsmuth, Nadine; Gore, Christopher J; Sargent, Charli

2013-01-01

Background Altitude exposure causes acute sleep disruption in non-athletes, but little is known about its effects in elite athletes. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of altitude on two groups of elite athletes, that is, sea-level natives and high-altitude natives. Methods Sea-level natives were members of the Australian under-17 soccer team (n=14). High-altitude natives were members of a Bolivian under-20 club team (n=12). Teams participated in an 18-day (19 nights) training camp in Bolivia, with 6 nights at near sea level in Santa Cruz (430 m) and 13 nights at high altitude in La Paz (3600 m). Sleep was assessed on every day/night using activity monitors. Results The Australians’ sleep was shorter, and of poorer quality, on the first night at altitude compared with sea level. Sleep quality returned to normal by the end of the first week at altitude, but sleep quantity had still not stabilised at its normal level after 2 weeks. The quantity and quality of sleep obtained by the Bolivians was similar, or greater, on all nights at altitude compared with sea level. The Australians tended to obtain more sleep than the Bolivians at sea level and altitude, but the quality of the Bolivians’ sleep tended to be better than that of the Australians at altitude. Conclusions Exposure to high altitude causes acute and chronic disruption to the sleep of elite athletes who are sea-level natives, but it does not affect the sleep of elite athletes who are high-altitude natives. PMID:24282197

The IFR pyroprocessing for high-level waste minimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laidler, J.J.

1993-01-01

The process developed for the recycle of integral fast reactor (IFR) spent fuel utilizes a combination of pyrometallurgical and electrochemical methods and has been termed pyroprocessing. The process has been operated at full scale with simulated spent fuel using nonradioactive fission product elements. A comprehensive demonstration of the pyroprocessing of irradiated IFR fuel will begin later this year. Pyroprocessing involves the anodic dissolution of all the constituent elements of the IFR spent fuel and controlled electrotransport (electrorefining) to separate the actinide elements from the fission products present in the spent fuel. The process be applied to the processing of spent light water reactor (LWR) fuel as well, requiring only the addition of a reduction step to convert the LWR fuel as well, requiring only the addition of a reduction step to convert the LWR oxide fuel to metallic form and a separation step to separate uranium from the transuranic (TRU) elements. The TRU elements are then recovered by electroefining in the same manner as the actinides from the IFR high-level wastes arising from pyroprocessing are virtually free of actinides, and the volume of the wastes is minimized by the intrinsic characteristics of the processing of the processing method

Natural geochemical analogues of the near field of high-level nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apps, J.A.

1995-01-01

United States practice has been to design high-level nuclear waste (HLW) geological repositories with waste densities sufficiently high that repository temperatures surrounding the waste will exceed 100 degrees C and could reach 250 degrees C. Basalt and devitrified vitroclastic tuff are among the host rocks considered for waste emplacement. Near-field repository thermal behavior and chemical alteration in such rocks is expected to be similar to that observed in many geothermal systems. Therefore, the predictive modeling required for performance assessment studies of the near field could be validated and calibrated using geothermal systems as natural analogues. Examples are given which demonstrate the need for refinement of the thermodynamic databases used in geochemical modeling of near-field natural analogues and the extent to which present models can predict conditions in geothermal fields

Analysis of Cyberbullying Sensitivity Levels of High School Students and Their Perceived Social Support Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Akturk, Ahmet Oguz

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the cyberbullying sensitivity levels of high school students and their perceived social supports levels, and analyze the variables that predict cyberbullying sensitivity. In addition, whether cyberbullying sensitivity levels and social support levels differed according to gender was also…

High-Level Synthesis of DSP Applications Using Adaptive Negative Cycle Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nitin Chandrachoodan

2002-09-01

Full Text Available The problem of detecting negative weight cycles in a graph is examined in the context of the dynamic graph structures that arise in the process of high level synthesis (HLS. The concept of adaptive negative cycle detection is introduced, in which a graph changes over time and negative cycle detection needs to be done periodically, but not necessarily after every individual change. We present an algorithm for this problem, based on a novel extension of the well-known Bellman-Ford algorithm that allows us to adapt existing cycle information to the modified graph, and show by experiments that our algorithm significantly outperforms previous incremental approaches for dynamic graphs. In terms of applications, the adaptive technique leads to a very fast implementation of Lawlers algorithm for the computation of the maximum cycle mean (MCM of a graph, especially for a certain form of sparse graph. Such sparseness often occurs in practical circuits and systems, as demonstrated, for example, by the ISCAS 89/93 benchmarks. The application of the adaptive technique to design-space exploration (synthesis is also demonstrated by developing automated search techniques for scheduling iterative data-flow graphs.

Field instrumentation and testing needs for a high level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marti, J.; Maini, T.

1981-03-01

A review has been conducted of the testing and measurement needs posed by a deep geologic High Level Waste (HLW) repository in crystalline or argillaceous rocks. Siting, design, construction, operation and decommissioning of the repository have been covered, together with the planning of a Test and Demonstration Facility. Instruments and methods available have been critically assessed in their ability to fulfil the aforementioned testing and monitoring programmes. Special attention has been paid to the relation of measurements to the data needs and to the tests likely to generate such data. This assessment has concentrated on measurements of absolute rock stresses, monitoring of changes in rock stress, evaluation of the rock mass deformability, measurement of relative displacements and determination of the hydrogeologic parameters of the rock mass. Other measurements have been studied with a lesser degree of attention. The overall conclusion is that, from the instrumentation and testing points of view, present plans for a test and demonstration facility in the early nineties and a repository soon after 2000 are indeed feasible. Specific conclusions on the state-of-the-art and development needs are presented in the report. (author)

Managing the nation's commercial high-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-03-01

This report presents the findings and conclusions of OTA's analysis of Federal policy for the management of commercial high-level radioactive waste. It represents a major update and expansion of the Analysis presented to Congress in our summary report, Managing Commercial High-Level Radioactive Waste, published in April of 1982 (NWPA). This new report is intended to contribute to the implementation of NWPA, and in particular to Congressional review of three major documents that DOE will submit to the 99th Congress: a Mission Plan for the waste management program; a monitored retrievable storage (MRS) proposal; and a report on mechanisms for financing and managing the waste program. The assessment was originally focused on the ocean disposal of nuclear waste. OTA later broadened the study to include all aspects of high-level waste disposal. The major findings of the original analysis were published in OTA's 1982 summary report

Embedding of solid high-level wastes into metal and non-metal matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geel, J. van; Eschrich, H.; Dobbels, F.; Favre, P.; Sterner, H.

1980-03-01

The primary objective of embedding solidification high-level waste forms of high specific activity into a matrix material is to obtain final waste composites with moderate inner temperatures, even at large waste loadings per meter cylinder length. Secondary objectives are to produce a non-porous, crack-free composite product with a durability superior to that of the embedded waste form itself. The temperature distribution in composite material composed of vitreous beads embedded into a metal matrix (vitromets) are compared with that in a vitreous block, of equal heat generation per meter height, during short- and long-term storage. It was found that for storage under water, inner temperatures below 100 0 C are assured in vitromets, produced from short-cooled high-level wastes, and containing high waste loadings per metercanister height. The chemical and mechanical stability, as well as the thermal conductivity have been examined for vitromets containing various matrix materials whereby emphasis is imparted to lead- and aluminum alloys. The corrosion of lead- and aluminum alloys in distilled water, brine solution and dry salt has been examined at temperatures up to 230 0 C and pressures up to 3.5 MPa. Some lead alloys were found to exhibit superior corrosion resistance in these chemical environments than certain reference borosilicate glasses. The deformation behavior of vitromets under axial compression has been investigated at different temperatures and varying height diameter ratios. The maturity of the vitromet production is finally demonstrated by presenting process data from hot-laboratory scale and cold semi-industrial scale production units. (author)

Effects of anesthetic agents on brain blood oxygenation level revealed with ultra-high field MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciobanu, Luisa; Reynaud, Olivier; Le Bihan, Denis; Uhrig, Lynn; Jarraya, Bechir

2012-01-01

During general anesthesia it is crucial to control systemic hemodynamics and oxygenation levels. However, anesthetic agents can affect cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism in a drug-dependent manner, while systemic hemodynamics is stable. Brain-wide monitoring of this effect remains highly challenging. Because T2'*-weighted imaging at ultra-high magnetic field strengths benefits from a dramatic increase in contrast to noise ratio, we hypothesized that it could monitor anesthesia effects on brain blood oxygenation. We scanned rat brains at 7 T and 17.2 T under general anesthesia using different anesthetics (isoflurane, ketamine-xylazine, medetomidine). We showed that the brain/vessels contrast in T2'*- weighted images at 17.2 T varied directly according to the applied pharmacological anesthetic agent, a phenomenon that was visible, but to a much smaller extent at 7 T. This variation is in agreement with the mechanism of action of these agents. These data demonstrate that preclinical ultra-high field MRI can monitor the effects of a given drug on brain blood oxygenation level in the absence of systemic blood oxygenation changes and of any neural stimulation. (authors)

An efficient method to control high mannose and core fucose levels in glycosylated antibody production using deoxymannojirimycin.

Science.gov (United States)

Shalel Levanon, Sagit; Aharonovitz, Orit; Maor-Shoshani, Ayelet; Abraham, Gita; Kenett, Dan; Aloni, Yehoshua

2018-06-20

Glycosylation on the Fc region of recombinant Immunoglobulin G (IgG) therapeutic antibodies is a critical protein quality attribute which may affect the efficacy and safety of the molecule. During the development of biosimilar therapeutics, adjustment of the glycosylation profile is required in order to match the reference innovator profile. Deoxymannojirimycin (DMJ), a known inhibitor of mannosidase, was used in this study to modulate the glycosylation pattern of antibodies. The effect of DMJ, at concentrations of 5 μM - 500 μM, on non-fucosylated glycoform levels was tested in the biosynthesis processes of two different IgG1 (IgG1 #A and IgG1 #B) using two Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines (CHO-DXB-11 and CHOK1SV, respectively) in Erlenmeyer flasks and in lab scale bioreactors. DMJ affected glycan forms in a dose response manner. At the highest concentration tested, DMJ reduced N-linked complex glycoform and core fucose levels by 15 and 14 fold, respectively, and increased high mannose level by 21 fold. 10 μM DMJ decreased IgG1 #A core fucose level in CHO-DXB-11 from 92% to 73% and increased high mannose level from 4% to 22% in Erlenmeyer flasks. Furthermore, in lab scale bioreactors, 15 μM DMJ decreased IgG1 #A core fucose level from 95% to 84% and increased high mannose level from 3% to 13%. Core fucose level of IgG1 #B in CHOK1SV was decreased from 81% to 73% using 10 μM DMJ in lab scale bioreactors while high mannose was increased from 6% to 15%. While affecting core fucose and high mannose levels, DMJ decreased maximum viable cell concentration by 16% and did not significantly affect cell productivity (less than 10%). This study demonstrated that DMJ can enable the control of core fucosylated and high mannose levels of IgG1 antibodies in a defined range. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High level cognitive information processing in neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Barnden, John A.; Fields, Christopher A.

1992-01-01

Two related research efforts were addressed: (1) high-level connectionist cognitive modeling; and (2) local neural circuit modeling. The goals of the first effort were to develop connectionist models of high-level cognitive processes such as problem solving or natural language understanding, and to understand the computational requirements of such models. The goals of the second effort were to develop biologically-realistic model of local neural circuits, and to understand the computational behavior of such models. In keeping with the nature of NASA's Innovative Research Program, all the work conducted under the grant was highly innovative. For instance, the following ideas, all summarized, are contributions to the study of connectionist/neural networks: (1) the temporal-winner-take-all, relative-position encoding, and pattern-similarity association techniques; (2) the importation of logical combinators into connection; (3) the use of analogy-based reasoning as a bridge across the gap between the traditional symbolic paradigm and the connectionist paradigm; and (4) the application of connectionism to the domain of belief representation/reasoning. The work on local neural circuit modeling also departs significantly from the work of related researchers. In particular, its concentration on low-level neural phenomena that could support high-level cognitive processing is unusual within the area of biological local circuit modeling, and also serves to expand the horizons of the artificial neural net field.

High school and college biology: A multi-level model of the effects of high school biology courses on student academic performance in introductory college biology courses

Science.gov (United States)

Loehr, John Francis

The issue of student preparation for college study in science has been an ongoing concern for both college-bound students and educators of various levels. This study uses a national sample of college students enrolled in introductory biology courses to address the relationship between high school biology preparation and subsequent introductory college biology performance. Multi-Level Modeling was used to investigate the relationship between students' high school science and mathematics experiences and college biology performance. This analysis controls for student demographic and educational background factors along with factors associated with the college or university attended. The results indicated that high school course-taking and science instructional experiences have the largest impact on student achievement in the first introductory college biology course. In particular, enrollment in courses, such as high school Calculus and Advanced Placement (AP) Biology, along with biology course content that focuses on developing a deep understanding of the topics is found to be positively associated with student achievement in introductory college biology. On the other hand, experiencing high numbers of laboratory activities, demonstrations, and independent projects along with higher levels of laboratory freedom are associated with negative achievement. These findings are relevant to high school biology teachers, college students, their parents, and educators looking beyond the goal of high school graduation.

Evaluation of conditioned high-level waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendel, J.E.; Turcotte, R.P.; Chikalla, T.D.; Hench, L.L.

1983-01-01

The evaluation of conditioned high-level waste forms requires an understanding of radiation and thermal effects, mechanical properties, volatility, and chemical durability. As a result of nuclear waste research and development programs in many countries, a good understanding of these factors is available for borosilicate glass containing high-level waste. The IAEA through its coordinated research program has contributed to this understanding. Methods used in the evaluation of conditioned high-level waste forms are reviewed. In the US, this evaluation has been facilitated by the definition of standard test methods by the Materials Characterization Center (MCC), which was established by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 1979. The DOE has also established a 20-member Materials Review Board to peer-review the activities of the MCC. In addition to comparing waste forms, testing must be done to evaluate the behavior of waste forms in geologic repositories. Such testing is complex; accelerated tests are required to predict expected behavior for thousands of years. The tests must be multicomponent tests to ensure that all potential interactions between waste form, canister/overpack and corrosion products, backfill, intruding ground water and the repository rock, are accounted for. An overview of the status of such multicomponent testing is presented

High-level waste management technology program plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harmon, H.D.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this plan is to document the integrated technology program plan for the Savannah River Site (SRS) High-Level Waste (HLW) Management System. The mission of the SRS HLW System is to receive and store SRS high-level wastes in a see and environmentally sound, and to convert these wastes into forms suitable for final disposal. These final disposal forms are borosilicate glass to be sent to the Federal Repository, Saltstone grout to be disposed of on site, and treated waste water to be released to the environment via a permitted outfall. Thus, the technology development activities described herein are those activities required to enable successful accomplishment of this mission. The technology program is based on specific needs of the SRS HLW System and organized following the systems engineering level 3 functions. Technology needs for each level 3 function are listed as reference, enhancements, and alternatives. Finally, FY-95 funding, deliverables, and schedules are s in Chapter IV with details on the specific tasks that are funded in FY-95 provided in Appendix A. The information in this report represents the vision of activities as defined at the beginning of the fiscal year. Depending on emergent issues, funding changes, and other factors, programs and milestones may be adjusted during the fiscal year. The FY-95 SRS HLW technology program strongly emphasizes startup support for the Defense Waste Processing Facility and In-Tank Precipitation. Closure of technical issues associated with these operations has been given highest priority. Consequently, efforts on longer term enhancements and alternatives are receiving minimal funding. However, High-Level Waste Management is committed to participation in the national Radioactive Waste Tank Remediation Technology Focus Area. 4 refs., 5 figs., 9 tabs.

High-level waste management technology program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmon, H.D.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this plan is to document the integrated technology program plan for the Savannah River Site (SRS) High-Level Waste (HLW) Management System. The mission of the SRS HLW System is to receive and store SRS high-level wastes in a see and environmentally sound, and to convert these wastes into forms suitable for final disposal. These final disposal forms are borosilicate glass to be sent to the Federal Repository, Saltstone grout to be disposed of on site, and treated waste water to be released to the environment via a permitted outfall. Thus, the technology development activities described herein are those activities required to enable successful accomplishment of this mission. The technology program is based on specific needs of the SRS HLW System and organized following the systems engineering level 3 functions. Technology needs for each level 3 function are listed as reference, enhancements, and alternatives. Finally, FY-95 funding, deliverables, and schedules are s in Chapter IV with details on the specific tasks that are funded in FY-95 provided in Appendix A. The information in this report represents the vision of activities as defined at the beginning of the fiscal year. Depending on emergent issues, funding changes, and other factors, programs and milestones may be adjusted during the fiscal year. The FY-95 SRS HLW technology program strongly emphasizes startup support for the Defense Waste Processing Facility and In-Tank Precipitation. Closure of technical issues associated with these operations has been given highest priority. Consequently, efforts on longer term enhancements and alternatives are receiving minimal funding. However, High-Level Waste Management is committed to participation in the national Radioactive Waste Tank Remediation Technology Focus Area. 4 refs., 5 figs., 9 tabs

Commercial truck platooning demonstration in Texas – level 2 automation.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-01

Through this project, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) funded the creation of a comprehensive truck platooning demonstration in Texas, serving as a proactive effort in assessing innovative operational strategies to position TxDOT as a l...

High level radioactive wastes: Considerations on final disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciallella, Norberto R.

2000-01-01

When at the beginnings of the decade of the 80 the National Commission on Atomic Energy (CNEA) in Argentina decided to study the destination of the high level radioactive wastes, was began many investigations, analysis and multidisciplinary evaluations that be origin to a study of characteristics never before carried out in Argentina. For the first time in the country was faced the study of an environmental eventual problem, several decades before that the problem was presented. The elimination of the high level radioactive wastes in the technological aspects was taken in advance, avoiding to transfer the problems to the future generations. The decision was based, not only in technical evaluations but also in ethical premises, since it was considered that the future generations may enjoy the benefits of the nuclear energy and not should be solve the problem. The CNEA in Argentina in 1980 decided to begin a feasibility study and preliminary engineering project for the construction of the final disposal of high level radioactive wastes

Techniques for the solidification of high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

The problem of the long-term management of the high-level wastes from the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel is receiving world-wide attention. While the majority of the waste solutions from the reprocessing of commercial fuels are currently being stored in stainless-steel tanks, increasing effort is being devoted to developing technology for the conversion of these wastes into solids. A number of full-scale solidification facilities are expected to come into operation in the next decade. The object of this report is to survey and compare all the work currently in progress on the techniques available for the solidification of high-level wastes. It will examine the high-level liquid wastes arising from the various processes currently under development or in operation, the advantages and disadvantages of each process for different types and quantities of waste solutions, the stages of development, the scale-up potential and flexibility of the processes

Materials for high-level waste containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, G.P.

1982-01-01

The function of the high-level radioactive waste container in storage and of a container/overpack combination in disposal is considered. The consequent properties required from potential fabrication materials are discussed. The strategy adopted in selecting containment materials and the experimental programme underway to evaluate them are described. (U.K.)

Psilocybin impairs high-level but not low-level motion perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Olivia L; Pettigrew, John D; Burr, David C; Alais, David; Hasler, Felix; Vollenweider, Franz X

2004-08-26

The hallucinogenic serotonin(1A&2A) agonist psilocybin is known for its ability to induce illusions of motion in otherwise stationary objects or textured surfaces. This study investigated the effect of psilocybin on local and global motion processing in nine human volunteers. Using a forced choice direction of motion discrimination task we show that psilocybin selectively impairs coherence sensitivity for random dot patterns, likely mediated by high-level global motion detectors, but not contrast sensitivity for drifting gratings, believed to be mediated by low-level detectors. These results are in line with those observed within schizophrenic populations and are discussed in respect to the proposition that psilocybin may provide a model to investigate clinical psychosis and the pharmacological underpinnings of visual perception in normal populations.

Ground test for vibration control demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, C.; Prodigue, J.; Broux, G.; Cantinaud, O.; Poussot-Vassal, C.

2016-09-01

In the objective of maximizing comfort in Falcon jets, Dassault Aviation is developing an innovative vibration control technology. Vibrations of the structure are measured at several locations and sent to a dedicated high performance vibration control computer. Control laws are implemented in this computer to analyse the vibrations in real time, and then elaborate orders sent to the existing control surfaces to counteract vibrations. After detailing the technology principles, this paper focuses on the vibration control ground demonstration that was performed by Dassault Aviation in May 2015 on Falcon 7X business jet. The goal of this test was to attenuate vibrations resulting from fixed forced excitation delivered by shakers. The ground test demonstrated the capability to implement an efficient closed-loop vibration control with a significant vibration level reduction and validated the vibration control law design methodology. This successful ground test was a prerequisite before the flight test demonstration that is now being prepared. This study has been partly supported by the JTI CleanSky SFWA-ITD.

Long-term high-level waste technology. Composite quarterly technical report: April-June 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornman, W.R.

1981-12-01

This series of reports summarizes research and development studies on the immobilization of high-level wastes from the chemical reprocessing of nuclear reactor fuels. The reports are grouped under the following tasks: (1) program management and support; (2) waste preparation; (3) waste fixation; and (4) final handling. Some of the highlights are: leaching properties were obtained for titanate and tailored ceramic materials being developed at ICPP to immobilize zirconia calcine; comparative leach tests, hot-cell tests, and process evaluations were conducted of waste form alternatives to borosilicate glass for the immobilization of SRP high-level wastes, experiments were run at ANL to qualify neutron activation analysis and radioactive tracers for measuring leach rates from simulated waste glasses; comparative leach test samples of SYNROC D were prepared, characterized, and tested at LLNL; encapsulation of glass marbles with lead or lead alloys was demonstrated on an engineering scale at PNL; a canister for reference Commercial HLW was designed at PNL; a study of the optimization of salt-crete was completed at SRL; a risk assessment showed that an investment for tornado dampers in the interim storage building of the DWPF is unjustified

Sputtered Encapsulation as Wafer Level Packaging for Isolatable MEMS Devices: A Technique Demonstrated on a Capacitive Accelerometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azrul Azlan Hamzah

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses sputtered silicon encapsulation as a wafer level packaging approach for isolatable MEMS devices. Devices such as accelerometers, RF switches, inductors, and filters that do not require interaction with the surroundings to function, could thus be fully encapsulated at the wafer level after fabrication. A MEMSTech 50g capacitive accelerometer was used to demonstrate a sputtered encapsulation technique. Encapsulation with a very uniform surface profile was achieved using spin-on glass (SOG as a sacrificial layer, SU-8 as base layer, RF sputtered silicon as main structural layer, eutectic gold-silicon as seal layer, and liquid crystal polymer (LCP as outer encapsulant layer. SEM inspection and capacitance test indicated that the movable elements were released after encapsulation. Nanoindentation test confirmed that the encapsulated device is sufficiently robust to withstand a transfer molding process. Thus, an encapsulation technique that is robust, CMOS compatible, and economical has been successfully developed for packaging isolatable MEMS devices at the wafer level.

High-Level Waste (HLW) Feed Process Control Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

STAEHR, T.W.

2000-01-01

The primary purpose of this document is to describe the overall process control strategy for monitoring and controlling the functions associated with the Phase 1B high-level waste feed delivery. This document provides the basis for process monitoring and control functions and requirements needed throughput the double-shell tank system during Phase 1 high-level waste feed delivery. This document is intended to be used by (1) the developers of the future Process Control Plan and (2) the developers of the monitoring and control system

Experimental demonstration of producing high resolution zone plates by spatial-frequency multiplication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, W.B.; Howells, M.R.

1987-01-01

In an earlier publication, the possibility of producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray applications by spatial-frequency multiplication was analyzed theoretically. The theory predicted that for a daughter zone plate generated from the interference of mth and nth diffraction orders of a parent zone plate, its primary focal spot size and focal length are one (m + n)th of their counterparts of the parent zone plate, respectively. It was also shown that a zone plate with the outermost zone width of as small as 13.8 nm might be produced by this technique. In this paper, we report an experiment which we carried out with laser light (λ = 4166A) for demonstrating this technique. In addition, an outlook for producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray application is briefly discussed

Removing high-level contaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallace, Paula

2013-01-01

Full text: Using biomimicry, an Australian cleantech innovation making inroads intoChinas's industrial sector offers multiple benefits to miners and processors in Australia. Stephen Shelley, the executive chairman of Creative Water Technology (CWT), was on hand at a recent trade show to explain how his Melbourne company has developed world-class techniques in zero liquid discharge and fractional crystallization of minerals to apply to a wide range of water treatment and recycling applications. “Most existing technologies operate with high energy distillation, filters or biological processing. CWT's appliance uses a low temperature, thermal distillation process known as adiabatic recovery to desalinate, dewater and/or recycle highly saline and highly contaminated waste water,” said Shelley. The technology has been specifically designed to handle the high levels of contaminant that alternative technologies struggle to process, with proven water quality results for feed water samples with TDS levels over 300,000ppm converted to clean water with less than 20ppm. Comparatively, reverse osmosis struggles to process contaminant levels over 70,000ppm effectively. “CWT is able to reclaim up to 97% clean usable water and up to 100% of the contaminants contained in the feed water,” said Shelley, adding that soluble and insoluble contaminants are separately extracted and dried for sale or re-use. In industrial applications CWT has successfully processed feed water with contaminant levels over 650,000 mg/1- without the use of chemicals. “The technology would be suitable for companies in oil exploration and production, mining, smelting, biofuels, textiles and the agricultural and food production sectors,” said Shelley. When compared to a conventional desalination plant, the CWT system is able to capture the value in the brine that most plants discard, not only from the salt but the additional water it contains. “If you recover those two commodities... then you

Cloned Bacillus subtilis alkaline protease (aprA) gene showing high level of keratinolytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaghloul, T I

1998-01-01

The Bacillus subtilis alkaline protease(aprA) gene was previously cloned on a pUBHO-derivative plasmid. High levels of expression and gene stability were demonstrated when B. subtilis cells were grown on the laboratory medium 2XSG. B. subtilis cells harboring the multicopy aprA gene were grown on basal medium, supplemented with 1 % chicken feather as a source of energy, carbon, and nitrogen. Proteolytic and keratinolytic activities were monitored throughout the cultivation time. A high level of keratinolytic activity was obtained, and this indicates that alkaline protease is acting as a keratinase. Furthermore, considerable amounts of soluble proteins and free amino acids were obtained as a result of the enzymatic hydrolysis of feather. Biodegradation of feather waste using these cells represents an alternative way to improve the nutritional value of feather, since feather waste is currently utilized on a limited basis as a dietary protein supplement for animal feedstuffs. Moreover, the release of free amino acids from feather and the secreted keratinase enzyme would promote industries based on feather waste.

Elevated level of polysaccharides in a high level UV-B tolerant cell ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-04-26

Apr 26, 2011 ... A cell line of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd with high level ... mechanisms to repair UV-induced damages via repairing ... for treatment or prevention of solar radiation. ..... working as both UV-B absorbing compounds and.

Python based high-level synthesis compiler

Science.gov (United States)

Cieszewski, Radosław; Pozniak, Krzysztof; Romaniuk, Ryszard

2014-11-01

This paper presents a python based High-Level synthesis (HLS) compiler. The compiler interprets an algorithmic description of a desired behavior written in Python and map it to VHDL. FPGA combines many benefits of both software and ASIC implementations. Like software, the mapped circuit is flexible, and can be reconfigured over the lifetime of the system. FPGAs therefore have the potential to achieve far greater performance than software as a result of bypassing the fetch-decode-execute operations of traditional processors, and possibly exploiting a greater level of parallelism. Creating parallel programs implemented in FPGAs is not trivial. This article describes design, implementation and first results of created Python based compiler.

Aeon: Synthesizing Scheduling Algorithms from High-Level Models

Science.gov (United States)

Monette, Jean-Noël; Deville, Yves; van Hentenryck, Pascal

This paper describes the aeon system whose aim is to synthesize scheduling algorithms from high-level models. A eon, which is entirely written in comet, receives as input a high-level model for a scheduling application which is then analyzed to generate a dedicated scheduling algorithm exploiting the structure of the model. A eon provides a variety of synthesizers for generating complete or heuristic algorithms. Moreover, synthesizers are compositional, making it possible to generate complex hybrid algorithms naturally. Preliminary experimental results indicate that this approach may be competitive with state-of-the-art search algorithms.

Selectivity in Postencoding Connectivity with High-Level Visual Cortex Is Associated with Reward-Motivated Memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Murty, Vishnu P; Tompary, Alexa; Adcock, R Alison; Davachi, Lila

2017-01-18

Reward motivation has been demonstrated to enhance declarative memory by facilitating systems-level consolidation. Although high-reward information is often intermixed with lower reward information during an experience, memory for high value information is prioritized. How is this selectivity achieved? One possibility is that postencoding consolidation processes bias memory strengthening to those representations associated with higher reward. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the influence of differential reward motivation on the selectivity of postencoding markers of systems-level memory consolidation. Human participants encoded intermixed, trial-unique memoranda that were associated with either high or low-value during fMRI acquisition. Encoding was interleaved with periods of rest, allowing us to investigate experience-dependent changes in connectivity as they related to later memory. Behaviorally, we found that reward motivation enhanced 24 h associative memory. Analysis of patterns of postencoding connectivity showed that, even though learning trials were intermixed, there was significantly greater connectivity with regions of high-level, category-selective visual cortex associated with high-reward trials. Specifically, increased connectivity of category-selective visual cortex with both the VTA and the anterior hippocampus predicted associative memory for high- but not low-reward memories. Critically, these results were independent of encoding-related connectivity and univariate activity measures. Thus, these findings support a model by which the selective stabilization of memories for salient events is supported by postencoding interactions with sensory cortex associated with reward. Reward motivation is thought to promote memory by supporting memory consolidation. Yet, little is known as to how brain selects relevant information for subsequent consolidation based on reward. We show that experience-dependent changes in connectivity of both the

Technetium Chemistry in High-Level Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, Nancy J.

2006-01-01

Tc contamination is found within the DOE complex at those sites whose mission involved extraction of plutonium from irradiated uranium fuel or isotopic enrichment of uranium. At the Hanford Site, chemical separations and extraction processes generated large amounts of high level and transuranic wastes that are currently stored in underground tanks. The waste from these extraction processes is currently stored in underground High Level Waste (HLW) tanks. However, the chemistry of the HLW in any given tank is greatly complicated by repeated efforts to reduce volume and recover isotopes. These processes ultimately resulted in mixing of waste streams from different processes. As a result, the chemistry and the fate of Tc in HLW tanks are not well understood. This lack of understanding has been made evident in the failed efforts to leach Tc from sludge and to remove Tc from supernatants prior to immobilization. Although recent interest in Tc chemistry has shifted from pretreatment chemistry to waste residuals, both needs are served by a fundamental understanding of Tc chemistry

Handbook of high-level radioactive waste transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sattler, L.R.

1992-10-01

The High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Handbook serves as a reference to which state officials and members of the general public may turn for information on radioactive waste transportation and on the federal government's system for transporting this waste under the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program. The Handbook condenses and updates information contained in the Midwestern High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Primer. It is intended primarily to assist legislators who, in the future, may be called upon to enact legislation pertaining to the transportation of radioactive waste through their jurisdictions. The Handbook is divided into two sections. The first section places the federal government's program for transporting radioactive waste in context. It provides background information on nuclear waste production in the United States and traces the emergence of federal policy for disposing of radioactive waste. The second section covers the history of radioactive waste transportation; summarizes major pieces of legislation pertaining to the transportation of radioactive waste; and provides an overview of the radioactive waste transportation program developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE). To supplement this information, a summary of pertinent federal and state legislation and a glossary of terms are included as appendices, as is a list of publications produced by the Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments (CSG-MW) as part of the Midwestern High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Project

Exercise responses in patients with chronically high creatine kinase levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Christopher B; Dolezal, Brett A; Neufeld, Eric V; Shieh, Perry; Jenner, John R; Riley, Marshall

2017-08-01

Elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) is often taken to reflect muscle disease, but many individuals have elevated CK without a specific diagnosis. How elevated CK reflects muscle metabolism during exercise is not known. Participants (46 men, 48 women) underwent incremental exercise testing to assess aerobic performance, cardiovascular response, and ventilatory response. Serum lactate, ammonia, and CK were measured at rest, 4 minutes into exercise, and 2 minutes into recovery. High-CK and control subjects demonstrated similar aerobic capacities and cardiovascular responses to incremental exercise. Those with CK ≥ 300 U/L exhibited significantly higher lactate and ammonia levels after maximal exercise, together with increased ventilatory responses, whereas those with CK ≥200 U/L but ≤ 300 U/L did not. We recommend measurement of lactate and ammonia profiles during a maximal incremental exercise protocol to help identify patients who warrant muscle biopsy to rule out myopathy. Muscle Nerve 56: 264-270, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

High estradiol levels improve false memory rates and meta-memory in highly schizotypal women.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgetts, Sophie; Hausmann, Markus; Weis, Susanne

2015-10-30

Overconfidence in false memories is often found in patients with schizophrenia and healthy participants with high levels of schizotypy, indicating an impairment of meta-cognition within the memory domain. In general, cognitive control is suggested to be modulated by natural fluctuations in oestrogen. However, whether oestrogen exerts beneficial effects on meta-memory has not yet been investigated. The present study sought to provide evidence that high levels of schizotypy are associated with increased false memory rates and overconfidence in false memories, and that these processes may be modulated by natural differences in estradiol levels. Using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm, it was found that highly schizotypal participants with high estradiol produced significantly fewer false memories than those with low estradiol. No such difference was found within the low schizotypy participants. Highly schizotypal participants with high estradiol were also less confident in their false memories than those with low estradiol; low schizotypy participants with high estradiol were more confident. However, these differences only approached significance. These findings suggest that the beneficial effect of estradiol on memory and meta-memory observed in healthy participants is specific to highly schizotypal individuals and might be related to individual differences in baseline dopaminergic activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generation of Efficient High-Level Hardware Code from Dataflow Programs

OpenAIRE

Siret , Nicolas; Wipliez , Matthieu; Nezan , Jean François; Palumbo , Francesca

2012-01-01

High-level synthesis (HLS) aims at reducing the time-to-market by providing an automated design process that interprets and compiles high-level abstraction programs into hardware. However, HLS tools still face limitations regarding the performance of the generated code, due to the difficulties of compiling input imperative languages into efficient hardware code. Moreover the hardware code generated by the HLS tools is usually target-dependant and at a low level of abstraction (i.e. gate-level...

Evaluation and testing of metering pumps for high-level nuclear waste slurries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, M.E.; Perez, J.M. Jr.; Blair, H.T.

1986-06-01

The metering pump system that delivers high-level liquid wastes (HLLW) slurry to a melter is an integral subsystem of the vitrification process. The process of selecting a pump for this application began with a technical review of pumps typically used for slurry applications. The design and operating characteristics of numerous pumps were evaluated against established criteria. Two pumps, an air-displacement slurry (ADS) pump and an air-lift pump, were selected for further development. In the development activity, from FY 1983 to FY 1985, the two pumps were subjected to long-term tests using simulated melter feed slurries to evaluate the pumps' performances. Throughout this period, the designs of both pumps were modified to better adapt them for this application. Final reference designs were developed for both the air-displacement slurry pump and the air-lift pump. Successful operation of the final reference designs has demonstrated the feasibility of both pumps. A fully remote design of the ADS pump has been developed and is currently undergoing testing at the West Valley Demonstration Project. Five designs of the ADS pump were tested and evaluated. The initial four designs proved the operating concept of the ADS pump. Weaknesses in the ADS pump system were identified and eliminated in later designs. A full-scale air-lift pump was designed and tested as a final demonstration of the air-lift pump's capabilities

Serum osteoprotegerin levels and mammographic density among high-risk women.

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Olivia; Zaman, Tasnim; Eisen, Andrea; Demsky, Rochelle; Blackmore, Kristina; Knight, Julia A; Elser, Christine; Ginsburg, Ophira; Zbuk, Kevin; Yaffe, Martin; Narod, Steven A; Salmena, Leonardo; Kotsopoulos, Joanne

2018-06-01

Mammographic density is a risk factor for breast cancer but the mechanism behind this association is unclear. The receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK)/RANK ligand (RANKL) pathway has been implicated in the development of breast cancer. Given the role of RANK signaling in mammary epithelial cell proliferation, we hypothesized this pathway may also be associated with mammographic density. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a decoy receptor for RANKL, is known to inhibit RANK signaling. Thus, it is of interest to evaluate whether OPG levels modify breast cancer risk through mammographic density. We quantified serum OPG levels in 57 premenopausal and 43 postmenopausal women using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cumulus was used to measure percent density, dense area, and non-dense area for each mammographic image. Subjects were classified into high versus low OPG levels based on the median serum OPG level in the entire cohort (115.1 pg/mL). Multivariate models were used to assess the relationship between serum OPG levels and the measures of mammographic density. Serum OPG levels were not associated with mammographic density among premenopausal women (P ≥ 0.42). Among postmenopausal women, those with low serum OPG levels had higher mean percent mammographic density (20.9% vs. 13.7%; P = 0.04) and mean dense area (23.4 cm 2 vs. 15.2 cm 2 ; P = 0.02) compared to those with high serum OPG levels after covariate adjustment. These findings suggest that low OPG levels may be associated with high mammographic density, particularly in postmenopausal women. Targeting RANK signaling may represent a plausible, non-surgical prevention option for high-risk women with high mammographic density, especially those with low circulating OPG levels.

Materials Science of High-Level Nuclear Waste Immobilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, William J.; Navrotsky, Alexandra; Stefanovsky, S. V.; Vance, E. R.; Vernaz, Etienne Y.

2009-01-01

With the increasing demand for the development of more nuclear power comes the responsibility to address the technical challenges of immobilizing high-level nuclear wastes in stable solid forms for interim storage or disposition in geologic repositories. The immobilization of high-level nuclear wastes has been an active area of research and development for over 50 years. Borosilicate glasses and complex ceramic composites have been developed to meet many technical challenges and current needs, although regulatory issues, which vary widely from country to country, have yet to be resolved. Cooperative international programs to develop advanced proliferation-resistant nuclear technologies to close the nuclear fuel cycle and increase the efficiency of nuclear energy production might create new separation waste streams that could demand new concepts and materials for nuclear waste immobilization. This article reviews the current state-of-the-art understanding regarding the materials science of glasses and ceramics for the immobilization of high-level nuclear waste and excess nuclear materials and discusses approaches to address new waste streams

The immobilization of High Level Waste Into Glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aisyah; Martono, H.

1998-01-01

High level liquid waste is generated from the first step extraction in the nuclear fuel reprocessing. The waste is immobilized with boro-silicate glass. A certain composition of glass is needed for a certain type of waste, so that the properties of waste glass would meet the requirement either for further process or for disposal. The effect of waste loading on either density, thermal expansion, softening point and leaching rate has been studied. The composition of the high level liquid waste has been determined by ORIGEN 2 and the result has been used to prepare simulated high level waste. The waste loading in the waste glass has been set to be 19.48; 22.32; 25.27; and 26.59 weight percent. The result shows that increasing the waste loading has resulted in the higher density with no thermal expansion and softening point significant change. The increase in the waste loading increase that leaching rate. The properties of the waste glass in this research have not shown any deviation from the standard waste glass properties

High-Level Disinfection of Otorhinolaryngology Clinical Instruments: An Evaluation of the Efficacy and Cost-effectiveness of Instrument Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Yalamanchi, Pratyusha; Yu, Jason; Chandler, Laura; Mirza, Natasha

2018-01-01

Objectives Despite increasing interest in individual instrument storage, risk of bacterial cross-contamination of otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments has not been assessed. This study is the first to determine the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of standard high-level disinfection and clinic instrument storage. Methods To assess for cross-contamination, surveillance cultures of otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments subject to standard high-level disinfection and storage were obtained at the start and end of the outpatient clinical workday. Rate of microorganism recovery was compared with cultures of instruments stored in individual peel packs and control cultures of contaminated instruments. Based on historical clinic data, the direct allocation method of cost accounting was used to determine aggregate raw material cost and additional labor hours required to process and restock peel-packed instruments. Results Among 150 cultures of standard high-level disinfected and co-located clinic instruments, 3 positive bacterial cultures occurred; 100% of control cultures were positive for bacterial species ( P cost of individual semicritical instrument storage at $97,852.50 per year. Discussion With in vitro inoculation of >200 otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments, this study demonstrates that standard high-level disinfection and storage are equally efficacious to more time-consuming and expensive individual instrument storage protocols, such as peel packing, with regard to bacterial contamination. Implications for Practice Standard high-level disinfection and storage are equally effective to labor-intensive and costly individual instrument storage protocols.

M.A. Streicher findings regarding high-level waste tank corrosion issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husa, E.I.

1994-01-01

Dr. Michael A. Streicher is a nationally recognized metallurgist and corrosion scientist. He has served on the Department of Energy, Headquarters Tank Structural Integrity panel as the primary corrosion technical expert since the panel's inception in October 1991. Attachments 3 through 13 are Dr. Streicher's correspondence and presentations to the panel between November 1991 and May 1994. This compilation addresses Dr. Streicher's findings on High-Level Waste tank corrosion issues such as: corrosion mechanisms in carbon steels; hydrogen generation from waste tank corrosion; stress corrosion cracking in carbon steel tanks; water line attack in Hanford's single-shell tanks; stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels; and materials selection for new Hanford waste tanks. These papers discuss both generic and specific corrosion issues associated with waste tanks and transfer systems at Hanford, Savannah River, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and West Valley Demonstration Project

ONDRAF/NIRAS and high-level radioactive waste management in Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decamps, F.

1993-01-01

The National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials, ONDRAF/NIRAS, is a public body with legal personality in charge of managing all radioactive waste on Belgian territory, regardless of its origin and source. It is also entrusted with tasks related to the management of enriched fissile materials, plutonium containing materials and used or unused nuclear fuel, and with certain aspects of the dismantling of closed down nuclear facilities. High-level radioactive waste management comprises essentially and for the time being the storage of high-level liquid waste produced by the former EUROCHEMIC reprocessing plant and of high-level and very high-level heat producing waste resulting from the reprocessing in France of Belgian spent fuel, as well as research and development (R and D) with regard to geological disposal in clay of this waste type

Hanford long-term high-level waste management program overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reep, I.E.

1978-05-01

The objective is the long-term disposition of the defense high-level radioactive waste which will remain upon completion of the interim waste management program in the mid-1980s, plus any additional high-level defense waste resulting from the future operation of N Reactor and the Purex Plant. The high-level radioactive waste which will exist in the mid-1980s and is addressed by this plan consists of approximately 3,300,000 ft 3 of damp salt cake stored in single-shell and double-shell waste tanks, 1,500,000 ft 3 of damp sludge stored in single-shell and double-shell waste tanks, 11,000,000 gallons of residual liquor stored in double-shell waste tanks, 3,000,000 gallons of liquid wastes stored in double-shell waste tanks awaiting solidification, and 2,900 capsules of 90 SR and 137 Cs compounds stored in water basins. Final quantities of waste may be 5 to 10% greater, depending on the future operation of N Reactor and the Purex Plant and the application of waste treatment techniques currently under study to reduce the inventory of residual liquor. In this report, the high-level radioactive waste addressed by this plan is briefly described, the major alternatives and strategies for long-term waste management are discussed, and a description of the long-term high-level waste management program is presented. Separate plans are being prepared for the long-term management of radioactive wastes which exist in other forms. 14 figures

Savannah River Plant incinerator demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewandowski, K.E.

1983-01-01

A full-scale incineration process was demonstrated at the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) using nonradioactive waste. From October 1981 through September 1982, 15,700 kilograms of solid waste and 5.7 m 3 of solvent were incinerated. Emissions of off-gas components (NO/sub x/, SO 2 , CO, and particulates) were well below South Carolina state standards. Volume reductions of 20:1 for solid waste and 7:1 for Purex solvent/lime slurry were achieved. The process has been relocated and upgraded by the Savannah River Plant to accept low-level beta-gamma combustibles. During a two-year demonstration, the facility will incinerate slightly radioactive ( 3 ) solvent and suspect level (< 1 mR/h at 0.0254 meter) solid wastes. This demonstration will begin in early 1984

Radiation safety at the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, R.L.

1997-01-01

This is a report on the Radiation Safety Program at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). This Program covers a number of activities that support high-level waste solidification, stabilization of facilities, and decontamination and decommissioning activities at the Project. The conduct of the Program provides confidence that all occupational radiation exposures received during operational tasks at the Project are within limits, standards, and program requirements, and are as low as reasonably achievable

Final report on cermet high-level waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobisk, E.H.; Quinby, T.C.; Aaron, W.S.

1981-08-01

Cermets are being developed as an alternate method for the fixation of defense and commercial high level radioactive waste in a terminal disposal form. Following initial feasibility assessments of this waste form, consisting of ceramic particles dispersed in an iron-nickel base alloy, significantly improved processing methods were developed. The characterization of cermets has continued through property determinations on samples prepared by various methods from a variety of simulated and actual high-level wastes. This report describes the status of development of the cermet waste form as it has evolved since 1977. 6 tables, 18 figures

High level radioactive waste management facility design criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheikh, N.A.; Salaymeh, S.R.

1993-01-01

This paper discusses the engineering systems for the structural design of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). At the DWPF, high level radioactive liquids will be mixed with glass particles and heated in a melter. This molten glass will then be poured into stainless steel canisters where it will harden. This process will transform the high level waste into a more stable, manageable substance. This paper discuss the structural design requirements for this unique one of a kind facility. A special emphasis will be concentrated on the design criteria pertaining to earthquake, wind and tornado, and flooding

Ontology-Based High-Level Context Inference for Human Behavior Identification

Science.gov (United States)

Villalonga, Claudia; Razzaq, Muhammad Asif; Khan, Wajahat Ali; Pomares, Hector; Rojas, Ignacio; Lee, Sungyoung; Banos, Oresti

2016-01-01

Recent years have witnessed a huge progress in the automatic identification of individual primitives of human behavior, such as activities or locations. However, the complex nature of human behavior demands more abstract contextual information for its analysis. This work presents an ontology-based method that combines low-level primitives of behavior, namely activity, locations and emotions, unprecedented to date, to intelligently derive more meaningful high-level context information. The paper contributes with a new open ontology describing both low-level and high-level context information, as well as their relationships. Furthermore, a framework building on the developed ontology and reasoning models is presented and evaluated. The proposed method proves to be robust while identifying high-level contexts even in the event of erroneously-detected low-level contexts. Despite reasonable inference times being obtained for a relevant set of users and instances, additional work is required to scale to long-term scenarios with a large number of users. PMID:27690050

Ontology-Based High-Level Context Inference for Human Behavior Identification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Villalonga

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Recent years have witnessed a huge progress in the automatic identification of individual primitives of human behavior, such as activities or locations. However, the complex nature of human behavior demands more abstract contextual information for its analysis. This work presents an ontology-based method that combines low-level primitives of behavior, namely activity, locations and emotions, unprecedented to date, to intelligently derive more meaningful high-level context information. The paper contributes with a new open ontology describing both low-level and high-level context information, as well as their relationships. Furthermore, a framework building on the developed ontology and reasoning models is presented and evaluated. The proposed method proves to be robust while identifying high-level contexts even in the event of erroneously-detected low-level contexts. Despite reasonable inference times being obtained for a relevant set of users and instances, additional work is required to scale to long-term scenarios with a large number of users.

Geographical distribution of drinking-water with high iodine level and association between high iodine level in drinking-water and goitre: a Chinese national investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Hongmei; Liu, Shoujun; Sun, Dianjun; Zhang, Shubin; Su, Xiaohui; Shen, Yanfeng; Han, Hepeng

2011-07-01

Excessive iodine intake can cause thyroid function disorders as can be caused by iodine deficiency. There are many people residing in areas with high iodine levels in drinking-water in China. The main aim of the present study was to map the geographical distribution of drinking-water with high iodine level in China and to determine the relationship between high iodine level in drinking-water and goitre prevalence. Iodine in drinking-water was measured in 1978 towns of eleven provinces in China, with a total of 28,857 water samples. We randomly selected children of 8-10 years old, examined the presence of goitre and measured their urinary iodine in 299 towns of nine provinces. Of the 1978 towns studied, 488 had iodine levels between 150 and 300 μg/l in drinking-water, and in 246 towns, the iodine level was >300 μg/l. These towns are mainly distributed along the original Yellow River flood areas, the second largest river in China. Of the 56 751 children examined, goitre prevalence was 6.3 % in the areas with drinking-water iodine levels of 150-300 μg/l and 11.0 % in the areas with drinking-water iodine >300 μg/l. Goitre prevalence increased with water and urinary iodine levels. For children with urinary iodine >1500 μg/l, goitre prevalence was 3.69 times higher than that for those with urinary iodine levels of 100-199 μg/l. The present study suggests that drinking-water with high iodine levels is distributed in eleven provinces of China. Goitre becomes more prevalent with the increase in iodine level in drinking-water. Therefore, it becomes important to prevent goitre through stopping the provision of iodised salt and providing normal drinking-water iodine through pipelines in these areas in China.

High-level radioactive wastes. Supplement 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaren, L.H.

1984-09-01

This bibliography contains information on high-level radioactive wastes included in the Department of Energy's Energy Data Base from August 1982 through December 1983. These citations are to research reports, journal articles, books, patents, theses, and conference papers from worldwide sources. Five indexes, each preceded by a brief description, are provided: Corporate Author, Personal Author, Subject, Contract Number, and Report Number. 1452 citations

Effects of anesthetic agents on brain blood oxygenation level revealed with ultra-high field MRI.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luisa Ciobanu

Full Text Available During general anesthesia it is crucial to control systemic hemodynamics and oxygenation levels. However, anesthetic agents can affect cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism in a drug-dependent manner, while systemic hemodynamics is stable. Brain-wide monitoring of this effect remains highly challenging. Because T(2*-weighted imaging at ultra-high magnetic field strengths benefits from a dramatic increase in contrast to noise ratio, we hypothesized that it could monitor anesthesia effects on brain blood oxygenation. We scanned rat brains at 7T and 17.2T under general anesthesia using different anesthetics (isoflurane, ketamine-xylazine, medetomidine. We showed that the brain/vessels contrast in T(2*-weighted images at 17.2T varied directly according to the applied pharmacological anesthetic agent, a phenomenon that was visible, but to a much smaller extent at 7T. This variation is in agreement with the mechanism of action of these agents. These data demonstrate that preclinical ultra-high field MRI can monitor the effects of a given drug on brain blood oxygenation level in the absence of systemic blood oxygenation changes and of any neural stimulation.

High-level 13C-enrichment of random and synchronous populations of Chlamydomonas reinhardii

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, R.L.; Crissman, H.A.; Martin, J.C.; Kollman, V.H.

1975-01-01

The alga Chlamydomonas reinhardii was grown in suspension culture at high levels of 13 C-enrichment (98 mol percent) both in synchronous and random populations for the purpose of investigating possible macro- and ultrastructural changes in the cell as induced by essentially total carbon replacement. The algae, grown in spinner flasks, were analyzed using a newly developed multiparameter flow-system technique applied to characterizing various algal genera. The versatility of this technique provides for measuring and processing several cell characteristics simultaneously and separating cells according to selected combinations of parameters. In these studies, cell volume (by Coulter aperture) and DNA and chlorophyll content were determined simultaneously. Cell ultrastructure was examined at various levels of isotope enrichment and time periods by electron microscopy. The data presented for synchronous growth of this organism demonstrate the absence of biological effects (considering the parameters measured) due to the almost total replacement of cellular 12 C with 13 C. Interpretational problems encountered when looking for biological effects on random populations are discussed

A high Tc superconducting liquid nitrogen level sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, J. X.; Liu, H. K.; Dou, S. X.; Grantham, C.; Beer, J.

1996-01-01

Full text: The dramatic resistance change in the superconducting-normal transition temperature range enables a high T c superconductor to be considered for designing a liquid nitrogen level sensor. A (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x Ag clad superconducting wire is selected and tested as a continuous liquid nitrogen level sensor to investigate the possibility for this application. The (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x Ag clad superconducting wire has approximately 110 K critical temperature, with more flexible and stable properties compared with bulk shape ceramic high T c superconductors. The voltage drops across the sensor are tested with different immersion lengths in liquid nitrogen. The accuracy of the HTS sensor is analysed with its dR/dT in the superconducting-normal transition range. The voltage signal is sensitive to liquid nitrogen level change, and this signal can be optimized by controlling the transport current. The problems of the Ag clad superconductor are that the Ag sheath thermal conductivity is very high, and the sensor normal resistance is low. These are the main disadvantages for using such a wire as a continuous level sensor. However, a satisfactory accuracy can be achieved by control of the transport current. A different configuration of the wire sensor is also designed to avoid this thermal influence

High levels of Notch signaling down-regulate Numb and Numblike

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chapman, G.; Liu, L.; Sahlgren, C.; Dahlqvist, C.; Lendahl, U.

2006-01-01

Inhibition of Notch signaling by Numb is critical for many cell fate decisions. In this study, we demonstrate a more complex relationship between Notch and the two vertebrate Numb homologues Numb and Numblike. Although Numb and Numblike at low levels of Notch signaling negatively regulated Notch,

Engineering materials for high level radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Zhijian

2009-01-01

Radioactive wastes can arise from a wide range of human activities and have different physical and chemical forms with various radioactivity. The high level radioactive wastes (HLW)are characterized by nuclides of very high initial radioactivity, large thermal emissivity and the long life-term. The HLW disposal is highly concerned by the scientists and the public in the world. At present, the deep geological disposal is regarded as the most reasonable and effective way to safely dispose high-level radioactive wastes in the world. The conceptual model of HLW geological disposal in China is based on a multi-barrier system that combines an isolating geological environment with an engineering barrier system(EBS). The engineering materials in EBS include the vitrified HLW, canister, overpack, buffer materials and backfill materials. Referring to progress in the world, this paper presents the function, the requirement for material selection and design, and main scientific projects of R and D of engineering materials in HLW repository. (authors)

Cermets for high level waste containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aaron, W.S.; Quinby, T.C.; Kobisk, E.H.

1978-01-01

Cermet materials are currently under investigation as an alternate for the primary containment of high level wastes. The cermet in this study is an iron--nickel base metal matrix containing uniformly dispersed, micron-size fission product oxides, aluminosilicates, and titanates. Cermets possess high thermal conductivity, and typical waste loading of 70 wt % with volume reduction factors of 2 to 200 and low processing volatility losses have been realized. Preliminary leach studies indicate a leach resistance comparable to other candidate waste forms; however, more quantitative data are required. Actual waste studies have begun on NFS Acid Thorex, SRP dried sludge and fresh, unneutralized SRP process wastes

High-silica glass matrix process for high-level waste solidification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, J.H.; Macedo, P.B.

1981-01-01

In the search for an optimum glass matrix composition, we have determined that chemical durability and thermal stability are maximized, and that stress development is minimized for glass compositions containing large concentrations of glass-forming oxides, of which silica is the major component (80 mol%). These properties and characteristics were recently demonstrated to belong to very old geological glasses known as tektites (ages of 750,000 to 34 million years.) The barrier to simulating tektite compositions for the waste glasses was the high melting temperature (1600 to 1800 0 C) needed for these glasses. Such temperatures greatly complicate furnace design and maintenance and lead to an intolerable vaporization of many of the radioisotopes into the off-gas system. Research conducted at our laboratory led to the development of a porous high-silica waste glass material with approximately 80% SiO 2 by mole and 30% waste loading by weight. The process can handle a wide variety of compositions, and yields long, elliptical, monolithic samples, which consist of a loaded high-silica core completely enveloped in a high-silica glass tube, which has collapsed upon the core and sealed it from the outside. The outer glass layer is totally free of waste isotopes and provides an integral multibarrier protection system

The Influence of Decreased Levels of High Density Lipoprotein ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Changes in lipoproteins levels in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients are well.known, but the physiological ramifications of the low levels observed have not been entirely resolved. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of decreased levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL.c) on ...

Hanford tanks initiative - test implementation plan for demonstration of in-tank retrieval technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaus, P.S.

1997-01-01

This document presents a Systems Engineering approach for performing the series of tests associated with demonstrating in-tank retrieval technologies. The testing ranges from cold testing of individual components at the vendor's facility to the final fully integrated demonstration of the retrieval system's ability to remove hard heel high-level waste from the bottom of a Hanford single-shell tank

Treatment of High-Level Waste Arising from Pyrochemical Processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lizin, A.A.; Kormilitsyn, M.V.; Osipenko, A.G.; Tomilin, S.V.; Lavrinovich, Yu.G.

2013-01-01

JSC “SSC RIAR” has been performing research and development activities in support of closed fuel cycle of fast reactor since the middle of 1960s. Fuel cycle involves fabrication and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) using pyrochemical methods of reprocessing in molten alkali metal chlorides. At present pyrochemical methods of SNF reprocessing in molten chlorides has reached such a level in their development that makes it possible to compare their competitiveness with classic aqueous methods. Their comparative advantage lies in high safety, compactness, high protectability as to nonproliferation of nuclear materials, and reduction of high level waste volume

Electrochemical probing of high-level radioactive waste tanks containing washed sludge and precipitates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bickford, D.F.; Congdon, J.W.; Oblath, S.B.

1986-12-01

At the US Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, corrosion of carbon steel storage tanks containing alkaline, high-level radioactive waste is controlled by specification of limits on waste composition and temperature. Processes for the preparation of waste for final disposal will result in waste with low corrosion inhibitor concentrations and, in some cases, high aromatic organic concentrations, neither of which are characteristic of previous operations. Laboratory tests, conducted to determine minimum corrosion inhibitor levels indicated pitting of carbon steel near the waterline for proposed storage conditions. In situ electrochemical measurements of full-scale radioactive process demonstrations have been conducted to assess the validity of laboratory tests. Probes included pH, Eh (potential relative to a standard hydrogen electrode), tank potential, and alloy coupons. In situ results are compared to those of the laboratory tests, with particular regard given to simulated solution composition. Transition metal hydroxide sludge contains strong passivating species for carbon steel. Washed precipitate contains organic species that lower solution pH and tend to reduce passivating films, requiring higher inhibitor concentrations than the 0.01 molar nitrite required for reactor fuel reprocessing wastes. Periodic agitation, to keep the organic phase suspended, or cathodic protection are possible alternatives to higher nitrite inhibitor concentrations

Very-high-level neutral-beam control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elischer, V.; Jacobson, V.; Theil, E.

1981-10-01

As increasing numbers of neutral beams are added to fusion machines, their operation can consume a significant fraction of a facility's total resources. LBL has developed a very high level control system that allows a neutral beam injector to be treated as a black box with just 2 controls: one to set the beam power and one to set the pulse duration. This 2 knob view allows simple operation and provides a natural base for implementing even higher level controls such as automatic source conditioning

High-level radioactive wastes. Supplement 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McLaren, L.H. (ed.)

1984-09-01

This bibliography contains information on high-level radioactive wastes included in the Department of Energy's Energy Data Base from August 1982 through December 1983. These citations are to research reports, journal articles, books, patents, theses, and conference papers from worldwide sources. Five indexes, each preceded by a brief description, are provided: Corporate Author, Personal Author, Subject, Contract Number, and Report Number. 1452 citations.

Decommissioning high-level waste surface facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-04-01

The protective storage, entombment and dismantlement options of decommissioning a High-Level Waste Surface Facility (HLWSF) was investigated. A reference conceptual design for the facility was developed based on the designs of similar facilities. State-of-the-art decommissioning technologies were identified. Program plans and cost estimates for decommissioning the reference conceptual designs were developed. Good engineering design concepts were on the basis of this work identified

Toward more efficient fabrication of high-density 2-D VCSEL arrays for spatial redundancy and/or multi-level signal communication

Science.gov (United States)

Roscher, Hendrik; Gerlach, Philipp; Khan, Faisal Nadeem; Kroner, Andrea; Stach, Martin; Weigl, Alexander; Michalzik, Rainer

2006-04-01

We present flip-chip attached high-speed VCSELs in 2-D arrays with record-high intra-cell packing densities. The advances of VCSEL array technology toward improved thermal performance and more efficient fabrication are reviewed, and the introduction of self-aligned features to these devices is pointed out. The structure of close-spaced wedge-shaped VCSELs is discussed and their static and dynamic characteristics are presented including an examination of the modal structure by near-field measurements. The lasers flip-chip bonded to a silicon-based test platform exhibit 3-dB and 10-dB bandwidths of 7.7 GHz and 9.8 GHz, respectively. Open 12.5 Gbit/s two-level eye patterns are demonstrated. We discuss the uses of high packing densities for the increase of the total amount of data throughput an array can deliver in the course of its life. One such approach is to provide up to two backup VCSELs per fiber channel that can extend the lifetimes of parallel transmitters through redundancy of light sources. Another is to increase the information density by using multiple VCSELs per 50 μm core diameter multimode fiber to generate more complex signals. A novel scheme using three butt-coupled VCSELs per fiber for the generation of four-level signals in the optical domain is proposed. First experiments are demonstrated using two VCSELs butt-coupled to the same standard glass fiber, each modulated with two-level signals to produce four-level signals at the photoreceiver. A four-level direct modulation of one VCSEL within a triple of devices produced first 20.6 Gbit/s (10.3 Gsymbols/s) four-level eyes, leaving two VCSELs as backup sources.

Four High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Waves in Connecticut and New York Reduce Hand-Held Phone Use

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

The National Highway Traffic : Safety Administration initiated : distracted driving demonstration : programs in two communities : to test whether a high-visibility : enforcement (HVE) model could : reduce two specific instances : of distracted drivin...

Gigashot Optical Laser Demonstrator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deri, R. J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-10-13

The Gigashot Optical Laser Demonstrator (GOLD) project has demonstrated a novel optical amplifier for high energy pulsed lasers operating at high repetition rates. The amplifier stores enough pump energy to support >10 J of laser output, and employs conduction cooling for thermal management to avoid the need for expensive and bulky high-pressure helium subsystems. A prototype amplifier was fabricated, pumped with diode light at 885 nm, and characterized. Experimental results show that the amplifier provides sufficient small-signal gain and sufficiently low wavefront and birefringence impairments to prove useful in laser systems, at repetition rates up to 60 Hz.

High levels of diversity characterize mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) Mhc-DRB sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Kristin M; Wickings, E Jean; Knapp, Leslie A

2006-08-01

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is highly polymorphic in most primate species studied thus far. The rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) has been studied extensively and the Mhc-DRB region demonstrates variability similar to humans. The extent of MHC diversity is relatively unknown for other Old World monkeys (OWM), especially among genera other than Macaca. A molecular survey of the Mhc-DRB region in mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) revealed extensive variability, suggesting that other OWMs may also possess high levels of Mhc-DRB polymorphism. In the present study, 33 Mhc-DRB loci were identified from only 13 animals. Eleven were wild-born and presumed to be unrelated and two were captive-born twins. Two to seven different sequences were identified for each individual, suggesting that some mandrills may have as many as four Mhc-DRB loci on a single haplotype. From these sequences, representatives of at least six Mhc-DRB loci or lineages were identified. As observed in other primates, some new lineages may have arisen through the process of gene conversion. These findings indicate that mandrills have Mhc-DRB diversity not unlike rhesus macaques and humans.

MO-FG-CAMPUS-IeP2-05: Feasibility Demonstration of High-Voltage Clinical CT and Impact On X-Ray Penetration Through Metal Objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Y; De Man, B; Robinson, V; Gjesteby, L; Wang, G; Verburg, J; Giantsoudi, D; Paganetti, H

2016-01-01

Purpose: To demonstrate the possibility and quantify the impact of operating a clinical CT scanner at exceptionally high x-ray tube voltage for better penetration through metal objects and facilitating metal artifact reduction. Methods: We categorize metal objects according to the data corruption severeness (level of distortion and complete photon starvation fraction). To demonstrate feasibility and investigate the impact of high voltage scanning we modified a commercial GE LightSpeed VCT scanner (generator and software) to enable CT scans with x-ray tube voltages as high as 175 kVp. A 20 cm diameter water phantom with two metal rods (10 mm stainless and 25 mm titanium) and a water phantom with realistic metal object (spine cage) were used to evaluate the data corruption and image artifacts in the absence of any algorithm correction. We also performed simulations to confirm our understanding of the transmitted photon levels through metal objects with different size and composition. Results: The reconstructed images at 175 kVp still have significant dark shading artifacts, as expected since no special scatter correction or beam hardening was performed but show substantially lower noise and photon starvation than at lower kVp due to better beam penetration. Analysis of the raw data shows that the photon starved data is reduced from over 4% at 140 kVp to below 0.2% at 175 kVp. The simulations indicate that for clinically relevant titanium and stainless objects a 175 kVp tube voltage effectively avoids photon starvation. Conclusion: The use of exceptionally high tube voltage on a clinical CT system is a practical and effective solution to avoid photon starvation caused by certain metal implants. Sparse and hybrid high-voltage protocols are being considered to maintain low patient dose. This opens the door to algorithmic physics-based corrections rather than treating the data as missing and relying on missing data algorithms. Some of the authors are employees of General

MO-FG-CAMPUS-IeP2-05: Feasibility Demonstration of High-Voltage Clinical CT and Impact On X-Ray Penetration Through Metal Objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Y; De Man, B [GE Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Robinson, V [GE, Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Gjesteby, L [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (United States); Wang, G [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY (United States); Verburg, J [Massachusetts, General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Giantsoudi, D; Paganetti, H [Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To demonstrate the possibility and quantify the impact of operating a clinical CT scanner at exceptionally high x-ray tube voltage for better penetration through metal objects and facilitating metal artifact reduction. Methods: We categorize metal objects according to the data corruption severeness (level of distortion and complete photon starvation fraction). To demonstrate feasibility and investigate the impact of high voltage scanning we modified a commercial GE LightSpeed VCT scanner (generator and software) to enable CT scans with x-ray tube voltages as high as 175 kVp. A 20 cm diameter water phantom with two metal rods (10 mm stainless and 25 mm titanium) and a water phantom with realistic metal object (spine cage) were used to evaluate the data corruption and image artifacts in the absence of any algorithm correction. We also performed simulations to confirm our understanding of the transmitted photon levels through metal objects with different size and composition. Results: The reconstructed images at 175 kVp still have significant dark shading artifacts, as expected since no special scatter correction or beam hardening was performed but show substantially lower noise and photon starvation than at lower kVp due to better beam penetration. Analysis of the raw data shows that the photon starved data is reduced from over 4% at 140 kVp to below 0.2% at 175 kVp. The simulations indicate that for clinically relevant titanium and stainless objects a 175 kVp tube voltage effectively avoids photon starvation. Conclusion: The use of exceptionally high tube voltage on a clinical CT system is a practical and effective solution to avoid photon starvation caused by certain metal implants. Sparse and hybrid high-voltage protocols are being considered to maintain low patient dose. This opens the door to algorithmic physics-based corrections rather than treating the data as missing and relying on missing data algorithms. Some of the authors are employees of General

Peer review for high-level nuclear waste repositories: Generic technical position

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altman, W.D.; Donnelly, J.P.; Kennedy, J.E.

1988-02-01

This document provides guidance on the use of the peer review process in the high-level nuclear waste repository program. The applicant must demonstrate in the license application that the applicable health, safety, and environmental regulations in 10 CFR Part 60 have been met. Confidence in the data used to support the license application is obtained through a quality assurance (AQ) program. Peer reviews may be used as part of the QA actions necessary to provide adequate confidence in the work being reviewed. Because of several unique conditions inherent to the geologic repository program, expert judgment will need to be utilized in assessing the adequacy of work. Peer reviews are a mechanism by which these judgments may be made. This document provides guidance on areas where a peer review is appropriate, the acceptability of peers, and the conduct and documentation of a peer review

Thermal test and analysis for transporting vitrified high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, H.; Gomi, Y.; Ozaki, S.; Kato, O.; Tamaki, H.

1993-01-01

As a part of the safety demonstration tests for transport casks of high level radioactive vitrified wastes, the thermal tests of the cask (left unattended at an ambient temperature of 38degC for a period of one week) were executed before and after the side free drop test (from height of 30 cm). This condition was set according to the prospect of the damage of contents (baskets, etc.) by the impact force at the drop test. It was shown that the cask temperatures at the representative parts, such as the vitrified wastes, the containment system, and the protection wire net, were lower than allowable values. From the result of measured temperatures it was considered that no damages and no large deformations could happen to the contents in this drop test. Thermal analysis was also done to establish the analysis model. (J.P.N.)

Low Power Design with High-Level Power Estimation and Power-Aware Synthesis

CERN Document Server

Ahuja, Sumit; Shukla, Sandeep Kumar

2012-01-01

Low-power ASIC/FPGA based designs are important due to the need for extended battery life, reduced form factor, and lower packaging and cooling costs for electronic devices. These products require fast turnaround time because of the increasing demand for handheld electronic devices such as cell-phones, PDAs and high performance machines for data centers. To achieve short time to market, design flows must facilitate a much shortened time-to-product requirement. High-level modeling, architectural exploration and direct synthesis of design from high level description enable this design process. This book presents novel research techniques, algorithms,methodologies and experimental results for high level power estimation and power aware high-level synthesis. Readers will learn to apply such techniques to enable design flows resulting in shorter time to market and successful low power ASIC/FPGA design. Integrates power estimation and reduction for high level synthesis, with low-power, high-level design; Shows spec...

Interaction between High-Level and Low-Level Image Analysis for Semantic Video Object Extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Cavallaro

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The task of extracting a semantic video object is split into two subproblems, namely, object segmentation and region segmentation. Object segmentation relies on a priori assumptions, whereas region segmentation is data-driven and can be solved in an automatic manner. These two subproblems are not mutually independent, and they can benefit from interactions with each other. In this paper, a framework for such interaction is formulated. This representation scheme based on region segmentation and semantic segmentation is compatible with the view that image analysis and scene understanding problems can be decomposed into low-level and high-level tasks. Low-level tasks pertain to region-oriented processing, whereas the high-level tasks are closely related to object-level processing. This approach emulates the human visual system: what one “sees” in a scene depends on the scene itself (region segmentation as well as on the cognitive task (semantic segmentation at hand. The higher-level segmentation results in a partition corresponding to semantic video objects. Semantic video objects do not usually have invariant physical properties and the definition depends on the application. Hence, the definition incorporates complex domain-specific knowledge and is not easy to generalize. For the specific implementation used in this paper, motion is used as a clue to semantic information. In this framework, an automatic algorithm is presented for computing the semantic partition based on color change detection. The change detection strategy is designed to be immune to the sensor noise and local illumination variations. The lower-level segmentation identifies the partition corresponding to perceptually uniform regions. These regions are derived by clustering in an N-dimensional feature space, composed of static as well as dynamic image attributes. We propose an interaction mechanism between the semantic and the region partitions which allows to

Coastal barrier stratigraphy for Holocene high-resolution sea-level reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Costas, Susana; Ferreira, Óscar; Plomaritis, Theocharis A; Leorri, Eduardo

2016-12-08

The uncertainties surrounding present and future sea-level rise have revived the debate around sea-level changes through the deglaciation and mid- to late Holocene, from which arises a need for high-quality reconstructions of regional sea level. Here, we explore the stratigraphy of a sandy barrier to identify the best sea-level indicators and provide a new sea-level reconstruction for the central Portuguese coast over the past 6.5 ka. The selected indicators represent morphological features extracted from coastal barrier stratigraphy, beach berm and dune-beach contact. These features were mapped from high-resolution ground penetrating radar images of the subsurface and transformed into sea-level indicators through comparison with modern analogs and a chronology based on optically stimulated luminescence ages. Our reconstructions document a continuous but slow sea-level rise after 6.5 ka with an accumulated change in elevation of about 2 m. In the context of SW Europe, our results show good agreement with previous studies, including the Tagus isostatic model, with minor discrepancies that demand further improvement of regional models. This work reinforces the potential of barrier indicators to accurately reconstruct high-resolution mid- to late Holocene sea-level changes through simple approaches.

Dynamin-related protein inhibitor downregulates reactive oxygen species levels to indirectly suppress high glucose-induced hyperproliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maimaitijiang, Alimujiang; Zhuang, Xinyu; Jiang, Xiaofei; Li, Yong, E-mail: 11211220031@fudan.edu.cn

2016-03-18

Hyperproliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells is a pathogenic mechanism common in diabetic vascular complications and is a putatively important therapeutic target. This study investigated multiple levels of biology, including cellular and organellar changes, as well as perturbations in protein synthesis and morphology. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was utilized to assess the effect of mitochondrial dynamic changes and reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels on high-glucose-induced hyperproliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. The data demonstrated that the mitochondrial fission inhibitor Mdivi-1 and downregulation of ROS levels both effectively inhibited the high-glucose-induced hyperproliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Downregulation of ROS levels played a more direct role and ROS levels were also regulated by mitochondrial dynamics. Increased ROS levels induced excessive mitochondrial fission through dynamin-related protein (Drp 1), while Mdivi-1 suppressed the sensitivity of Drp1 to ROS levels, thus inhibiting excessive mitochondrial fission under high-glucose conditions. This study is the first to propose that mitochondrial dynamic changes and ROS levels interact with each other and regulate high-glucose-induced hyperproliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. This finding provides novel ideas in understanding the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular remodeling and intervention. - Highlights: • Mdivi-1 inhibits VSMC proliferation by lowering ROS level in high-glucose condition. • ROS may be able to induce mitochondrial fission through Drp1 regulation. • Mdivi-1 can suppress the sensitivity of Drp1 to ROS.

Utilization of the Pilot Scale Demonstration Facility for Vitrification of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Won Zin; Choi, W. K.; Jung, C. H.; Won, H. J.; Song, P. S.; Min, B. Y.; Park, H. S.; Jung, K. K.; Yun, K. S.

2005-10-01

A series of maintenance and repair work for normalization of the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility was completed successfully to develop the waste treatment in high temperature and melting technology. It was investigated that the treatment of combustible and non-combustible wastes produced at the KAERI site is technically feasible in the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility which is designed to be able to treat various kinds of radioactive wastes such as combustible and non-combustible wastes including soil and concrete. The vitrification test facility can be used as the R and D and the technology demonstration facility for melt decontamination of the metallic wastes which have a fixed specification. The modification of the RI storage room in the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility and the licensing according to the facility modification were completed for the R and D on melt decontamination of dismantled metallic wastes which is carrying out as one of the national long-term R and D projects on nuclear energy. The lab-scale melt decontamination apparatus was installed in modified RI storage room and the characteristics of melt decontamination will be examined using various metallic wastes. It is expected that the economical feasibility on the volume reduction and recycle of metallic wastes will be escalated in the present situation when the unit cost for waste disposal has the tendency to grow up gradually. Therefore, the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility can be used for the technology development for the volume reduction and recycle of the metallic wastes generated from on-going projects on the decommissioning of research reactors and the environmental restoration of uranium conversion plant, and for the treatment of radioactive solid wastes produced at the KAERI site

Utilization of the Pilot Scale Demonstration Facility for Vitrification of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Won Zin; Choi, W. K.; Jung, C. H.; Won, H. J.; Song, P. S.; Min, B. Y.; Park, H. S.; Jung, K. K.; Yun, K. S

2005-10-15

A series of maintenance and repair work for normalization of the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility was completed successfully to develop the waste treatment in high temperature and melting technology. It was investigated that the treatment of combustible and non-combustible wastes produced at the KAERI site is technically feasible in the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility which is designed to be able to treat various kinds of radioactive wastes such as combustible and non-combustible wastes including soil and concrete. The vitrification test facility can be used as the R and D and the technology demonstration facility for melt decontamination of the metallic wastes which have a fixed specification. The modification of the RI storage room in the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility and the licensing according to the facility modification were completed for the R and D on melt decontamination of dismantled metallic wastes which is carrying out as one of the national long-term R and D projects on nuclear energy. The lab-scale melt decontamination apparatus was installed in modified RI storage room and the characteristics of melt decontamination will be examined using various metallic wastes. It is expected that the economical feasibility on the volume reduction and recycle of metallic wastes will be escalated in the present situation when the unit cost for waste disposal has the tendency to grow up gradually. Therefore, the pilot scale vitrification demonstration facility can be used for the technology development for the volume reduction and recycle of the metallic wastes generated from on-going projects on the decommissioning of research reactors and the environmental restoration of uranium conversion plant, and for the treatment of radioactive solid wastes produced at the KAERI site.

A demonstrator for a level-1 trigger system based on MicroTCA technology and 5Gb/s optical links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foudas, C; Hall, G; Iles, G; Marrouche, J; Rose, A [Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom); Frazier, R; Newbold, D [H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL (United Kingdom); Jones, J [Weathertop, Claverton Down Road, Bath BA2 7AL (United Kingdom)

2010-11-15

A demonstrator for the CMS Level-1 calorimeter trigger system has been designed, manufactured, tested and a time-multiplexed trigger implemented. The prototype card uses the AMC double width form factor, 5Gb/s links and a Xilinx XC5VTX150T or XC5VTX240T FPGA. A possible implementation of such a trigger architecture in CMS is described.

High-voltage measurements on the 5 ppm relative uncertainty level with collinear laser spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Krämer, J.; König, K.; Geppert, Ch; Imgram, P.; Maaß, B.; Meisner, J.; Otten, E. W.; Passon, S.; Ratajczyk, T.; Ullmann, J.; Nörtershäuser, W.

2018-04-01

We present the results of high-voltage collinear laser spectroscopy measurements on the 5 ppm relative uncertainty level using a pump and probe scheme at the 4s ^2S1/2 → 4p ^2P3/2 transition of {\\hspace{0pt}}40Ca+ involving the 3d ^2D5/2 metastable state. With two-stage laser interaction and a reference measurement we can eliminate systematic effects such as differences in the contact potentials due to different electrode materials and thermoelectric voltages, and the unknown starting potential of the ions in the ion source. Voltage measurements were performed between  -5 kV and  -19 kV and parallel measurements with stable high-voltage dividers calibrated to 5 ppm relative uncertainty were used as a reference. Our measurements are compatible with the uncertainty limits of the high-voltage dividers and demonstrate an unprecedented (factor of 20) increase in the precision of direct laser-based high-voltage measurements.

Performance of the CMS High Level Trigger

CERN Document Server

Perrotta, Andrea

2015-01-01

The CMS experiment has been designed with a 2-level trigger system. The first level is implemented using custom-designed electronics. The second level is the so-called High Level Trigger (HLT), a streamlined version of the CMS offline reconstruction software running on a computer farm. For Run II of the Large Hadron Collider, the increases in center-of-mass energy and luminosity will raise the event rate to a level challenging for the HLT algorithms. The increase in the number of interactions per bunch crossing, on average 25 in 2012, and expected to be around 40 in Run II, will be an additional complication. We present here the expected performance of the main triggers that will be used during the 2015 data taking campaign, paying particular attention to the new approaches that have been developed to cope with the challenges of the new run. This includes improvements in HLT electron and photon reconstruction as well as better performing muon triggers. We will also present the performance of the improved trac...

Determination of total cyanide in Hanford Site high-level wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winters, W.I. [Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States); Pool, K.H. [Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

1994-05-01

Nickel ferrocyanide compounds (Na{sub 2-x}Cs{sub x}NiFe (CN){sub 6}) were produced in a scavenging process to remove {sup 137}Cs from Hanford Site single-shell tank waste supernates. Methods for determining total cyanide in Hanford Site high-level wastes are needed for the evaluation of potential exothermic reactions between cyanide and oxidizers such as nitrate and for safe storage, processing, and management of the wastes in compliance with regulatory requirements. Hanford Site laboratory experience in determining cyanide in high-level wastes is summarized. Modifications were made to standard cyanide methods to permit improved handling of high-level waste samples and to eliminate interferences found in Hanford Site waste matrices. Interferences and associated procedure modifications caused by high nitrates/nitrite concentrations, insoluble nickel ferrocyanides, and organic complexants are described.

Determination of total cyanide in Hanford Site high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winters, W.I.; Pool, K.H.

1994-05-01

Nickel ferrocyanide compounds (Na 2-x Cs x NiFe (CN) 6 ) were produced in a scavenging process to remove 137 Cs from Hanford Site single-shell tank waste supernates. Methods for determining total cyanide in Hanford Site high-level wastes are needed for the evaluation of potential exothermic reactions between cyanide and oxidizers such as nitrate and for safe storage, processing, and management of the wastes in compliance with regulatory requirements. Hanford Site laboratory experience in determining cyanide in high-level wastes is summarized. Modifications were made to standard cyanide methods to permit improved handling of high-level waste samples and to eliminate interferences found in Hanford Site waste matrices. Interferences and associated procedure modifications caused by high nitrates/nitrite concentrations, insoluble nickel ferrocyanides, and organic complexants are described

Type GQS-1 high pressure steam manifold water level monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Nianzu; Li Beicheng; Jia Shengming

1993-10-01

The GQS-1 high pressure steam manifold water level monitoring system is an advanced nuclear gauge that is suitable for on-line detecting and monitor in high pressure steam manifold water level. The physical variable of water level is transformed into electrical pulses by the nuclear sensor. A computer is equipped for data acquisition, analysis and processing and the results are displayed on a 14 inch color monitor. In addition, a 4 ∼ 20 mA output current is used for the recording and regulation of water level. The main application of this gauge is for on-line measurement of high pressure steam manifold water level in fossil-fired power plant and other industries

High-level trigger system for the LHC ALICE experiment

CERN Document Server

Bramm, R; Lien, J A; Lindenstruth, V; Loizides, C; Röhrich, D; Skaali, B; Steinbeck, T M; Stock, Reinhard; Ullaland, K; Vestbø, A S; Wiebalck, A

2003-01-01

The central detectors of the ALICE experiment at LHC will produce a data size of up to 75 MB/event at an event rate less than approximately equals 200 Hz resulting in a data rate of similar to 15 GB/s. Online processing of the data is necessary in order to select interesting (sub)events ("High Level Trigger"), or to compress data efficiently by modeling techniques. Processing this data requires a massive parallel computing system (High Level Trigger System). The system will consist of a farm of clustered SMP-nodes based on off- the-shelf PCs connected with a high bandwidth low latency network.

Hip Arthroscopy in High-Level Baseball Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd, J W Thomas; Jones, Kay S

2015-08-01

To report the results of hip arthroscopy among high-level baseball players as recorded by outcome scores and return to baseball. All patients undergoing hip arthroscopy were prospectively assessed with the modified Harris Hip Score. On review of all procedures performed over a 12-year period, 44 hips were identified among 41 intercollegiate or professional baseball players who had achieved 2-year follow-up. Among the 41 players, follow-up averaged 45 months (range, 24 to 120 months), with a mean age of 23 years (range, 18 to 34 years). There were 23 collegiate (1 bilateral) and 18 professional (2 bilateral) baseball players, including 10 Major League Baseball players. Of the 8 Major League Baseball pitchers, 6 (75%) also underwent ulnar collateral ligament elbow surgery. Improvement in the modified Harris Hip Score averaged 13 points (from 81 points preoperatively to 94 points postoperatively); a paired-samples t test determined that this mean improvement of 13 points was statistically significant (P arthroscopy. This study supports the idea that arthroscopic treatment for a variety of hip pathologies in high-level baseball players provides a successful return to sport and improvement in functional outcome scores. Level IV, therapeutic case series. Copyright © 2015 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Space augmentation of military high-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

English, T.; Lees, L.; Divita, E.

1979-01-01

Space disposal of selected components of military high-level waste (HLW) is considered. This disposal option offers the promise of eliminating the long-lived radionuclides in military HLW from the earth. A space mission which meets the dual requirements of long-term orbital stability and a maximum of one space shuttle launch per week over a period of 20-40 years, is a heliocentric orbit about halfway between the orbits of earth and Venus. Space disposal of high-level radioactive waste is characterized by long-term predicability and short-term uncertainties which must be reduced to acceptably low levels. For example, failure of either the Orbit Transfer Vehicle after leaving low earth orbit, or the storable propellant stage failure at perihelion would leave the nuclear waste package in an unplanned and potentially unstable orbit. Since potential earth reencounter and subsequent burn-up in the earth's atmosphere is unacceptable, a deep space rendezvous, docking, and retrieval capability must be developed

Transportable vitrification system demonstration on mixed waste. Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zamecnik, J.R.; Whitehouse, J.C. [Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); Wilson, C.N. [Lockheed Martin Hanford Corp., Richland, WA (United States); Van Ryn, F.R. [Bechtel Jacobs Co., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

1998-04-22

The Transportable Vitrification System (TVS) is a large scale, fully integrated, vitrification system for the treatment of low-level and mixed wastes in the form of sludges, soils, incinerator ash, and many other waste streams. It was demonstrated on surrogate waste at Clemson University and at the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) prior to treating actual mixed waste. Treatment of a combination of dried B and C Pond sludge and CNF sludge was successfully demonstrated at ORR in 1997. The demonstration produced 7,616 kg of glass from 7,328 kg of mixed wastes with a 60% reduction in volume. Glass formulations for the wastes treated were developed using a combination of laboratory crucible studies with the actual wastes and small melter studies at Clemson with both surrogate and actual wastes. Initial characterization of the B and C Pond sludge had not shown the presence of carbon or fluoride, which required a modified glass formulation be developed to maintain proper glass redox and viscosity. The CNF sludge challenges the glass formulations due to high levels of phosphate and iron. The demonstration was delayed several times by permitting problems, a glass leak, and electrical problems. The demonstration showed that the two wastes could be successfully vitrified, although the design glass production rate was not achieved. The glass produced met the Universal Treatment Standards and the emissions from the TVS were well within the allowable permit limits.

Transportable vitrification system demonstration on mixed waste. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamecnik, J.R.; Whitehouse, J.C.; Wilson, C.N.; Van Ryn, F.R.

1998-01-01

The Transportable Vitrification System (TVS) is a large scale, fully integrated, vitrification system for the treatment of low-level and mixed wastes in the form of sludges, soils, incinerator ash, and many other waste streams. It was demonstrated on surrogate waste at Clemson University and at the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) prior to treating actual mixed waste. Treatment of a combination of dried B and C Pond sludge and CNF sludge was successfully demonstrated at ORR in 1997. The demonstration produced 7,616 kg of glass from 7,328 kg of mixed wastes with a 60% reduction in volume. Glass formulations for the wastes treated were developed using a combination of laboratory crucible studies with the actual wastes and small melter studies at Clemson with both surrogate and actual wastes. Initial characterization of the B and C Pond sludge had not shown the presence of carbon or fluoride, which required a modified glass formulation be developed to maintain proper glass redox and viscosity. The CNF sludge challenges the glass formulations due to high levels of phosphate and iron. The demonstration was delayed several times by permitting problems, a glass leak, and electrical problems. The demonstration showed that the two wastes could be successfully vitrified, although the design glass production rate was not achieved. The glass produced met the Universal Treatment Standards and the emissions from the TVS were well within the allowable permit limits

High Temperature Syngas Cleanup Technology Scale-up and Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gardner, Ben [Research Triangle Inst. (RTI), Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Turk, Brian [Research Triangle Inst. (RTI), Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Denton, David [Research Triangle Inst. (RTI), Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Gupta, Raghubir [Research Triangle Inst. (RTI), Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

2015-09-30

Gasification is a technology for clean energy conversion of diverse feedstocks into a wide variety of useful products such as chemicals, fertilizers, fuels, electric power, and hydrogen. Existing technologies can be employed to clean the syngas from gasification processes to meet the demands of such applications, but they are expensive to build and operate and consume a significant fraction of overall parasitic energy requirements, thus lowering overall process efficiency. RTI International has developed a warm syngas desulfurization process (WDP) utilizing a transport-bed reactor design and a proprietary attrition-resistant, high-capacity solid sorbent with excellent performance replicated at lab, bench, and pilot scales. Results indicated that WDP technology can improve both efficiency and cost of gasification plants. The WDP technology achieved ~99.9% removal of total sulfur (as either H₂S or COS) from coal-derived syngas at temperatures as high as 600°C and over a wide range of pressures (20-80 bar, pressure independent performance) and sulfur concentrations. Based on the success of these tests, RTI negotiated a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy for precommercial testing of this technology at Tampa Electric Company’s Polk Power Station IGCC facility in Tampa, Florida. The project scope also included a sweet water-gas-shift process for hydrogen enrichment and an activated amine process for 90+% total carbon capture. Because the activated amine process provides some additional non-selective sulfur removal, the integration of these processes was expected to reduce overall sulfur in the syngas to sub-ppmv concentrations, suitable for most syngas applications. The overall objective of this project was to mitigate the technical risks associated with the scale up and integration of the WDP and carbon dioxide capture technologies, enabling subsequent commercial-scale demonstration. The warm syngas cleanup pre-commercial test unit

Development of high-level waste solidification technology 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Joon Hyung; Kim, Hwan Young; Kim, In Tae [and others

1999-02-01

Spent nuclear fuel contains useful nuclides as valuable resource materials for energy, heat and catalyst. High-level wastes (HLW) are expected to be generated from the R and D activities and reuse processes. It is necessary to develop vitrification or advanced solidification technologies for the safe long-term management of high level wastes. As a first step to establish HLW vitrification technology, characterization of HLWs that would arise at KAERI site, glass melting experiments with a lab-scale high frequency induction melter, and fabrication and property evaluation of base-glass made of used HEPA filter media and additives were performed. Basic study on the fabrication and characterization of candidate ceramic waste form (Synroc) was also carried out. These HLW solidification technologies would be directly useful for carrying out the R and Ds on the nuclear fuel cycle and waste management. (author). 70 refs., 29 tabs., 35 figs.

High-level waste issues and resolutions document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-05-01

The High-Level Waste (HLW) Issues and Resolutions Document recognizes US Department of Energy (DOE) complex-wide HLW issues and offers potential corrective actions for resolving these issues. Westinghouse Management and Operations (M ampersand O) Contractors are effectively managing HLW for the Department of Energy at four sites: Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), Savannah River Site (SRS), West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), and Hanford Reservation. Each site is at varying stages of processing HLW into a more manageable form. This HLW Issues and Resolutions Document identifies five primary issues that must be resolved in order to reach the long-term objective of HLW repository disposal. As the current M ampersand O contractor at DOE's most difficult waste problem sites, Westinghouse recognizes that they have the responsibility to help solve some of the complexes' HLW problems in a cost effective manner by encouraging the M ampersand Os to work together by sharing expertise, eliminating duplicate efforts, and sharing best practices. Pending an action plan, Westinghouse M ampersand Os will take the initiative on those corrective actions identified as the responsibility of an M ampersand O. This document captures issues important to the management of HLW. The proposed resolutions contained within this document set the framework for the M ampersand Os and DOE work cooperatively to develop an action plan to solve some of the major complex-wide problems. Dialogue will continue between the M ampersand Os, DOE, and other regulatory agencies to work jointly toward the goal of storing, treating, and immobilizing HLW for disposal in an environmentally sound, safe, and cost effective manner

Preliminary Waste Form Compliance Plan for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory High-Level Waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

B. A. Staples; T. P. O' Holleran

1999-05-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has specific technical and documentation requirements for high-level waste (HLW) that is to be placed in a federal repository. This document describes in general terms the strategy to be used at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to demonstrate that vitrified HLW, if produced at the INEEL, meets these requirements. Waste form, canister, quality assurance, and documentation specifications are discussed. Compliance strategy is given, followed by an overview of how this strategy would be implemented for each specification.

Preliminary Waste Form Compliance Plan for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory High-Level Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staples, B. A.; O'Holleran, T. P.

1999-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has specific technical and documentation requirements for high-level waste (HLW) that is to be placed in a federal repository. This document describes in general terms the strategy to be used at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to demonstrate that vitrified HLW, if produced at the INEEL, meets these requirements. Waste form, canister, quality assurance, and documentation specifications are discussed. Compliance strategy is given, followed by an overview of how this strategy would be implemented for each specification

The CMS High Level Trigger System

CERN Document Server

Afaq, A; Bauer, G; Biery, K; Boyer, V; Branson, J; Brett, A; Cano, E; Carboni, A; Cheung, H; Ciganek, M; Cittolin, S; Dagenhart, W; Erhan, S; Gigi, D; Glege, F; Gómez-Reino, Robert; Gulmini, M; Gutiérrez-Mlot, E; Gutleber, J; Jacobs, C; Kim, J C; Klute, M; Kowalkowski, J; Lipeles, E; Lopez-Perez, Juan Antonio; Maron, G; Meijers, F; Meschi, E; Moser, R; Murray, S; Oh, A; Orsini, L; Paus, C; Petrucci, A; Pieri, M; Pollet, L; Rácz, A; Sakulin, H; Sani, M; Schieferdecker, P; Schwick, C; Sexton-Kennedy, E; Sumorok, K; Suzuki, I; Tsirigkas, D; Varela, J

2007-01-01

The CMS Data Acquisition (DAQ) System relies on a purely software driven High Level Trigger (HLT) to reduce the full Level-1 accept rate of 100 kHz to approximately 100 Hz for archiving and later offline analysis. The HLT operates on the full information of events assembled by an event builder collecting detector data from the CMS front-end systems. The HLT software consists of a sequence of reconstruction and filtering modules executed on a farm of O(1000) CPUs built from commodity hardware. This paper presents the architecture of the CMS HLT, which integrates the CMS reconstruction framework in the online environment. The mechanisms to configure, control, and monitor the Filter Farm and the procedures to validate the filtering code within the DAQ environment are described.

Noise levels of neonatal high-flow nasal cannula devices--an in-vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

König, Kai; Stock, Ellen L; Jarvis, Melanie

2013-01-01

Excessive ambient noise levels have been identified as a potential risk factor for adverse outcome in very preterm infants. Noise level measurements for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices demonstrated that these constantly exceed current recommendations. The use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) as an alternative non-invasive ventilation modality has become more popular in recent years in neonatal care. To study noise levels of two HFNC devices commonly used in newborns. As a comparison, noise levels of a continuous flow CPAP device were also studied. In-vitro study. The noise levels of two contemporary HFNC devices (Fisher & Paykel NHF™ and Vapotherm Precision Flow®) and one CPAP device (Dräger Babylog® 8000 plus) were measured in the oral cavity of a newborn manikin in an incubator in a quiet environment. HFNC flows of 4-8 l/min and CPAP pressures of 4-8 cm H2O were applied. The CPAP flow was set at 8 l/min as per unit practice. Vapotherm HFNC generated the highest noise levels, measuring 81.2-91.4 dB(A) with increasing flow. Fisher & Paykel HFNC noise levels were between 78.8 and 81.2 dB(A). The CPAP device generated the lowest noise levels between 73.9 and 77.4 dB(A). Both HFNC devices generated higher noise levels than the CPAP device. All noise levels were far above current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In light of the long duration of non-invasive respiratory support of very preterm infants, less noisy devices are required to prevent the potentially adverse effects of continuing excessive noise exposure in the neonatal intensive care unit. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Processing vessel for high level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekawa, Hiromichi

1998-01-01

Upon transferring an overpack having canisters containing high level radioactive wastes sealed therein and burying it into an underground processing hole, an outer shell vessel comprising a steel plate to be fit and contained in the processing hole is formed. A bury-back layer made of dug earth and sand which had been discharged upon forming the processing hole is formed on the inner circumferential wall of the outer shell vessel. A buffer layer having a predetermined thickness is formed on the inner side of the bury-back layer, and the overpack is contained in the hollow portion surrounded by the layer. The opened upper portion of the hollow portion is covered with the buffer layer and the bury-back layer. Since the processing vessel having a shielding performance previously formed on the ground, the state of packing can be observed. In addition, since an operator can directly operates upon transportation and burying of the high level radioactive wastes, remote control is no more necessary. (T.M.)

Efficient Simulation Modeling of an Integrated High-Level-Waste Processing Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregory, Michael V.; Paul, Pran K.

2000-01-01

An integrated computational tool named the Production Planning Model (ProdMod) has been developed to simulate the operation of the entire high-level-waste complex (HLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) over its full life cycle. ProdMod is used to guide SRS management in operating the waste complex in an economically efficient and environmentally sound manner. SRS HLW operations are modeled using coupled algebraic equations. The dynamic nature of plant processes is modeled in the form of a linear construct in which the time dependence is implicit. Batch processes are modeled in discrete event-space, while continuous processes are modeled in time-space. The ProdMod methodology maps between event-space and time-space such that the inherent mathematical discontinuities in batch process simulation are avoided without sacrificing any of the necessary detail in the batch recipe steps. Modeling the processes separately in event- and time-space using linear constructs, and then coupling the two spaces, has accelerated the speed of simulation compared to a typical dynamic simulation. The ProdMod simulator models have been validated against operating data and other computer codes. Case studies have demonstrated the usefulness of the ProdMod simulator in developing strategies that demonstrate significant cost savings in operating the SRS HLW complex and in verifying the feasibility of newly proposed processes

Methods of Disposing Of High-Level Radioactive Waste: A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abumurade, K.

2002-01-01

High level nuclear waste from both commercial reactors and defense industry presents a difficult problem to the scientific community as well as the public. The solutions to this problem is still debatable both technically and ethically. There are few methods proposed for disposing of high level waste. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, the very deep underground geologic repository is the best choice for disposing of high-level radioactive wastes. The cost benefit equation of nuclear power production and its waste is discussed. However, the public should be educated about this matter to minimize the gap between them and the nuclear power community including scientists industry, and governments. (Author) 15 refs., 4 tabs., 1 fig

Extract of mangosteen increases high density lipoprotein levels in rats fed high lipid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwi Laksono Adiputro

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Background In cardiovascular medicine, Garcinia mangostana has been used as an antioxidant to inhibit oxidation of low density lipoproteins and as an antiobesity agent. The effect of Garcinia mangostana on hyperlipidemia is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp on lipid profile in rats fed a high lipid diet. Methods A total of 40 rats were divided into five groups control, high lipid diet, and high lipid diet + ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp at dosages of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg body weight. The control group received a standard diet for 60 days. The high lipid diet group received standard diet plus egg yolk, goat fat, cholic acid, and pig fat for 60 days with or without ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp by the oral route. After 60 days, rats were anesthesized with ether for collection of blood by cardiac puncture. Analysis of blood lipid profile comprised colorimetric determination of cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (LDL, and high density lipoprotein (HDL. Results From the results of one-way ANOVA it was concluded that there were significant between-group differences in cholesterol, trygliceride, LDL, and HDL levels (p=0.000. Ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp significantly decreased cholesterol, trygliceride, and LDL levels, starting at 400 mg/kg body weight (p=0.000. Ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp significantly increased HDL level starting at 200 mg/kg body weight (p=0.000. Conclusion Ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp has a beneficial effect on lipid profile in rats on a high lipid diet.

Extract of mangosteen increases high density lipoprotein levels in rats fed high lipid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwi Laksono Adiputro

2015-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND In cardiovascular medicine, Garcinia mangostana has been used as an antioxidant to inhibit oxidation of low density lipoproteins and as an antiobesity agent. The effect of Garcinia mangostana on hyperlipidemia is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp on lipid profile in rats fed a high lipid diet. METHODS A total of 40 rats were divided into five groups control, high lipid diet, and high lipid diet + ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp at dosages of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg body weight. The control group received a standard diet for 60 days. The high lipid diet group received standard diet plus egg yolk, goat fat, cholic acid, and pig fat for 60 days with or without ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp by the oral route. After 60 days, rats were anesthesized with ether for collection of blood by cardiac puncture. Analysis of blood lipid profile comprised colorimetric determination of cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (LDL, and high density lipoprotein (HDL. RESULTS From the results of one-way ANOVA it was concluded that there were significant between-group differences in cholesterol, trygliceride, LDL, and HDL levels (p=0.000. Ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp significantly decreased cholesterol, trygliceride, and LDL levels, starting at 400 mg/kg body weight (p=0.000. Ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp significantly increased HDL level starting at 200 mg/kg body weight (p=0.000. CONCLUSION Ethanolic extract of Garcinia mangostana pericarp has a beneficial effect on lipid profile in rats on a high lipid diet.

Vitrification facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DesCamp, V.A.; McMahon, C.L.

1996-07-01

This report is a description of the West Valley Demonstration Project's vitrification facilities from the establishment of the West Valley, NY site as a federal and state cooperative project to the completion of all activities necessary to begin solidification of radioactive waste into glass by vitrification. Topics discussed in this report include the Project's background, high-level radioactive waste consolidation, vitrification process and component testing, facilities design and construction, waste/glass recipe development, integrated facility testing, and readiness activities for radioactive waste processing

Demonstration of a transient high gain nickel-like xenon ion x-ray laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Peixiang; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Kishimoto, Maki

2003-01-01

We demonstrate a high gain nickel-like xenon ion x-ray laser using a picosecond-laser-irradiated gas puff target. The elongated x-ray laser plasma column was produced by irradiating the gas puff target with line-focused double picosecond laser pulses with a total energy of 18 J in a travelling-wave excitation scheme. Strong lasing at 9.98 nm was observed, and a high gain coefficient of 17.4 cm -1 was measured on the transient collisionally excited 4d-4p, J=0-1 transition for nickel-like xenon ion with target lengths up to 0.45 cm. A weak nickel-like lasing line at a shorter wavelength of 9.64 nm was also observed with a gain coefficient of 5.9 cm -1 . (author)

US program for the immobilization of high-level nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crandall, J.L.

1979-01-01

A program has been developed for long-term management of high-level nuclear waste. The Savannah River Operations Office of the US Department of Energy is acting as the lead office for this program with technical advice from the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. The purpose of the long-term program is to immobilize the DOE high-level waste in forms that act as highly efficient barriers against radionuclide release to the disposal site and to provide technology for similar treatment of commercial high-level waste in case reprocessing of commercial nuclear fuels is ever resumed. Descriptions of existing DOE and commercial wastes, program strategy, program expenditures, development of waste forms, evaluation and selection of waste forms, regulatory aspects of waste form selection, project schedules, and cost estimates for immobilization facilities are discussed

Reachability Trees for High-level Petri Nets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kurt; Jensen, Arne M.; Jepsen, Leif Obel

1986-01-01

the necessary analysis methods. In other papers it is shown how to generalize the concept of place- and transition invariants from place/transition nets to high-level Petri nets. Our present paper contributes to this with a generalization of reachability trees, which is one of the other important analysis...

Chromosome Aberration on High Level Background Natural Radiation Areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanti-Lusiyanti; Zubaidah-Alatas

2001-01-01

When the body is irradiated, all cells can suffer cytogenetic damage that can be seen as structural damage of chromosome in the lymphocytes. People no matter where they live in world are exposed to background radiation from natural sources both internal and external such as cosmic radiation, terrestrial radiation, cosmogenic radiation radon and thoron. Level of area natural ionizing radiation is varies depending on the altitude, the soil or rock conditions, particular food chains and the building materials and construction features. Level of normal areas of background exposure is annual effective dose 2.4 mSv and the high level areas of background exposure 20 mSv. This paper discuses the frequency of aberration chromosome especially dysenteries in several countries having high level radiation background. It seems that frequency of chromosome aberrations increase, generally with the increase of age of the people and the accumulated dose received. (author)

The French methodology for EBS confirmation and demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plas, F.; Voinis, S.; Mayer, S.

2007-01-01

The December 30, 1991 French Waste Act entrusted ANDRA, the French national agency for radioactive waste management, with the task of assessing the feasibility of deep geological disposal of high- and medium-level long-lived waste (HLW and ILW, respectively C-waste and B-waste types in French) plus spent fuel (CU in French). In that context, the 'Dossier 2005 Argile' submitted by ANDRA presents the feasibility assessment - with regard to the technical capacity to accommodate all wastes, to reversibility, and to safety - of a radioactive waste disposal in a clay formation studied at the Meuse/Haute-Marne URL. This report was built upon an iterative approach between site characterisation, design, modelling, phenomenological analysis and safety analysis, in which two principles always guided the elaboration of the safety case: the principle of robustness - repository components must maintain their functionality given reasonable solicitations, taking into account uncertainties on the nature and level of these solicitations; and the principle of demonstrability - safety must be verified without requiring complex demonstrations, and based on multiple lines of evidence/argument (numerical simulation, qualitative arguments such as use of natural analogues, experiments and technological demonstrators). In that respect, the EBS definition, demonstration and confirmation of design is a part of the overall safety case. The 'Dossier 2005 Argile' was submitted to three independent peer reviews. The aim. of this article is to present the methodology that ANDRA implemented in the context of 'Dossier 2005 Argile' for defining, demonstrating and confirming the EBS design as well as the future programme with respect with the new Act of 28 June 2006. (author)

West Valley Demonstration Project, West Valley, New York: Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

Under the West Valley Demonstration Project Act, Public Law 96-368, liquid high-level radioactive waste stored at the Western New York Nuclear Services Center, West Valley, New York, that resulted from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing operations conducted between 1966 and 1972, is to be solidified in borosilicate glass and transported to a federal repository for geologic disposal. A major milestone was reached in May 1988 when the Project began reducing the volume of the liquid high-level waste. By the end of 1988, approximately 15 percent of the initial inventory had been processed into two waste streams. The decontaminated low-level liquid waste is being solidified in cement. The high-level waste stream is being stored in an underground tank pending its incorporation into borosilicate glass. Four tests of the waste glass melter system were completed. These tests confirmed equipment operability, control system reliability, and provided samples of waste glass for durability testing. In mid-1988, the Department validated an integrated cost and schedule plan for activities required to complete the production of the waste borosilicate glass. Design of the radioactive Vitrification Facility continued

High-level waste management research and development program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomeke, J.O.; Bond, W.D.

1976-01-01

Projections of wastes to be generated through the year 2000 portend a problem of impressive size and complexity but one which can be handled within the framework of current and planned investigative programs. Investigations of the technical feasibility of removing actinide elements from wastes to render the residuals more manageable in terms of hazards and storage requirements indicate that they can be removed from wastes by the minimally desired factors of 10 2 to 10 4 ; however, demonstrations and engineering assessments of chemical flowsheets have yet to be made. Natural salt formations are believed to offer the best prospects for disposal of high-level wastes; other promising geological formations are also being evaluated for their suitability for use in the disposal of wastes

Assessment of studies and researches on warehousing - High-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes - December 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This large report first presents the approach adopted for the study and research on the warehousing of high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes. It outlines how reversible storage and warehousing are complementary, discusses the lessons learned from researches performed by the CEA on long duration warehousing, presents the framework of studies and researches performed since 2006, and presents the scientific and technical content of studies and researches (warehousing need analysis, search for technical options providing complementarity with storage, extension or creation of warehousing installations). The second part addresses high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive waste parcels, indicates their origins and quantities. The third part proposes an analysis of warehousing capacities: existing capacities, French industrial experience in waste parcel warehousing, foreign experience in waste warehousing. The fourth part addresses reversible storage in deep geological formation: storage safety functions, storage reversibility, storage parcels, storage architecture, chronicle draft. The fifth part proposes an inventory of warehousing needs in terms of additional capacities for the both types of wastes (high-level, and intermediate-level-long-lived), and discusses warehousing functionalities and safety objectives. The sixth and seventh parts propose a detailed overview of design options for warehousing installations, respectively for high-level and for intermediate-level-long-lived waste parcels: main technical issues, feasibility studies of different concepts or architecture shapes, results of previous studies and introduction to studies performed since 2011, possible evolutions of the HA1, HA2 and MAVL concepts. The eighth chapter reports a phenomenological analysis of warehousing and the optimisation of material selection and construction arrangements. The last part discusses the application of researches to the extension of the

Management of high level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redon, A.; Mamelle, J.; Chambon, M.

1977-01-01

The world wide needs in reprocessing will reach the value of 10.000 t/y of irradiated fuels, in the mid of the 80's. Several countries will have planned, in their nuclear programme, the construction of reprocessing plants with a 1500 t/y capacity, corresponding to 50.000 MWe installed. At such a level, the solidification of the radioactive waste will become imperative. For this reason, all efforts, in France, have been directed towards the realization of industrial plants able of solidifying the fission products as a glassy material. The advantages of this decision, and the reasons for it are presented. The continuing development work, and the conditions and methods of storing the high-level wastes prior to solidification, and of the interim storage (for thermal decay) and the ultimate disposal after solidification are described [fr

Development of melt compositions for sulphate bearing high level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahagirdar, P.B.; Wattal, P.K.

1997-09-01

The report deals with the development and characterization of vitreous matrices for sulphate bearing high level waste. Studies were conducted in sodium borosilicate and lead borosilicate systems with the introduction of CaO, BaO, MgO etc. Lead borosilicate system was found to be compatible with sulphate bearing high level wastes. Detailed product evaluation carried on selected formulations is also described. (author)

Decision Document for Heat Removal from High-Level Waste Tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WILLIS, W.L.

2000-01-01

This document establishes the combination of design and operational configurations that will be used to provide heat removal from high-level waste tanks during Phase 1 waste feed delivery to prevent the waste temperature from exceeding tank safety requirement limits. The chosen method--to use the primary and annulus ventilation systems to remove heat from the high-level waste tanks--is documented herein

Future directions of defense programs high-level waste technology programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chee, T.C.; Shupe, M.W.; Turner, D.A.; Campbell, M.H.

1987-01-01

The Department of Energy has been managing high-level waste from the production of nuclear materials for defense activities over the last forty years. An objective for the Defense Waste and Transportation Management program is to develop technology which ensures the safe, permanent disposal of all defense radioactive wastes. Technology programs are underway to address the long-term strategy for permanent disposal of high-level waste generated at each Department of Energy site. Technology is being developed for assessing the hazards, environmental impacts, and costs of each long-term disposal alternative for selection and implementation. This paper addresses key technology development areas, and consideration of recent regulatory requirements associated with the long-term management of defense radioactive high-level waste

High-level radioactive waste disposal type and theoretical analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Yingfa; Wu Yanchun; Luo Xianqi; Cui Yujun

2006-01-01

Study of high-level radioactive waste disposal is necessary for the nuclear electrical development; the determination of nuclear waste depository type is one of importance safety. Based on the high-level radioactive disposal type, the relative research subjects are proposed, then the fundamental research characteristics of nuclear waste disposition, for instance: mechanical and hydraulic properties of rock mass, saturated and unsaturated seepage, chemical behaviors, behavior of special soil, and gas behavior, etc. are introduced, the relative coupling equations are suggested, and a one dimensional result is proposed. (authors)

Delirium and High Creatine Kinase and Myoglobin Levels Related to Synthetic Cannabinoid Withdrawal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Bulent Yazici

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs are included in a group of drugs called new psychoactive substances. Effects of SCs on the central nervous system are similar to other cannabinoids, but 2–100 times more potent than marijuana. Thus, addiction and withdrawal symptoms are more severe than natural cannabinoids. Withdrawal symptoms of SCs were reported in the literature previously. But there is no report about SC withdrawal delirium and its treatment. Several studies reported that agonists of CB1 receptors play a role in GABA and glutamatergic neurotransmission, which is similar to the effects of alcohol on GABA and glutamatergic receptors. Previous studies on alcohol delirium cases suggested that elevated creatine kinase (CK can be a marker of progress. This study reports delirium and high serum CK levels related to SC withdrawal and offers a treatment with benzodiazepine for them. We described two cases treated in our inpatient clinic about SC withdrawal with increase of serum CK level and other laboratory parameters. One of them demonstrated delirium symptoms and the other did not with early rapid treatment.

The ATLAS high level trigger region of interest builder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blair, R.; Dawson, J.; Drake, G.; Haberichter, W.; Schlereth, J.; Zhang, J.; Ermoline, Y.; Pope, B.; Aboline, M.; High Energy Physics; Michigan State Univ.

2008-01-01

This article describes the design, testing and production of the ATLAS Region of Interest Builder (RoIB). This device acts as an interface between the Level 1 trigger and the high level trigger (HLT) farm for the ATLAS LHC detector. It distributes all of the Level 1 data for a subset of events to a small number of (16 or less) individual commodity processors. These processors in turn provide this information to the HLT. This allows the HLT to use the Level 1 information to narrow data requests to areas of the detector where Level 1 has identified interesting objects

Some legal aspects on high level radioactive waste disposal in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanabe, Tomoyuki

1997-01-01

In Japan, it is considered to be an urgent problem to prepare the system for the research and execution of high level radioactive waste disposal. Under what regulation scheme the disposal should be done has not been sufficiently examined. In this research, the examination was carried out on the legal aspects of high level radioactive waste disposal as follows. First, the current legislation on the disposal in Japan was analyzed, and it was made clear that high level radioactive waste disposal has not been stipulated clearly. Next, on the legal choices which are conceivable on the way the legislation for high level radioactive waste disposal should be, from the aspects of applying the law on regulating nuclear reactors and others, applying the law on nuclear power damage reparation, and industrialization by changing the government ordinances, those were arranged in six choices, and the examination was carried out for each choice from the viewpoints of the relation with the base stipulation for waste-burying business, the speciality of high level radioactive waste disposal as compared with other actions of nuclear power business, the coordination with existing nuclear power of nuclear power business, the coordination with existing nuclear power law system and the formation of national consensus. In this research, it was shown that the execution of high level radioactive waste disposal as the business based on the separate legislation is the realistic choice. (K.I.)

High level active n+ doping of strained germanium through co-implantation and nanosecond pulsed laser melting

Science.gov (United States)

Pastor, David; Gandhi, Hemi H.; Monmeyran, Corentin P.; Akey, Austin J.; Milazzo, Ruggero; Cai, Yan; Napolitani, Enrico; Gwilliam, Russell M.; Crowe, Iain F.; Michel, Jurgen; Kimerling, L. C.; Agarwal, Anuradha; Mazur, Eric; Aziz, Michael J.

2018-04-01

Obtaining high level active n+ carrier concentrations in germanium (Ge) has been a significant challenge for further development of Ge devices. By ion implanting phosphorus (P) and fluorine (F) into Ge and restoring crystallinity using Nd:YAG nanosecond pulsed laser melting (PLM), we demonstrate 1020 cm-3 n+ carrier concentration in tensile-strained epitaxial germanium-on-silicon. Scanning electron microscopy shows that after laser treatment, samples implanted with P have an ablated surface, whereas P + F co-implanted samples have good crystallinity and a smooth surface topography. We characterize P and F concentration depth profiles using secondary ion mass spectrometry and spreading resistance profiling. The peak carrier concentration, 1020 cm-3 at 80 nm below the surface, coincides with the peak F concentration, illustrating the key role of F in increasing donor activation. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy of the co-implanted sample shows that the Ge epilayer region damaged during implantation is a single crystal after PLM. High-resolution X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements both indicate that the as-grown epitaxial layer strain is preserved after PLM. These results demonstrate that co-implantation and PLM can achieve the combination of n+ carrier concentration and strain in Ge epilayers necessary for next-generation, high-performance Ge-on-Si devices.

CMS High Level Trigger Timing Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richardson, Clint

2015-01-01

The two-level trigger system employed by CMS consists of the Level 1 (L1) Trigger, which is implemented using custom-built electronics, and the High Level Trigger (HLT), a farm of commercial CPUs running a streamlined version of the offline CMS reconstruction software. The operational L1 output rate of 100 kHz, together with the number of CPUs in the HLT farm, imposes a fundamental constraint on the amount of time available for the HLT to process events. Exceeding this limit impacts the experiment's ability to collect data efficiently. Hence, there is a critical need to characterize the performance of the HLT farm as well as the algorithms run prior to start up in order to ensure optimal data taking. Additional complications arise from the fact that the HLT farm consists of multiple generations of hardware and there can be subtleties in machine performance. We present our methods of measuring the timing performance of the CMS HLT, including the challenges of making such measurements. Results for the performance of various Intel Xeon architectures from 2009-2014 and different data taking scenarios are also presented. (paper)

Mind Your Grip: Even Usual Dexterous Manipulation Requires High Level Cognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwan Guillery

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Simultaneous execution of cognitive and sensorimotor tasks is critical in daily life. Here, we examined whether dexterous manipulation, a highly habitual and seemingly automatic behavior, involves high order cognitive functions. Specifically, we explored the impact of reducing available cognitive resources on the performance of a precision grip-lift task in healthy participants of three age groups (18–30, 30–60 and 60–75 years. Participants performed a motor task in isolation (M, in combination with a low-load cognitive task (M + L, and in combination with a high-load cognitive task (M + H. The motor task consisted in grasping, lifting and holding an apparatus instrumented with force sensors to monitor motor task performance. In the cognitive task, a list of letters was shown briefly before the motor task. After completing the motor task, one letter of the list was shown, and participants reported the following letter of the list. In M + L, letters in the list followed the alphabetical order. In M + H, letters were presented in random order. Performing the high-load task thus required maintaining information in working memory. Temporal and dynamic parameters of grip and lift forces were compared across conditions. During the cognitive tasks, there was a significant alteration of movement initiation and a significant increase of grip force (GF throughout the grip-lift task. There was no interaction with “age”. Our results demonstrate that planning and the on-line control of dexterous manipulation is not an automatic behavior and, instead, that it interacts with high-level cognitive processes such as those involved in working memory.

Curved sensors for compact high-resolution wide-field designs: prototype demonstration and optical characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Chambion, Bertrand; Gaschet, Christophe; Behaghel, Thibault; Vandeneynde, Aurélie; Caplet, Stéphane; Gétin, Stéphane; Henry, David; Hugot, Emmanuel; Jahn, Wilfried; Lombardo, Simona; Ferrari, Marc

2018-02-01

Over the recent years, a huge interest has grown for curved electronics, particularly for opto-electronics systems. Curved sensors help the correction of off-axis aberrations, such as Petzval Field Curvature, astigmatism, and bring significant optical and size benefits for imaging systems. In this paper, we first describe advantages of curved sensor and associated packaging process applied on a 1/1.8'' format 1.3Mpx global shutter CMOS sensor (Teledyne EV76C560) into its standard ceramic package with a spherical radius of curvature Rc=65mm and 55mm. The mechanical limits of the die are discussed (Finite Element Modelling and experimental), and electro-optical performances are investigated. Then, based on the monocentric optical architecture, we proposed a new design, compact and with a high resolution, developed specifically for a curved image sensor including optical optimization, tolerances, assembly and optical tests. Finally, a functional prototype is presented through a benchmark approach and compared to an existing standard optical system with same performances and a x2.5 reduction of length. The finality of this work was a functional prototype demonstration on the CEA-LETI during Photonics West 2018 conference. All these experiments and optical results demonstrate the feasibility and high performances of systems with curved sensors.

Psychological balance in high level athletes: gender-based differences and sport-specific patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaal, Karine; Tafflet, Muriel; Nassif, Hala; Thibault, Valérie; Pichard, Capucine; Alcotte, Mathieu; Guillet, Thibaut; El Helou, Nour; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Simon, Serge; Toussaint, Jean-François

2011-05-04

Few epidemiological studies have focused on the psychological health of high level athletes. This study aimed to identify the principal psychological problems encountered within French high level athletes, and the variations in their prevalence based on sex and the sport practiced. Multivariate analyses were conducted on nationwide data obtained from the athletes' yearly psychological evaluations. A representative sample of 13% of the French athlete population was obtained. 17% of athletes have at least one ongoing or recent disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) being the most prevalent (6%), followed by non-specific eating disorders (4.2%). Overall, 20.2% of women had at least one psychopathology, against 15.1% in men. This female predominance applied to anxiety and eating disorders, depression, sleep problems and self-harming behaviors. The highest rates of GAD appeared in aesthetic sports (16.7% vs. 6.8% in other sports for men and 38.9% vs. 10.3% for women); the lowest prevalence was found in high risk sports athletes (3.0% vs. 3.5%). Eating disorders are most common among women in racing sports (14% vs. 9%), but for men were found mostly in combat sports (7% vs. 4.8%). This study highlights important differences in psychopathology between male and female athletes, demonstrating that the many sex-based differences reported in the general population apply to elite athletes. While the prevalence of psychological problems is no higher than in the general population, the variations in psychopathology in different sports suggest that specific constraints could influence the development of some disorders.

Psychological balance in high level athletes: gender-based differences and sport-specific patterns.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karine Schaal

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Few epidemiological studies have focused on the psychological health of high level athletes. This study aimed to identify the principal psychological problems encountered within French high level athletes, and the variations in their prevalence based on sex and the sport practiced. METHODS: Multivariate analyses were conducted on nationwide data obtained from the athletes' yearly psychological evaluations. RESULTS: A representative sample of 13% of the French athlete population was obtained. 17% of athletes have at least one ongoing or recent disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD being the most prevalent (6%, followed by non-specific eating disorders (4.2%. Overall, 20.2% of women had at least one psychopathology, against 15.1% in men. This female predominance applied to anxiety and eating disorders, depression, sleep problems and self-harming behaviors. The highest rates of GAD appeared in aesthetic sports (16.7% vs. 6.8% in other sports for men and 38.9% vs. 10.3% for women; the lowest prevalence was found in high risk sports athletes (3.0% vs. 3.5%. Eating disorders are most common among women in racing sports (14% vs. 9%, but for men were found mostly in combat sports (7% vs. 4.8%. DISCUSSION: This study highlights important differences in psychopathology between male and female athletes, demonstrating that the many sex-based differences reported in the general population apply to elite athletes. While the prevalence of psychological problems is no higher than in the general population, the variations in psychopathology in different sports suggest that specific constraints could influence the development of some disorders.

Psychological Balance in High Level Athletes: Gender-Based Differences and Sport-Specific Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Schaal, Karine; Tafflet, Muriel; Nassif, Hala; Thibault, Valérie; Pichard, Capucine; Alcotte, Mathieu; Guillet, Thibaut; El Helou, Nour; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Simon, Serge; Toussaint, Jean-François

2011-01-01

Objectives Few epidemiological studies have focused on the psychological health of high level athletes. This study aimed to identify the principal psychological problems encountered within French high level athletes, and the variations in their prevalence based on sex and the sport practiced. Methods Multivariate analyses were conducted on nationwide data obtained from the athletes' yearly psychological evaluations. Results A representative sample of 13% of the French athlete population was obtained. 17% of athletes have at least one ongoing or recent disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) being the most prevalent (6%), followed by non-specific eating disorders (4.2%). Overall, 20.2% of women had at least one psychopathology, against 15.1% in men. This female predominance applied to anxiety and eating disorders, depression, sleep problems and self-harming behaviors. The highest rates of GAD appeared in aesthetic sports (16.7% vs. 6.8% in other sports for men and 38.9% vs. 10.3% for women); the lowest prevalence was found in high risk sports athletes (3.0% vs. 3.5%). Eating disorders are most common among women in racing sports (14% vs. 9%), but for men were found mostly in combat sports (7% vs. 4.8%). Discussion This study highlights important differences in psychopathology between male and female athletes, demonstrating that the many sex-based differences reported in the general population apply to elite athletes. While the prevalence of psychological problems is no higher than in the general population, the variations in psychopathology in different sports suggest that specific constraints could influence the development of some disorders. PMID:21573222

Rocky Flats Plant precipitate sludge surrogate vitrification demonstration. Technical Task Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cicero, C.A.; Bickford, D.F.; Bennert, D.M.; Overcamp, T.J.

1994-01-01

Technologies are being developed by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Facility sites to convert hazardous and mixed wastes to a form suitable for permanent disposal. The preferred disposal method would be one that is capable of consistently producing a durable leach resistant wasteform, while simultaneously minimizing disposal volumes. Vitrification, which has been declared the Best Demonstrated Available Technology (BDAT) for high-level radioactive waste disposal by the EPA, is capable of producing a highly durable wasteform that minimizes disposal volumes through organic destruction, moisture evaporation, and porosity reduction. However, this technology must be demonstrated over a range of waste characteristics, including compositions, chemistries, moistures, and physical characteristics to ensure that it is suitable for hazardous and mixed waste treatment

Ultrasonic level sensors for liquids under high pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Zuckerwar, A. J.; Mazel, D. S.; Hodges, D. Y.

1986-01-01

An ultrasonic level sensor of novel design continuously measures the level of a liquid subjected to a high pressure (up to about 40 MPa), as is sometimes required for the effective transfer of the liquid. The sensor operates as a composite resonator fabricated from a standard high-pressure plug. A flat-bottom hole is machined into the plug along its center line. An ultrasonic transducer is bonded rigidly to the interior surface of the bottom wall, while the exterior surface is in contact with the liquid. Although the bottom wall is designed to satisfy the pressure code, it is still sufficiently thin to permit ready excitation of the axisymmetric plate modes of vibration. The liquid level is measured by a conventional pulse-echo technique. A prototype sensor was tested successfully in a 2300-l water vessel at pressures up to about 37 MPa. A spectral analysis of the transmitted pulse reveals that the flexural, extensional, thickness-shear, and radial plate modes are excited into vibration, but none of these appears to be significantly affected by the pressurization of the liquid.

Preconceptual design study for solidifying high-level waste: West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-04-01

This Appendix contains the preconceptual design drawings prepared by Vitro Engineering Corporation for Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The following types of drawings are included in this Appendix: process flow diagrams; process and instrumentation diagrams; hydraulic diagrams; equipment arrangement drawings; service gallery drawings; electric power one-line diagram; equipment line lists; and outline specifications. The basic purpose of these drawings was to determine the feasibility of installing the reference solidification process in existing cells at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center. Most of the process and vitrification equipment will be installed in the former Chemical Processing Cell, while the salt solidification equipment will be housed in the former Scrap Removal Room. The design utilized a remote maintenance and operation concept

High level of reactive oxygen species impaired mesenchymal stem cell migration via overpolymerization of F-actin cytoskeleton in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, D; Li, X; Chen, H; Che, N; Zhou, S; Lu, Z; Shi, S; Sun, L

2014-12-01

Some lines of evidence have demonstrated abnormalities of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, characterized by defective phenotype of MSCs and slower growth with enhanced apoptosis and senescence. However, whether SLE MSCs demonstrate aberrant migration capacity or abnormalities in cytoskeleton are issues that remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that MSCs from SLE patients did show impairment in migration capacity as well as abnormalities in F-actin cytoskeleton, accompanied by a high level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). When normal MSCs were treated in vitro with H2O2, which increases intracellular ROS level as an oxidant, both reorganization of F-actin cytoskeleton and impairment of migration capability were observed. On the other hand, treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), as an exogenous antioxidant, made F-actin more orderly and increased migration ratio in SLE MSCs. In addition, oral administration of NAC markedly reduced serum autoantibody levels and ameliorated lupus nephritis (LN) in MRL/lpr mice, partially reversing the abnormalities of MSCs. These results indicate that overpolymerization of F-actin cytoskeleton, which may be associated with high levels of ROS, causes impairment in the migration capacity of SLE MSCs and that oral administration of NAC may have potential therapeutic effects on MRL/lpr mice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Standards for high level waste disposal: A sustainability perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougherty, W.W.; Powers, V.; Johnson, F.X.; Cornland, D.

1999-01-01

Spent reactor fuel from commercial power stations contains high levels of plutonium, other fissionable actinides, and fission products, all of which pose serious challenges for permanent disposal because of the very long half-lives of some isotopes. The 'nuclear nations' have agreed on the use of permanent geologic repositories for the ultimate disposal of high-level nuclear waste. However, it is premature to claim that a geologic repository offers permanent isolation from the biosphere, given high levels of uncertainty, nascent risk assessment frameworks for the time periods considered, and serious intergenerational equity issues. Many have argued for a broader consideration of disposal options that include extended monitored retrievable storage and accelerator-driven transmutation of wastes. In this paper we discuss and compare these three options relative to standards that emerge from the application of sustainable development principles, namely long-lasting technical viability, intergenerational equity, rational resource allocation, and rights of future intervention. We conclude that in order to maximise the autonomy of future generations, it is imperative to leave future options more open than does permanent disposal

Proposed classification scheme for high-level and other radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.; Croff, A.G.

1986-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 defines high-level radioactive waste (HLW) as: (A) the highly radioactive material resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel....that contains fission products in sufficient concentrations; and (B) other highly radioactive material that the Commission....determines....requires permanent isolation. This paper presents a generally applicable quantitative definition of HLW that addresses the description in paragraph (B). The approach also results in definitions of other waste classes, i.e., transuranic (TRU) and low-level waste (LLW). A basic waste classification scheme results from the quantitative definitions

Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2): ATD-2 CLT Pilot Community Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Capps, Al; Hooey, Becky

2017-01-01

The Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) project conducted a pilot community workshop at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina. The goal was to familiarize pilots with the ATD-2 project, with an emphasis on procedures that may affect pilots during the Phase 1 Field Demonstration (beginning September 30, 2017). At this workshop, the high-level goals and objectives of ATD-2, expected benefits for pilots, changes to procedures, training requirements, and data sharing elements were presented.

Fabrication and closure development of corrosion resistant containers for Nevada's Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, E.W.; Nelson, T.A.; Domian, H.A.; LaCount, D.F.; Robitz, E.S.; Stein, K.O.

1989-11-01

US Congress and the President have determined that the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada is to be characterized to determine its suitability for construction of the first US high-level nuclear waste repository. Work in connection with this site is carried out within the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has the responsibility for designing, developing, and projecting the performance of the waste package for the permanent storage of high-level nuclear waste. Babcock ampersand Wilcox (B ampersand W) is involved with the YMP as a subcontractor to LLNL. B ampersand W's role is to recommend and demonstrate a method for fabricating the metallic waste container and a method for performing the final closure of the container after it has been filled with waste. Various fabrication and closure methods are under consideration for the production of containers. This paper presents progress to date in identifying and evaluating the candidate manufacturing processes. 2 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

DUACS: Toward High Resolution Sea Level Products

Science.gov (United States)

Faugere, Y.; Gerald, D.; Ubelmann, C.; Claire, D.; Pujol, M. I.; Antoine, D.; Desjonqueres, J. D.; Picot, N.

2016-12-01

The DUACS system produces, as part of the CNES/SALP project, and the Copernicus Marine Environment and Monitoring Service, high quality multimission altimetry Sea Level products for oceanographic applications, climate forecasting centers, geophysic and biology communities... These products consist in directly usable and easy to manipulate Level 3 (along-track cross-calibrated SLA) and Level 4 products (multiple sensors merged as maps or time series) and are available in global and regional version (Mediterranean Sea, Arctic, European Shelves …).The quality of the products is today limited by the altimeter technology "Low Resolution Mode" (LRM), and the lack of available observations. The launch of 2 new satellites in 2016, Jason-3 and Sentinel-3A, opens new perspectives. Using the global Synthetic Aperture Radar mode (SARM) coverage of S3A and optimizing the LRM altimeter processing (retracking, editing, ...) will allow us to fully exploit the fine-scale content of the altimetric missions. Thanks to this increase of real time altimetry observations we will also be able to improve Level-4 products by combining these new Level-3 products and new mapping methodology, such as dynamic interpolation. Finally these improvements will benefit to downstream products : geostrophic currents, Lagrangian products, eddy atlas… Overcoming all these challenges will provide major upgrades of Sea Level products to better fulfill user needs.

Key scientific challenges in geological disposal of high level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ju

2007-01-01

The geological disposal of high radioactive waste is a challenging task facing the scientific and technical world. This paper introduces the latest progress of high level radioactive disposal programs in the latest progress of high level radioactive disposal programs in the world, and discusses the following key scientific challenges: (1) precise prediction of the evolution of a repository site; (2) characteristics of deep geological environment; (3) behaviour of deep rock mass, groundwater and engineering material under coupled con-ditions (intermediate to high temperature, geostress, hydraulic, chemical, biological and radiation process, etc); (4) geo-chemical behaviour of transuranic radionuclides with low concentration and its migration with groundwater; and (5) safety assessment of disposal system. Several large-scale research projects and several hot topics related with high-level waste disposal are also introduced. (authors)

Adsorbate reactivity and thermal mobility from simple modeling of high-resolution core-level spectra: application to O/Al(111)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schouborg, Jakob; Raarup, Merete K; Balling, Peter

2009-01-01

A high-resolution core-level spectroscopy investigation of the adsorption of oxygen on Al(111) at variable oxygen exposure demonstrates a low surface reactivity for an intensively cleaned surface. The threshold for oxide formation is as high as ∼200 L (langmuirs), at which point the coverage of the chemisorbed oxygen exceeds half a monolayer. A simple model is presented, using which it is possible to deduce the oxygen coverage from the core-level spectra and determine the initial sticking probability. For our data a value of 0.018 ± 0.004 is obtained. The changes in core-level spectra following low-temperature annealing of low-coverage O/Al(111) reflect the formation of gradually larger islands of oxygen atoms (Ostwald ripening). The island formation is consistent with a random-walk model from which the diffusion barrier can be deduced to be in the range of 0.80-0.90 eV.

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

Preliminary test results from a free-piston Stirling engine technology demonstration program to support advanced radioisotope space power applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, Maurice A.; Qiu Songgang; Augenblick, Jack E.

2000-01-01

Free-piston Stirling engines offer a relatively mature, proven, long-life technology that is well-suited for advanced, high-efficiency radioisotope space power systems. Contracts from DOE and NASA are being conducted by Stirling Technology Company (STC) for the purpose of demonstrating the Stirling technology in a configuration and power level that is representative of an eventual space power system. The long-term objective is to develop a power system with an efficiency exceeding 20% that can function with a high degree of reliability for up to 15 years on deep space missions. The current technology demonstration convertors (TDC's) are completing shakedown testing and have recently demonstrated performance levels that are virtually identical to projections made during the preliminary design phase. This paper describes preliminary test results for power output, efficiency, and vibration levels. These early results demonstrate the ability of the free-piston Stirling technology to exceed objectives by approximately quadrupling the efficiency of conventional radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG's)

Preliminary test results from a free-piston Stirling engine technology demonstration program to support advanced radioisotope space power applications

Science.gov (United States)

White, Maurice A.; Qiu, Songgang; Augenblick, Jack E.

2000-01-01

Free-piston Stirling engines offer a relatively mature, proven, long-life technology that is well-suited for advanced, high-efficiency radioisotope space power systems. Contracts from DOE and NASA are being conducted by Stirling Technology Company (STC) for the purpose of demonstrating the Stirling technology in a configuration and power level that is representative of an eventual space power system. The long-term objective is to develop a power system with an efficiency exceeding 20% that can function with a high degree of reliability for up to 15 years on deep space missions. The current technology demonstration convertors (TDC's) are completing shakedown testing and have recently demonstrated performance levels that are virtually identical to projections made during the preliminary design phase. This paper describes preliminary test results for power output, efficiency, and vibration levels. These early results demonstrate the ability of the free-piston Stirling technology to exceed objectives by approximately quadrupling the efficiency of conventional radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG's). .

Parity dependence of the nuclear level density at high excitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, B.V.; Agrawal, H.M.

1995-01-01

The basic underlying assumption ρ(l+1, J)=ρ(l, J) in the level density function ρ(U, J, π) has been checked on the basis of high quality data available on individual resonance parameters (E 0 , Γ n , J π ) for s- and p-wave neutrons in contrast to the earlier analysis where information about p-wave resonance parameters was meagre. The missing level estimator based on the partial integration over a Porter-Thomas distribution of neutron reduced widths and the Dyson-Mehta Δ 3 statistic for the level spacing have been used to ascertain that the s- and p-wave resonance level spacings D(0) and D(1) are not in error because of spurious and missing levels. The present work does not validate the tacit assumption ρ(l+1, J)=ρ(l, J) and confirms that the level density depends upon parity at high excitation. The possible implications of the parity dependence of the level density on the results of statistical model calculations of nuclear reaction cross sections as well as on pre-compound emission have been emphasized. (orig.)

Live demonstration: Screen printed, microwave based level sensor for automated drug delivery

KAUST Repository

Karimi, Muhammad Akram

2018-01-02

Level sensors find numerous applications in many industries to automate the processes involving chemicals. Recently, some commercial ultrasound based level sensors are also being used to automate the drug delivery process [1]. Some of the most desirable features of level sensors to be used for medical use are their non-intrusiveness, low cost and consistent performance. In this demo, we will present a completely new method of sensing the liquid level using microwaves. It is a common stereotype to consider microwaves sensing mechanism as being expensive. Unlike usual expensive, intrusive and bulky microwave methods of level sensing using guided radars, we will present an extremely low cost printed, non-intrusive microwave sensor to reliably sense the liquid level.

Design and operation of high level waste vitrification and storage facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The conversion of high level wastes (HLW) into solids has been studied for the past 30 years, primarily in those countries engaged in the reprocessing of nuclear fuels. Production and demonstration calcination and solidification plants have been operated by using waste solutions from fuels irradiated at various burnup rates, depending on the reactor type. Construction of more advanced solidification processes is now in progress in several countries to permit the handling of high burnup power reactor fuel wastes. The object of this report is to provide detailed information and references for those vitrification systems in advanced stages of implementation. Some less detailed information will be provided for previously developed immobilization systems. The report will examine the HLLW arising from the various locations, the features of each process as well as the stage of development, scale-up potential and flexibility of the processes. Since the publication of IAEA Technical Reports Series No. 176, Techniques for the Solidification of High-Level Wastes great progress on this subject has been made. The AVM in France has been operated successfully for 11 years and France has completed construction at La Hague of two vitrification plants that are based on the AVM rotary calciner/metallic melter process. A similar plant is under construction at Sellafield. The ceramic melter process has been chosen by several countries. Germany has successfully operated the PAMELA vitrification plant. Since 1986, Belgoprocess has continued to operate this facility. The former USSR operated the EP-500 plant from 1986 to 1988. In addition, two ceramic melter vitrification plants are nearing completion in the USA at Savannah River and West Valley and plans are being made to use this technology at Hanford as well as in Japan, Germany and India. This major progress attests to the maturity of these technologies for vitrifying HLLW to make a borosilicate glass for disposal of the waste. 67

High-Level Synthesis: Productivity, Performance, and Software Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Liang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available FPGAs are an attractive platform for applications with high computation demand and low energy consumption requirements. However, design effort for FPGA implementations remains high—often an order of magnitude larger than design effort using high-level languages. Instead of this time-consuming process, high-level synthesis (HLS tools generate hardware implementations from algorithm descriptions in languages such as C/C++ and SystemC. Such tools reduce design effort: high-level descriptions are more compact and less error prone. HLS tools promise hardware development abstracted from software designer knowledge of the implementation platform. In this paper, we present an unbiased study of the performance, usability and productivity of HLS using AutoPilot (a state-of-the-art HLS tool. In particular, we first evaluate AutoPilot using the popular embedded benchmark kernels. Then, to evaluate the suitability of HLS on real-world applications, we perform a case study of stereo matching, an active area of computer vision research that uses techniques also common for image denoising, image retrieval, feature matching, and face recognition. Based on our study, we provide insights on current limitations of mapping general-purpose software to hardware using HLS and some future directions for HLS tool development. We also offer several guidelines for hardware-friendly software design. For popular embedded benchmark kernels, the designs produced by HLS achieve 4X to 126X speedup over the software version. The stereo matching algorithms achieve between 3.5X and 67.9X speedup over software (but still less than manual RTL design with a fivefold reduction in design effort versus manual RTL design.

Subseasonal to Seasonal Predictions of U.S. West Coast High Water Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Khouakhi, A.; Villarini, G.; Zhang, W.; Slater, L. J.

2017-12-01

Extreme sea levels pose a significant threat to coastal communities, ecosystems, and assets, as they are conducive to coastal flooding, coastal erosion and inland salt-water intrusion. As sea levels continue to rise, these sea level extremes - including occasional minor coastal flooding experienced during high tide (nuisance floods) - are of concern. Extreme sea levels are increasing at many locations around the globe and have been attributed largely to rising mean sea levels associated with intra-seasonal to interannual climate processes such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Here, intra-seasonal to seasonal probabilistic forecasts of high water levels are computed at the Toke Point tide gage station on the US west coast. We first identify the main climate drivers that are responsible for high water levels and examine their predictability using General Circulation Models (GCMs) from the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME). These drivers are then used to develop a probabilistic framework for the seasonal forecasting of high water levels. We focus on the climate controls on the frequency of high water levels using the number of exceedances above the 99.5th percentile and above the nuisance flood level established by the National Weather Service. Our findings indicate good forecast skill at the shortest lead time, with the skill that decreases as we increase the lead time. In general, these models aptly capture the year-to-year variability in the observational records.

Leaching behavior of simulated high-level waste glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamizono, Hiroshi

1987-03-01

The author's work in the study on the leaching behavior of simulated high-level waste (HLW) glass were summarized. The subjects described are (1) leach rates at high temperatures, (2) effects of cracks on leach rates, (3) effects of flow rate on leach rates, and (4) an in-situ burial test in natural groundwater. In the following section, the leach rates obtained by various experiments were summarized and discussed. (author)

Demonstration of Enhanced Radiation Drive in Hohlraums Made from a Mixture of High-Z Wall Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schein, Jochen; Jones, Ogden; Rosen, Mordecai; Dewald, Eduard; Glenzer, Siegfried; Gunther, Janelle; Hammel, Bruce; Landen, Otto; Suter, Laurence; Wallace, Russell

2007-01-01

We present results from experiments, numerical simulations and analytic modeling, demonstrating enhanced hohlraum performance. Care in the fabrication and handling of hohlraums with walls consisting of high-Z mixtures (cocktails) has led to our demonstration, for the first time, of a significant increase in radiation temperature compared to a pure Au hohlraum that is in agreement with predictions and is ascribable to reduced wall losses. The data suggest that a National Ignition Facility ignition hohlraum made of a U:Au:Dy cocktail should have ∼17% reduction in wall losses compared to a similar gold hohlraum

Artificial Heads for High-Level Impulse Sound Measurement

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Buck, K

1999-01-01

If the Insertion Loss (IL) of hearing protectors has to be determined with very high impulse or continuous noise levels, the acoustic insulation of the Artificial Test Fixture has to exceed at least the Insertion Loss (IL...

High-level expression and purification of soluble recombinant FGF21 protein by SUMO fusion in Escherichia coli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang Yadong

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21 is a promising drug candidate to combat metabolic diseases. However, high-level expression and purification of recombinant FGF21 (rFGF21 in Escherichia coli (E. coli is difficult because rFGF21 forms inclusion bodies in the bacteria making it difficult to purify and obtain high concentrations of bioactive rFGF21. To overcome this problem, we fused the FGF21 with SUMO (Small ubiquitin-related modifier by polymerase chain reaction (PCR, and expressed the fused gene in E. coli BL21(DE3. Results By inducing with IPTG, SUMO-FGF21 was expressed at a high level. Its concentration reached 30% of total protein, and exceeded 95% of all soluble proteins. The fused protein was purified by DEAE sepharose FF and Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Once cleaved by the SUMO protease, the purity of rFGF21 by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC was shown to be higher than 96% with low endotoxin level (in vivo animal experiments showed that rFGF21 produced by using this method, could decrease the concentration of plasma glucose in diabetic rats by streptozotocin (STZ injection. Conclusions This study demonstrated that SUMO, when fused with FGF21, was able to promote its soluble expression of the latter in E. coli, making it more convenient to purify rFGF21 than previously. This may be a better method to produce rFGF21 for pharmaceutical research and development.

Cluster of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates With High-level Azithromycin Resistance and Decreased Ceftriaxone Susceptibility, Hawaii, 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Alan R; Komeya, Alan Y; Kirkcaldy, Robert D; Whelen, A Christian; Soge, Olusegun O; Papp, John R; Kersh, Ellen N; Wasserman, Glenn M; O'Connor, Norman P; O'Brien, Pamela S; Sato, Douglas T; Maningas, Eloisa V; Kunimoto, Gail Y; Tomas, Juval E

2017-09-15

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends dual therapy with ceftriaxone and azithromycin for gonorrhea to ensure effective treatment and slow emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Since 2013, the prevalence of reduced azithromycin susceptibility increased in the United States; however, these strains were highly susceptible to cephalosporins. We identified a cluster of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates with high-level azithromycin resistance, several of which also demonstrated decreased ceftriaxone susceptibility. Eight N. gonorrhoeae isolates collected from 7 patients on Oahu, Hawaii, seen 21 April 2016 through 10 May 2016 underwent routine Etest antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the Hawaii Department of Health. All demonstrated elevated azithromycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) >256 μg/mL and elevated ceftriaxone MICs (≥0.125 μg/mL). Isolates were sent to the University of Washington and CDC for confirmatory agar dilution testing; sequence data were sent to CDC for analysis. All patients were interviewed and treated, and when possible, partners were interviewed, tested, and treated. All isolates had azithromycin MICs >16 µg/mL and 5 had ceftriaxone MICs = 0.125 µg/mL by agar dilution. All isolates were β-lactamase positive and were resistant to penicillin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin. Genomic analysis revealed genetic relatedness. No patients reported recent travel or antibiotic use, and no male patients reported male sex partners. All patients were successfully treated. This cluster of genetically related gonococcal isolates with decreased ceftriaxone susceptibility and high-level azithromycin resistance may bring the threat of treatment failure in the United States with the current recommended dual therapy one step closer. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nulling interferometry for the darwin mission: laboratory demonstration experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Ollivier, Marc; Léger, Alain; Sekulic, Predrag; Labèque, Alain; Michel, Guy

2017-11-01

The DARWIN mission is a project of the European Space Agency that should allow around 2012 the search for extrasolar planets and a spectral analysis of their potential atmosphere in order to evidence gases and particularly tracers of life. The principle of the instrument is based on the Bracewell nulling interferometer. It allows high angular resolution and high dynamic range. However, this concept, proposed more than 20 years ago, has never been experimentally demonstrated in the thermal infrared with high levels of extinction. We present here a laboratory monochromatic experiment dedicated to this goal. A theoretical and numerical approach of the question highlights a strong difficulty: the need for very clean and homogeneous wavefronts, in terms of intensity, phase and polarisation distribution. A classical interferometric approach appears to be insufficient to reach our goals. We have shown theoretically then numerically that this difficulty can be surpassed if we perform an optical filtering of the interfering beams. This technique allows us to decrease strongly the optical requirements and to view very high interferometric contrast measurements with commercial optical pieces. We present here a laboratory interferometer working at 10,6 microns, and implementing several techniques of optical filtering (pinholes and single-mode waveguides), its realisation, and its first promising results. We particularly present measurements that exhibit stable visibility levels better than 99,9% that is to say extinction levels better than 1000.

Technologies for recovery of transuranics and immobilization of non-high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richardson, G.L.

1976-06-01

This paper supplements the preceding Symposium paper on ''Treatment Technologies for Non-High-Level Wastes (U.S.A.)'' by C. R. Cooley and D. E. Clark (HEDL-SA-851), and covers the additional treatment technologies in use and under development for recovering transuranics and immobilizing non-high-level wastes for transportation and storage. Methods used for nondestructive assay (NDA) of TRU elements in non-high-level wastes are also discussed briefly

Removal of radiocesium from low level radioactive effluents by hexacyanoferrate loaded synthetic zeolite. Laboratory to pilot plant scale demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Dayamoy; Rao, Manjula A.; Khot, Shantinath A.; Shah, Jayesh G.; Banerjee, Kalyan [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India). Nuclear Recycle Group; Pawaskar, Chandrahas S.; Gangadharan, Anand; Rao, Shankar N.; Jain, Savita [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2017-06-01

Present paper reports removal of radiocesium from low level waste using a modified sorbent (13X-CFC) prepared by in-situ precipitation of potassium copper hexacyanoferrate(II) inside the macropores of a synthetic zeolite. The Cs exchange isotherm of the sorbent is established and it found to follow Fruendlich absorption isotherm equation. It is varified that presence of hexacyanoferrate on zeolite facilitates rapid Cs uptake performance. This is further confirmed in laboratory scale column tests, wherein excellent Cs removal performance from low level waste simulant was observed even at higher flow rates (40 bed volumes per hour). The utility of the sorbent is established through successful demonstration in a pilot scale (50 L) trial with almost complete removal of {sup 137}Cs from more than 14,000 bed volumes of actual low level waste. The sorbent, owing to its low cost and excellent {sup 137}Cs removal performance, is expected to find application in treatment of very low active waste streams.

The ARES High-level Intermediate Representation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moss, Nicholas David [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-03-03

The LLVM intermediate representation (IR) lacks semantic constructs for depicting common high-performance operations such as parallel and concurrent execution, communication and synchronization. Currently, representing such semantics in LLVM requires either extending the intermediate form (a signi cant undertaking) or the use of ad hoc indirect means such as encoding them as intrinsics and/or the use of metadata constructs. In this paper we discuss a work in progress to explore the design and implementation of a new compilation stage and associated high-level intermediate form that is placed between the abstract syntax tree and when it is lowered to LLVM's IR. This highlevel representation is a superset of LLVM IR and supports the direct representation of these common parallel computing constructs along with the infrastructure for supporting analysis and transformation passes on this representation.

Positive association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and diabetes mellitus among US non-Hispanic black adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Shankar, A; Li, J

2008-08-01

Previous epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a positive association between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level and diabetes mellitus. However among US race-ethnicities, the putative association between CRP and diabetes mellitus in non-Hispanic Blacks is not clear. We specifically examined the association between high-sensitivity CRP level and diabetes mellitus in a representative sample of US non-Hispanic blacks. Cross-sectional study among 1,479 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002 non-Hispanic black participants aged > or = 20 years. Main outcome-of-interest was the presence of diabetes mellitus (fasting plasma glucose > or = 126 mg/dL, non-fasting plasma glucose > or = 200 mg/dL, or self-reported current use of oral hypoglycemic medication or insulin) (n=204). Higher CRP levels were positively associated with diabetes mellitus, independent of smoking, waist circumference, hypertension, and other confounders. Multivariable odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence intervals (CI)] comparing elevated CRP level (>3 mg/L) to low CRP level (diabetes mellitus appeared to be present across the full range of CRP, without any threshold effect. Higher serum high-sensitivity CRP levels are positively associated with diabetes mellitus in a sample of US non-Hispanic blacks. Inflammatory processes previously shown to be related to diabetes mellitus in other race-ethnicities may be involved in non-Hispanic blacks also.

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.

High-level transfer and long-term expression of the human beta-globin gene in a mouse transplant model.

Science.gov (United States)

Raftopoulos, H; Ward, M; Bank, A

1998-06-30

Insertion of a normally functioning human beta-globin gene into the hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) of patients with beta-thalassemia may be an effective approach to the therapy of this disorder. Safe, efficient gene transfer and long-term, high-level expression of the transferred human beta-globin gene in animal models are prerequisites for HSC somatic gene therapy. We have recently shown for the first time that, using a modified beta-globin retroviral vector in a mouse transplant model, long-term, high-level expression of a transferred human beta-globin gene is possible. The human beta-globin gene continues to be detected up to eight months post-transplantation of beta-globin-transduced hematopoietic cells into lethally irradiated mice. The transferred human beta-globin gene is detected in three of five mice surviving long-term (> 4 months) transplanted with bone marrow cells transduced with high-titer virus. The unrearranged 5.1 kb human beta-globin gene-containing provirus is seen by Southern blotting in two of these mice. More importantly, long-term expression of the transferred gene is seen in two mice at levels of 5% and 20% that of endogenous murine beta-globin. We document stem cell transduction by showing continued high-level expression of the human beta-globin gene in secondarily transplanted recipient mice. These results provide evidence of HSC transduction with a human beta-globin gene in animals and demonstrate that retroviral-mediated unrearranged human beta-globin gene transfer leads to a high level of human beta-globin gene expression in the long term for the first time. A gene therapy strategy may be a feasible therapeutic approach to the beta-thalassemias if consistent human beta-globin gene transfer and expression into HSC can be achieved.

CAMAC and high-level-languages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Degenhardt, K.H.

1976-05-01

A proposal for easy programming of CAMAC systems with high-level-languages (FORTRAN, RTL/2, etc.) and interpreters (BASIC, MUMTI, etc.) using a few subroutines and a LAM driver is presented. The subroutines and the LAM driver are implemented for PDP11/RSX-11M and for the CAMAC controllers DEC CA11A (branch controller), BORER type 1533A (single crate controller) and DEC CA11F (single crate controller). Mixed parallel/serial CAMAC systems employing KINETIC SYSTEMS serial driver mod. 3992 and serial crate controllers mod. 3950 are implemented for all mentioned parallel controllers, too. DMA transfers from or to CAMAC modules using non-processor-request controllers (BORER type 1542, DEC CA11FN) are available. (orig.) [de

Relationships between field performance tests in high-level soccer players

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingebrigtsen, Jørgen; Brochmann, Marit; Castagna, Carlo

2014-01-01

after two and four minutes of the Yo-Yo IR tests by testing 57 high-level soccer players. All players played regularly in one of the three highest levels of Norwegian soccer and were tested during three sessions on three consecutive days. Large correlations were observed between Yo-Yo IR1 and IR2 test...... using only one of the Yo-Yo tests and a RSA test, in a general soccer-specific field test protocol. The sub-maximal heart rate measures during Yo-Yo tests are reproducible and may be utilized for frequent, time-efficient and non-exhaustive testing of intermittent exercise capacity of high-level soccer...

High-level waste-form-product performance evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernadzikowski, T.A.; Allender, J.S.; Stone, J.A.; Gordon, D.E.; Gould, T.H. Jr.; Westberry, C.F. III.

1982-01-01

Seven candidate waste forms were evaluated for immobilization and geologic disposal of high-level radioactive wastes. The waste forms were compared on the basis of leach resistance, mechanical stability, and waste loading. All forms performed well at leaching temperatures of 40, 90, and 150 0 C. Ceramic forms ranked highest, followed by glasses, a metal matrix form, and concrete. 11 tables

High-level neutron coincidence counter (HLNCC): users' manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krick, M.S.; Menlove, H.O.

1979-06-01

This manual describes the portable High-Level Neutron Coincidence Counter (HLNCC) developed at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) for the assay of plutonium, particularly by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The counter is designed for the measurement of the effective 240 Pu mass in plutonium samples which may have a high plutonium content. The following topics are discussed: principle of operation, description of the system, operating procedures, and applications

High level waste canister emplacement and retrieval concepts study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-09-01

Several concepts are described for the interim (20 to 30 years) storage of canisters containing high level waste, cladding waste, and intermediate level-TRU wastes. It includes requirements, ground rules and assumptions for the entire storage pilot plant. Concepts are generally evaluated and the most promising are selected for additional work. Follow-on recommendations are made

High-level waste melter alternatives assessment report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calmus, R.B.

1995-02-01

This document describes the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) High-Level Waste (HLW) Program`s (hereafter referred to as HLW Program) Melter Candidate Assessment Activity performed in fiscal year (FY) 1994. The mission of the TWRS Program is to store, treat, and immobilize highly radioactive Hanford Site waste (current and future tank waste and encapsulated strontium and cesium isotopic sources) in an environmentally sound, safe, and cost-effective manner. The goal of the HLW Program is to immobilize the HLW fraction of pretreated tank waste into a vitrified product suitable for interim onsite storage and eventual offsite disposal at a geologic repository. Preparation of the encapsulated strontium and cesium isotopic sources for final disposal is also included in the HLW Program. As a result of trade studies performed in 1992 and 1993, processes planned for pretreatment of tank wastes were modified substantially because of increasing estimates of the quantity of high-level and transuranic tank waste remaining after pretreatment. This resulted in substantial increases in needed vitrification plant capacity compared to the capacity of original Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP). The required capacity has not been finalized, but is expected to be four to eight times that of the HWVP design. The increased capacity requirements for the HLW vitrification plant`s melter prompted the assessment of candidate high-capacity HLW melter technologies to determine the most viable candidates and the required development and testing (D and T) focus required to select the Hanford Site HLW vitrification plant melter system. An assessment process was developed in early 1994. This document describes the assessment team, roles of team members, the phased assessment process and results, resulting recommendations, and the implementation strategy.

High-level waste melter alternatives assessment report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calmus, R.B.

1995-02-01

This document describes the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) High-Level Waste (HLW) Program's (hereafter referred to as HLW Program) Melter Candidate Assessment Activity performed in fiscal year (FY) 1994. The mission of the TWRS Program is to store, treat, and immobilize highly radioactive Hanford Site waste (current and future tank waste and encapsulated strontium and cesium isotopic sources) in an environmentally sound, safe, and cost-effective manner. The goal of the HLW Program is to immobilize the HLW fraction of pretreated tank waste into a vitrified product suitable for interim onsite storage and eventual offsite disposal at a geologic repository. Preparation of the encapsulated strontium and cesium isotopic sources for final disposal is also included in the HLW Program. As a result of trade studies performed in 1992 and 1993, processes planned for pretreatment of tank wastes were modified substantially because of increasing estimates of the quantity of high-level and transuranic tank waste remaining after pretreatment. This resulted in substantial increases in needed vitrification plant capacity compared to the capacity of original Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP). The required capacity has not been finalized, but is expected to be four to eight times that of the HWVP design. The increased capacity requirements for the HLW vitrification plant's melter prompted the assessment of candidate high-capacity HLW melter technologies to determine the most viable candidates and the required development and testing (D and T) focus required to select the Hanford Site HLW vitrification plant melter system. An assessment process was developed in early 1994. This document describes the assessment team, roles of team members, the phased assessment process and results, resulting recommendations, and the implementation strategy

An integrated framework for high level design of high performance signal processing circuits on FPGAs

Science.gov (United States)

Benkrid, K.; Belkacemi, S.; Sukhsawas, S.

2005-06-01

This paper proposes an integrated framework for the high level design of high performance signal processing algorithms' implementations on FPGAs. The framework emerged from a constant need to rapidly implement increasingly complicated algorithms on FPGAs while maintaining the high performance needed in many real time digital signal processing applications. This is particularly important for application developers who often rely on iterative and interactive development methodologies. The central idea behind the proposed framework is to dynamically integrate high performance structural hardware description languages with higher level hardware languages in other to help satisfy the dual requirement of high level design and high performance implementation. The paper illustrates this by integrating two environments: Celoxica's Handel-C language, and HIDE, a structural hardware environment developed at the Queen's University of Belfast. On the one hand, Handel-C has been proven to be very useful in the rapid design and prototyping of FPGA circuits, especially control intensive ones. On the other hand, HIDE, has been used extensively, and successfully, in the generation of highly optimised parameterisable FPGA cores. In this paper, this is illustrated in the construction of a scalable and fully parameterisable core for image algebra's five core neighbourhood operations, where fully floorplanned efficient FPGA configurations, in the form of EDIF netlists, are generated automatically for instances of the core. In the proposed combined framework, highly optimised data paths are invoked dynamically from within Handel-C, and are synthesized using HIDE. Although the idea might seem simple prima facie, it could have serious implications on the design of future generations of hardware description languages.

In-situ nitrite analysis in high level waste tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Rourke, P.E.; Prather, W.S.; Livingston, R.R.

1992-01-01

The Savannah River Site produces special nuclear materials used in the defense of the United States. Most of the processes at SRS are primarily chemical separations and purifications. In-situ chemical analyses help improve the safety, efficiency and quality of these operations. One area where in situ fiberoptic spectroscopy can have a great impact is the management of high level radioactive waste. High level radioactive waste at SRS is stored in more than 50 large waste tanks. The waste exists as a slurry of nitrate salts and metal hydroxides at pH's higher than 10. Sodium Nitrite is added to the tanks as a corrosion inhibitor. In-situ fiberoptic probes are being developed to measure the nitrate, nitrite and hydroxide concentrations in both liquid and solid fractions. Nitrite levels can be measured between 0.01M and 1M in a 1mm pathlength optical cell

Seismic scoping evaluation of high level liquid waste tank vaults at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)