Three dimensional investigation of oceanic active faults. A demonstration survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakao, Seizo; Kishimoto, Kiyoyuki; Kuramoto, Shinichi; Sato, Mikio

1998-01-01

In order to upgrade probability of activity and action potential evaluation of oceanic active faults which have some important effects on nuclear facilities, trench type oceanic active fault was investigated three dimensionally. Contents of the investigation were high precision sea bottom topographic survey and sea bottom back scattering wave image data observation by using a sea bottom topography acoustic imaginator. And, by high resolution earthquake wave survey, high precision survey of an active fault under sea bottom was conducted to detect oceanic active faults three-dimensionally. Furthermore, the generally issued data were summarized to promote to construct a data base for evaluating the active faults. (G.K.)

H2Oh!: Classroom demonstrations and activities for improving student learning of water concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Chan-Hilton, A.; Neupauer, R. M.; Burian, S. J.; Lauer, J. W.; Mathisen, P. P.; Mays, D. C.; Olson, M. S.; Pomeroy, C. A.; Ruddell, B. L.; Sciortino, A.

2012-12-01

Research has shown that the use of demonstrations and hands-on activities in the classroom enhances student learning. Students learn more and enjoy classes more when visual and active learning are incorporated into the lecture. Most college-aged students prefer visual modes of learning, while most instruction is conducted in a lecture, or auditory, format. The use of classroom demonstrations provides opportunities for incorporating visual and active learning into the classroom environment. However, while most instructors acknowledge the benefits of these teaching methods, they typically do not have the time and resources to develop and test such activities and to develop plans to incorporate them into their lectures. Members of the Excellence in Water Resources Education Task Committee of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) have produced a publication that contains a collection of activities aimed to foster excellence in water resources and hydrology education and improve student learning of principles. The book contains forty-five demonstrations and activities that can be used in water-related classes with topics in fluid mechanics, hydraulics, surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, and water quality. We present examples of these activities, including topics such as conservation of momentum, buoyancy, Bernoulli's principle, drag force, pipe flow, watershed delineation, reservoir networks, head distribution in aquifers, and molecular diffusion in a porous medium. Unlike full laboratory exercises, these brief demonstrations and activities (most of which take less than fifteen minutes) can be easily incorporated into classroom lectures. For each demonstration, guidance for preparing and conducting the activity, along with a brief overview of the principles that are demonstrated, is provided. The target audience of the activities is undergraduate students, although the activities also may be

[Ecological demonstration activity and eco-civilization construction mode: review and prospects].

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Hui-ping; He, Xuan; He, Jia; Niu, Dong-jie; Bao, Cun-kuan

2013-04-01

Ecological civilization is to normalize human development behaviors to harmonize the relationships between social and ecological development and eco-environment protection. In this paper, a comparative analysis was made on the ecological demonstration activities of ecological demonstration areas led by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, exemplar cities of national environmental protection, and ecological provinces, cities, and counties. It was considered that all the ecological demonstration activities had the problems of lacking pertinence of construction goals, disordered construction subjects, inefficient construction processes, and lacking continuous incentive mechanisms of assessment. In the meantime, through the analysis of the connotations of eco-civilization, the relationships between eco-civilization and eco-demonstration constructions were approached, and the eco-civilization construction mode was put forward in terms of construction goal, construction subject, and construction processes and assessment. The construction mode included the construction goal based on regional characteristics; the synergistic cooperation of construction subjects, the expanding ways of public participation, and the establishment of evaluation system for comprehensively measuring the 'actions and results'.

Hybrid Active-Passive Microwave Photonic Filter with High Quality Factor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

En-Ming, Xu; Xin-Liang, Zhang; Li-Na, Zhou; Yu, Zhang; De-Xiu, Huang

2009-01-01

A hybrid high quality factor (Q-factor) microwave photonic filter with a cascaded active filter and a passive filter is presented and experimentally demonstrated. The active infinite impulse response filter is realized by a recirculating delay line loop with a semiconductor optical amplifier, and a much narrower 3 dB bandwidth of response peaks can be achieved. A passive finite impulse response filter is realized by an unbalance Mach–Zehnder interferometer, and it is cascaded to select the desired filter frequencies and to suppress the intermediate peaks. Compared with the purely active filter scheme, the free spectrum range and the Q-factor of the hybrid structure can be doubled. Stable operation and a high Q-factor of 362 are experimentally demonstrated

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.

Active Learning in PhysicsTechnology and Research-based Techniques Emphasizing Interactive Lecture Demonstrations

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Ronald

2010-10-01

Physics education research has shown that learning environments that engage students and allow them to take an active part in their learning can lead to large conceptual gains compared to traditional instruction. Examples of successful curricula and methods include Peer Instruction, Just in Time Teaching, RealTime Physics, Workshop Physics, Scale-Up, and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs). An active learning environment is often difficult to achieve in lecture sessions. This presentation will demonstrate the use of sequences of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) that use real experiments often involving real-time data collection and display combined with student interaction to create an active learning environment in large or small lecture classes. Interactive lecture demonstrations will be done in the area of mechanics using real-time motion probes and the Visualizer. A video tape of students involved in interactive lecture demonstrations will be shown. The results of a number of research studies at various institutions (including international) to measure the effectiveness of ILDs and guided inquiry conceptual laboratories will be presented.

In-Space Demonstration of High Performance Green Propulsion and its Impact on Small Satellites

OpenAIRE

Anflo, Kjell; Crowe, Ben

2011-01-01

This paper summarizes the pre-launch activities and the results from the in-space demonstration of a novel propulsion system on the PRISMA main satellite, using a “Green” monopropellant. This propellant is a storable ADN-based monopropellant blend (i.e. LMP-103S). The basic mission for the High Performance Green Propulsion System (HPGP) has been successfully completed and all primary objectives of TRL 7 have been met. The HPGP technology is now flight proven and ready for implementation on fu...

Challenging demonstrations in the physics classroom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raz, E.

2004-01-01

Full Text: We consider the role of classroom demonstrations in improving students understanding of physics lectures and suggest criteria to decide whether a given demonstration will be pedagogically useful. In the light of these considerations, we performed two series of related experiments before groups of high-school students. We shall perform one of them with active participation from the audience. We shall also show some challenging demonstrations performed in the final stages of the Israeli Physics Olympiad for high-school students

Platelets retain high levels of active plasminogen activator inhibitor 1.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helén Brogren

Full Text Available The vascular fibrinolytic system is crucial for spontaneous lysis of blood clots. Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1, the principal inhibitor of the key fibrinolytic enzyme tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA, is present in platelets at high concentrations. However, the majority of PAI-1 stored in platelets has been considered to be inactive. Our recent finding (Brogren H, et al. Blood 2004 that PAI-1 de novo synthesized in platelets remained active for over 24 h, suggested that PAI-1 stored in the α-granules might be active to a larger extent than previously reported. To re-evaluate this issue, we performed experiments where the fraction of active PAI-1 was estimated by analyzing the tPA-PAI-1 complex formation. In these experiments platelets were lysed with Triton X-100 in the presence of serial dilutions of tPA and subsequently the tPA-PAI-1 complex was evaluated by Western blot. Also, using a non-immunologic assay, tPA was labeled with (125I, and (125I-tPA and (125I-tPA-PAI-1 was quantified by scintigraphy. Interestingly, both methods demonstrated that the majority (>50% of platelet PAI-1 is active. Further analyses suggested that pre-analytical procedures used in previous studies (sonication or freezing/thawing may have substantially reduced the activity of platelet PAI-1, which has lead to an underestimation of the proportion of active PAI-1. Our in vitro results are more compatible with the role of PAI-1 in clot stabilization as demonstrated in physiological and pathophysiological studies.

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

Direct demonstration of the lectin activity of gp90MEL, a lymphocyte homing receptor

Science.gov (United States)

1990-01-01

Considerable evidence implicates gp90MEL as a lymphocyte homing receptor mediating lymphocyte attachment to high endothelial venules of lymph nodes in mouse. The protein appears to function as a calcium- dependent, lectin-like receptor as inferred primarily by the ability of specific carbohydrates to block its function and by the presence of a calcium-type lectin domain in its primary sequence. An ELISA assay is described which provides the first demonstration that the isolated protein has lectin activity and allows a further definition of its carbohydrate specificity. In addition to the monosaccharides mannose-6- phosphate and fructose-1-phosphate, ligand activity is shown for the sulfated glycolipid, sulfatide, and for two sulfated fucose-containing polysaccharides (fucoidin and egg jelly coat) from nonmammalian sources. PMID:2202735

Activation of substantia gelatinosa by midbrain reticular stimulation demonstrated with 2-deoxyglucose in the rat spinal cord

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzales-Lima, F.

1986-01-01

The autoradiographic ( 14 C)2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) method was used to map the descending effects of midbrain reticular stimulation on the rat cervical spinal cord. The stimulation evoked consistently a defensive 'freezing' reaction as well as a large and highly localized increase in 2-DG uptake in the substantia gelatinosa (SG)(Rexed laminae 2-3). No stimulus-induced changes in 2-DG uptake were produced in the other regions of the spinal cord. The findings represent the first anatomical demonstration of the activating effects of the spinal cord. The findings represent the first anatomical demonstration of the activating effects of midbrain reticular stimulation on the spinal cord. They also support the concept of an integrative role for the SG in descending reticular mechanisms at the spinal cord level. (author)

Activation of substantia gelatinosa by midbrain reticular stimulation demonstrated with 2-deoxyglucose in the rat spinal cord

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzales-Lima, F

1986-04-24

The autoradiographic (/sup 14/C)2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) method was used to map the descending effects of midbrain reticular stimulation on the rat cervical spinal cord. The stimulation evoked consistently a defensive 'freezing' reaction as well as a large and highly localized increase in 2-DG uptake in the substantia gelatinosa (SG)(Rexed laminae 2-3). No stimulus-induced changes in 2-DG uptake were produced in the other regions of the spinal cord. The findings represent the first anatomical demonstration of the activating effects of the spinal cord. The findings represent the first anatomical demonstration of the activating effects of midbrain reticular stimulation on the spinal cord. They also support the concept of an integrative role for the SG in descending reticular mechanisms at the spinal cord level. 12 refs.

Perspective on demonstrations of compliance for high-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.; Smith, E.D.; O'Kelly, G.D.; Sjoreen, A.L.

1984-01-01

This paper discusses a perspective which we have developed on the problem of demonstrating compliance of high-level waste repositories with system performance standards. Our viewpoint arises from two primary concerns - first, that the US Environmental Protection Agency's proposed environmental standard for high-level waste disposal appears to require demonstrations of compliance which are incompatible with scientific knowledge, and, second, that the federal agencies involved in the licensing process may not appreciate fully the extent of unquantifiable and uresolvable uncertainty in repository performance-assessment models. We propose a general approach to demonstrations of compliance which we feel is compatible with the kinds of technical information that will be available for judging repository performance. Our approach emphasizes the importance of investigation alternative conceptual models and lines of reasoning in evaluating repository performance and the importance of subjective scientific judgment in the desision-making process. 24 references, 1 figure

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

1. Extraction and Demonstration of Uterotonic Activity from the Root ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

to demonstrate uterotonic activities using strips of pregnant rat uterus. ... on increase, parallel to this is the demand of services of Traditional ... for the protection of plant varieties either by patents or by an ... B. Processing and extraction of the roots. Preliminary .... these physiological interactions is in process. In conclusion ...

Oxidative stress plays a role in high glucose-induced activation of pancreatic stellate cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, Gyeong Ryul; Lee, Esder; Chun, Hyun-Ji; Yoon, Kun-Ho; Ko, Seung-Hyun; Ahn, Yu-Bae; Song, Ki-Ho, E-mail: kihos@catholic.ac.kr

2013-09-20

Highlights: •High glucose increased production of reactive oxygen species in cultured pancreatic stellate cells. •High glucose facilitated the activation of these cells. •Antioxidant treatment attenuated high glucose-induced activation of these cells. -- Abstract: The activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) is thought to be a potential mechanism underlying islet fibrosis, which may contribute to progressive β-cell failure in type 2 diabetes. Recently, we demonstrated that antioxidants reduced islet fibrosis in an animal model of type 2 diabetes. However, there is no in vitro study demonstrating that high glucose itself can induce oxidative stress in PSCs. Thus, PSCs were isolated and cultured from Sprague Dawley rats, and treated with high glucose for 72 h. High glucose increased the production of reactive oxygen species. When treated with high glucose, freshly isolated PSCs exhibited myofibroblastic transformation. During early culture (passage 1), PSCs treated with high glucose contained an increased number of α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells. During late culture (passages 2–5), PSCs treated with high glucose exhibited increases in cell proliferation, the expression of fibronectin and connective tissue growth factor, release of interleukin-6, transforming growth factor-β and collagen, and cell migration. Finally, the treatment of PSCs with high glucose and antioxidants attenuated these changes. In conclusion, we demonstrated that high glucose increased oxidative stress in primary rat PSCs, thereby facilitating the activation of these cells, while antioxidant treatment attenuated high glucose-induced PSC activation.

Oxidative stress plays a role in high glucose-induced activation of pancreatic stellate cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Gyeong Ryul; Lee, Esder; Chun, Hyun-Ji; Yoon, Kun-Ho; Ko, Seung-Hyun; Ahn, Yu-Bae; Song, Ki-Ho

2013-01-01

Highlights: •High glucose increased production of reactive oxygen species in cultured pancreatic stellate cells. •High glucose facilitated the activation of these cells. •Antioxidant treatment attenuated high glucose-induced activation of these cells. -- Abstract: The activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) is thought to be a potential mechanism underlying islet fibrosis, which may contribute to progressive β-cell failure in type 2 diabetes. Recently, we demonstrated that antioxidants reduced islet fibrosis in an animal model of type 2 diabetes. However, there is no in vitro study demonstrating that high glucose itself can induce oxidative stress in PSCs. Thus, PSCs were isolated and cultured from Sprague Dawley rats, and treated with high glucose for 72 h. High glucose increased the production of reactive oxygen species. When treated with high glucose, freshly isolated PSCs exhibited myofibroblastic transformation. During early culture (passage 1), PSCs treated with high glucose contained an increased number of α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells. During late culture (passages 2–5), PSCs treated with high glucose exhibited increases in cell proliferation, the expression of fibronectin and connective tissue growth factor, release of interleukin-6, transforming growth factor-β and collagen, and cell migration. Finally, the treatment of PSCs with high glucose and antioxidants attenuated these changes. In conclusion, we demonstrated that high glucose increased oxidative stress in primary rat PSCs, thereby facilitating the activation of these cells, while antioxidant treatment attenuated high glucose-induced PSC activation

Cookery demonstrations in GOAL supported clinics

African Journals Online (AJOL)

stunting are high, and various micronutrient deficiencies, including those of ... the household are the underlying causes seen in GOAL- assisted areas. ... feeding. Thus, the nutrition cookery demonstration activity has come to play an important role in mother and child health activities in GOAL-supported clinics and GOAL's.

Differences in Monoamine Oxidase Activity in the Brain of Wistar and August Rats with High and Low Locomotor Activity: A Cytochemical Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sergutina, A V; Rakhmanova, V I

2016-06-01

Monoamine oxidase activity was quantitatively assessed by cytochemical method in brain structures (layers III and V of the sensorimotor cortex, caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens, hippocampal CA3 field) of rats of August line and Wistar population with high and low locomotor activity in the open fi eld test. Monoamine oxidase activity (substrate tryptamine) predominated in the nucleus accumbens of Wistar rats with high motor activity in comparison with rats with low locomotor activity. In August rats, enzyme activity (substrates tryptamine and serotonin) predominated in the hippocampus of animals with high motor activity. Comparison of August rats with low locomotor activity and Wistar rats with high motor activity (i.e. animals demonstrating maximum differences in motor function) revealed significantly higher activity of the enzyme (substrates tryptamine and serotonin) in the hippocampus of Wistar rats. The study demonstrates clear-cut morphochemical specificity of monoaminergic metabolism based on the differences in the cytochemical parameter "monoamine oxidase activity", in the studied brain structures, responsible for the formation and realization of goal-directed behavior in Wistar and August rats.

Demonstration of the TRUEX process for the treatment of actual high activity tank waste at the INEEL using centrifugal contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Law, J.D.; Brewer, K.N.; Todd, T.A.; Olson, L.G.

1997-01-01

The Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP), located at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), formerly reprocessed spent nuclear fuel to recover fissionable uranium. The radioactive raffinates from the solvent extraction uranium recovery processes were converted to granular solids (calcine) in a high temperature fluidized bed. A secondary liquid waste stream was generated during the course of reprocessing, primarily from equipment decontamination between campaigns and solvent wash activities. This acidic tank waste cannot be directly calcined due to the high sodium content and has historically been blended with reprocessing raffinates or non-radioactive aluminum nitrate prior to calcination. Fuel reprocessing activities are no longer being performed at the ICPP, thereby eliminating the option of waste blending to deplete the waste inventory. Currently, approximately 5.7 million liters of high-activity waste are temporarily stored at the ICPP in large underground stainless-steel tanks. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare filed a Notice of Noncompliance in 1992 contending some of the underground waste storage tanks do not meet secondary containment. As part of a 1995 agreement between the State of Idaho, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Navy, the waste must be removed from the tanks by 2012. Treatment of the tank waste inventories by partitioning the radionuclides and immobilizing the resulting high-activity and low-activity waste streams is currently under evaluation. A recent peer review identified the most promising radionuclide separation technologies for evaluation. The Transuranic Extraction-(TRUEX) process was identified as a primary candidate for separation of the actinides from ICPP tank waste

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.

Integrated gasification combined-cycle research development and demonstration activities in the US

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ness, H.M.; Brdar, R.D.

1996-09-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE)`s Office of Fossil Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, is managing a research development and demonstration (RD&D) program that supports the commercialization of integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) advanced power systems. This overview briefly describes the supporting RD&D activities and the IGCC projects selected for demonstration in the Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Program.

Sertraline demonstrates fungicidal activity in vitro for Coccidioides immitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Paul

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Coccidioidomycosis causes substantial morbidity in endemic areas. Disseminated coccidioidomycosis is an AIDS defining condition and treatment often requires lifelong antifungal therapy. Sertraline, a widely used serotonin-reuptake inhibitor anti-depressant, has demonstrated activity against Candida and Cryptococcus sp. both in vitro and in vivo. To evaluate if sertraline has activity against Coccidioides, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC of sertraline for four clinical isolates of C. immitis were determined. Sertraline was observed to have an MIC range of 4–8 µg/ml and MFC also of 4–8 µg/ml for Coccidioides. These MIC and MFC results for C. immitis are similar to those reported for Cryptococcus sp. suggesting sertraline may potentially have utility for the treatment of coccidioidomycosis.

N-tritioacetoxyphthalimide: A new high specific activity tritioacetylating reagent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saljoughian, M.; Morimoto, Hiromi; Than, Chit

1996-01-01

The authors' aim was to develop a nonvolatile, stable, and facile tritioacetylating reagent and to demonstrate its use on simple peptides. Accordingly, the authors made the synthesis of high specific activity N-(tritioacetoxy) derivatives of succinimide, phthalimide, and naphthalimide a major focus. As the preferred approach, N-(tritioacetoxy)phthalimide was prepared by radical dehalogenation of N-(iodoacetoxy)phthalimide using high specific activity tributyltin tritide. This tritiated acetylation reagent was characterized by 3 H and 1 H NMR spectroscopy and by radio-HPLC. Efficacy of the reagent was investigated by tritioacetylation of several peptides at their N-terminal amino group. 26 refs., 1 fig

Scale-up of high specific activity {sup 186g}Re production using graphite-encased thick {sup 186}W targets and demonstration of an efficient target recycling process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balkin, Ethan R.; Gagnon, Katherine; Dorman, Eric [Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (United States). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; and others

2017-07-01

Production of high specific activity {sup 186g}Re is of interest for development of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals. Previous studies have shown that high specific activity {sup 186g}Re can be obtained by cyclotron irradiation of enriched {sup 186}W via the {sup 186}W(d,2n){sup 186g}Re reaction, but most irradiations were conducted at low beam currents and for short durations. In this investigation, enriched {sup 186}W metal targets were irradiated at high incident deuteron beam currents to demonstrate production rates and contaminants produced when using thick targets. Full-stopping thick targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxial pressing of powdered natural abundance W metal or 96.86% enriched {sup 186}W metal encased between two layers of graphite flakes for target material stabilization. An assessment of structural integrity was made on each target preparation. To assess the performance of graphite-encased thick {sup 186}W metal targets, along with the impact of encasing on the separation chemistry, targets were first irradiated using a 22 MeV deuteron beam for 10 min at 10, 20, and 27 μA, with an estimated nominal deuteron energy of 18.7 MeV on the {sup 186}W target material (after energy degradation correction from top graphite layer). Gamma-ray spectrometry was performed post EOB on all targets to assess production yields and radionuclidic byproducts. The investigation also evaluated a method to recover and recycle enriched target material from a column isolation procedure. Material composition analyses of target materials, pass-through/wash solutions and recycling process isolates were conducted with SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS and ICP-MS spectrometry. To demonstrate scaled-up production, a graphite-encased {sup 186}W target made from recycled {sup 186}W was irradiated for ∝2 h with 18.7 MeV deuterons at a beam current of 27 μA to provide 0.90 GBq (24.3 mCi) of {sup 186g}Re, decay-corrected to the end of bombardment. ICP-MS analysis of the

Three dimensional investigation on the oceanic active fault. A demonstration survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakao, Seizo; Kishimoto, Kiyoyuki; Okamoto, Yukinobu; Ikehara, Ken; Kuramoto, Shinichi; Sato, Mikio; Arai, Kosaku [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)

2000-02-01

In order to upgrade activity and likelihood ratio on active potential evaluation of the water active fault with possibility of severe effect on nuclear facilities, by generally applying the conventional procedures to some areas and carrying out a demonstration survey, a qualitative upgrading on survey to be conducted by the executives was planned. In 1998 fiscal year, among the water active faults classified to the trench and the inland types, three dimensional survey on the inland type water active fault. The survey was carried out at the most southern part of aftershock area in the 1983 Nihonkai-Chubu earthquake, which is understood to be a place changing shallow geological structure (propagation of fault) from an old report using the sonic survey. As a result, a geological structure thought to be an active fault at a foot of two ridge topographies was found. Each fault was thought to be a reverse fault tilt to its opposite direction and an active fault cutting to its sea bottom. (G.K.)

Three dimensional investigation on the oceanic active fault. A demonstration survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakao, Seizo; Kishimoto, Kiyoyuki; Okamoto, Yukinobu; Ikehara, Ken; Kuramoto, Shinichi; Sato, Mikio; Arai, Kosaku

2000-01-01

In order to upgrade activity and likelihood ratio on active potential evaluation of the water active fault with possibility of severe effect on nuclear facilities, by generally applying the conventional procedures to some areas and carrying out a demonstration survey, a qualitative upgrading on survey to be conducted by the executives was planned. In 1998 fiscal year, among the water active faults classified to the trench and the inland types, three dimensional survey on the inland type water active fault. The survey was carried out at the most southern part of aftershock area in the 1983 Nihonkai-Chubu earthquake, which is understood to be a place changing shallow geological structure (propagation of fault) from an old report using the sonic survey. As a result, a geological structure thought to be an active fault at a foot of two ridge topographies was found. Each fault was thought to be a reverse fault tilt to its opposite direction and an active fault cutting to its sea bottom. (G.K.)

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

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, James P.; Jacobs, Jack H.

1996-05-01

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

High-Activity Dealloyed Catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kongkanand, Anusorn [General Motors LLC, Pontiac, MI (United States)

2014-09-30

Reduction of costly Pt usage in proton exchange membrane fuel cell electrodes is one of the major challenges towards development and commercialization of fuel cell vehicles. Although few have met the initial-kinetic activity requirements in a realistic fuel cell device, no catalyst material has ever met the demanding fuel cell durability targets set by DOE. In this project, a team of 4 universities and 2 companies came together to investigate a concept that appeared promising in preliminary non-fuel cell tests then to further develop the catalyst to a mature level ready for vehicle implementation. The team consists of academia with technical leadership in their respective areas, a catalyst supplier, and a fuel cell system integrator.The tightly collaborative project enabled development of a highly active and durable catalyst with performance that significantly exceeds that of previous catalysts and meets the DOE targets for the first time (Figure 1A). The catalyst was then further evaluated in full-active-area stack in a realistic vehicle operating condition (Figure 1B). This is the first public demonstration that one can realize the performance benefit and Pt cost reduction over a conventional pure Pt catalyst in a long-term realistic PEMFC system. Furthermore, systematic analyses of a range of catalysts with different performance after fuel cell testing allowed for correlation between catalyst microstructure and its electrocatalytic activity and durability. This will in turn aid future catalyst development.

Data analysis on work activities in dismantling of Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR). Contract research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraishi, Kunio; Sukegawa, Takenori; Yanagihara, Satoshi

1998-03-01

The safe dismantling of a retired nuclear power plant was demonstrated by completion of dismantling activities for the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR), March, 1996, which had been conducted since 1986. This project was a flag ship project for dismantling of nuclear power plants in Japan, aiming at demonstrating an applicability of developed dismantling techniques in actual dismantling work, developing database on work activities as well as dismantling of components and structures. Various data on dismantling activities were therefore systematically collected and these were accumulated on computer files to build the decommissioning database; dismantling activities were characterized by analyzing the data. The data analysis resulted in producing general forms such as unit activity factors, for example, manpower need per unit weight of component to be dismantled, and simple arithmetic forms for forecasting of project management data to be applied to planning another dismantling project through the evaluation for general use of the analyzed data. The results of data analysis could be usefully applied to planning of future decommissioning of commercial nuclear power plants in Japan. This report describes the data collection and analysis on the JPDR dismantling activities. (author)

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....

Demonstration of Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction with Savannah River Site High Level Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, D.D.

2001-01-01

Researchers successfully demonstrated the chemistry and process equipment of the Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) flowsheet for the decontamination of high level waste using a 33-stage, 2-cm centrifugal contactor apparatus at the Savannah River Technology Center. This represents the first CSSX process demonstration using Savannah River Site (SRS) high level waste. Three tests lasting 6, 12, and 48 hours processed simulated average SRS waste, simulated Tank 37H/44F composite waste, and Tank 37H/44F high level waste, respectively

High inorganic phosphate causes DNMT1 phosphorylation and subsequent fibrotic fibroblast activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, Xiaoying [Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Göttingen University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen (Germany); Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Göttingen University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen (Germany); Xu, Xingbo [Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Göttingen University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen (Germany); Zeisberg, Elisabeth M. [Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Göttingen University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen (Germany); German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Göttingen (Germany); Zeisberg, Michael, E-mail: mzeisberg@med.uni-goettingen.de [Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Göttingen University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen (Germany); German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Göttingen (Germany)

2016-04-08

Phosphate is an essential constituent of critical cellular functions including energy metabolism, nucleic acid synthesis and phosphorylation-dependent cell signaling. Increased plasma phosphate levels are an independent risk factor for lowered life-expectancy as well as for heart and kidney failure. Nevertheless, direct cellular effects of elevated phosphate concentrations within the microenvironment are poorly understood and have been largely neglected in favor of phosphor-regulatory hormones. Because interstitial fibrosis is the common determinant of chronic progressive kidney disease, and because fibroblasts are major mediators of fibrogenesis, we here explored the effect of high extracellular phosphate levels on renal fibroblasts. We demonstrate that high inorganic phosphate directly induces fibrotic fibroblast activation associated with increased proliferative activity, increased expression of α-smooth muscle actin and increased synthesis of type I collagen. We further demonstrate that such fibroblast activation is dependent on phosphate influx, aberrant phosphorylation of DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 and aberrant CpG island promoter methylation. In summary, our studies demonstrate that elevated phosphate concentrations induce pro-fibrotic fibroblast activation independent of phospho-regulatory hormones. - Highlights: • We exposed human kidney fibroblasts to media containing 1 mM or 3 mM phosphate. • Increased phosphate influx causes phosphorylation of DNA methyltransferase Dnmt1. • Phosphorylated Dnmt1 causes promoter methylation and transcriptional silencing of RASAL1. • Depletion of RASAL1 causes increased intrinsic Ras-GTP activity and fibroblast activation. • Inorganic phosphate causes fibroblast activation independent of phospho-regulatory hormones.

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

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.

Demonstrating the use of high-volume electronic medical claims data to monitor local and regional influenza activity in the US.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cécile Viboud

Full Text Available Fine-grained influenza surveillance data are lacking in the US, hampering our ability to monitor disease spread at a local scale. Here we evaluate the performances of high-volume electronic medical claims data to assess local and regional influenza activity.We used electronic medical claims data compiled by IMS Health in 480 US locations to create weekly regional influenza-like-illness (ILI time series during 2003-2010. IMS Health captured 62% of US outpatient visits in 2009. We studied the performances of IMS-ILI indicators against reference influenza surveillance datasets, including CDC-ILI outpatient and laboratory-confirmed influenza data. We estimated correlation in weekly incidences, peak timing and seasonal intensity across datasets, stratified by 10 regions and four age groups (<5, 5-29, 30-59, and 60+ years. To test IMS-Health performances at the city level, we compared IMS-ILI indicators to syndromic surveillance data for New York City. We also used control data on laboratory-confirmed Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV activity to test the specificity of IMS-ILI for influenza surveillance.Regional IMS-ILI indicators were highly synchronous with CDC's reference influenza surveillance data (Pearson correlation coefficients rho≥0.89; range across regions, 0.80-0.97, P<0.001. Seasonal intensity estimates were weakly correlated across datasets in all age data (rho≤0.52, moderately correlated among adults (rho≥0.64 and uncorrelated among school-age children. IMS-ILI indicators were more correlated with reference influenza data than control RSV indicators (rho = 0.93 with influenza v. rho = 0.33 with RSV, P<0.05. City-level IMS-ILI indicators were highly consistent with reference syndromic data (rho≥0.86.Medical claims-based ILI indicators accurately capture weekly fluctuations in influenza activity in all US regions during inter-pandemic and pandemic seasons, and can be broken down by age groups and fine geographical areas

Sustainable bio kerosene: Process routes and industrial demonstration activities in aviation biofuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiaramonti, David; Prussi, Matteo; Buffi, Marco; Tacconi, Daniela

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Routes to aviation biofuels are examined, focusing on drop-in biofuels, capable of high blend levels with fossil kerosene. • Industrial demonstration activities are reported. • Used cooking oil is considered as alternative sustainable biomass feedstock for paraffinic fuel production. - Abstract: Alternative fuels are expected to play a major role in EU in the coming years due European Directives on the promotion of renewable energies and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in transports. However, while in road transports a variety of possible renewable fuels (mainly biofuels, but also electricity) can be considered, in aviation only high quality paraffinic biofuels can be adopted. This means that biomass must be converted through advanced processes into pure hydrocarbon fuels, fully compatible with the existing systems. The aviation sector is responsible for the 2% of the world anthropogenic CO 2 emissions and the 10% of the fuel consumption: airlines’ costs for fuel reach 30% of operating costs. In addition, the aviation traffic is expected to double within 15 years from 2012, while fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions should double in 25 years. Thus, more than 2 billion people and 40 Mt of good/cargo will have to be moved every year. In this context, the EU Flightpath set a target of 2 Mt per year for aviation alternative fuel by 2020 (i.e. 4% of annual fuel consumption). New processes towards bio-hydrocarbons are being developed, demonstrated and soon industrialized. The present work explores the possible routes from biomass feedstock to sustainable paraffinic fuels, either through bio or thermo-chemical processes, as well as discusses those more mature, focusing on industrial demonstration initiatives. In fact, while the number of possible options towards paraffinic biofuel production is very large, and covers both thermochemical and biochemical routes, as well as hybrid one, only two pathways are today ready for testing a significant

Increased premotor cortex activation in high functioning autism during action observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Tom J; Bittar, Richard G; McGillivray, Jane A; Cox, Ivanna I; Stokes, Mark A

2015-04-01

The mirror neuron (MN) hypothesis of autism has received considerable attention, but to date has produced inconsistent findings. Using functional MRI, participants with high functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome were compared to typically developing individuals (n=12 in each group). Participants passively observed hand gestures that included waving, pointing, and grasping. Concerning the MN network, both groups activated similar regions including prefrontal, inferior parietal and superior temporal regions, with the autism group demonstrating significantly greater activation in the dorsal premotor cortex. Concerning other regions, participants with autism demonstrated increased activity in the anterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus, and reduced activation in calcarine, cuneus, and middle temporal gyrus. These results suggest that during observation of hand gestures, frontal cortex activation is affected in autism, which we suggest may be linked to abnormal functioning of the MN system. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inactive experiments for advanced separation processes prior to high activity trials in ATALANTE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duhamet, Jean; Lanoe, Jean-Yves; Rivalier, Patrick; Borda, Gilles

2008-01-01

Many trials have been performed in ATALANTE's shielded cells to demonstrate the technical feasibility of processes involving minor actinide separation. They required developments of new extractors as well as a step by step procedure have been used to lower the risks of malfunction during high active operation. The design of the extractors developed by Cea has included shielded cells restrictions, miniaturization to lower the quantity of high active material and wastes and the care for being representative of industrial equipment. After individual shake down inactive tests, with actual phases, each process experiment scheduled in ATALANTE has been tested at G1 Facility in Marcoule. The objective was to reproduce as much as possible all the equipment chosen for active tests. This procedure has demonstrated its efficiency to detect many problems that would have heavy impact if they have been discovered during active trials. It was also used for operators'training. (authors)

Control of high frequency microactuators using active structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreth, P A; Alvi, F S; Reese, B M; Oates, W S

2015-01-01

A fluidically driven microactuator that generates supersonic, pulsed microjets has been implemented with smart materials to actively and precisely control the frequency of the microjets in a closed-loop manner. Since this actuator relies on a number of microscale flow and acoustic phenomena to produce the pulsed microjets, its resonant frequency is determined by its geometry and other flow parameters. The design discussed in this paper integrates piezoelectric stacks by connecting them to movable sidewalls within the actuator such that the microactuator's internal geometry can be controlled by varying the voltage across the piezo-stacks. An open-loop control scheme demonstrates the frequency modulation capabilities that are enabled with this design: very large frequency deviations (up to ±500 Hz) around the actuator design frequency are attained at very high rates (up to 1 kHz). Closed-loop control of the microactuator's frequency was also demonstrated, and the results indicate that (combined with appropriate sensors) this actuator could be used effectively for active, feedback control in high-speed, resonance-dominated flowfields. This proof of concept study clearly illustrates the ability of this robust and compact actuator to produce perturbations that can be modulated and controlled based on the desired control objective. (paper)

High-Speed and Low-Energy Flip-Flop Operation of Asymmetric Active-Multimode Interferometer Bi-Stable Laser Diodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Haisong; Chaen, Yutaka; Hagio, Takuma

2011-01-01

High-speed (121/25 ps rise/fall time) and low-switching energy (7.1 and 3.4 fJ) alloptical flip-flop operation of single-wavelength high-mesa asymmetric active-MMI bi-stable laser diodes is demonstrated for the first time using 25 ps long switching pulses.......High-speed (121/25 ps rise/fall time) and low-switching energy (7.1 and 3.4 fJ) alloptical flip-flop operation of single-wavelength high-mesa asymmetric active-MMI bi-stable laser diodes is demonstrated for the first time using 25 ps long switching pulses....

Histochemical demonstration of creatine kinase activity using polyvinyl alcohol and auxiliary enzymes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frederiks, W. M.; Marx, F.; van Noorden, C. J.

1987-01-01

Creatine kinase activity (EC 2.7.3.2.) has been demonstrated in myocardium and skeletal muscle from rats by a method based on the incubation of cryostat sections with a polyvinyl alcohol-containing medium and the use of auxiliary enzymes. Hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were spread

Highly Crumpled All-Carbon Transistors for Brain Activity Recording.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Long; Zhao, Yan; Xu, Wenjing; Shi, Enzheng; Wei, Wenjing; Li, Xinming; Cao, Anyuan; Cao, Yanping; Fang, Ying

2017-01-11

Neural probes based on graphene field-effect transistors have been demonstrated. Yet, the minimum detectable signal of graphene transistor-based probes is inversely proportional to the square root of the active graphene area. This fundamentally limits the scaling of graphene transistor-based neural probes for improved spatial resolution in brain activity recording. Here, we address this challenge using highly crumpled all-carbon transistors formed by compressing down to 16% of its initial area. All-carbon transistors, chemically synthesized by seamless integration of graphene channels and hybrid graphene/carbon nanotube electrodes, maintained structural integrity and stable electronic properties under large mechanical deformation, whereas stress-induced cracking and junction failure occurred in conventional graphene/metal transistors. Flexible, highly crumpled all-carbon transistors were further verified for in vivo recording of brain activity in rats. These results highlight the importance of advanced material and device design concepts to make improvements in neuroelectronics.

Demonstration of innovative partitioning processes for minor actinide recycling from high active waste solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modolo, G.; Wilden, A.; Geist, A.; Malmbeck, R.; Taylor, R.

2014-01-01

The recycling of the minor actinides (MA) using the Partitioning and Transmutation strategy (P and T) could contribute significantly to reducing the volume of high level waste in a geological repository and to decreasing the waste's longterm hazards originating from the long half-life of the actinides. Several extraction processes have been developed worldwide for the separation and recovery of MA from highly active raffinates (HAR, e.g. the PUREX raffinate). A multi-cycle separation strategy has been developed within the framework of European collaborative projects. The multi-cycle processes, on the one hand, make use of different extractants for every single process. Within the recent FP7 European research project ACSEPT (Actinide reCycling by SEParation and Transmutation), the development of new innovative separation processes with a reduced number of cycles was envisaged. In the so-called 'innovative SANEX' concept, the trivalent actinides and lanthanides are co-extracted from the PUREX raffinate by a DIAMEX like process (e.g. TODGA). Then, the loaded solvent is subjected to several stripping steps. The first one concerns selectively stripping the actinides(III) with selective water-soluble ligands (SO3-Ph-BTB), followed by the subsequent stripping of trivalent lanthanides. A more challenging route studied also within our laboratories is the direct actinide(III) separation from a PUREX-type raffinate using a mixture of CyMe 4 BTBP and TODGA as extractants, the so-called One cycle SANEX process. A new approach, which was also studied within the ACSEPT project, is the GANEX (Grouped ActiNide EXtraction) concept addressing the simultaneous partitioning of all transuranium (TRU) elements for their homogeneous recycling in advanced generation IV reactor systems. Bulk uranium is removed in the GANEX 1st cycle, e.g. using a monoamide extractant and the GANEX 2nd cycle then separates the TRU. A solvent composed of TODGA + DMDOHEMA in kerosene has been shown to

Highly Efficient Method for the Synthesis of Activated Mesoporous Biocarbons with Extremely High Surface Area for High-Pressure CO2 Adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Gurwinder; Lakhi, Kripal S; Kim, In Young; Kim, Sungho; Srivastava, Prashant; Naidu, Ravi; Vinu, Ajayan

2017-09-06

A simple and efficient way to synthesize activated mesoporous biocarbons (AMBs) with extremely high BET surface area and large pore volume has been achieved for the first time through a simple solid state activation of freely available biomass, Arundo donax, with zinc chloride. The textural parameters of the AMB can easily be controlled by varying the activation temperature. It is demonstrated that the mesoporosity of AMB can be finely tuned with a simple adjustment of the amount of activating agent. AMB with almost 100% mesoporosity can be achieved using the activating agent and the biomass ratio of 5 and carbonization at 500 °C. Under the optimized conditions, AMB with a BET surface area of 3298 m 2 g -1 and a pore volume of 1.9 cm 3 g -1 can be prepared. While being used as an adsorbent for CO 2 capture, AMB registers an impressively high pressure CO 2 adsorption capacity of 30.2 mmol g -1 at 30 bar which is much higher than that of activated carbon (AC), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), highly ordered mesoporous carbons, and mesoporous carbon nitrides. AMB also shows high stability with excellent regeneration properties under vacuum and temperatures of up to 250 °C. These impressive textural parameters and high CO 2 adsorption capacity of AMB clearly reveal its potential as a promising adsorbent for high-pressure CO 2 capture and storage application. Also, the simple one-step synthesis strategy outlined in this work would provide a pathway to generate a series of novel mesoporous activated biocarbons from different biomasses.

An Experiential Learning Activity Demonstrating Normal and Phobic Anxiety

Science.gov (United States)

Canu, Will H.

2008-01-01

This article describes an activity for an undergraduate abnormal psychology course that used student-generated data to illustrate normal versus clinically significant anxiety responses related to specific phobias. Students (N = 37) viewed 14 images of low- or high-anxiety valence and rated their subjective response to each. Discussion in a…

Three dimensional investigation of oceanic active faults. A demonstration survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakao, Seizo; Kishimoto, Kiyoyuki; Ikehara, Ken; Kuramoto, Shinichi; Sato, Mikio [Geological Survey of Japan, Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan)

1999-02-01

Oceanic active faults were classified into trench and in-land types, and a bottom survey was conducted on an aim of estimation on activity of a trench type oceanic active faults. For both sides of an oceanic active fault found at high precision sonic investigations in 1996 fiscal year, it was attempted from a record remained in sediments how a fault changed by a fault motion and how long time it acted. And, construction of a data base for evaluation of the active faults was promoted by generalizing the issued publications. As a result, it was found that a method to estimate a fault activity using turbidite in success at shallow sea could not easily be received at deep sea, and that as sedimentation method in deep sea changed largely by topography and so on, the turbidite did not play always a rule of key layer. (G.K.)

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.

DataHigh: graphical user interface for visualizing and interacting with high-dimensional neural activity

Science.gov (United States)

Cowley, Benjamin R.; Kaufman, Matthew T.; Butler, Zachary S.; Churchland, Mark M.; Ryu, Stephen I.; Shenoy, Krishna V.; Yu, Byron M.

2013-12-01

Objective. Analyzing and interpreting the activity of a heterogeneous population of neurons can be challenging, especially as the number of neurons, experimental trials, and experimental conditions increases. One approach is to extract a set of latent variables that succinctly captures the prominent co-fluctuation patterns across the neural population. A key problem is that the number of latent variables needed to adequately describe the population activity is often greater than 3, thereby preventing direct visualization of the latent space. By visualizing a small number of 2-d projections of the latent space or each latent variable individually, it is easy to miss salient features of the population activity. Approach. To address this limitation, we developed a Matlab graphical user interface (called DataHigh) that allows the user to quickly and smoothly navigate through a continuum of different 2-d projections of the latent space. We also implemented a suite of additional visualization tools (including playing out population activity timecourses as a movie and displaying summary statistics, such as covariance ellipses and average timecourses) and an optional tool for performing dimensionality reduction. Main results. To demonstrate the utility and versatility of DataHigh, we used it to analyze single-trial spike count and single-trial timecourse population activity recorded using a multi-electrode array, as well as trial-averaged population activity recorded using single electrodes. Significance. DataHigh was developed to fulfil a need for visualization in exploratory neural data analysis, which can provide intuition that is critical for building scientific hypotheses and models of population activity.

DataHigh: graphical user interface for visualizing and interacting with high-dimensional neural activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowley, Benjamin R; Kaufman, Matthew T; Butler, Zachary S; Churchland, Mark M; Ryu, Stephen I; Shenoy, Krishna V; Yu, Byron M

2013-12-01

Analyzing and interpreting the activity of a heterogeneous population of neurons can be challenging, especially as the number of neurons, experimental trials, and experimental conditions increases. One approach is to extract a set of latent variables that succinctly captures the prominent co-fluctuation patterns across the neural population. A key problem is that the number of latent variables needed to adequately describe the population activity is often greater than 3, thereby preventing direct visualization of the latent space. By visualizing a small number of 2-d projections of the latent space or each latent variable individually, it is easy to miss salient features of the population activity. To address this limitation, we developed a Matlab graphical user interface (called DataHigh) that allows the user to quickly and smoothly navigate through a continuum of different 2-d projections of the latent space. We also implemented a suite of additional visualization tools (including playing out population activity timecourses as a movie and displaying summary statistics, such as covariance ellipses and average timecourses) and an optional tool for performing dimensionality reduction. To demonstrate the utility and versatility of DataHigh, we used it to analyze single-trial spike count and single-trial timecourse population activity recorded using a multi-electrode array, as well as trial-averaged population activity recorded using single electrodes. DataHigh was developed to fulfil a need for visualization in exploratory neural data analysis, which can provide intuition that is critical for building scientific hypotheses and models of population activity.

DataHigh: Graphical user interface for visualizing and interacting with high-dimensional neural activity

Science.gov (United States)

Cowley, Benjamin R.; Kaufman, Matthew T.; Butler, Zachary S.; Churchland, Mark M.; Ryu, Stephen I.; Shenoy, Krishna V.; Yu, Byron M.

2014-01-01

Objective Analyzing and interpreting the activity of a heterogeneous population of neurons can be challenging, especially as the number of neurons, experimental trials, and experimental conditions increases. One approach is to extract a set of latent variables that succinctly captures the prominent co-fluctuation patterns across the neural population. A key problem is that the number of latent variables needed to adequately describe the population activity is often greater than three, thereby preventing direct visualization of the latent space. By visualizing a small number of 2-d projections of the latent space or each latent variable individually, it is easy to miss salient features of the population activity. Approach To address this limitation, we developed a Matlab graphical user interface (called DataHigh) that allows the user to quickly and smoothly navigate through a continuum of different 2-d projections of the latent space. We also implemented a suite of additional visualization tools (including playing out population activity timecourses as a movie and displaying summary statistics, such as covariance ellipses and average timecourses) and an optional tool for performing dimensionality reduction. Main results To demonstrate the utility and versatility of DataHigh, we used it to analyze single-trial spike count and single-trial timecourse population activity recorded using a multi-electrode array, as well as trial-averaged population activity recorded using single electrodes. Significance DataHigh was developed to fulfill a need for visualization in exploratory neural data analysis, which can provide intuition that is critical for building scientific hypotheses and models of population activity. PMID:24216250

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

Molecular cloning, expression and immunological characterisation of Lol p 5C, a novel allergen isoform of rye grass pollen demonstrating high IgE reactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Suphioglu, C; Mawdsley, D; Schäppi, G; Gruehn, S; de Leon, M; Rolland, J M; O'Hehir, R E

1999-12-03

A novel isoform of a major rye grass pollen allergen Lol p 5 was isolated from a cDNA expression library. The new isoform, Lol p 5C, shares 95% amino acid sequence identity with Lol p 5A. Both isoforms demonstrated shared antigenic activity but different allergenic activities. Recombinant Lol p 5C demonstrated 100% IgE reactivity in 22 rye grass pollen sensitive patients. In comparison, recombinant Lol p 5A showed IgE reactivity in less than 64% of the patients. Therefore, Lol p 5C represents a novel and highly IgE-reactive isoform allergen of rye grass pollen.

The effect of science demonstrations as a community service activity on pre-service science teachers' teaching practices

Science.gov (United States)

Gurel, Derya Kaltakci

2016-03-01

In the scope of this study, pre-service science teachers (PSST) developed and carried out science demonstrations with everyday materials for elementary school students as a community service activity. 17 PSST enrolled in the community services practices course at Kocaeli University comprised the sample of the present study. Community service practices aim to develop consciousness of social responsibility and professional skills, as well as to gain awareness of social and community problems and find solutions for pre-service teachers. With this aim, each PSST developed five science demonstration activities and their brochures during a semester. At the end of the semester, a total of 85 demonstrations were carried out at public elementary schools, which are especially located in socioeconomically poor districts of Kocaeli, Turkey. In the present case study, the effect of developing and carrying out science demonstrations for elementary school students on six of the PSST' teaching practices on density and buoyancy concept was investigated. 30-minute interviews conducted with each PSST, videos recorded during their demonstration performances, brochures they prepared for their demonstration activities, and reflection papers were used as data collection tools of the study. The results showed that community service practices with science demonstrations had positive effects on PSST' science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

High NOTCH activity induces radiation resistance in non small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theys, Jan; Yahyanejad, Sanaz; Habets, Roger; Span, Paul; Dubois, Ludwig; Paesmans, Kim; Kattenbeld, Bo; Cleutjens, Jack; Groot, Arjan J.; Schuurbiers, Olga C.J.; Lambin, Philippe; Bussink, Jan; Vooijs, Marc

2013-01-01

Background and purpose: Patients with advanced NSCLC have survival rates <15%. The NOTCH pathway plays an important role during lung development and physiology but is often deregulated in lung cancer, making it a potential therapeutic target. We investigated NOTCH signaling in NSCLC and hypothesized that high NOTCH activity contributes to radiation resistance. Materials and methods: NOTCH signaling in NSCLC patient samples was investigated using quantitative RT-PCR. H460 NSCLC cells with either high or blocked NOTCH activity were generated and their radiation sensitivity monitored using clonogenic assays. In vivo, xenograft tumors were irradiated and response assessed using growth delay. Microenvironmental parameters were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results: Patients with high NOTCH activity in tumors showed significantly worse disease-free survival. In vitro, NOTCH activity did not affect the proliferation or intrinsic radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells. In contrast, xenografts with blocked NOTCH activity grew slower than wild type tumors. Tumors with high NOTCH activity grew significantly faster, were more hypoxic and showed a radioresistant phenotype. Conclusions: We demonstrate an important role for NOTCH in tumor growth and correlate high NOTCH activity with poor prognosis and radioresistance. Blocking NOTCH activity in NSCLC might be a promising intervention to improve outcome after radiotherapy

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)

Manufacturing Demonstration Facility: Low Temperature Materials Synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, David E.; Moon, Ji-Won; Armstrong, Beth L.; Datskos, Panos G.; Duty, Chad E.; Gresback, Ryan; Ivanov, Ilia N.; Jacobs, Christopher B.; Jellison, Gerald Earle; Jang, Gyoung Gug; Joshi, Pooran C.; Jung, Hyunsung; Meyer, Harry M.; Phelps, Tommy

2015-01-01

The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) low temperature materials synthesis project was established to demonstrate a scalable and sustainable process to produce nanoparticles (NPs) for advanced manufacturing. Previous methods to chemically synthesize NPs typically required expensive, high-purity inorganic chemical reagents, organic solvents and high temperatures. These processes were typically applied at small laboratory scales at yields sufficient for NP characterization, but insufficient to support roll-to-roll processing efforts or device fabrication. The new NanoFermentation processes described here operated at a low temperature (~60 C) in low-cost, aqueous media using bacteria that produce extracellular NPs with controlled size and elemental stoichiometry. Up-scaling activities successfully demonstrated high NP yields and quality in a 900-L pilot-scale reactor, establishing this NanoFermentation process as a competitive biomanufacturing strategy to produce NPs for advanced manufacturing of power electronics, solid-state lighting and sensors.

Manufacturing Demonstration Facility: Low Temperature Materials Synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graham, David E. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Moon, Ji-Won [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Armstrong, Beth L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Datskos, Panos G. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Duty, Chad E. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gresback, Ryan [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ivanov, Ilia N. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jacobs, Christopher B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jellison, Gerald Earle [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jang, Gyoung Gug [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Joshi, Pooran C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jung, Hyunsung [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Meyer, III, Harry M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Phelps, Tommy [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-06-30

The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) low temperature materials synthesis project was established to demonstrate a scalable and sustainable process to produce nanoparticles (NPs) for advanced manufacturing. Previous methods to chemically synthesize NPs typically required expensive, high-purity inorganic chemical reagents, organic solvents and high temperatures. These processes were typically applied at small laboratory scales at yields sufficient for NP characterization, but insufficient to support roll-to-roll processing efforts or device fabrication. The new NanoFermentation processes described here operated at a low temperature (~60 C) in low-cost, aqueous media using bacteria that produce extracellular NPs with controlled size and elemental stoichiometry. Up-scaling activities successfully demonstrated high NP yields and quality in a 900-L pilot-scale reactor, establishing this NanoFermentation process as a competitive biomanufacturing strategy to produce NPs for advanced manufacturing of power electronics, solid-state lighting and sensors.

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

Modular Orbital Demonstration of an Evolvable Space Telescope (MODEST)

Science.gov (United States)

Baldauf, Brian; Conti, Alberto

2016-01-01

The "Search for Life" via imaging of exoplanets is a mission that requires extremely stable telescopes with apertures in the 10 m to 20 m range. The High Definition Space Telescope (HDST) envisioned for this mission would have an aperture >10 m, which is a larger payload than what can be delivered to space using a single launch vehicle. Building and assembling the mirror segments enabling large telescopes will likely require multiple launches and assembly in space. Space-based telescopes with large apertures will require major changes to system architectures.The Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) for HDST is a primary mission cost driver. Enabling and affordable solutions for this next generation of large aperture space-based telescope are needed.This paper reports on the concept for the Modular Orbital Demonstration of an Evolvable Space Telescope (MODEST), which demonstrates on-orbit robotic and/or astronaut assembly of a precision optical telescope in space. It will also facilitate demonstration of active correction of phase and mirror shape. MODEST is proposed to be delivered to the ISS using standard Express Logistics Carriers (ELCs) and can mounted to one of a variety of ISS pallets. Post-assembly value includes space, ground, and environmental studies, and a testbed for new instruments. This demonstration program for next generation mirror technology provides significant risk reduction and demonstrates the technology in a six-mirror phased telescope. Other key features of the demonstration include the use of an active primary optical surface with wavefront feedback control that allows on-orbit optimization and demonstration of precise surface control to meet optical system wavefront and stability requirements.MODEST will also be used to evaluate advances in lightweight mirror and metering structure materials such as SiC or Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer that have excellent mechanical and thermal properties, e.g. high stiffness, high modulus, high thermal

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.

Pit disassembly and conversion demonstration environmental assessment and research and development activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-08-01

A significant portion of the surplus plutonium is in the form of pits, a nuclear weapons component. Pits are composed of plutonium which is sealed in a metallic shell. These pits would need to be safely disassembled and permanently converted to an unclassified form that would be suitable for long-term disposition and international inspection. To determine the feasibility of an integrated pit disassembly and conversion system, a Pit Disassembly and Conversion Demonstration is proposed to take place at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This demonstration would be done in existing buildings and facilities, and would involve the disassembly of up to 250 pits and conversion of the recovered plutonium to plutonium metal ingots and plutonium dioxide. This demonstration also includes the conversion of up to 80 kilograms of clean plutonium metal to plutonium dioxide because, as part of the disposition process, some surplus plutonium metal may be converted to plutonium dioxide in the same facility as the surplus pits. The equipment to be used for the proposed demonstration addressed in this EA would use some parts of the Advanced Recovery and Integrated Extraction System (ARIES) capability, other existing equipment/capacities, plus new equipment that was developed at other sites. In addition, small-scale R and D activities are currently underway as part of the overall surplus plutonium disposition program. These R and D activities are related to pit disassembly and conversion, MOX fuel fabrication, and immobilization (in glass and ceramic forms). They are described in Section 7.0. On May 16, 1997, the Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (MD) notified potentially affected states and tribes that this EA would be prepared in accordance with NEPA. This EA has been prepared to provide sufficient information for DOE to determine whether a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is warranted or whether an EIS must be prepared

Contact system activation and high thrombin generation in hyperthyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Namhee; Gu, Ja-Yoon; Yoo, Hyun Ju; Han, Se Eun; Kim, Young Il; Nam-Goong, Il Sung; Kim, Eun Sook; Kim, Hyun Kyung

2017-05-01

Hyperthyroidism is associated with increased thrombotic risk. As contact system activation through formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) has emerged as an important trigger of thrombosis, we hypothesized that the contact system is activated along with active NET formation in hyperthyroidism and that their markers correlate with disease severity. In 61 patients with hyperthyroidism and 40 normal controls, the levels of coagulation factors (fibrinogen, and factor VII, VIII, IX, XI and XII), D-dimer, thrombin generation assay (TGA) markers, NET formation markers (histone-DNA complex, double-stranded DNA and neutrophil elastase) and contact system markers (activated factor XII (XIIa), high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK), prekallikrein and bradykinin) were measured. Patients with hyperthyroidism showed higher levels of fibrinogen (median (interquartile range), 315 (280-344) vs 262 (223-300), P  = 0.001), D-dimer (103.8 (64.8-151.5) vs 50.7 (37.4-76.0), P  hyperthyroidism's contribution to coagulation and contact system activation. Free T4 was significantly correlated with factors VIII and IX, D-dimer, double-stranded DNA and bradykinin. This study demonstrated that contact system activation and abundant NET formation occurred in the high thrombin generation state in hyperthyroidism and were correlated with free T4 level. © 2017 European Society of Endocrinology.

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.

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

High energy density supercapacitors from lignin derived submicron activated carbon fibers in aqueous electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Sixiao; Zhang, Sanliang; Pan, Ning; Hsieh, You-Lo

2014-12-01

Highly porous submicron activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were robustly generated from low sulfonated alkali lignin and fabricated into supercapacitors for capacitive energy storage. The hydrophilic and high specific surface ACFs exhibited large-size nanographites and good electrical conductivity to demonstrate outstanding electrochemical performance. ACFs from KOH activation, in particular, showed very high 344 F g-1 specific capacitance at low 1.8 mg cm-2 mass loading and 10 mV s-1 scan rate in aqueous electrolytes. Even at relatively high scan rate of 50 mV s-1 and mass loading of 10 mg cm-2, a decent specific capacitance of 196 F g-1 and a remarkable areal capacitance of 0.55 F cm-2 was obtained, leading to high energy density of 8.1 Wh kg-1 based on averaged electrodes mass. Furthermore, over 96% capacitance retention rates were achieved after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. Such excellent performance demonstrated great potential of lignin derived carbons for electrical energy storage.

Last results of MADRAS, a space active optics demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Laslandes, Marie; Hourtoule, Claire; Hugot, Emmanuel; Ferrari, Marc; Devilliers, Christophe; Liotard, Arnaud; Lopez, Céline; Chazallet, Frédéric

2017-11-01

The goal of the MADRAS project (Mirror Active, Deformable and Regulated for Applications in Space) is to highlight the interest of Active Optics for the next generation of space telescope and instrumentation. Wave-front errors in future space telescopes will mainly come from thermal dilatation and zero gravity, inducing large lightweight primary mirrors deformation. To compensate for these effects, a 24 actuators, 100 mm diameter deformable mirror has been designed to be inserted in a pupil relay. Within the project, such a system has been optimized, integrated and experimentally characterized. The system is designed considering wave-front errors expected in 3m-class primary mirrors, and taking into account space constraints such as compactness, low weight, low power consumption and mechanical strength. Finite Element Analysis allowed an optimization of the system in order to reach a precision of correction better than 10 nm rms. A dedicated test-bed has been designed to fully characterize the integrated mirror performance in representative conditions. The test set up is made of three main parts: a telescope aberrations generator, a correction loop with the MADRAS mirror and a Shack-Hartman wave-front sensor, and PSF imaging. In addition, Fizeau interferometry monitors the optical surface shape. We have developed and characterized an active optics system with a limited number of actuators and a design fitting space requirements. All the conducted tests tend to demonstrate the efficiency of such a system for a real-time, in situ wave-front. It would allow a significant improvement for future space telescopes optical performance while relaxing the specifications on the others components.

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

Demonstrating Reliable High Level Waste Slurry Sampling Techniques to Support Hanford Waste Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, Steven E.

2013-11-11

The Hanford Tank Operations Contractor (TOC) and the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) contractor are both engaged in demonstrating mixing, sampling, and transfer system capability using simulated Hanford High-Level Waste (HL W) formulations. This work represents one of the remaining technical issues with the high-level waste treatment mission at Hanford. The TOC must demonstrate the ability to adequately mix and sample high-level waste feed to meet the WTP Waste Acceptance Criteria and Data Quality Objectives. The sampling method employed must support both TOC and WTP requirements. To facilitate information transfer between the two facilities the mixing and sampling demonstrations are led by the One System Integrated Project Team. The One System team, Waste Feed Delivery Mixing and Sampling Program, has developed a full scale sampling loop to demonstrate sampler capability. This paper discusses the full scale sampling loops ability to meet precision and accuracy requirements, including lessons learned during testing. Results of the testing showed that the Isolok(R) sampler chosen for implementation provides precise, repeatable results. The Isolok(R) sampler accuracy as tested did not meet test success criteria. Review of test data and the test platform following testing by a sampling expert identified several issues regarding the sampler used to provide reference material used to judge the Isolok's accuracy. Recommendations were made to obtain new data to evaluate the sampler's accuracy utilizing a reference sampler that follows good sampling protocol.

Demonstrating Reliable High Level Waste Slurry Sampling Techniques to Support Hanford Waste Processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Steven E.

2013-01-01

The Hanford Tank Operations Contractor (TOC) and the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) contractor are both engaged in demonstrating mixing, sampling, and transfer system capability using simulated Hanford High-Level Waste (HL W) formulations. This work represents one of the remaining technical issues with the high-level waste treatment mission at Hanford. The TOC must demonstrate the ability to adequately mix and sample high-level waste feed to meet the WTP Waste Acceptance Criteria and Data Quality Objectives. The sampling method employed must support both TOC and WTP requirements. To facilitate information transfer between the two facilities the mixing and sampling demonstrations are led by the One System Integrated Project Team. The One System team, Waste Feed Delivery Mixing and Sampling Program, has developed a full scale sampling loop to demonstrate sampler capability. This paper discusses the full scale sampling loops ability to meet precision and accuracy requirements, including lessons learned during testing. Results of the testing showed that the Isolok(R) sampler chosen for implementation provides precise, repeatable results. The Isolok(R) sampler accuracy as tested did not meet test success criteria. Review of test data and the test platform following testing by a sampling expert identified several issues regarding the sampler used to provide reference material used to judge the Isolok's accuracy. Recommendations were made to obtain new data to evaluate the sampler's accuracy utilizing a reference sampler that follows good sampling protocol

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

The Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) dismantling activities. Management of JPDR dismantling waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Masayoshi; Nakata, Susumu; Ito, Shinichi

1996-01-01

The management of wastes, both radioactive and non-radioactive, is one of the most important issues for a safe and reasonable dismantling operation of nuclear power plants. A large amount of radioactive wastes is arising from a reactor dismantling operation in a relatively short period time, ranging in a wide variety from very low level to relatively high level. Moreover non-radioactive waste is also in a huge amount. The dismantling operation of Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) resulted in 24,440 tons of dismantling wastes, of which about 15% was radioactive and 85% non-radioactive. These wastes were managed successfully implementing a well developed management plan for JPDR dismantling waste. Research and development works for handling of JPDR dismantling wastes were performed, including fixation of loose contamination on surface, volume reduction and waste containers for on-site transportation and interim storage. The JPDR dismantling wastes generated were classified and categorized depending on their materials, characteristics and activity level. Approximately 2,100 tons of radioactive wastes were stored in the interim storage facilities on site using developed containers, and 1,670 tons of radioactive concrete waste were used for a safe demonstration test of a simple near-surface disposal for very low level waste. Other dismantling wastes such as steel and concrete which were categorized as non-radioactive were recycled and reused as useful resources. This paper describes the management of the JPDR dismantling wastes. (author)

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration lessons learned: 1993 technology demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1994-01-01

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

SELENIUM TREATMENT/REMOVAL ALTERNATIVES DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ACTIVITY III, PROJECT 20

Science.gov (United States)

This document is the final report for EPA's Mine WAste Technology Program (MWTP) Activity III, Project 20--Selenium Treatment/Removal Alternatives Demonstration project. Selenium contamination originates from many sources including mining operations, mineral processing, abandoned...

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 Density Hydrogen Storage System Demonstration Using NaAlH4 Based Complex Compound Hydrides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniel A. Mosher; Xia Tang; Ronald J. Brown; Sarah Arsenault; Salvatore Saitta; Bruce L. Laube; Robert H. Dold; Donald L. Anton

2007-07-27

This final report describes the motivations, activities and results of the hydrogen storage independent project "High Density Hydrogen Storage System Demonstration Using NaAlH4 Based Complex Compound Hydrides" performed by the United Technologies Research Center under the Department of Energy Hydrogen Program, contract # DE-FC36-02AL67610. The objectives of the project were to identify and address the key systems technologies associated with applying complex hydride materials, particularly ones which differ from those for conventional metal hydride based storage. This involved the design, fabrication and testing of two prototype systems based on the hydrogen storage material NaAlH4. Safety testing, catalysis studies, heat exchanger optimization, reaction kinetics modeling, thermochemical finite element analysis, powder densification development and material neutralization were elements included in the effort.

Simple Activity Demonstrates Wind Energy Principles

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2012-01-01

Wind energy is an exciting and clean energy option often described as the fastest-growing energy system on the planet. With some simple materials, teachers can easily demonstrate its key principles in their classroom. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

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

High-efficiency white organic light-emitting diodes using thermally activated delayed fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishide, Jun-ichi; Hiraga, Yasuhide; Nakanotani, Hajime; Adachi, Chihaya

2014-01-01

White organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) have attracted much attention recently, aimed for next-generation lighting sources because of their high potential to realize high electroluminescence efficiency, flexibility, and low-cost manufacture. Here, we demonstrate high-efficiency WOLED using red, green, and blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials as emissive dopants to generate white electroluminescence. The WOLED has a maximum external quantum efficiency of over 17% with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage coordinates of (0.30, 0.38).

A model for the training effects in swimming demonstrates a strong relationship between parasympathetic activity, performance and index of fatigue.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sébastien Chalencon

Full Text Available Competitive swimming as a physical activity results in changes to the activity level of the autonomic nervous system (ANS. However, the precise relationship between ANS activity, fatigue and sports performance remains contentious. To address this problem and build a model to support a consistent relationship, data were gathered from national and regional swimmers during two 30 consecutive-week training periods. Nocturnal ANS activity was measured weekly and quantified through wavelet transform analysis of the recorded heart rate variability. Performance was then measured through a subsequent morning 400 meters freestyle time-trial. A model was proposed where indices of fatigue were computed using Banister's two antagonistic component model of fatigue and adaptation applied to both the ANS activity and the performance. This demonstrated that a logarithmic relationship existed between performance and ANS activity for each subject. There was a high degree of model fit between the measured and calculated performance (R(2=0.84±0.14,p<0.01 and the measured and calculated High Frequency (HF power of the ANS activity (R(2=0.79±0.07, p<0.01. During the taper periods, improvements in measured performance and measured HF were strongly related. In the model, variations in performance were related to significant reductions in the level of 'Negative Influences' rather than increases in 'Positive Influences'. Furthermore, the delay needed to return to the initial performance level was highly correlated to the delay required to return to the initial HF power level (p<0.01. The delay required to reach peak performance was highly correlated to the delay required to reach the maximal level of HF power (p=0.02. Building the ANS/performance identity of a subject, including the time to peak HF, may help predict the maximal performance that could be obtained at a given time.

Simultaneous production of l-lactic acid with high optical activity and a soil amendment with food waste that demonstrates plant growth promoting activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitpreechavanich, Vichien; Hayami, Arisa; Talek, Anfal; Chin, Clament Fui Seung; Tashiro, Yukihiro; Sakai, Kenji

2016-07-01

A unique method to produce highly optically-active l-lactic acid and soil amendments that promote plant growth from food waste was proposed. Three Bacillus strains Bacillus subtilis KBKU21, B. subtilis N3-9 and Bacillus coagulans T27, were used. Strain KBKU21 accumulated 36.9 g/L l-lactic acid with 95.7% optical activity and 98.2% l-lactic acid selectivity when fermented at 43°C for 84 h in a model kitchen refuse (MKR) medium. Residual precipitate fraction (anaerobically-fermented MKR (AFM) compost) analysis revealed 4.60%, 0.70% and 0.75% of nitrogen (as N), phosphorous (as P2O5), and potassium (as K2O), respectively. Additionally, the carbon to nitrogen ratio decreased from 13.3 to 10.6. AFM compost with KBKU21 promoted plant growth parameters, including leaf length, plant height and fresh weight of Brassica rapa (Komatsuna), than that by chemical fertilizers or commercial compost. The concept provides an incentive for the complete recycling of food waste, contributing towards a sustainable production system. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

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...

Active phase correction of high resolution silicon photonic arrayed waveguide gratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Gehl, M; Trotter, D; Starbuck, A; Pomerene, A; Lentine, A L; DeRose, C

2017-03-20

Arrayed waveguide gratings provide flexible spectral filtering functionality for integrated photonic applications. Achieving narrow channel spacing requires long optical path lengths which can greatly increase the footprint of devices. High index contrast waveguides, such as those fabricated in silicon-on-insulator wafers, allow tight waveguide bends which can be used to create much more compact designs. Both the long optical path lengths and the high index contrast contribute to significant optical phase error as light propagates through the device. Therefore, silicon photonic arrayed waveguide gratings require active or passive phase correction following fabrication. Here we present the design and fabrication of compact silicon photonic arrayed waveguide gratings with channel spacings of 50, 10 and 1 GHz. The largest device, with 11 channels of 1 GHz spacing, has a footprint of only 1.1 cm2. Using integrated thermo-optic phase shifters, the phase error is actively corrected. We present two methods of phase error correction and demonstrate state-of-the-art cross-talk performance for high index contrast arrayed waveguide gratings. As a demonstration of possible applications, we perform RF channelization with 1 GHz resolution. Additionally, we generate unique spectral filters by applying non-zero phase offsets calculated by the Gerchberg Saxton algorithm.

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.

Environmental analysis for pipeline gas demonstration plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stinton, L.H.

1978-09-01

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

How to Demonstrate Microgravity in your Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

DeLombard, Richard; Hall, Nancy Rabel

2013-01-01

Learn why zero gravity is a misnomer and learn how to demonstrate microgravity to students and the general public. In this session, a short theory segment will explain and reinforce these concepts so that you may explain to others. Session participants will also see simple equipment that demonstrates microgravity during the session and can just as well be done in the classroom or museum exhibit hall. The hands-on demonstration devices range from a leaky water bottle to an electronic drop tower with an on-board camera. The session will also include demonstration techniques for Physics, Forces & Motion, and orbits. This material is useful for middle school forces and motions instruction, high school physics instruction, public demonstrations at conferences & school open houses, travelling museum exhibits, fixed museum exhibits, and independent student projects or experiments. These activities also connect the terrestrial demonstration with planetary & moon motion, comet trajectory, and more.

Demonstration of high current carbon nanotube enabled vertical organic field effect transistors at industrially relevant voltages

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Mitchell

The display market is presently dominated by the active matrix liquid crystal display (LCD). However, the active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display is argued to become the successor to the LCD, and is already beginning its way into the market, mainly in small size displays. But, for AMOLED technology to become comparable in market share to LCD, larger size displays must become available at a competitive price with their LCD counterparts. A major issue preventing low-cost large AMOLED displays is the thin-film transistor (TFT) technology. Unlike the voltage driven LCD, the OLEDs in the AMOLED display are current driven. Because of this, the mature amorphous silicon TFT backplane technology used in the LCD must be upgraded to a material possessing a higher mobility. Polycrystalline silicon and transparent oxide TFT technologies are being considered to fill this need. But these technologies bring with them significant manufacturing complexity and cost concerns. Carbon nanotube enabled vertical organic field effect transistors (CN-VFETs) offer a unique solution to this problem (now known as the AMOLED backplane problem). The CN-VFET allows the use of organic semiconductors to be used for the semiconductor layer. Organics are known for their low-cost large area processing compatibility. Although the mobility of the best organics is only comparable to that of amorphous silicon, the CN-VFET makes up for this by orienting the channel vertically, as opposed to horizontally (like in conventional TFTs). This allows the CN-VFET to achieve sub-micron channel lengths without expensive high resolution patterning. Additionally, because the CN-VFET can be easily converted into a light emitting transistor (called the carbon nanotube enabled vertical organic light emitting transistor---CN-VOLET) by essentially stacking an OLED on top of the CN-VFET, more potential benefits can be realized. These potential benefits include, increased aperture ratio, increased OLED

Simultaneous pore enlargement and introduction of highly dispersed Fe active sites in MSNs for enhanced catalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Jinlou; Dong Xu; Elangovan, S.P.; Li Yongsheng; Zhao Wenru; Iijima, Toshio; Yamazaki, Yasuo; Shi Jianlin

2012-01-01

An effective post-hydrothermal treatment strategy has been developed to dope highly dispersed iron catalytical centers into the framework of mesoporous silica, to keep the particle size in nanometric scale, and in the meanwhile, to expand the pore size of the synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). Characterization techniques such as XRD, BET, SEM and TEM support that the synthesized samples are long period ordered with particles size about 100 nm and a relatively large pore size of ca. 3.5 nm. UV–vis, XPS and EPR measurements demonstrate that the introduced iron active centers are highly dispersed in a coordinatively unsaturated status. NH 3 -TPD verifies that the acid amount of iron-doped MSNs is quite high. The synthesized nanocatalysts show an excellent catalytic performance for benzylation of benzene by benzyl chloride, and they present relatively higher yield and selectivity to diphenylmethane with a lower iron content and much shorter reaction time. - Graphical abstract: Uniform MSNs with iron active centers and large pore size have been prepared by a newly developed strategy, which demonstrates enhanced catalytic performance for benzylation of benzene by benzyl chloride. Highlights: ► Iron species were introduced into the framework of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with uniform dispersion. ► The pore sizes of the synthesized nanocatalysts were expanded. ► The acidic site quantities were quite high and the acidic centers were accessible. ► The nanocatalysts presented higher yield and selectivity to diphenylmethane with significantly lower Fe content.

A perspective on demonstrating compliance with standards for disposal of high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.; Smith, E.D.; O'Kelley, G.D.; Sjoreen, A.L.

1985-01-01

A perspective which the authors have developed on the problem of demonstrating that geologic repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes will comply with system performance standards is discussed. Their viewpoint arises from a concern that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed environmental standard for high-level waste disposal appears to require demonstrations of compliance which are incompatible with scientific knowledge; i.e., the standard does not take into account the likely importance of unquantifiable and unresolvable uncertainty in repository performance-assessment models. A general approach to demonstrations of compliance is proposed which is thought to be compatible with the kinds of technical information that will be available for judging long-term repository performance. The authors' approach emphasizes the importance of investigating alternative conceptual models and lines of reasoning in evaluating repository performance and the importance of subjective scientific judgment in the decision-making process. (Auth.)

Exploratory Characterization of Phenolic Compounds with Demonstrated Anti-Diabetic Activity in Guava Leaves at Different Oxidation States

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-de-Cerio, Elixabet; Verardo, Vito; Gómez-Caravaca, Ana María; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Alberto; Segura-Carretero, Antonio

2016-01-01

Psidium guajava L. is widely used like food and in folk medicine all around the world. Many studies have demonstrated that guava leaves have anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities, among others, and that these activities belong mainly to phenolic compounds, although it is known that phenolic composition in guava tree varies throughout seasonal changes. Andalusia is one of the regions in Europe where guava is grown, thus, the aim of this work was to study the phenolic compounds present in Andalusian guava leaves at different oxidation states (low, medium, and high). The phenolic compounds in guava leaves were determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS. The results obtained by chromatographic analysis reported that guava leaves with low degree of oxidation had a higher content of flavonols, gallic, and ellagic derivatives compared to the other two guava leaf samples. Contrary, high oxidation state guava leaves reported the highest content of cyanidin-glucoside that was 2.6 and 15 times higher than guava leaves with medium and low oxidation state, respectively. The QTOF platform permitted the determination of several phenolic compounds with anti-diabetic properties and provided new information about guava leaf phenolic composition that could be useful for nutraceutical production. PMID:27187352

Exploratory Characterization of Phenolic Compounds with Demonstrated Anti-Diabetic Activity in Guava Leaves at Different Oxidation States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elixabet Díaz-de-Cerio

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Psidium guajava L. is widely used like food and in folk medicine all around the world. Many studies have demonstrated that guava leaves have anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities, among others, and that these activities belong mainly to phenolic compounds, although it is known that phenolic composition in guava tree varies throughout seasonal changes. Andalusia is one of the regions in Europe where guava is grown, thus, the aim of this work was to study the phenolic compounds present in Andalusian guava leaves at different oxidation states (low, medium, and high. The phenolic compounds in guava leaves were determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS. The results obtained by chromatographic analysis reported that guava leaves with low degree of oxidation had a higher content of flavonols, gallic, and ellagic derivatives compared to the other two guava leaf samples. Contrary, high oxidation state guava leaves reported the highest content of cyanidin-glucoside that was 2.6 and 15 times higher than guava leaves with medium and low oxidation state, respectively. The QTOF platform permitted the determination of several phenolic compounds with anti-diabetic properties and provided new information about guava leaf phenolic composition that could be useful for nutraceutical production.

Exploratory Characterization of Phenolic Compounds with Demonstrated Anti-Diabetic Activity in Guava Leaves at Different Oxidation States.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-de-Cerio, Elixabet; Verardo, Vito; Gómez-Caravaca, Ana María; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Alberto; Segura-Carretero, Antonio

2016-05-11

Psidium guajava L. is widely used like food and in folk medicine all around the world. Many studies have demonstrated that guava leaves have anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities, among others, and that these activities belong mainly to phenolic compounds, although it is known that phenolic composition in guava tree varies throughout seasonal changes. Andalusia is one of the regions in Europe where guava is grown, thus, the aim of this work was to study the phenolic compounds present in Andalusian guava leaves at different oxidation states (low, medium, and high). The phenolic compounds in guava leaves were determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS. The results obtained by chromatographic analysis reported that guava leaves with low degree of oxidation had a higher content of flavonols, gallic, and ellagic derivatives compared to the other two guava leaf samples. Contrary, high oxidation state guava leaves reported the highest content of cyanidin-glucoside that was 2.6 and 15 times higher than guava leaves with medium and low oxidation state, respectively. The QTOF platform permitted the determination of several phenolic compounds with anti-diabetic properties and provided new information about guava leaf phenolic composition that could be useful for nutraceutical production.

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

Bovine CCL28 Mediates Chemotaxis via CCR10 and Demonstrates Direct Antimicrobial Activity against Mastitis Causing Bacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyler B Pallister

Full Text Available In addition to the well characterized function of chemokines in mediating the homing and accumulation of leukocytes to tissues, some chemokines also exhibit potent antimicrobial activity. Little is known of the potential role of chemokines in bovine mammary gland health and disease. The chemokine CCL28 has previously been shown to play a key role in the homing and accumulation of IgA antibody secreting cells to the lactating murine mammary gland. CCL28 has also been shown to act as an antimicrobial peptide with activity demonstrated against a wide range of pathogens including bacteria, fungi and protozoans. Here we describe the cloning and function of bovine CCL28 and document the concentration of this chemokine in bovine milk. Bovine CCL28 was shown to mediate cellular chemotaxis via the CCR10 chemokine receptor and exhibited antimicrobial activity against a variety of bovine mastitis causing organisms. The concentration of bovine CCL28 in milk was found to be highly correlated with the lactation cycle. Highest concentrations of CCL28 were observed soon after parturition, with levels decreasing over time. These results suggest a potential role for CCL28 in the prevention/resolution of bovine mastitis.

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.

Novel bacterial metabolite merochlorin A demonstrates in vitro activity against multi-drug resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Sakoulas

Full Text Available We evaluated the in vitro activity of a merochlorin A, a novel compound with a unique carbon skeleton, against a spectrum of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens and against previously characterized clinical and laboratory Staphylococcus aureus isolates with resistance to numerous antibiotics.Merochlorin A was isolated and purified from a marine-derived actinomycete strain CNH189. Susceptibility testing for merochlorin A was performed against previously characterized human pathogens using broth microdilution and agar dilution methods. Cytotoxicity was assayed in tissue culture assays at 24 and 72 hours against human HeLa and mouse sarcoma L929 cell lines.The structure of as new antibiotic, merochlorin A, was assigned by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. Merochlorin A demonstrated in vitro activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including Clostridium dificile, but not against Gram negative bacteria. In S. aureus, susceptibility was not affected by ribosomal mutations conferring linezolid resistance, mutations in dlt or mprF conferring resistance to daptomycin, accessory gene regulator knockout mutations, or the development of the vancomycin-intermediate resistant phenotype. Merochlorin A demonstrated rapid bactericidal activity against MRSA. Activity was lost in the presence of 20% serum.The unique meroterpenoid, merochlorin A demonstrated excellent in vitro activity against S. aureus and C. dificile and did not show cross-resistance to contemporary antibiotics against Gram positive organisms. The activity was, however, markedly reduced in 20% human serum. Future directions for this compound may include evaluation for topical use, coating biomedical devices, or the pursuit of chemically modified derivatives of this compound that retain activity in the presence of serum.

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

Development of highly microporous activated carbon from the alcoholic beverage industry organic by-products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieto-Delgado, C.; Terrones, M.; Rangel-Mendez, J.R.

2011-01-01

This work has the aim to employ the agave bagasse, a waste from Tequila and Mescal industries, to obtain a product of high commercial value such as activated carbon. The activated carbon production methodology was based on a chemical activation, by using ZnCl 2 and H 3 PO 4 as activating agent and agave bagasse as a natural source of carbon. The activation temperature (150-450 o C), activation time (0-60 min) and weight ratio of activating agent to precursor (0.2-4) were studied. The produced carbon materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and nitrogen physisorption at -196 o C. In addition, the activating agent recovery was evaluated. We were able to obtain highly microporous activated carbons with micropore volumes between 0.24 and 1.20 cm 3 /g and a surface area within 300 and 2139 m 2 /g. These results demonstrated the feasibility to treat the industrial wastes of the Tequila and Mescal industries, being this wastes an excellent precursor to produce highly microporous activated carbons that can be processed at low activation temperatures in short times, with the possibility of recycling the activating agent.

Microbiological analysis of common preservatives used in food items and demonstration of their in vitro anti-bacterial activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tohora Sultana

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To quantify the microorganisms contaminating the common preservatives used in food as well as to detect their in vitro anti-bacterial traits. Methods: A total of 9 preservatives were subjected to conventional cultural and biochemical methods for microbial enumeration. Anti-bacterial activities were demonstrated through the agar well diffusion method. Results: All samples were found to be contaminated with bacteria up to 105 CFU/g and with the fungal flora within a range of 1 01-1 02 CFU/g. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp. and Staphylococcus spp. were demonstrated in most of the samples. Sodium sulfite and citric acid possessed the strongest anti-bacterial trait against all of the test bacteria. Acetic acid exhibited activity against 6 out of 8 test bacteria while vinegar exhibited the activity against 4 bacteria. Activity of salt was demonstrated only against Listeria spp. and Bacillus spp., while activity of sugar and honey was found only against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp., respectively. Conclusions: According to the current investigation, sodium sulfite and citric acid samples were found to be satisfactory preservatives both in terms of microbiological criteria and their antibacterial traits.

Simultaneous demonstration of gelatinolytic activity, morphology, and immunohistochemical reaction using zymography film.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanomata, Naoki; Hasebe, Takahiro; Moriya, Takuya; Ochiai, Atsushi

2013-12-01

In situ zymography has been used to assess gelatinolytic activity, which is mainly due to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cancer tissues. MMPs play an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis. Film in situ zymography (FIZ) enables the in situ evaluation of gelatinolytic activity with high reproducibility. In this article, we report a study of FIZ, in a case of breast cancer with an invasive carcinoma component showing clear gelatinolytic activity, and in a non-invasive carcinoma component showing little gelatinolytic activity. Immunohistochemistry on FIZ was also performed. The simultaneous detection of gelatinolytic activity and immunohistochemical reaction was established in a single film. Immunohistochemistry on FIZ may have good potential for the investigation of cancer microenvironment.

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.

Active Photonic crystal fibers for high power applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olausson, Christina Bjarnal Thulin

The photonic crystal ber technology provides means to realize bers optimized for high power operation, due to the large single-mode cores and the unique design exibility of the microstructure. The work presented in this thesis focuses on improving the properties of active photonic crystal bers...... contributed to the compounding of new and improved material compositions. The second part is an investigation of pump absorption in photonic crystal bers, demonstrating that the microstructure in photonic crystal bers improves the pump absorption by up to a factor of two compared to step-index bers....... This plays an important role in high power lasers and ampliers with respect to efficiency, packaging, and thermal handling. The third part of the work has involved developing tools for characterizing the mode quality and stability of large core bers. Stable, single-mode bers with larger cores are essential...

Mining Chemical Activity Status from High-Throughput Screening Assays

KAUST Repository

Soufan, Othman; Ba Alawi, Wail; Afeef, Moataz A.; Essack, Magbubah; Rodionov, Valentin; Kalnis, Panos; Bajic, Vladimir B.

2015-01-01

High-throughput screening (HTS) experiments provide a valuable resource that reports biological activity of numerous chemical compounds relative to their molecular targets. Building computational models that accurately predict such activity status (active vs. inactive) in specific assays is a challenging task given the large volume of data and frequently small proportion of active compounds relative to the inactive ones. We developed a method, DRAMOTE, to predict activity status of chemical compounds in HTP activity assays. For a class of HTP assays, our method achieves considerably better results than the current state-of-the-art-solutions. We achieved this by modification of a minority oversampling technique. To demonstrate that DRAMOTE is performing better than the other methods, we performed a comprehensive comparison analysis with several other methods and evaluated them on data from 11 PubChem assays through 1,350 experiments that involved approximately 500,000 interactions between chemicals and their target proteins. As an example of potential use, we applied DRAMOTE to develop robust models for predicting FDA approved drugs that have high probability to interact with the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) in humans. Our findings are further partially and indirectly supported by 3D docking results and literature information. The results based on approximately 500,000 interactions suggest that DRAMOTE has performed the best and that it can be used for developing robust virtual screening models. The datasets and implementation of all solutions are available as a MATLAB toolbox online at www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/dramote and can be found on Figshare.

Mining Chemical Activity Status from High-Throughput Screening Assays

KAUST Repository

Soufan, Othman

2015-12-14

High-throughput screening (HTS) experiments provide a valuable resource that reports biological activity of numerous chemical compounds relative to their molecular targets. Building computational models that accurately predict such activity status (active vs. inactive) in specific assays is a challenging task given the large volume of data and frequently small proportion of active compounds relative to the inactive ones. We developed a method, DRAMOTE, to predict activity status of chemical compounds in HTP activity assays. For a class of HTP assays, our method achieves considerably better results than the current state-of-the-art-solutions. We achieved this by modification of a minority oversampling technique. To demonstrate that DRAMOTE is performing better than the other methods, we performed a comprehensive comparison analysis with several other methods and evaluated them on data from 11 PubChem assays through 1,350 experiments that involved approximately 500,000 interactions between chemicals and their target proteins. As an example of potential use, we applied DRAMOTE to develop robust models for predicting FDA approved drugs that have high probability to interact with the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) in humans. Our findings are further partially and indirectly supported by 3D docking results and literature information. The results based on approximately 500,000 interactions suggest that DRAMOTE has performed the best and that it can be used for developing robust virtual screening models. The datasets and implementation of all solutions are available as a MATLAB toolbox online at www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/dramote and can be found on Figshare.

FINDING SOLUTIONS AT THE WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drake, John L.; Gramling, James M.; Houston, Helene M.

2003-01-01

The United States Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) faces a number of sizeable challenges as it begins to transform its mission from managing risk to reducing and eliminating risk throughout the DOE Complex. One of the greatest challenges being addressed by DOE-EM as this transformation takes place is accelerating the deactivation and decommissioning of thousands of facilities within the DOE Complex that were once used to support nuclear-related programs and projects. These facilities are now unused and aging. Finding solutions to complete the cleanup of these aging facilities more safely, efficiently, and effectively while reducing costs is critical to successfully meeting DOE-EM's cleanup challenge. The Large-Scale Demonstration and Deployment Project (LSDDP) of Hot Cells at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) is a near-term project funded through the DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) for the specific purpose of identifying, evaluating, demonstrating, and deploying commercially available technologies that are capable of streamlining the cleanup of hot cells in unused facilities while improving worker safety. Two DOE project sites are participating in this LSDDP: the WVDP site in West Valley, New York and the Hanford River Corridor Project (RCP) site in Richland, Washington. The WVDP site serves as the host site for the project. Technologies considered for demonstration and potential deployment at both LSDDP sites are targeted for application in hot cells that require the use of remote and semi-remote techniques to conduct various cleanup-related activities because of high radiation or high contamination levels. These hot cells, the type of cleanup activities being conducted, and technologies selected for demonstration are the main topics discussed in this paper. The range of cleanup-related activities addressed include in-situ characterization, size-reduction, contamination control, decontamination, in

Cooled Ceramic Matrix Composite Propulsion Structures Demonstrated

Science.gov (United States)

Jaskowiak, Martha H.; Dickens, Kevin W.

2005-01-01

NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Program has successfully demonstrated cooled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology in a scramjet engine test. This demonstration represented the world s largest cooled nonmetallic matrix composite panel fabricated for a scramjet engine and the first cooled nonmetallic composite to be tested in a scramjet facility. Lightweight, high-temperature, actively cooled structures have been identified as a key technology for enabling reliable and low-cost space access. Tradeoff studies have shown this to be the case for a variety of launch platforms, including rockets and hypersonic cruise vehicles. Actively cooled carbon and CMC structures may meet high-performance goals at significantly lower weight, while improving safety by operating with a higher margin between the design temperature and material upper-use temperature. Studies have shown that using actively cooled CMCs can reduce the weight of the cooled flow-path component from 4.5 to 1.6 lb/sq ft and the weight of the propulsion system s cooled surface area by more than 50 percent. This weight savings enables advanced concepts, increased payload, and increased range. The ability of the cooled CMC flow-path components to operate over 1000 F hotter than the state-of-the-art metallic concept adds system design flexibility to space-access vehicle concepts. Other potential system-level benefits include smaller fuel pumps, lower part count, lower cost, and increased operating margin.

Design of high-activity single-atom catalysts via n-p codoping

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaonan; Zhou, Haiyan; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Jia, Jianfeng; Wu, Haishun

2018-03-01

The large-scale synthesis of stable single-atom catalysts (SACs) in experiments remains a significant challenge due to high surface free energy of metal atom. Here, we propose a concise n-p codoping approach, and find it can not only disperse the relatively inexpensive metal, copper (Cu), onto boron (B)-doped graphene, but also result in high-activity SACs. We use CO oxidation on B/Cu codoped graphene as a prototype example, and demonstrate that: (1) a stable SAC can be formed by stronger electrostatic attraction between the metal atom (n-type Cu) and support (p-type B-doped graphene). (2) the energy barrier of the prototype CO oxidation on B/Cu codoped graphene is 0.536 eV by the Eley-Rideal mechanism. Further analysis shows that the spin selection rule can provide well theoretical insight into high activity of our suggested SAC. The concept of n-p codoping may lead to new strategy in large-scale synthesis of stable single-atom catalysts.

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-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.

Polarized Light Corridor Demonstrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, G. R.

1990-01-01

Eleven demonstrations of light polarization are presented. Each includes a brief description of the apparatus and the effect demonstrated. Illustrated are strain patterns, reflection, scattering, the Faraday Effect, interference, double refraction, the polarizing microscope, and optical activity. (CW)

The opalinus clay project - disposal of medium and highly-active nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, U.

2003-01-01

This article describes the project to demonstrate the feasibility of disposing of long-living medium-active and highly-radioactive nuclear wastes in sedimentary rock in Switzerland. The disposal tasks to be carried out are reviewed and the solutions proposed are described, including short-term handling, intermediate storage and final disposal of low, medium and highly-active wastes. The present state of affairs is described and, in particular, the feasibility of implementing a final storage facility in the opalinus clay beds to be found in northern Switzerland. The project for such a facility in the wine-growing area of the canton of Zurich is described in detail, including the storage concept, the technology to be used and operational aspects as well as questions of safety

Supplementation of chitosan alleviates high-fat diet-enhanced lipogenesis in rats via adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase activation and inhibition of lipogenesis-associated genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Chen-Yuan; Chan, Im-Lam; Yang, Tsung-Han; Liu, Shing-Hwa; Chiang, Meng-Tsan

2015-03-25

This study investigated the role of chitosan in lipogenesis in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. The lipogenesis-associated genes and their upstream regulatory proteins were explored. Diet supplementation of chitosan efficiently decreased the increased weights in body, livers, and adipose tissues in high-fat diet-fed rats. Chitosan supplementation significantly raised the lipolysis rate; attenuated the adipocyte hypertrophy, triglyceride accumulation, and lipoprotein lipase activity in epididymal adipose tissues; and decreased hepatic enzyme activities of lipid biosynthesis. Chitosan supplementation significantly activated adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and attenuated high-fat diet-induced protein expressions of lipogenic transcription factors (PPAR-γ and SREBP1c) in livers and adipose tissues. Moreover, chitosan supplementation significantly inhibited the expressions of downstream lipogenic genes (FAS, HMGCR, FATP1, and FABP4) in livers and adipose tissues of high-fat diet-fed rats. These results demonstrate for the first time that chitosan supplementation alleviates high-fat diet-enhanced lipogenesis in rats via AMPK activation and lipogenesis-associated gene inhibition.

Comparing Demonstratives in Kwa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper is a comparative study of demonstrative forms in three K wa languages, ... relative distance from the deictic centre, such as English this and that, here and there. ... Mostly, the referents of demonstratives are 'activated' or at least.

Hierarchical Pd-Sn alloy nanosheet dendrites: an economical and highly active catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Liang-Xin; Wang, An-Liang; Ou, Yan-Nan; Li, Qi; Guo, Rui; Zhao, Wen-Xia; Tong, Ye-Xiang; Li, Gao-Ren

2013-01-01

Hierarchical alloy nanosheet dendrites (ANSDs) are highly favorable for superior catalytic performance and efficient utilization of catalyst because of the special characteristics of alloys, nanosheets, and dendritic nanostructures. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time a facile and efficient electrodeposition approach for the controllable synthesis of Pd-Sn ANSDs with high surface area. These synthesized Pd-Sn ANSDs exhibit high electrocatalytic activity and superior long-term cycle stability toward ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. The enhanced electrocataytic activity of Pd-Sn ANSDs may be attributed to Pd-Sn alloys, nanosheet dendrite induced promotional effect, large number of active sites on dendrite surface, large surface area, and good electrical contact with the base electrode. Because of the simple implement and high flexibility, the proposed approach can be considered as a general and powerful strategy to synthesize the alloy electrocatalysts with high surface areas and open dendritic nanostructures.

Physical activity behavior and related characteristics of highly active eighth-grade girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Taverno Ross, Sharon E; Dowda, Marsha; Beets, Michael W; Pate, Russell R

2013-06-01

Although girls are generally less physically active than boys, some girls regularly engage in high levels of physical activity (PA); however, very little is known about these girls and how they differ from those who are less physically active. This study examined the PA behavior and related characteristics of highly active adolescent girls and compared them with those who are less active. Data from 1,866 eighth-grade girls from six field centers across the United States participating in the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG) were included in the present analysis. Mixed-model analysis of variance examined differences in sociodemographic, anthropometric, psychosocial, and physical activity (accelerometry and self-report) variables between high- and low-active girls; effect sizes were calculated for the differences. High-active girls were taller, had lower body mass indices and body fat, and were less sedentary. High-active girls scored higher on self-efficacy, enjoyment of PA, self-management strategies, outcome-expectancy value, and support from family and friends than low-active girls. Low-active girls participated in more leisure time and educational sedentary activities than high-active girls. High-active girls participated in more PA classes/lessons outside of school, team sports, and individual sports. They were also more likely to participate in sports in an organized setting in the community or at school than low-active girls. Health promotion efforts should focus on decreasing the amount of time girls spend in sedentary activities and replacing that time with organized PA opportunities; such efforts should seek to minimize perceived barriers and increase self-efficacy and support for PA. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.)

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.

Tailoring Cytotoxicity of Antimicrobial Peptidomimetics with High Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jahnsen, Rasmus D; Sandberg-Schaal, Anne; Vissing, Karina Juul

2014-01-01

Infections with multidrug-resistant pathogens are an increasing concern for public health. Recently, subtypes of peptide-peptoid hybrids were demonstrated to display potent activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Here, structural variation of these antibacterial peptidomimetics...... cells. Thus, lead compounds with a high selectivity toward killing of clinically important multidrug-resistant E. coli were identified....

Conceptual design and development of high-activity radioactive liquid packaging (summary)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, D.L.; McCoy, J.C.; Edwards, W.S.

1994-08-01

Environmental remediation and disposal of US Department of Energy radioactive liquid waste require analytical support, characterization, process development, testing, demonstration, and stabilization. In support of these diverse activities, there is a need to transport varying quantities of Type B high-activity liquid (HAL). To date, except for quantities of 50 ml (1.7 oz), there has never been, a US, Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed liquid Type B package available to support these remediation activities. In an effort to develop suitable packaging for large volumes of HAL, an investigation into packaging alternatives that would facilitate such transfers is under way. In, past and present studies, a spent fuel shipping cask fitted with a high-integrity pressure vessel has been determined to be the most viable concept for large volume HAL shipments. One concept that was investigated utilized the Pacific Nuclear 125-B shipping container and has been shown to meet the strUctural, thermal, shielding, and criticality conditions for HAL. The results of these investigations are being extended to develop the concept into the HAL packaging system

High content analysis of phagocytic activity and cell morphology with PuntoMorph.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ali, Hassan; Gao, Han; Dalby-Hansen, Camilla; Peters, Vanessa Ann; Shi, Yan; Brambilla, Roberta

2017-11-01

Phagocytosis is essential for maintenance of normal homeostasis and healthy tissue. As such, it is a therapeutic target for a wide range of clinical applications. The development of phenotypic screens targeting phagocytosis has lagged behind, however, due to the difficulties associated with image-based quantification of phagocytic activity. We present a robust algorithm and cell-based assay system for high content analysis of phagocytic activity. The method utilizes fluorescently labeled beads as a phagocytic substrate with defined physical properties. The algorithm employs statistical modeling to determine the mean fluorescence of individual beads within each image, and uses the information to conduct an accurate count of phagocytosed beads. In addition, the algorithm conducts detailed and sophisticated analysis of cellular morphology, making it a standalone tool for high content screening. We tested our assay system using microglial cultures. Our results recapitulated previous findings on the effects of microglial stimulation on cell morphology and phagocytic activity. Moreover, our cell-level analysis revealed that the two phenotypes associated with microglial activation, specifically cell body hypertrophy and increased phagocytic activity, are not highly correlated. This novel finding suggests the two phenotypes may be under the control of distinct signaling pathways. We demonstrate that our assay system outperforms preexisting methods for quantifying phagocytic activity in multiple dimensions including speed, accuracy, and resolution. We provide a framework to facilitate the development of high content assays suitable for drug screening. For convenience, we implemented our algorithm in a standalone software package, PuntoMorph. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Anesthetic Drug Demonstration and an Introductory Antioxidant Activity Experiment with "Eugene, the Sleepy Fish"

Science.gov (United States)

Barcena, Homar; Chen, Peishan

2016-01-01

Students are introduced to spectrophotometry in comparing the antioxidant activity of pure eugenol and oil of cloves from a commercial source using a modified ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The extraction of the essential oil from dried cloves is demonstrated to facilitate discussions on green chemistry. The anesthetic properties…

The secrets of highly active older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Franke, Thea; Tong, Catherine; Ashe, Maureen C; McKay, Heather; Sims-Gould, Joanie

2013-12-01

Although physical activity is a recognized component in the management of many chronic diseases associated with aging, activity levels tend to progressively decline with increasing age (Manini & Pahor, 2009; Schutzer & Graves, 2004). In this article we examine the key factors that facilitate physical activity in highly active community-dwelling older adults. Using a strengths based approach, we examined the factors that facilitated physical activity in our sample of highly active older adults. Twenty-seven older adults participated in face-to face interviews. We extracted a sub-sample of 10 highly active older adults to be included in the analyses. Based on a framework analysis of our transcripts we identified three factors that facilitate physical activity in our sample, these include: 1) resourcefulness: engagement in self-help strategies such as self-efficacy, self-control and adaptability; 2) social connections: the presence of relationships (friend, neighborhood, institutions) and social activities that support or facilitate high levels of physical activity; and 3) the role of the built and natural environments: features of places and spaces that support and facilitate high levels of physical activity. Findings provide insight into, and factors that facilitate older adults' physical activity. We discuss implications for programs (e.g., accessible community centers, with appropriate programming throughout the lifecourse) and policies geared towards the promotion of physical activity (e.g., the development of spaces that facilitate both physical and social activities). © 2013.

Post-Spaceflight (STS-135 Mouse Splenocytes Demonstrate Altered Activation Properties and Surface Molecule Expression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shen-An Hwang

Full Text Available Alterations in immune function have been documented during or post-spaceflight and in ground based models of microgravity. Identification of immune parameters that are dysregulated during spaceflight is an important step in mitigating crew health risks during deep space missions. The in vitro analysis of leukocyte activity post-spaceflight in both human and animal species is primarily focused on lymphocytic function. This report completes a broader spectrum analysis of mouse lymphocyte and monocyte changes post 13 days orbital flight (mission STS-135. Analysis includes an examination in surface markers for cell activation, and antigen presentation and co-stimulatory molecules. Cytokine production was measured after stimulation with T-cell mitogen or TLR-2, TLR-4, or TLR-5 agonists. Splenocyte surface marker analysis immediate post-spaceflight and after in vitro culture demonstrated unique changes in phenotypic populations between the flight mice and matched treatment ground controls. Post-spaceflight splenocytes (flight splenocytes had lower expression intensity of CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD25+ cells, lower percentage of CD11c+MHC II+ cells, and higher percentage of CD11c+MHC I+ populations compared to ground controls. The flight splenocytes demonstrated an increase in phagocytic activity. Stimulation with ConA led to decrease in CD4+ population but increased CD4+CD25+ cells compared to ground controls. Culturing with TLR agonists led to a decrease in CD11c+ population in splenocytes isolated from flight mice compared to ground controls. Consequently, flight splenocytes with or without TLR-agonist stimulation showed a decrease in CD11c+MHC I+, CD11c+MHC II+, and CD11c+CD86+ cells compared to ground controls. Production of IFN-γ was decreased and IL-2 was increased from ConA stimulated flight splenocytes. This study demonstrated that expression of surface molecules can be affected by conditions of spaceflight and impaired responsiveness persists under

Inquiry-based Laboratory Activities on Drugs Analysis for High School Chemistry Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmawati, I.; Sholichin, H.; Arifin, M.

2017-09-01

Laboratory activity is an important part of chemistry learning, but cookbook instructions is still commonly used. However, the activity with that way do not improve students thinking skill, especially students creativity. This study aims to improve high school students creativity through inquiry-based laboratory on drugs analysis activity. Acid-base titration is used to be method for drugs analysis involving a color changing indicator. The following tools were used to assess the activity achievement: creative thinking test on acid base titration, creative attitude and action observation sheets, questionnaire of inquiry-based lab activities, and interviews. The results showed that the inquiry-based laboratory activity improving students creative thinking, creative attitude and creative action. The students reacted positively to this teaching strategy as demonstrated by results from questionnaire responses and interviews. This result is expected to help teachers to overcome the shortcomings in other laboratory learning.

Demonstration of helicase activity in the nonstructural protein, NSs, of the negative-sense RNA virus, groundnut bud necrosis virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhushan, Lokesh; Abraham, Ambily; Choudhury, Nirupam Roy; Rana, Vipin Singh; Mukherjee, Sunil Kumar; Savithri, Handanahal Subbarao

2015-04-01

The nonstructural protein NSs, encoded by the S RNA of groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) (genus Tospovirus, family Bunyaviridae) has earlier been shown to possess nucleic-acid-stimulated NTPase and 5' α phosphatase activity. ATP hydrolysis is an essential function of a true helicase. Therefore, NSs was tested for DNA helicase activity. The results demonstrated that GBNV NSs possesses bidirectional DNA helicase activity. An alanine mutation in the Walker A motif (K189A rNSs) decreased DNA helicase activity substantially, whereas a mutation in the Walker B motif resulted in a marginal decrease in this activity. The parallel loss of the helicase and ATPase activity in the K189A mutant confirms that NSs acts as a non-canonical DNA helicase. Furthermore, both the wild-type and K189A NSs could function as RNA silencing suppressors, demonstrating that the suppressor activity of NSs is independent of its helicase or ATPase activity. This is the first report of a true helicase from a negative-sense RNA virus.

Atomically Monodisperse Nickel Nanoclusters as Highly Active Electrocatalysts for Water Oxidation

KAUST Repository

Joya, Khurram

2016-04-08

Achieving water splitting at low overpotential with high oxygen evolution efficiency and stability is important for realizing solar to chemical energy conversion devices. Herein we report the synthesis, characterization and electrochemical evaluation of highly active nickel nanoclusters (Ni NCs) for water oxidation at low overpotential. These atomically precise and monodisperse Ni NCs are characterized by using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry. The molecular formulae of these Ni NCs are found to be Ni4(PET)8 and Ni6(PET)12 and are highly active electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution without any pre-conditioning. Ni4(PET)8 are slightly better catalysts than Ni6(PET)12 and initiate the oxygen evolution at an amazingly low overpotential of ~1.51 V (vs RHE; η ≈ 280 mV). The peak oxygen evolution current density (J) of ~150 mA cm–2 at 2.0 V (vs. RHE) with a Tafel slope of 38 mV dec–1 is observed using Ni4(PET)8. These results are comparable to the state-of-the art RuO2 electrocatalyst, which is highly expensive and rare compared to Ni-based materials. Sustained oxygen generation for several hours with an applied current density of 20 mA cm–2 demonstrates the long-term stability and activity of these Ni NCs towards electrocatalytic water oxidation. This unique approach provides a facile method to prepare cost-effective, nanoscale and highly efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation.

Two-step activation of paper batteries for high power generation: design and fabrication of biofluid- and water-activated paper batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ki Bang

2006-11-01

Two-step activation of paper batteries has been successfully demonstrated to provide quick activation and to supply high power to credit card-sized biosystems on a plastic chip. A stack of a magnesium layer (an anode), a fluid guide (absorbent paper), a highly doped filter paper with copper chloride (a cathode) and a copper layer as a current collector is laminated between two transparent plastic films into a high power biofluid- and water-activated battery. The battery is activated by two-step activation: (1) after placing a drop of biofluid/water-based solution on the fluid inlet, the surface tension first drives the fluid to soak the fluid guide; (2) the fluid in the fluid guide then penetrates into the heavily doped filter paper with copper chloride to start the battery reaction. The fabricated half credit card-sized battery was activated by saliva, urine and tap water and delivered a maximum voltage of 1.56 V within 10 s after activation and a maximum power of 15.6 mW. When 10 kΩ and 1 KΩ loads are used, the service time with water, urine and saliva is measured as more than 2 h. An in-series battery of 3 V has been successfully tested to power two LEDs (light emitting diodes) and an electric driving circuit. As such, this high power paper battery could be integrated with on-demand credit card-sized biosystems such as healthcare test kits, biochips, lab-on-a-chip, DNA chips, protein chips or even test chips for water quality checking or chemical checking.

Parametric Approach to Assessing Performance of High-Lift Device Active Flow Control Architectures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Cai

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Active Flow Control is at present an area of considerable research, with multiple potential aircraft applications. While the majority of research has focused on the performance of the actuators themselves, a system-level perspective is necessary to assess the viability of proposed solutions. This paper demonstrates such an approach, in which major system components are sized based on system flow and redundancy considerations, with the impacts linked directly to the mission performance of the aircraft. Considering the case of a large twin-aisle aircraft, four distinct active flow control architectures that facilitate the simplification of the high-lift mechanism are investigated using the demonstrated approach. The analysis indicates a very strong influence of system total mass flow requirement on architecture performance, both for a typical mission and also over the entire payload-range envelope of the aircraft.

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

Analysis of Corrosion Residues Collected from the Aluminum Basket Rails of the High-Burnup Demonstration Cask.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bryan, Charles R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-03-01

On September, 2015, an inspection was performed on the TN-32B cask that will be used for the high-burnup demonstration project. During the survey, wooden cribbing that had been placed within the cask eleven years earlier to prevent shifting of the basket during transport was removed, revealing two areas of residue on the aluminum basket rails, where they had contacted the cribbing. The residue appeared to be a corrosion product, and concerns were raised that similar attack could exist at more difficult-to-inspect locations in the canister. Accordingly, when the canister was reopened, samples of the residue were collected for analysis. This report presents the results of that assessment, which determined that the corrosion was due to the presence of the cribbing. The corrosion was associated with fungal material, and fungal activity likely contributed to an aggressive chemical environment. Once the cask has been cleaned, there will be no risk of further corrosion.

Liver-Specific Activation of AMPK Prevents Steatosis on a High-Fructose Diet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Woods

2017-03-01

Full Text Available AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK plays a key role in integrating metabolic pathways in response to energy demand. We identified a mutation in the γ1 subunit (γ1D316A that leads to activation of AMPK. We generated mice with this mutation to study the effect of chronic liver-specific activation of AMPK in vivo. Primary hepatocytes isolated from these mice have reduced gluconeogenesis and fatty acid synthesis, but there is no effect on fatty acid oxidation compared to cells from wild-type mice. Liver-specific activation of AMPK decreases lipogenesis in vivo and completely protects against hepatic steatosis when mice are fed a high-fructose diet. Our findings demonstrate that liver-specific activation of AMPK is sufficient to protect against hepatic triglyceride accumulation, a hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. These results emphasize the clinical relevance of activating AMPK in the liver to combat NAFLD and potentially other associated complications (e.g., cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Studies on the oxidizing system in Holt's medium for histochemical demonstration of esterase activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkeby, S; Blecher, S R

1978-01-01

Esterase activity in guinea-pig thyroid and mouse epididymis epithelial cells has been studied using 5-bromoindoxyl acetate as substrate. The pattern of esterase activity in the thyroid of the guinea-pig is constant, irrespective of whether ferri-ferrocyanide (FFC) or certain copper compounds...... cells contain an esterase activity which is not inhibited by conventional SH blocking agents, nor by high concentrations of FFC. From these results it appears that the mode of action of FFC in Holt's medium is as follows. At low concentrations FFC appears to act primarily as a catalytic agent...... in oxidation of indoxyl to indigoid. At high concentration FFC acts as an inhibitor of guinea-pig thyroid esterase, by oxidation of SH groups in the active centre. The esterase of mouse epididymis cell type EH 1 is not subject to this inhibition by FFC, presumably because it does not contain accessible SH...

Lifestyle and Risk of Premature Sexual Activity in a High School Population of Seventh-Day Adventists: Valuegenesis 1989.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinbender, Miriam L. M.; Rossignol, Annette MacKay

1996-01-01

Evaluated Adventist lifestyle as a modification of popular American culture which reduces the risk of early sexual activity in adolescents and thus also reduces the risk for both STDs and teen pregnancy. Data analysis demonstrated a wide variety of behaviors were associated with premature sexual activity, including previously reported high-risk…

Design of a highly selective quenched activity-based probe and its application in dual color imaging studies of cathepsin S activity localization.

Science.gov (United States)

Oresic Bender, Kristina; Ofori, Leslie; van der Linden, Wouter A; Mock, Elliot D; Datta, Gopal K; Chowdhury, Somenath; Li, Hao; Segal, Ehud; Sanchez Lopez, Mateo; Ellman, Jonathan A; Figdor, Carl G; Bogyo, Matthew; Verdoes, Martijn

2015-04-15

The cysteine cathepsins are a group of 11 proteases whose function was originally believed to be the degradation of endocytosed material with a high degree of redundancy. However, it has become clear that these enzymes are also important regulators of both health and disease. Thus, selective tools that can discriminate between members of this highly related class of enzymes will be critical to further delineate the unique biological functions of individual cathepsins. Here we present the design and synthesis of a near-infrared quenched activity-based probe (qABP) that selectively targets cathepsin S which is highly expressed in immune cells. Importantly, this high degree of selectivity is retained both in vitro and in vivo. In combination with a new green-fluorescent pan-reactive cysteine cathepsin qABP we performed dual color labeling studies in bone marrow-derived immune cells and identified vesicles containing exclusively cathepsin S activity. This observation demonstrates the value of our complementary cathepsin probes and provides evidence for the existence of specific localization of cathepsin S activity in dendritic cells.

Code Team Training: Demonstrating Adherence to AHA Guidelines During Pediatric Code Blue Activations.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Claire; Shoemaker, Jamie; Keller-Smith, Rachel; Edmunds, Katherine; Davis, Andrew; Tegtmeyer, Ken

2017-10-16

Pediatric code blue activations are infrequent events with a high mortality rate despite the best effort of code teams. The best method for training these code teams is debatable; however, it is clear that training is needed to assure adherence to American Heart Association (AHA) Resuscitation Guidelines and to prevent the decay that invariably occurs after Pediatric Advanced Life Support training. The objectives of this project were to train a multidisciplinary, multidepartmental code team and to measure this team's adherence to AHA guidelines during code simulation. Multidisciplinary code team training sessions were held using high-fidelity, in situ simulation. Sessions were held several times per month. Each session was filmed and reviewed for adherence to 5 AHA guidelines: chest compression rate, ventilation rate, chest compression fraction, use of a backboard, and use of a team leader. After the first study period, modifications were made to the code team including implementation of just-in-time training and alteration of the compression team. Thirty-eight sessions were completed, with 31 eligible for video analysis. During the first study period, 1 session adhered to all AHA guidelines. During the second study period, after alteration of the code team and implementation of just-in-time training, no sessions adhered to all AHA guidelines; however, there was an improvement in percentage of sessions adhering to ventilation rate and chest compression rate and an improvement in median ventilation rate. We present a method for training a large code team drawn from multiple hospital departments and a method of assessing code team performance. Despite subjective improvement in code team positioning, communication, and role completion and some improvement in ventilation rate and chest compression rate, we failed to consistently demonstrate improvement in adherence to all guidelines.

Tumorigenesis induced by the HHV8-encoded chemokine receptor requires ligand modulation of high constitutive activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, P J; Rosenkilde, M M; Manfra, D

2001-01-01

sarcoma (KS). Here we demonstrate that several lines of mice carrying mutated receptors deficient in either constitutive activity or chemokine regulation fail to develop KS-like disease. In addition, animals expressing a receptor that preserves chemokine binding and constitutive activity but that does...... not respond to agonist stimulation have a much lower incidence of angiogenic lesions and tumors. These results indicate that induction of the KS-like disease in transgenic mice by ORF74 requires not only high constitutive signaling activity but also modulation of this activity by endogenous chemokines....

Periowave demonstrates bactericidal activity against periopathogens and leads to improved clinical outcomes in the treatment of adult periodontitis

Science.gov (United States)

Street, Cale N.; Andersen, Roger; Loebel, Nicolas G.

2009-02-01

Periodontitis affects half of the U.S. population over 50, and is the leading cause of tooth loss after 35. It is believed to be caused by growth of complex bacterial biofilms on the tooth surface below the gumline. Photodynamic therapy, a technology used commonly in antitumor applications, has more recently been shown to exhibit antimicrobial efficacy. We have demonstrated eradication of the periopathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in vitro using PeriowaveTM; a commercial photodisinfection system. In addition, several clinical studies have now demonstrated the efficacy of this treatment. A pilot study in the U.S. showed that 68% of patients treated with PeriowaveTM adjunctively to scaling and root planing (SRP) showed clinical attachment level increase of >1 mm, as opposed to 30% with SRP alone. In a subsequent larger study, a second PeriowaveTM treatment 6 weeks after initial treatment led to pocket depth improvements of >1.5 mm in 89% of patients. Finally, in the most recent multicenter, randomized, examiner-blinded study conducted on 121 subjects in Canada, PeriowaveTM treatment produced highly significant gains in attachment level (0.88 mm vs. 0.57 mm; p=0.003) and pocket depth (0.87 mm vs. 0.63 mm; p=0.01) as compared to SRP alone. In summary, PeriowaveTM demonstrated strong bactericidal activity against known periopathogens, and treatment of periodontitis using this system produced significantly better clinical outcomes than SRP alone. This, along with the absence of any adverse events in patients treated to date demonstrates that PDT is a safe and effective treatment for adult chronic periodontitis.

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

Cooperation of imipramine blue and tyrosine kinase blockade demonstrates activity against chronic myeloid leukemia

Science.gov (United States)

Laidlaw, Kamilla M.E.; Berhan, Samuel; Liu, Suhu; Silvestri, Giovannino; Holyoake, Tessa L.; Frank, David A.; Aggarwal, Bharat; Bonner, Michael Y.; Perrotti, Danilo

2016-01-01

The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), including nilotinib, has revolutionized the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However current unmet clinical needs include combating activation of additional survival signaling pathways in persistent leukemia stem cells after long-term TKI therapy. A ubiquitous signaling alteration in cancer, including CML, is activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, which may potentiate stem cell activity and mediate resistance to both conventional chemotherapy and targeted inhibitors. We have developed a novel nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase inhibitor, imipramine blue (IB) that targets ROS generation. ROS levels are known to be elevated in CML with respect to normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and not corrected by TKI. We demonstrate that IB has additive benefit with nilotinib in inhibiting proliferation, viability, and clonogenic function of TKI-insensitive quiescent CD34+ CML chronic phase (CP) cells while normal CD34+ cells retained their clonogenic capacity in response to this combination therapy in vitro. Mechanistically, the pro-apoptotic activity of IB likely resides in part through its dual ability to block NF-κB and re-activate the tumor suppressor protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Combining BCR-ABL1 kinase inhibition with NADPH oxidase blockade may be beneficial in eradication of CML and worthy of further investigation. PMID:27438151

ARC: A compact, high-field, disassemblable fusion nuclear science facility and demonstration power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Sorbom, Brandon; Ball, Justin; Palmer, Timothy; Mangiarotti, Franco; Sierchio, Jennifer; Bonoli, Paul; Kasten, Cale; Sutherland, Derek; Barnard, Harold; Haakonsen, Christian; Goh, Jon; Sung, Choongki; Whyte, Dennis

2014-10-01

The Affordable, Robust, Compact (ARC) reactor conceptual design aims to reduce the size, cost, and complexity of a combined Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) and demonstration fusion pilot power plant. ARC is a 270 MWe tokamak reactor with a major radius of 3.3 m, a minor radius of 1.1 m, and an on-axis magnetic field of 9.2 T. ARC has Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) superconducting toroidal field coils with joints to allow disassembly, allowing for removal and replacement of the vacuum vessel as a single component. Inboard-launched current drive of 25 MW LHRF power and 13.6 MW ICRF power is used to provide a robust, steady state core plasma far from disruptive limits. ARC uses an all-liquid blanket, consisting of low pressure, slowly flowing Fluorine Lithium Beryllium (FLiBe) molten salt. The liquid blanket acts as a working fluid, coolant, and tritium breeder, and minimizes the solid material that can become activated. The large temperature range over which FLiBe is liquid permits blanket operation at 800-900 K with single phase fluid cooling and allows use of a high-efficiency Brayton cycle for electricity production in the secondary coolant loop.

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 in situ vapour phase hydrothermal surface doping approach for fabrication of high performance Co3O4 electrocatalysts with an exceptionally high S-doped active surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Zhijin; Liu, Porun; Zhang, Haimin; Wang, Yun; Al-Mamun, Mohammad; Yang, Hua Gui; Wang, Dan; Tang, Zhiyong; Zhao, Huijun

2015-04-04

A facile in situ vapour phase hydrothermal (VPH) surface doping approach has been developed for fabrication of high performance S-doped Co3O4 electrocatalysts with an unprecedentedly high surface S content (>47%). The demonstrated VPH doping approach could be useful for enrichment of surface active sites for other metal oxide electrocatalysts.

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

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Highly Active Electrocatalysts for High-Energy Density, Aqueous Zinc-Polyiodide Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Liu, Jian; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Wei; Reed, David; Liu, Jun; McGrail, Pete; Sprenkle, Vincent

2016-07-13

The new aqueous zinc-polyiodide redox flow battery (RFB) system with highly soluble active materials as well as ambipolar and bifunctional designs demonstrated significantly enhanced energy density, which shows great potential to reduce RFB cost. However, the poor kinetic reversibility and electrochemical activity of the redox reaction of I3(-)/I(-) couples on graphite felts (GFs) electrode can result in low energy efficiency. Two nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), MIL-125-NH2 and UiO-66-CH3, that have high surface areas when introduced to GF surfaces accelerated the I3(-)/I(-) redox reaction. The flow cell with MOF-modified GFs serving as a positive electrode showed higher energy efficiency than the pristine GFs; increases of about 6.4% and 2.7% occurred at the current density of 30 mA/cm(2) for MIL-125-NH2 and UiO-66-CH3, respectively. Moreover, UiO-66-CH3 is more promising due to its excellent chemical stability in the weakly acidic electrolyte. This letter highlights a way for MOFs to be used in the field of RFBs.

US/Japan Cooperation in High Energy Physics. Review of activities, 1988--1993

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-11-16

The objective of the Implementing Arrangement was to further the energy programs of both countries by establishing a framework for cooperation in the field of high energy physics, including research, accelerator and detector instrumentation research and development, the fabrication and subsequent use of new experimental devices and facilities, and related joint efforts as may be mutually agreed. Over the years, this cooperation has been very effective and has strengthened the overall collaborative efforts and the understanding between our nations and their citizens. It has demonstrated to the world our ability to work together to attack difficult problems. High Energy Physics goes across national borders; the bond is clearly intellectual and common ground is shared for the benefit of all in a most effective manner. This review covers the activities conducted under the aegis of the US/Japan Committee for Cooperation in High Energy Physics during the past five years (1988--1993). This was the second such US review of the US/Japan cooperative activities; the first was held in 1987.

Flute type micropores activated carbon from cotton stalk for high performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Xun; Ma, Hongru; Li, Zhe; Yan, Shaocun; Ma, Lei; Yu, Feng; Wang, Gang; Guo, Xuhong; Ma, Yanqing; Wong, Chingping

2017-08-01

Flute type micropores activated carbon (FTMAC) has been successfully obtained from cotton stalk via KOH-chemical activation method. The synthesized carbon material exhibits an ordered pore structure with high specific surface area of 1964.46 m2 g-1 and pore volume of 1.03 m3 g-1. The assembled FTMAC-based electrode delivers a high specific capacitance of 254 F g-1 at a current density of 0.2 A g-1 in 1 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. It still can maintain 221 F g-1at a current density of 10 A g-1, demonstrating a good rate capacity (87% retention), as well as long cyclic stability of 96% capacitance retention after 10000 charging and discharging cycles at current density of 1 A g-1. Moreover, the symmetric supercapacitor can deliver a high energy density of 18.14 W h kg-1 and a power density of 450.37 W kg-1 which is operated in the voltage range of 0-1.8 V.

Western Canada: high prices, high activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savidant, S

2000-01-01

The forces responsible for the high drilling and exploration activity in Western Canada (recent high prices, excess pipeline capacity, and the promise of as yet undiscovered natural gas resources) are discussed. Supply and demand signposts, among them weather impacts, political response by governments, the high demand for rigs and services, the intense competition for land, the scarcity of qualified human resources, are reviewed/. The geological potential of Western Canada, the implications of falling average pool sizes, the industry's ability to catch up to increasing declines, are explored. The disappearance of easy large discoveries, rising development costs involved in smaller, more complex hence more expensive pools are assessed and the Canadian equity and capital markets are reviewed. The predicted likely outcome of all the above factors is fewer players, increasing expectation of higher returns, and more discipline among the remaining players

High-throughput mapping of brain-wide activity in awake and drug-responsive vertebrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Xudong; Wang, Shiqi; Yu, Xudong; Liu, Zhuguo; Wang, Fei; Li, Wai Tsun; Cheng, Shuk Han; Dai, Qiuyun; Shi, Peng

2015-02-07

The reconstruction of neural activity across complete neural circuits, or brain activity mapping, has great potential in both fundamental and translational neuroscience research. Larval zebrafish, a vertebrate model, has recently been demonstrated to be amenable to whole brain activity mapping in behaving animals. Here we demonstrate a microfluidic array system ("Fish-Trap") that enables high-throughput mapping of brain-wide activity in awake larval zebrafish. Unlike the commonly practiced larva-processing methods using a rigid gel or a capillary tube, which are laborious and time-consuming, the hydrodynamic design of our microfluidic chip allows automatic, gel-free, and anesthetic-free processing of tens of larvae for microscopic imaging with single-cell resolution. Notably, this system provides the capability to directly couple pharmaceutical stimuli with real-time recording of neural activity in a large number of animals, and the local and global effects of pharmacoactive drugs on the nervous system can be directly visualized and evaluated by analyzing drug-induced functional perturbation within or across different brain regions. Using this technology, we tested a set of neurotoxin peptides and obtained new insights into how to exploit neurotoxin derivatives as therapeutic agents. The novel and versatile "Fish-Trap" technology can be readily unitized to study other stimulus (optical, acoustic, or physical) associated functional brain circuits using similar experimental strategies.

Is it possible to demonstrate compliance with the regulations for high-level-waste repositories?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingham, F.W.

1992-01-01

The regulations that currently govern repositories for spent fuel and high-level waste require demonstrations that are sometimes described as impossible to make. To make them will require an understanding of the current and the future phenomena at repository sites; it will also require credible estimates of the probabilities that the phenomena will occur in the distant future. Experts in many fields emdash earth sciences, statistics, numerical modeling, and the law emdash have questioned whether any amount of data collection can allow modelers to meet these requirements with enough confidence to satisfy the regulators. In recent years some performance assessments have begun to shed light on this question because they use results of actual site investigations. Although these studies do not settle the question definitively, a review of a recent total-system assessment suggests that compliance may be possible to demonstrate. The review also suggests, however, that the demonstration can be only at the ''reasonable'' levels of assurance mentioned, but not defined, in the regulations

Electric vehicle demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouellet, M. [National Centre for Advanced Transportation, Saint-Jerome, PQ (Canada)

2010-07-01

The desirable characteristics of Canadian projects that demonstrate vehicle use in real-world operation and the appropriate mechanism to collect and disseminate the monitoring data were discussed in this presentation. The scope of the project was on passenger cars and light duty trucks operating in plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) or battery electric vehicle modes. The presentation also discussed the funding, stakeholders involved, Canadian travel pattern analysis, regulatory framework, current and recent electric vehicle demonstration projects, and project guidelines. It was concluded that some demonstration project activities may have been duplicated as communication between the proponents was insufficient. It was recommended that data monitoring using automatic data logging with minimum reliance on logbooks and other user entry should be emphasized. figs.

Large-Area High-Performance Flexible Pressure Sensor with Carbon Nanotube Active Matrix for Electronic Skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Nela, Luca; Tang, Jianshi; Cao, Qing; Tulevski, George; Han, Shu-Jen

2018-03-14

Artificial "electronic skin" is of great interest for mimicking the functionality of human skin, such as tactile pressure sensing. Several important performance metrics include mechanical flexibility, operation voltage, sensitivity, and accuracy, as well as response speed. In this Letter, we demonstrate a large-area high-performance flexible pressure sensor built on an active matrix of 16 × 16 carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (CNT TFTs). Made from highly purified solution tubes, the active matrix exhibits superior flexible TFT performance with high mobility and large current density, along with a high device yield of nearly 99% over 4 inch sample area. The fully integrated flexible pressure sensor operates within a small voltage range of 3 V and shows superb performance featuring high spatial resolution of 4 mm, faster response than human skin (<30 ms), and excellent accuracy in sensing complex objects on both flat and curved surfaces. This work may pave the road for future integration of high-performance electronic skin in smart robotics and prosthetic solutions.

New quinoline derivatives demonstrate a promising antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro and Plasmodium berghei in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Roberta Reis; da Silva, José Marcio Fernandes; Carlos, Bianca Cecheto; da Fonseca, Camila Campos; de Souza, Laila Salomé Araújo; Lopes, Fernanda Valério; de Paula Dias, Rafael Mafra; Moreira, Paulo Otávio Lourenço; Abramo, Clarice; Viana, Gustavo Henrique Ribeiro; de Pila Varotti, Fernando; da Silva, Adilson David; Scopel, Kézia Katiani Gorza

2015-06-01

Malaria continues to be an important public health problem in the world. Nowadays, the widespread parasite resistance to many drugs used in antimalarial therapy has made the effective treatment of cases and control of the disease a constant challenge. Therefore, the discovery of new molecules with good antimalarial activity and tolerance to human use can be really important in the further treatment of the disease. In this study we have investigated the antiplasmodial activity of 10 synthetic compounds derived from quinoline, five of them combined to sulfonamide and five to the hydrazine or hydrazide group. The compounds were evaluated according to their cytotoxicity against HepG2 and HeLa cell lines, their antimalarial activity against CQ-sensitive and CQ-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains and, finally, their schizonticide blood action in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65. The compounds exhibited no cytotoxic action in HepG2 and HeLa cell lines when tested up to a concentration of 100 μg/mL. In addition, the hydrazine or hydrazide derivative compounds were less cytotoxic against cell lines and more active against CQ-sensitive and CQ-resistant P. falciparum strains, showing high SI (>1000 when SI was calculated using the CC50 from the 3D7 strain as reference). When tested in vivo, the hydrazine derivative 1f compound showed activity against the development of blood parasites similar to that observed with CQ, the reference drug. Interestingly, the 1f compound demonstrated the best LipE value (4.84) among all those tested in vivo. Considering the in vitro and in vivo activities of the compounds studied here and the LipE values, we believe the 1f compound to be the most promising molecule for further studies in antimalarial chemotherapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploratory Characterization of Phenolic Compounds with Demonstrated Anti-Diabetic Activity in Guava Leaves at Different Oxidation States

OpenAIRE

D?az-de-Cerio, Elixabet; Verardo, Vito; G?mez-Caravaca, Ana Mar?a; Fern?ndez-Guti?rrez, Alberto; Segura-Carretero, Antonio

2016-01-01

Psidium guajava L. is widely used like food and in folk medicine all around the world. Many studies have demonstrated that guava leaves have anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities, among others, and that these activities belong mainly to phenolic compounds, although it is known that phenolic composition in guava tree varies throughout seasonal changes. Andalusia is one of the regions in Europe where guava is grown, thus, the aim of this work was to study the phenolic compounds ...

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY IDENTIFICATION, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, DEPLOYMENT AND EXCHANGE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roy C. Herndon

2001-02-28

Cooperative Agreement (DE-FC21-95EW55101) between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Florida State University's Institute for International Cooperative Environmental Research (IICER) was designed to facilitate a number of joint programmatic goals of both the DOE and the IICER related to international technology identification, development, demonstration and deployment using a variety of mechanisms to accomplish these goals. These mechanisms included: laboratory and field research; technology demonstrations; international training and technical exchanges; data collection, synthesis and evaluation; the conduct of conferences, symposia and high-level meetings; and other appropriate and effective approaches. The DOE utilized the expertise and facilities of the IICER at Florida State University to accomplish its goals related to this cooperative agreement. The IICER has unique and demonstrated capabilities that have been utilized to conduct the tasks for this cooperative agreement. The IICER conducted activities related to technology identification, development, evaluation, demonstration and deployment through its joint centers which link the capabilities at Florida State University with collaborating academic and leading research institutions in the major countries of Central and Eastern Europe (e.g., Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland) and Russia. The activities and accomplishments for this five-year cooperative agreement are summarized in this Final Technical Report.

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.

Innovative technology demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1992-04-01

The Innovative Technology Demonstration (ITD) program at Tinker Air Force Base (TAFB), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, will demonstrate the overall utility and effectiveness of innovative technologies for site characterization, monitoring, and remediation of selected contaminated test sites. The current demonstration test sites include a CERCLA site on the NPL list, located under a building (Building 3001) that houses a large active industrial complex used for rebuilding military aircraft, and a site beneath and surrounding an abandoned underground tank vault used for storage of jet fuels and solvents. The site under Building 3001 (the NW Test Site) is contaminated with TCE and Cr +6 ; the site with the fuel storage vault (the SW Tanks Site) is contaminated with fuels, BTEX and TCE. These sites and others have been identified for cleanup under the Air Force's Installation Restoration Program (IRP). This document describes the demonstrations that have been conducted or are planned for the TAFB

A preliminary demonstration of "virtual warehousing" and cross-docking technique with active RFID combined with asset tracking equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

The University of Denvers Intermodal Transportation Institute and System Planning : Corporations GlobalTrak system have successfully demonstrated the integration of GPS : tracking and active RFID monitoring of simulated cargo of pallet and cart...

Solidification of highly active wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, J.B.

1986-07-01

This document contains the annual reports for the contracts: (A) Glass Technology; (B) Calcination of Highly Active Waste Liquors; (C) Formation and Trapping of Volatile Ruthenium; (D) Deposition of Ruthenium; (E) Enhancement of Off-Gas Aerosol Collection; (F) Volatilisation of Cs, Tc and Te in High Level Waste Vitrification. (author)

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.A. Sagar

2015-12-01

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

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.

Immobilization of simulated high-level radioactive waste in borosilicate glass: Pilot scale demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, J.A.; Hutson, N.D.; Zamecnik, J.R.; Carter, J.T.

1991-01-01

The Integrated DWPF Melter System (IDMS), operated by the Savannah River Laboratory, is a pilot scale facility used in support of the start-up and operation of the Department of Energy's Defense Waste Processing Facility. The IDMS has successfully demonstrated, on an engineering scale (one-fifth), that simulated high level radioactive waste (HLW) sludge can be chemically treated with formic acid to adjust both its chemical and physical properties, and then blended with simulated precipitate hydrolysis aqueous (PHA) product and borosilicate glass frit to produce a melter feed which can be processed into a durable glass product. The simulated sludge, PHA and frit were blended, based on a product composition program, to optimize the loading of the waste glass as well as to minimize those components which can cause melter processing and/or glass durability problems. During all the IDMS demonstrations completed thus far, the melter feed and the resulting glass that has been produced met all the required specifications, which is very encouraging to future DWPF operations. The IDMS operations also demonstrated that the volatile components of the melter feed (e.g., mercury, nitrogen and carbon, and, to a lesser extent, chlorine, fluorine and sulfur) did not adversely affect the melter performance or the glass product

Antimicrobial activity of filamentous fungi isolated from highly antibiotic-contaminated river sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Svahn, K. Stefan; Göransson, Ulf; El-Seedi, Hesham; Bohlin, Lars; Larsson, D.G. Joakim; Olsen, Björn; Chryssanthou, Erja

2012-01-01

Background Filamentous fungi are well known for their production of substances with antimicrobial activities, several of which have formed the basis for the development of new clinically important antimicrobial agents. Recently, environments polluted with extraordinarily high levels of antibiotics have been documented, leading to strong selection pressure on local sentinel bacterial communities. In such microbial ecosystems, where multidrug-resistant bacteria are likely to thrive, it is possible that certain fungal antibiotics have become less efficient, thus encouraging alternative strategies for fungi to compete with bacteria. Methods In this study, sediment of a highly antibiotic-contaminated Indian river was sampled in order to investigate the presence of cultivable filamentous fungi and their ability to produce substances with antimicrobial activity. Results Sixty one strains of filamentous fungi, predominantly various Aspergillus spp. were identified. The majority of the Aspergillus strains displayed antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Bioassay-guided isolation of the secondary metabolites of A. fumigatus led to the identification of gliotoxin. Conclusion This study demonstrated proof of principle of using bioassay-guided isolation for finding bioactive molecules. PMID:22957125

Antimicrobial activity of filamentous fungi isolated from highly antibiotic-contaminated river sediment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Stefan Svahn

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Filamentous fungi are well known for their production of substances with antimicrobial activities, several of which have formed the basis for the development of new clinically important antimicrobial agents. Recently, environments polluted with extraordinarily high levels of antibiotics have been documented, leading to strong selection pressure on local sentinel bacterial communities. In such microbial ecosystems, where multidrug-resistant bacteria are likely to thrive, it is possible that certain fungal antibiotics have become less efficient, thus encouraging alternative strategies for fungi to compete with bacteria. Methods: In this study, sediment of a highly antibiotic-contaminated Indian river was sampled in order to investigate the presence of cultivable filamentous fungi and their ability to produce substances with antimicrobial activity. Results: Sixty one strains of filamentous fungi, predominantly various Aspergillus spp. were identified. The majority of the Aspergillus strains displayed antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Bioassay-guided isolation of the secondary metabolites of A. fumigatus led to the identification of gliotoxin. Conclusion: This study demonstrated proof of principle of using bioassay-guided isolation for finding bioactive molecules.

Phosphine Plasma Activation of α-Fe 2 O 3 for High Energy Asymmetric Supercapacitors

KAUST Repository

Liang, Hanfeng

2018-04-12

We report a phosphine (PH3) plasma activation strategy for significantly boosting the electrochemical performance of supercapacitor electrodes. Using Fe2O3 as a demonstration, we show that the plasma activation simultaneously improves the conductivity, creates atomic-scale vacancies (defects), as well as increases active surface area, and thus leading to a greatly enhanced performance with a high areal capacitance of 340 mF cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2, compared to 66 mF cm-2 of pristine Fe2O3. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor devices based on plasma-activated Fe2O3 anodes and electrodeposited MnO2 cathodes can achieve a high stack energy density of 0.42 mWh cm-3 at a stack power density of 10.3 mW cm-3 along with good stability (88% capacitance retention after 9000 cycles at 10 mA cm-2). Our work provides a simple yet effective strategy to greatly enhance the electrochemical performance of Fe2O3 anodes and to further promote their application in asymmetric supercapacitors.

ARCHER Project: Progress on Material and component activities for the Advanced High Temperature Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckthorpe, D.E.

2014-01-01

The ARCHER (Advanced High-Temperature Reactors for Cogeneration of Heat and Electricity R&D) integrated project is a four year project which was started in 2011 as part of the European Commission 7th Framework Programme (FP7) to perform High Temperature Reactor technology R&D in support of reactor demonstration. The project consortium encompasses conventional and Nuclear Industry, Utilities, Technical Support Organizations, Research & Development Organizations and Academia. The activities involved contribute to the Generation IV (GIF) International Forum and collaborate with related projects in the US, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea in cooperation with IAEA and ISTC. This paper addresses the progress of the work on ARCHER materials and component activities since the start of the project and underlines some of the main conclusions reached. (author)

High-performance wearable supercapacitors fabricated with surface activated continuous filament graphite fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Dedong; Yu, Xin; Chen, Tinghan; Wang, Shu; Tan, Hua; Liu, Hong; Wang, Zhong Lin; Li, Linlin

2017-08-01

Generally, carbon or graphite fibers (GFs) are used as the supporting materials for the preparation of flexible supercapacitors (SCs) by assembling various electrochemically active nanomaterials on them. A facile and rapid electrochemical oxidation method with a voltage of 3 V in a mixed H2SO4-HNO3 solution for 2-15 min is proposed to active continuous filament GFs. Detailed structural characterization, SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman and XPS demonstrate that the GFs-8 (oxidized for 8 min) possessing high specific surface area which provided numerous electrochemical sites and a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups producing pseudocapacitance. Cyclic voltammetric (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are conducted to test the capacitive of GFs and activated GFs. The capacitance of GFs-8 reaches as high as 570 mF cm-1 at the current density of 1 mA cm-1 in LiCl electrolyte, a 1965-fold enhancement with respect to the pristine GFs (0.29 mF cm-1). The fabricated fiber solid-state supercapacitors (SSCs) provide high energy density of 0.68 mWh cm-3 at the power density 3.3 W cm-3 and have excellent durability with 90% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. In addition, such fiber SSCs features flexibility and mechanical stability, which may have wide applications in wearable electronic devices.

Ga-Doped Pt-Ni Octahedral Nanoparticles as a Highly Active and Durable Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, JeongHoon; Shin, Hyeyoung; Kim, MinJoong; Lee, Hoin; Lee, Kug-Seung; Kwon, YongKeun; Song, DongHoon; Oh, SeKwon; Kim, Hyungjun; Cho, EunAe

2018-04-11

Bimetallic PtNi nanoparticles have been considered as a promising electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) owing to their high catalytic activity. However, under typical fuel cell operating conditions, Ni atoms easily dissolve into the electrolyte, resulting in degradation of the catalyst and the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). Here, we report gallium-doped PtNi octahedral nanoparticles on a carbon support (Ga-PtNi/C). The Ga-PtNi/C shows high ORR activity, marking an 11.7-fold improvement in the mass activity (1.24 A mg Pt -1 ) and a 17.3-fold improvement in the specific activity (2.53 mA cm -2 ) compared to the commercial Pt/C (0.106 A mg Pt -1 and 0.146 mA cm -2 ). Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that addition of Ga to octahedral PtNi can cause an increase in the oxygen intermediate binding energy, leading to the enhanced catalytic activity toward ORR. In a voltage-cycling test, the Ga-PtNi/C exhibits superior stability to PtNi/C and the commercial Pt/C, maintaining the initial Ni concentration and octahedral shape of the nanoparticles. Single cell using the Ga-PtNi/C exhibits higher initial performance and durability than those using the PtNi/C and the commercial Pt/C. The majority of the Ga-PtNi nanoparticles well maintain the octahedral shape without agglomeration after the single cell durability test (30,000 cycles). This work demonstrates that the octahedral Ga-PtNi/C can be utilized as a highly active and durable ORR catalyst in practical fuel cell applications.

Unearthing a Well-Defined Highly Active Bimetallic W/Ti Precatalyst Anchored on a Single Silica Surface for Metathesis of Propane

KAUST Repository

Samantaray, Manoja; Kavitake, Santosh Giridhar; Morlanes, Natalia Sanchez; Abou-Hamad, Edy; Hamieh, Ali Imad Ali; Dey, Raju; Basset, Jean-Marie

2017-01-01

Two compatible organometallic complexes, W(Me)(6) (1) and TiNp4 (2), were successively anchored on a highly dehydroxylated single silica support (SiO2-700) to synthesize the well-defined bimetallic precatalyst [(equivalent to Si-O-)W(Me)(5)(equivalent to Si-O-)Ti(Np)(3)] (4). Precatalyst 4 was characterized at the molecular level using advanced surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) characterization techniques. The strong autocorrelation observed between methyl of W and Ti in H-1-H-1 multiple-quantum NMR spectra demonstrates that W and Ti species are in close proximity to each other. The bimetallic precatalyst 4, with a turnover number (TON) of 9784, proved to be significantly more efficient than the silica-supported monometallic catalyst [(equivalent to Si-O-)W(Me)(5)] (3), with a TON of 98, for propane metathesis at 150 degrees C in a flow reactor. The dramatic improvement in the activity signifies the cooperativity between Ti and W and indicates that the key step of alkane metathesis (C-H bond activation followed by beta-H elimination) occurs on Ti, followed by olefin metathesis, which occurs on W. We have demonstrated the influence and importance of proximity of Ti to W for achieving such a significantly high activity. This is the first report demonstrating the considerably high activity (TON = 9784) in propane metathesis at moderate temperature (150 degrees C) using a well-defined bimetallic system prepared via the SOMC approach.

Unearthing a Well-Defined Highly Active Bimetallic W/Ti Precatalyst Anchored on a Single Silica Surface for Metathesis of Propane

KAUST Repository

Samantaray, Manoja

2017-02-10

Two compatible organometallic complexes, W(Me)(6) (1) and TiNp4 (2), were successively anchored on a highly dehydroxylated single silica support (SiO2-700) to synthesize the well-defined bimetallic precatalyst [(equivalent to Si-O-)W(Me)(5)(equivalent to Si-O-)Ti(Np)(3)] (4). Precatalyst 4 was characterized at the molecular level using advanced surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) characterization techniques. The strong autocorrelation observed between methyl of W and Ti in H-1-H-1 multiple-quantum NMR spectra demonstrates that W and Ti species are in close proximity to each other. The bimetallic precatalyst 4, with a turnover number (TON) of 9784, proved to be significantly more efficient than the silica-supported monometallic catalyst [(equivalent to Si-O-)W(Me)(5)] (3), with a TON of 98, for propane metathesis at 150 degrees C in a flow reactor. The dramatic improvement in the activity signifies the cooperativity between Ti and W and indicates that the key step of alkane metathesis (C-H bond activation followed by beta-H elimination) occurs on Ti, followed by olefin metathesis, which occurs on W. We have demonstrated the influence and importance of proximity of Ti to W for achieving such a significantly high activity. This is the first report demonstrating the considerably high activity (TON = 9784) in propane metathesis at moderate temperature (150 degrees C) using a well-defined bimetallic system prepared via the SOMC approach.

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence in Polymers: A New Route toward Highly Efficient Solution Processable OLEDs.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolaenko, Andrey E; Cass, Michael; Bourcet, Florence; Mohamad, David; Roberts, Matthew

2015-11-25

Efficient intermonomer thermally activated delayed fluorescence is demonstrated for the first time, opening a new route to achieving high-efficiency solution processable polymer light-emitting device materials. External quantum efficiency (EQE) of up to 10% is achieved in a simple fully solution-processed device structure, and routes for further EQE improvement identified. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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)

Discovery of a highly selective chemical inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) that allosterically inhibits zymogen activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Scannevin, Robert H; Alexander, Richard; Haarlander, Tara Mezzasalma; Burke, Sharon L; Singer, Monica; Huo, Cuifen; Zhang, Yue-Mei; Maguire, Diane; Spurlino, John; Deckman, Ingrid; Carroll, Karen I; Lewandowski, Frank; Devine, Eric; Dzordzorme, Keli; Tounge, Brett; Milligan, Cindy; Bayoumy, Shariff; Williams, Robyn; Schalk-Hihi, Celine; Leonard, Kristi; Jackson, Paul; Todd, Matthew; Kuo, Lawrence C; Rhodes, Kenneth J

2017-10-27

Aberrant activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is a common feature of pathological cascades observed in diverse disorders, such as cancer, fibrosis, immune dysregulation, and neurodegenerative diseases. MMP-9, in particular, is highly dynamically regulated in several pathological processes. Development of MMP inhibitors has therefore been an attractive strategy for therapeutic intervention. However, a long history of failed clinical trials has demonstrated that broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors have limited clinical utility, which has spurred the development of inhibitors selective for individual MMPs. Attaining selectivity has been technically challenging because of sequence and structural conservation across the various MMPs. Here, through a biochemical and structural screening paradigm, we have identified JNJ0966, a highly selective compound that inhibited activation of MMP-9 zymogen and subsequent generation of catalytically active enzyme. JNJ0966 had no effect on MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, or MMP-14 catalytic activity and did not inhibit activation of the highly related MMP-2 zymogen. The molecular basis for this activity was characterized as an interaction of JNJ0966 with a structural pocket in proximity to the MMP-9 zymogen cleavage site near Arg-106, which is distinct from the catalytic domain. JNJ0966 was efficacious in reducing disease severity in a mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model, demonstrating the viability of this therapeutic approach. This discovery reveals an unprecedented pharmacological approach to MMP inhibition, providing an opportunity to improve selectivity of future clinical drug candidates. Targeting zymogen activation in this manner may also allow for pharmaceutical exploration of other enzymes previously viewed as intractable drug targets. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Facile synthesis of highly active PdAu nanowire networks as self-supported electrocatalyst for ethanol electrooxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Wei; Wang, Jin; Wang, Erkang

2014-06-25

In recent years, direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are attracting increasing attention owing to their wide applications. However, a significant challenge in the development of DEFC technology is the urgent need for highly active anode catalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction. In this work, a facile and reproducible method for the high-yield synthesis of PdAu nanowire networks is demonstrated. The whole synthetic process is very simple, just mixing Na2PdCl4, HAuCl4, and KBr in an aqueous solution and using polyvinylpyrrolidone as a protective reagent while sodium borohydride as a reductant. The whole synthetic process can be simply performed at room temperature and completed in 30 min, which can greatly simplify the synthetic process and lower the preparation cost. Electrochemical catalytic measurement results prove that the as-prepared catalysts exhibit dramatically enhanced electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline solution. The facile synthetic process and excellent catalytic performance of the as-prepared catalysts demonstrate that they can be used as a promising catalyst for DEFCs.

High activity gamma irradiators developed in Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stenger, V.

1997-01-01

The development of high activity Gamma irradiators began in Hungary already in the early years of 60s. The very first designs were serving research in irradiation chemistry, radiation physics, food and agricultural research, radiation sterilization, plastic radiation chemistry, radiobiology, cancer therapy, personal and high dose dosimetry, following the international trends. Domestic and new international demands forced us to design and construct High Activity Gamma Irradiators: Multipurpose Pilot, Portable and Large scale bulk, Multipurpose Industrial scale types

The associations among fundamental movement skills, self-reported physical activity and academic performance during junior high school in Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaakkola, Timo; Hillman, Charles; Kalaja, Sami; Liukkonen, Jarmo

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyse the longitudinal associations between (1) fundamental movement skills (FMSs) and academic performance, and (2) self-reported physical activity and academic performance through junior high school in Finland. The participants of the study were 325 Finnish students (162 girls and 163 boys), who were 13 years old at the beginning of the study at Grade 7. Students performed three FMS tests and responded to a self-reported physical activity questionnaire at Grades 7 and 8. Marks in Finnish language, mathematics and history from Grades 7, 8 and 9 were collected. Structural equation modelling with multigroup method demonstrated that in the boys' group, a correlation (0.17) appeared between FMS and academic performance measured at Grade 7. The results also indicated that FMS collected at Grade 8 were significantly but weakly (path coefficient 0.14) associated with academic performance at Grade 9 for both gender groups. Finally, the results of this study demonstrated that self-reported physical activity was not significantly related to academic performance during junior high school. The findings of this study suggest that mastery of FMS may contribute to better student achievement during junior high school.

Highly Stable and Active Catalyst for Sabatier Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jianli; Brooks, Kriston P.

2012-01-01

Highly active Ru/TiO2 catalysts for Sabatier reaction have been developed. The catalysts have shown to be stable under repeated shutting down/startup conditions. When the Ru/TiO2 catalyst is coated on the engineered substrate Fe-CrAlY felt, activity enhancement is more than doubled when compared with an identically prepared engineered catalyst made from commercial Degussa catalyst. Also, bimetallic Ru-Rh/TiO2 catalysts show high activity at high throughput.

High-surface-area active carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Grady, T.M.; Wennerberg, A.N.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the preparation and properties of a unique active carbon having exceptionally high surface areas, over 2500 m 2 /gm, and extraordinary adsorptive capacities. The carbon is made by a direct chemical activation route in which petroleum coke or other carbonaceous sources are reacted with excess potassium hydroxide at 400 0 to 500 0 C to an intermediate product that is subsequently pyrolyzed at 800 0 to 900 0 C to active carbon containing potassium salts. These are removed by water washing and the carbon is dried to produce a powdered product. A granular carbon can also be made by further processing the powdered carbon by using specialized granulation techniques. Typical properties of the carbon include Iodine Numbers of 3000 to 3600, methylene blue adsorption of 650 to 750 mg/gm, pore volumes of 2.0 to 2.6 cc/gm and less than 3.0% ash. This carbon's high adsorption capacities make it uniquely suited for numerous demanding applications in the medical area, purifications, removal of toxic substances, as catalyst carriers, etc

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.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, C. K.

1975-01-01

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

Aloe vera Derived Activated High-Surface-Area Carbon for Flexible and High-Energy Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Karnan, M; Subramani, K; Sudhan, N; Ilayaraja, N; Sathish, M

2016-12-28

Materials which possess high specific capacitance in device configuration with low cost are essential for viable application in supercapacitors. Herein, a flexible high-energy supercapacitor device was fabricated using porous activated high-surface-area carbon derived from aloe leaf (Aloe vera) as a precursor. The A. vera derived activated carbon showed mesoporous nature with high specific surface area of ∼1890 m 2 /g. A high specific capacitance of 410 and 306 F/g was achieved in three-electrode and symmetric two-electrode system configurations in aqueous electrolyte, respectively. The fabricated all-solid-state device showed a high specific capacitance of 244 F/g with an energy density of 8.6 Wh/kg. In an ionic liquid electrolyte, the fabricated device showed a high specific capacitance of 126 F/g and a wide potential window up to 3 V, which results in a high energy density of 40 Wh/kg. Furthermore, it was observed that the activation temperature has significant role in the electrochemical performance, as the activated sample at 700 °C showed best activity than the samples activated at 600 and 800 °C. The electron microscopic images (FE-SEM and HR-TEM) confirmed the formation of pores by the chemical activation. A fabricated supercapacitor device in ionic liquid with 3 V could power up a red LED for 30 min upon charging for 20s. Also, it is shown that the operation voltage and capacitance of flexible all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors fabricated using aloe-derived activated carbon could be easily tuned by series and parallel combinations. The performance of fabricated supercapacitor devices using A. vera derived activated carbon in all-solid-state and ionic liquid indicates their viable applications in flexible devices and energy storage.

Demonstration of physical phenomenas and scavenging activity from d-psicose and methionine maillard reaction products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arum Tiyas Suminar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Maillard reaction has been well understood as a non-enzymatic reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids to generate the Maillard reaction products (MRPs. This study is aimed to demonstrate the browning intensity, color development, spectra measurements, scavenging activity, and the correlation between browning intensity and scavenging activity of the MRPs generated from D-Psicose and Methionine (Psi-Met at 50℃. The browning intensity of MRPs was investigated based on the absorbance using spectrophotometer at 420 nm, the color development was observed using digital colorimeter to gained L*a*b* value then calculated as browning index, the spectra development was analyzed using spectrophotometer at 190 - 750 nm, and the scavenging activity was determined with ABTS method using spectrophotometer at 734 nm. The browning intensity, color development, and scavenging activity were improved along with the increase in heating process. Based on spectra analysis, MRPs from Psi-Met was initially detected at 21 h and Psi at 24 h of heating treatment, which indicating that Psi-Met have faster and better reaction than Psi during heating process. Positive non-linear and significant correlation between browning intensity and scavenging activity were assigned. This finding may provide beneficial information of D-psicose and MRPs to the next scientific research and to the food industries which applies MRPs in their products.

Production of high-specific activity radionuclides using SM high-flux reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karelin, Ye.A.; Toporov, Yu.G.; Filimonov, V.T.; Vakhetov, F.Z.; Tarasov, V.A.; Kuznetsov, R.A.; Lebedev, V.M.; Andreev, O.I.; Melnik, M.I.; Gavrilov, V.D.

1997-01-01

The development of High Specific Activity (HSA) radionuclides production technologies is one of the directions of RIAR activity, and the high flux research reactor SM, having neutron flux density up to 2.10 15 cm -2 s 1 in a wide range of neutron spectra hardness, plays the principal role in this development. The use of a high-flux reactor for radionuclide production provides the following advantages: production of radionuclides with extremely high specific activity, decreasing of impurities content in irradiated targets (both radioactive and non-radioactive), cost-effective use of expensive isotopically enriched target materials. The production technologies of P-33, Gd-153, W-188, Ni-63, Fe-55,59, Sn-113,117m,119m, Sr- 89, applied in industry, nuclear medicine, research, etc, were developed by RIAR during the last 5-10 years. The research work included the development of calculation procedures for radionuclide reactor accumulation forecast, experimental determination of neutron cross-sections, the development of irradiated materials reprocessing procedures, isolation and purification of radionuclides. The principal results are reviewed in the paper. (authors)

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okeson, J.K.; Galloway, R.M.; Wilhite, E.L.; Woolsey, G.B.; Ferguson, R.B.

1980-01-01

A small-scale demonstration of the high-level radioactive waste solidification process by vitrification in borosilicate glass is being conducted using 5-6 liter batches of actual waste. Equipment performance and processing characteristics of the various unit operations in the process are reported and, where appropriate, are compared to large-scale results obtained with synthetic waste

Design of equipment used for high-level waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vance, R.F.; Brill, B.A.; Carl, D.E.

1997-06-01

The equipment as designed, started, and operated for high-level radioactive waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project in western New York State is described. Equipment for the processes of melter feed make-up, vitrification, canister handling, and off-gas treatment are included. For each item of equipment the functional requirements, process description, and hardware descriptions are presented

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.

High efficiency of CO2-activated graphite felt as electrode for vanadium redox flow battery application

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yu-Chung; Chen, Jian-Yu; Kabtamu, Daniel Manaye; Lin, Guan-Yi; Hsu, Ning-Yih; Chou, Yi-Sin; Wei, Hwa-Jou; Wang, Chen-Hao

2017-10-01

A simple method for preparing CO2-activated graphite felt as an electrode in a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) was employed by the direct treatment in a CO2 atmosphere at a high temperature for a short period. The CO2-activated graphite felt demonstrates excellent electrochemical activity and reversibility. The VRFB using the CO2-activated graphite felts in the electrodes has coulombic, voltage, and energy efficiencies of 94.52%, 88.97%, and 84.15%, respectively, which is much higher than VRFBs using the electrodes of untreated graphite felt and N2-activated graphite felt. The efficiency enhancement was attributed to the higher number of oxygen-containing functional groups on the graphite felt that are formed during the CO2-activation, leading to improving the electrochemical behaviour of the resultant VRFB.

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-activity liquid packaging design criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-05-01

In recent studies, it has been acknowledged that there is an emerging need for packaging to transport high-activity liquid off the Hanford Site to support characterization and process development activities of liquid waste stored in underground tanks. These studies have dealt with specimen testing needs primarily at the Hanford Site; however, similar needs appear to be developing at other US Department of Energy (DOE) sites. The need to ship single and multiple specimens to offsite laboratories is anticipated because it is predicted that onsite laboratories will be overwhelmed by an increasing number and size (volume) of samples. Potentially, the specimen size could range from 250 mL to greater than 50 L. Presently, no certified Type-B packagings are available for transport of high-activity liquid radioactive specimens in sizes to support Site missions

Hanford Low-Activity Waste Processing: Demonstration of the Off-Gas Recycle Flowsheet - 13443

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramsey, William G.; Esparza, Brian P. [Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC, Richland, WA 99532 (United States)

2013-07-01

Vitrification of Hanford Low-Activity Waste (LAW) is nominally the thermal conversion and incorporation of sodium salts and radionuclides into borosilicate glass. One key radionuclide present in LAW is technetium-99. Technetium-99 is a low energy, long-lived beta emitting radionuclide present in the waste feed in concentrations on the order of 1-10 ppm. The long half-life combined with a high solubility in groundwater results in technetium-99 having considerable impact on performance modeling (as potential release to the environment) of both the waste glass and associated secondary waste products. The current Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) process flowsheet calls for the recycle of vitrification process off-gas condensates to maximize the portion of technetium ultimately immobilized in the waste glass. This is required as technetium acts as a semi-volatile specie, i.e. considerable loss of the radionuclide to the process off-gas stream can occur during the vitrification process. To test the process flowsheet assumptions, a prototypic off-gas system with recycle capability was added to a laboratory melter (on the order of 1/200 scale) and testing performed. Key test goals included determination of the process mass balance for technetium, a non-radioactive surrogate (rhenium), and other soluble species (sulfate, halides, etc.) which are concentrated by recycling off-gas condensates. The studies performed are the initial demonstrations of process recycle for this type of liquid-fed melter system. This paper describes the process recycle system, the waste feeds processed, and experimental results. Comparisons between data gathered using process recycle and previous single pass melter testing as well as mathematical modeling simulations are also provided. (authors)

Development plan. High activity-long living wastes project. Abstract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This brochure presents the actions that the ANDRA (the French national agency of radioactive wastes) has to implement in the framework of the project of high activity-long living (HALL) radioactive wastes (HAVL project) conformably to the requirements of the program defined in the law from June 28, 2006 (law no 2006-739). This law precises the three, complementary, research paths to explore for the management of this type of wastes: separation and transmutation of long-living radioactive elements, reversible disposal in deep geologic underground, and long duration storage. The ANDRA's action concerns the geologic disposal aspect. The following points are presented: the HALL wastes and their containers, the reversible disposal procedure, the HAVL project: financing of researches, storage concepts, development plan of the project (dynamics, information and dialogue approach, input data, main steps, schedule); the nine programs of the HAVL project (laboratory experiments and demonstration tests, surface survey, scientific program, simulation program, surface engineering studies and technological tests, information and communication program, program of environment and facilities surface observation and monitoring, waste packages management, monitoring and transport program, disposal program); the five transverse technical and scientific activities (safety, reversibility, cost, health and occupational safety, impact study). (J.S.)

Protective Effects of Ferulic Acid on High Glucose-Induced Protein Glycation, Lipid Peroxidation, and Membrane Ion Pump Activity in Human Erythrocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weerachat Sompong

Full Text Available Ferulic acid (FA is the ubiquitous phytochemical phenolic derivative of cinnamic acid. Experimental studies in diabetic models demonstrate that FA possesses multiple mechanisms of action associated with anti-hyperglycemic activity. The mechanism by which FA prevents diabetes-associated vascular damages remains unknown. The aim of study was to investigate the protective effects of FA on protein glycation, lipid peroxidation, membrane ion pump activity, and phosphatidylserine exposure in high glucose-exposed human erythrocytes. Our results demonstrated that FA (10-100 μM significantly reduced the levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c whereas 0.1-100 μM concentrations inhibited lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes exposed to 45 mM glucose. This was associated with increased glucose consumption. High glucose treatment also caused a significant reduction in Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the erythrocyte plasma membrane which could be reversed by FA. Furthermore, we found that FA (0.1-100 μM prevented high glucose-induced phosphatidylserine exposure. These findings provide insights into a novel mechanism of FA for the prevention of vascular dysfunction associated with diabetes.

Activities of everyday life with high spinal loads.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonius Rohlmann

Full Text Available Activities with high spinal loads should be avoided by patients with back problems. Awareness about these activities and knowledge of the associated loads are important for the proper design and pre-clinical testing of spinal implants. The loads on an instrumented vertebral body replacement have been telemetrically measured for approximately 1000 combinations of activities and parameters in 5 patients over a period up to 65 months postoperatively. A database containing, among others, extreme values for load components in more than 13,500 datasets was searched for 10 activities that cause the highest resultant force, bending moment, torsional moment, or shear force in an anatomical direction. The following activities caused high resultant forces: lifting a weight from the ground, forward elevation of straight arms with a weight in hands, moving a weight laterally in front of the body with hanging arms, changing the body position, staircase walking, tying shoes, and upper body flexion. All activities have in common that the center of mass of the upper body was moved anteriorly. Forces up to 1650 N were measured for these activities of daily life. However, there was a large intra- and inter-individual variation in the implant loads for the various activities depending on how exercises were performed. Measured shear forces were usually higher in the posterior direction than in the anterior direction. Activities with high resultant forces usually caused high values of other load components.

Binder-free activated graphene compact films for all-solid-state micro-supercapacitors with high areal and volumetric capacitances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Zhong Shuai; Yang, Sheng; Zhang, Lili

2015-01-01

Micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) hold great promise as highly competitive miniaturized power sources satisfying the increased demand in microelectronics; however, simultaneously achieving high areal and volumetric capacitances is still a great challenge. Here we demonstrated the designed construction...... of binder-free, electrically conductive, nanoporous activated graphene (AG) compact films for high-performance MSCs. The binder-free AG films are fabricated by alternating deposition of electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EG) and nanoporous AG with a high specific surface area of 2920 m2/g, and then dry...

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

Decommissioning experience of the Japan power demonstration reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshi, T.; Yanagihara, S.; Tachibana, M.; Momma, T.

1992-01-01

Actual dismantling of the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) has been progressing since 1986 aiming to make stage 3 condition as the final goal. Such highly activated components as the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and the inner portion of biological shield concrete close to the RPV have removed using the remotely operated cutting machines. Useful data on the dismantling techniques and their safety as well as the manpower expenditure and radiation exposure of workers have been obtained. Experiences gained through the dismantling works are described in this paper. (author)

High social desirability and prefrontal cortical activity in cancer patients: a preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tashiro, Manabu; Juengling, Freimut D; Moser, Ernst; Reinhardt, Michael J; Kubota, Kazuo; Yanai, Kazuhiko; Sasaki, Hidetada; Nitzsche, Egbert U; Kumano, Hiroaki; Itoh, Masatoshi

2003-04-01

Social desirability is sometimes associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. Psycho-neuro-immune interaction has been hypothesized as an underlying mechanism of the negative clinical outcome. Purpose of this study was to examine possible effects of high social desirability on the regional brain activity in patients with malignant diseases. Brain metabolism of 16 patients with various malignant diseases was measured by PET with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Patients were divided into 2 groups using median split on Marlowe & Crown's Social Desirability Scale (MC), controlling for age, gender, and for severity of depression and anxiety, the possible two major influential factors. A group comparison of the regional cerebral activity was calculated on a voxel-by-voxel basis using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The subgroup comparison showed that the high social desirability was associated with relatively increased metabolism in the cortical regions in the prefrontal, temporal and occipital lobes as well as in the anterior cingulate gyrus. High social desirability seems to be associated with increased activity in the prefrontal and other cortical areas. The finding is in an accordance with previous studies that demonstrated an association between prefrontal damage and anti-social behavior. Functional neuroimaging seems to be useful not only for psychiatric evaluation of major factors such as depression and anxiety but also for further psychosocial factors in cancer patients.

Demonstration of pyropartitioning process by using genuine high-level liquid waste. Reductive-extraction of actinide elements from chlorination product

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uozumi, Koichi; Iizuka, Masatoshi; Kurata, Masaki; Ougier, Michel; Malmbeck, Rikard; Winckel, Stefaan van

2009-01-01

The pyropartitioning process separates the minor actinide elements (MAs) together with uranium and plutonium from the high-level liquid waste generated at the Purex reprocessing of spent LWR fuel and introduces them to metallic fuel cycle. For the demonstration of this technology, a series experiment using 520g of genuine high-level liquid waste was started and the conversion of actinide elements to their chlorides was already demonstrated by denitration and chlorination. In the present study, a reductive extraction experiment in molten salt/liquid cadmium system to recover actinide elements from the chlorination product of the genuine high-level liquid waste was performed. The results of the experiment are as following; 1) By the addition of the cadmium-lithium alloy reductant, almost all of plutonium and MAs in the initial high-level liquid waste were recovered in the cadmium phase. It means no mass loss during denitration, chlorination, and reductive-extraction. 2) The separation factor values of plutonium, MAs, and rare-earth fission product elements versus uranium agreed with the literature values. Therefore, actinide elements will be separated from fission product elements in the actual system. Hence, the pyropartitioning process was successfully demonstrated. (author)

High glucose increases Cdk5 activity in podocytes via transforming growth factor-β1 signaling pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yue; Li, Hongbo; Hao, Jun; Zhou, Yi; Liu, Wei

2014-01-01

Podocytes are highly specialized and terminally differentiated glomerular cells that play a vital role in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), who is an atypical but essential member of the Cdk family of proline-directed serine/threonine kinases, has been shown as a key regulator of podocyte differentiation, proliferation and morphology. Our previous studies demonstrated that the expression of Cdk5 was significantly increased in podocytes of diabetic rats, and was closely related with podocyte injury of DN. However, the mechanisms of how expression and activity of Cdk5 are regulated under the high glucose environment have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we showed that high glucose up-regulated the expression of Cdk5 and its co-activator p35 with a concomitant increase in Cdk5 kinase activity in conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes in vitro. When exposed to 30 mM glucose, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was activated. Most importantly, we found that SB431542, the Tgfbr1 inhibitor, significantly decreased the expression of Cdk5 and p35 and Cdk5 kinase activity in high glucose-treated podocytes. Moreover, high glucose increased the expression of early growth response-1 (Egr-1) via TGF-β1-ERK1/2 pathway in podocytes and inhibition of Egr-1 by siRNA decreased p35 expression and Cdk5 kinase activity. Furthermore, inhibition of Cdk5 kinase activity effectively alleviated podocyte apoptosis induced by high glucose or TGF-β1. Thus, the TGF-β1-ERK1/2-Egr-1 signaling pathway may regulate the p35 expression and Cdk5 kinase activity in high glucose-treated podocytes, which contributes to podocyte injury of DN. - Highlights: • HG up-regulated the expression of Cdk5 and p35, and Cdk5 activity in podocytes. • HG activated TGF-β1 pathway and SB431542 inhibited Cdk5 expression and activity. • HG increased the expression of Egr-1 via TGF-β1-ERK1/2 pathway. • Inhibition of Egr-1

Development of an Active Flow Control Technique for an Airplane High-Lift Configuration

Science.gov (United States)

Shmilovich, Arvin; Yadlin, Yoram; Dickey, Eric D.; Hartwich, Peter M.; Khodadoust, Abdi

2017-01-01

This study focuses on Active Flow Control methods used in conjunction with airplane high-lift systems. The project is motivated by the simplified high-lift system, which offers enhanced airplane performance compared to conventional high-lift systems. Computational simulations are used to guide the implementation of preferred flow control methods, which require a fluidic supply. It is first demonstrated that flow control applied to a high-lift configuration that consists of simple hinge flaps is capable of attaining the performance of the conventional high-lift counterpart. A set of flow control techniques has been subsequently considered to identify promising candidates, where the central requirement is that the mass flow for actuation has to be within available resources onboard. The flow control methods are based on constant blowing, fluidic oscillators, and traverse actuation. The simulations indicate that the traverse actuation offers a substantial reduction in required mass flow, and it is especially effective when the frequency of actuation is consistent with the characteristic time scale of the flow.

High activity waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaul, W.C.

1990-01-01

Chem-Nuclear Environmental Services (CNES) has developed a container that is capable of containing high activity waste and can be shipped as a regular DOT Type A shipment. By making the container special form the amount of activity that can be transported in a Type A shipment is greatly enhanced. Special form material presents an extra degree of protection to the environment by requiring the package to be destroyed to get access to the radioactive material and must undergo specific testing requirements, whereas normal form material can allow access to the radioactive material. With the special form container up to 10 caries of radium can be transported in a single package. This paper will describe the considerations that were taken to develop these products

High Efficiency, Transparent, Reusable, and Active PM2.5 Filters by Hierarchical Ag Nanowire Percolation Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Seongmin; Cho, Hyunmin; Han, Seonggeun; Won, Phillip; Lee, Habeom; Hong, Sukjoon; Yeo, Junyeob; Kwon, Jinhyeong; Ko, Seung Hwan

2017-07-12

Air quality has become a major public health issue in Asia including China, Korea, and India. Particulate matters are the major concern in air quality. We present the first environmental application demonstration of Ag nanowire percolation network for a novel, electrical type transparent, reusable, and active PM2.5 air filter although the Ag nanowire percolation network has been studied as a very promising transparent conductor in optoelectronics. Compared with previous particulate matter air filter study using relatively weaker short-range intermolecular force in polar polymeric nanofiber, Ag nanowire percolation network filters use stronger long-range electrostatic force to capture PM2.5, and they are highly efficient (>99.99%), transparent, working on an active mode, low power consumption, antibacterial, and reusable after simple washing. The proposed new particulate matter filter can be applied for a highly efficient, reusable, active and energy efficient filter for wearable electronics application.

High performance organic transistor active-matrix driver developed on paper substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Boyu; Ren, Xiaochen; Wang, Zongrong; Wang, Xinyu; Roberts, Robert C.; Chan, Paddy K. L.

2014-09-01

The fabrication of electronic circuits on unconventional substrates largely broadens their application areas. For example, green electronics achieved through utilization of biodegradable or recyclable substrates, can mitigate the solid waste problems that arise at the end of their lifespan. Here, we combine screen-printing, high precision laser drilling and thermal evaporation, to fabricate organic field effect transistor (OFET) active-matrix (AM) arrays onto standard printer paper. The devices show a mobility and on/off ratio as high as 0.56 cm2V-1s-1 and 109 respectively. Small electrode overlap gives rise to a cut-off frequency of 39 kHz, which supports that our AM array is suitable for novel practical applications. We demonstrate an 8 × 8 AM light emitting diode (LED) driver with programmable scanning and information display functions. The AM array structure has excellent potential for scaling up.

Prediction and design of efficient exciplex emitters for high-efficiency, thermally activated delayed-fluorescence organic light-emitting diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiao-Ke; Chen, Zhan; Zheng, Cai-Jun; Liu, Chuan-Lin; Lee, Chun-Sing; Li, Fan; Ou, Xue-Mei; Zhang, Xiao-Hong

2015-04-08

High-efficiency, thermally activated delayed-fluorescence organic light-emitting diodes based on exciplex emitters are demonstrated. The best device, based on a TAPC:DPTPCz emitter, shows a high external quantum efficiency of 15.4%. Strategies for predicting and designing efficient exciplex emitters are also provided. This approach allow prediction and design of efficient exciplex emitters for achieving high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes, for future use in displays and lighting applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Activation of hindbrain neurons in response to gastrointestinal lipid is attenuated by high fat, high energy diets in mice prone to diet-induced obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Donovan, Michael J; Paulino, Gabriel; Raybould, Helen E

2009-01-12

Food intake is controlled by peripheral signals from the gastrointestinal tract and adipocytes, which are integrated within the central nervous system. There is evidence that signals from the GI tract are modulated by long term changes in diet, possibly leading to hyperphagia and increased body weight. We tested the hypothesis that diet-induced obese-prone (DIO-P) and obese-resistant (DIO-R) mice strains differ in the long term adaptive response of the gut-brain pathway to a high fat diet. Immunochemical detection of Fos protein was used as a measure of neuronal activation in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in response to intragastric administration of lipid in DIO-P (C57Bl6) and DIO-R (129sv) mouse strains maintained on chow or high fat, high energy diets (45% or 60% kcal from fat). Intragastric lipid administration activated neurons in the NTS in both DIO-P and DIO-R mice; the number of activated neurons was significantly greater in DIO-P than in DIO-R mice (Pdiet, for 4 or 8 weeks, compared to chow fed controls (Pdiet (45% or 60%) had no effect on lipid-induced activation of NTS neurons. These results demonstrate that DIO-P and DIO-R mice strains differ in the adaptation of the pathway to long term ingestion of high fat diets, which may contribute to decrease satiation and increased food intake.

Management of synchronized network activity by highly active neurons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shein, Mark; Raichman, Nadav; Ben-Jacob, Eshel; Volman, Vladislav; Hanein, Yael

2008-01-01

Increasing evidence supports the idea that spontaneous brain activity may have an important functional role. Cultured neuronal networks provide a suitable model system to search for the mechanisms by which neuronal spontaneous activity is maintained and regulated. This activity is marked by synchronized bursting events (SBEs)—short time windows (hundreds of milliseconds) of rapid neuronal firing separated by long quiescent periods (seconds). However, there exists a special subset of rapidly firing neurons whose activity also persists between SBEs. It has been proposed that these highly active (HA) neurons play an important role in the management (i.e. establishment, maintenance and regulation) of the synchronized network activity. Here, we studied the dynamical properties and the functional role of HA neurons in homogeneous and engineered networks, during early network development, upon recovery from chemical inhibition and in response to electrical stimulations. We found that their sequences of inter-spike intervals (ISI) exhibit long time correlations and a unimodal distribution. During the network's development and under intense inhibition, the observed activity follows a transition period during which mostly HA neurons are active. Studying networks with engineered geometry, we found that HA neurons are precursors (the first to fire) of the spontaneous SBEs and are more responsive to electrical stimulations

West Valley demonstration project: alternative processes for solidifying the high-level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holton, L.K.; Larson, D.E.; Partain, W.L.; Treat, R.L.

1981-10-01

In 1980, the US Department of Energy (DOE) established the West Valley Solidification Project as the result of legislation passed by the US Congress. The purpose of this project was to carry out a high level nuclear waste management demonstration project at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center in West Valley, New York. The DOE authorized the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), which is operated by Battelle Memorial Institute, to assess alternative processes for treatment and solidification of the WNYNSC high-level wastes. The Process Alternatives Study is the suject of this report. Two pretreatment approaches and several waste form processes were selected for evaluation in this study. The two waste treatment approaches were the salt/sludge separation process and the combined waste process. Both terminal and interim waste form processes were studied. The terminal waste form processes considered were: borosilicate glass, low-alkali glass, marbles-in-lead matrix, and crystallinolecular potential and molecular dynamics calculations of the effect are yet to be completed. Cous oxide was also investigated. The reaction is first order in nitrite ion, second order in hydrogen ion, and between zero and first order in hydroxylamine monosulfonate, depending on the concentration

Standardized methods for the production of high specific-activity zirconium-89

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Jason P.; Sheh, Yiauchung; Lewis, Jason S.

2009-01-01

Zirconium-89 is an attractive metallo-radionuclide for use in immunoPET due to the favorable decay characteristics. Standardized methods for the routine production and isolation of high purity and high specific-activity 89Zr using a small cyclotron are reported. Optimized cyclotron conditions reveal high average yields of 1.52 ± 0.11 mCi/μA·h at a proton beam energy of 15 MeV and current of 15 μA using a solid, commercially available 89Y-foil target (0.1 mm, 100% natural abundance). 89Zr was isolated in high radionuclidic and radiochemical purity (>99.99%) as [89Zr]Zr-oxalate by using a solid-phase hydroxamate resin with >99.5% recovery of the radioactivity. The effective specific-activity of 89Zr was found to be in the range 5.28 – 13.43 mCi/μg (470 – 1195 Ci/mmol) of zirconium. New methods for the facile production of [89Zr]Zr-chloride are reported. Radiolabeling studies using the trihydroxamate ligand desferrioxamine B (DFO) gave 100% radiochemical yields in 7 days. Small-animal PET imaging studies have demonstrated that free 89Zr(IV) ions administered as [89Zr]Zr-chloride accumulate in the liver whilst [89Zr]Zr-DFO is excreted rapidly via the kidneys within <20 min. These results have important implication for the analysis of immunoPET imaging of 89Zr-labeled monoclonal antibodies. The detailed methods described can be easily translated to other radiochemistry facilities and will facilitate the use of 89Zr in both basic science and clinical investigations. PMID:19720285

Oak Ridge greater confinement disposal demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Hoesen, S.D.; Clapp, R.B.

1987-01-01

Demonstrations are being conducted in association with the disposal of a high activity low-level waste (LLW) stream. The waste stream in question will result from the cement solidification of decanted liquids from the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVST). The solid waste will be produced beginning in mid summer 1988. It is anticipated to have significant concentrations of Cs-137 and Sr-90, with smaller amounts of other radionuclides and <100 nCi/gm of TRU. The solid waste forms are expected to have surface dose rates in the 1 to 2 r/hr range. The solid waste will also contain several chemical species at concentrations which are below those of concern, but which may present enhanced corrosion potential for the disposal units. 2 refs., 5 figs

A Simple System for Observing Dynamic Phase Equilibrium via an Inquiry-Based Laboratory or Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Cloonan, Carrie A.; Andrew, Julie A.; Nichol, Carolyn A.; Hutchinson, John S.

2011-01-01

This article describes an activity that can be used as an inquiry-based laboratory or demonstration for either high school or undergraduate chemistry students to provide a basis for understanding both vapor pressure and the concept of dynamic phase equilibrium. The activity includes a simple setup to create a closed system of only water liquid and…

Exploring the smallest active fragment of HsQSOX1b and finding a highly efficient oxidative engine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenyun Zheng

Full Text Available Human quiescin-sulfhydryl oxidase 1 isoform b (HsQSOX1b is a highly efficient, multiple-domain enzyme that directly inserts disulfide bonds into client protein. However, previous studies have focused mainly on the catalytic activity of the whole protein rather than its domain structure. In this research, we dissected the structure and function of HsQSOX1b and explored its mechanism as a highly efficient sulfhydryl oxidase by analyzing the truncated variants. The results showed that the first HsQSOX1b thioredoxin domain was essential for thiol oxidase activity. The smallest active fragment (SAQ was identified to consist of a helix-rich region (HRR and an essential for respiration and viability/augmenter of liver regeneration (ERV/ALR domain, which remained highly active to oxidize an artificial non-thiol substrate but not small molecular and protein thiols. Our study clearly demonstrated that SAQ is a highly efficient oxidative engine, which shows high efficiency in the de novo disulfide formation and oxygen reduction and that this more efficient oxidative engine is necessary for the highly efficient catalysis of QSOXs compared to Erv1 and Erv2. This study will help address the roles of different HsQSOX1b domains in de novo disulfide formation and encourage the engineering of more efficient QSOX variants for the in vitro folding of disulfide-containing proteins.

Synthesis of nano-sized amorphous boron powders through active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jilin [The State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Gu, Yunle [School of Material Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073 (China); Li, Zili [The State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Wang, Weimin, E-mail: wangwm@hotmail.com [The State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Fu, Zhengyi [The State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China)

2013-06-01

Graphical abstract: Nano-sized amorphous boron powders were synthesized by active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method. The effects of endothermic reaction rate, the possible chemical reaction mechanism and active dilution model for synthesis of the product were also discussed. Highlights: ► Nano-sized amorphous boron powders were synthesized by active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis method. ► The morphology, particle size and purity of the samples could be effectively controlled via changing the endothermic rate. ► The diluter KBH{sub 4} played an important role in active dilution synthesis of amorphous nano-sized boron powders. ► The active dilution method could be further popularized and become a common approach to prepare various inorganic materials. - Abstract: Nano-sized amorphous boron powders were synthesized by active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method at temperatures ranging from 700 °C to 850 °C in a SHS furnace using Mg, B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and KBH{sub 4} as raw materials. Samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Laser particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission TEM (HRTEM). The boron powders demonstrated an average particle size of 50 nm with a purity of 95.64 wt.%. The diluter KBH{sub 4} played an important role in the active dilution synthesis of amorphous nano-sized boron powders. The effects of endothermic reaction rate, the possible chemical reaction mechanism and active dilution model for synthesis of the product were also discussed.

Synthesis of nano-sized amorphous boron powders through active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jilin; Gu, Yunle; Li, Zili; Wang, Weimin; Fu, Zhengyi

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Nano-sized amorphous boron powders were synthesized by active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method. The effects of endothermic reaction rate, the possible chemical reaction mechanism and active dilution model for synthesis of the product were also discussed. Highlights: ► Nano-sized amorphous boron powders were synthesized by active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis method. ► The morphology, particle size and purity of the samples could be effectively controlled via changing the endothermic rate. ► The diluter KBH 4 played an important role in active dilution synthesis of amorphous nano-sized boron powders. ► The active dilution method could be further popularized and become a common approach to prepare various inorganic materials. - Abstract: Nano-sized amorphous boron powders were synthesized by active dilution self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method at temperatures ranging from 700 °C to 850 °C in a SHS furnace using Mg, B 2 O 3 and KBH 4 as raw materials. Samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Laser particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission TEM (HRTEM). The boron powders demonstrated an average particle size of 50 nm with a purity of 95.64 wt.%. The diluter KBH 4 played an important role in the active dilution synthesis of amorphous nano-sized boron powders. The effects of endothermic reaction rate, the possible chemical reaction mechanism and active dilution model for synthesis of the product were also discussed

An Active Learning Mammalian Skeletal Muscle Lab Demonstrating Contractile and Kinetic Properties of Fast- and Slow-Twitch Muscle

Science.gov (United States)

Head, S. I.; Arber, M. B.

2013-01-01

The fact that humans possess fast and slow-twitch muscle in the ratio of approximately 50% has profound implications for designing exercise training strategies for power and endurance activities. With the growth of exercise and sport science courses, we have seen the need to develop an undergraduate student laboratory that demonstrates the basic…

UTM Data Working Group Demonstration 1: Final Report

Science.gov (United States)

Rios, Joseph L.; Mulfinger, Daniel G.; Smith, Irene S.; Venkatesan, Priya; Smith, David R.; Baskaran, Vijayakumar; Wang, Leo

2017-01-01

This document summarizes activities defining and executing the first demonstration of the NASA-FAA Research Transition Team (RTT) Data Exchange and Information Architecture (DEIA) working group (DWG). The demonstration focused on testing the interactions between two key components in the future UAS Traffic Management (UTM) System through a collaborative and distributed simulation of key scenarios. The summary incorporates written feedback from each of the participants in the demonstration. In addition to reporting the activities, this report also provides some insight into future steps of this working group.

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.

1991-01-01

This publication is the interim report 1988-89 of the international HAW project performed in the 800 m level of the Asse salt mine in the Federal Republic of Germany. The major objective of this project is the pilot testing and demonstration of safe methods for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste in geological salt deposits. The HAW-project is carried out by the GSF-Institut fuer Tieflagerung (IFT) in cooperation with the French Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs (ANDRA); the Spanish Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos S.A. (ENRESA) and the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN). After some delays in the licensing procedure the emplacement of 30 vitrified highly radioactive canisters (containers) is now envisaged for early 1991. 20 refs.; 92 figs.; 14 tabs

Magnetic activity effect on equatorial spread-F under high and low solar activity conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subbarao, K S.V.; Somayajulu, V V; Krishna Murthy, B V

1986-08-01

The effect of magnetic activity on spread-F at two equatorial stations, Trivandrum and Huancayo, separated in longitude by about 150 deg, under high and low solar activity conditions has been investigated. Magnetic activity produces strong inhibition effect on spread-F at Huancayo compared to that at Trivandrum especially during high solar activity period. This results in a decrease of spread-F with solar activity at Huancayo in contrast to Trivandrum. These findings are explained in terms of F-region electrodynamics and Rayleigh-Taylor instability mechanism for spread-F.

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1980-01-01

Experiments have been made to demonstrate the feasibility of immobilizing SRP high-level waste in borosilicate glass. Results to date are encouraging. Equipment performance and processing characteristics for solidifying small batches of actual SRP waste have agreed well with previous experience with small- and large-scale tests synthetic waste, and with theoretical predictions

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.

Highly Active Non-PGM Catalysts Prepared from Metal Organic Frameworks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather M. Barkholtz

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Finding inexpensive alternatives to platinum group metals (PGMs is essential for reducing the cost of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs. Numerous materials have been investigated as potential replacements of Pt, of which the transition metal and nitrogen-doped carbon composites (TM/Nx/C prepared from iron doped zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs are among the most active ones in catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction based on recent studies. In this report, we demonstrate that the catalytic activity of ZIF-based TM/Nx/C composites can be substantially improved through optimization of synthesis and post-treatment processing conditions. Ultimately, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR electrocatalytic activity must be demonstrated in membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs of fuel cells. The process of preparing MEAs using ZIF-based non-PGM electrocatalysts involves many additional factors which may influence the overall catalytic activity at the fuel cell level. Evaluation of parameters such as catalyst loading and perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer to catalyst ratio were optimized. Our overall efforts to optimize both the catalyst and MEA construction process have yielded impressive ORR activity when tested in a fuel cell system.

High-throughput design of low-activation, high-strength creep-resistant steels for nuclear-reactor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Qi; Zwaag, Sybrand van der [Novel Aerospace Materials Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS, Delft (Netherlands); Xu, Wei, E-mail: xuwei@ral.neu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Rolling and Automation, Northeastern University, 110819, Shenyang (China); Novel Aerospace Materials Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS, Delft (Netherlands)

2016-02-15

Reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels are prime candidate materials for structural applications in nuclear power reactors. However, their creep strength is much lower than that of creep-resistant steel developed for conventional fossil-fired power plants as alloying elements with a high neutron activation cannot be used. To improve the creep strength and to maintain a low activation, a high-throughput computational alloy design model coupling thermodynamics, precipitate-coarsening kinetics and an optimization genetic algorithm, is developed. Twelve relevant alloying elements with either low or high activation are considered simultaneously. The activity levels at 0–10 year after the end of irradiation are taken as optimization parameter. The creep-strength values (after exposure for 10 years at 650 °C) are estimated on the basis of the solid-solution strengthening and the precipitation hardening (taking into account precipitate coarsening). Potential alloy compositions leading to a high austenite fraction or a high percentage of undesirable second phase particles are rejected automatically in the optimization cycle. The newly identified alloys have a much higher precipitation hardening and solid-solution strengthening at the same activity level as existing reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels.

Jet activity as a probe of high-mass resonance production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harland-Lang, L.A. [University College London, Department of Physics and Astronomy, London (United Kingdom); Khoze, V.A. [Durham University, Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, Durham (United Kingdom); NRC Kurchatov Institute, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Ryskin, M.G. [NRC Kurchatov Institute, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Spannowsky, M. [Durham University, Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, Durham (United Kingdom)

2016-11-15

We explore the method of using the measured jet activity associated with a high-mass resonance state to determine the corresponding production modes. To demonstrate the potential of the approach, we consider the case of a resonance of mass M{sub R} decaying to a diphoton final state. We perform a Monte Carlo study, considering three mass points M{sub R} = 0.75, 1.5, 2.5 TeV, and show that the γγ, WW, gg and light and heavy q anti q initiated cases lead to distinct predictions for the jet multiplicity distributions. As an example, we apply this result to the ATLAS search for resonances in diphoton events, using the 2015 data set of 3.2 fb{sup -1} at √(s) = 13 TeV. Taking the spin-0 selection, we demonstrate that a dominantly gg-initiated signal hypothesis is mildly disfavoured, while the γγ and light quark cases give good descriptions within the limited statistics, and a dominantly WW-initiated hypothesis is found to be in strong tension with the data. We also comment on the b anti b initial state, which can already be constrained by the measured b-jet multiplicity. Finally, we present expected exclusion limits with integrated luminosity, and demonstrate that with just a few 10s of fb{sup -1} we can expect to constrain the production modes of such a resonance. (orig.)

High-quality MOVPE butt-joint integration of InP/AlGaInAs/InGaAsP-based all-active optical components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kulkova, Irina; Kadkhodazadeh, Shima; Kuznetsova, Nadezda

2014-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate the applicability of MOVPE butt-joint regrowth for integration of all-active InP/AlGaAs/InGaAsP optical components and the realization of high-functionality compact photonic devices. Planar high-quality integration of semiconductor optical amplifiers of various epi...

Reinforcement of high-risk anastomoses using laser-activated protein solders: a clinical study

Science.gov (United States)

Libutti, Steven K.; Bessler, Marc; Chabot, J.; Bass, Lawrence S.; Oz, Mehmet C.; Auteri, Joseph S.; Kirsch, Andrew J.; Nowygrod, Roman; Treat, Michael R.

1993-07-01

Anastomotic leakage or breakdown can result in catastrophic complications and significantly increased post-operative morbidity and mortality. Certain anastomoses are subject to a higher incidence of disruption and are therefore termed high risk. In an attempt to decrease the risk of anastomotic leaks, we reinforced sutured anastomoses with a laser activated protein solder in patients undergoing esophagojejunostomies (n equals 2), lung transplantation (n equals 2), and pancreaticojejunostomies (Whipple procedure, n equals 5). The protein solder was composed of 1.0 ml of a 25% human albumin solution, 1.0 ml of sodium hyaluronate, and 0.1 ml of Cardiogreen dye. This composition was applied to the sutured anastomosis and activated with an 860 nm pulsed diode laser. Drains were placed when appropriate and patients were followed for up to 10 months post-operatively and assessed for clinical signs of anastomotic leaks. Results to data demonstrated that there were no immediate complications as a result of the procedure. Operative time was not significantly lengthened. There were no cases of clinically significant leakage from any of the reinforced anastomoses. Laser activated protein solders may help to reduce the incidence of leakage in high risk anastomoses. Large numbers of patients and longer follow-up is needed however, to draw significant conclusions.

Subsurface barrier demonstration test strategy and performance specification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Treat, R.L.; Cruse, J.M.

1994-05-01

This document was developed to help specify a major demonstration test project of subsurface barrier systems supporting the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Program. The document focuses discussion on requirements applicable to demonstration of three subsurface barrier concepts: (1) Injected Material, (2) Cryogenic, and (3) Desiccant. Detailed requirements are provided for initial qualification of a technology proposal followed by the pre-demonstration and demonstration test requirements and specifications. Each requirement and specification is accompanied by a discussion of the rationale for it. The document also includes information on the Hanford Site tank farms and related data; the related and currently active technology development projects within the DOE's EM-50 Program; and the overall demonstration test strategy. Procurement activities and other preparations for actual demonstration testing are on hold until a decision is made regarding further development of subsurface barriers. Accordingly, this document is being issued for information only

A novel assay of DGAT activity based on high temperature GC/MS of triacylglycerol.

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, Michael S; Zhou, Ting; Weselake, Randall J

2014-08-01

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) catalyzes the final step in the acyl-CoA-dependent biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG), a high-energy compound composed of three fatty acids esterified to a glycerol backbone. In vitro DGAT assays, which are usually conducted with radiolabeled substrate using microsomal fractions, have been useful in identifying compounds and genetic modifications that affect DGAT activity. Here, we describe a high-temperature gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS)-based method for monitoring molecular species of TAG produced by the catalytic action of microsomal DGAT. This method circumvents the need for radiolabeled or modified substrates, and only requires a simple lipid extraction prior to GC. The utility of the method is demonstrated using a recombinant type-1 Brassica napus DGAT produced in a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisae that is deficient in TAG synthesis. The GC/MS-based assay of DGAT activity was strongly correlated with the typical in vitro assay of the enzyme using [1-(14)C] acyl-CoA as an acyl donor. In addition to determining DGAT activity, the method is also useful for determining substrate specificity and selectivity properties of the enzyme.

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.

Demonstration of cathode emittance dominated high bunch charge beams in a DC gun-based photoinjector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gulliford, Colwyn, E-mail: cg248@cornell.edu; Bartnik, Adam, E-mail: acb20@cornell.edu; Bazarov, Ivan; Dunham, Bruce; Cultrera, Luca [CLASSE, Cornell University, 161 Synchrotron Drive Ithaca, New York 14853-8001 (United States)

2015-03-02

We present the results of transverse emittance and longitudinal current profile measurements of high bunch charge (≥100 pC) beams produced in the DC gun-based Cornell energy recovery linac photoinjector. In particular, we show that the cathode thermal and core beam emittances dominate the final 95% and core emittances measured at 9–9.5 MeV. Additionally, we demonstrate excellent agreement between optimized 3D space charge simulations and measurement, and show that the quality of the transverse laser distribution limits the optimal simulated and measured emittances. These results, previously thought achievable only with RF guns, demonstrate that DC gun based photoinjectors are capable of delivering beams with sufficient single bunch charge and beam quality suitable for many current and next generation accelerator projects such as Energy Recovery Linacs and Free Electron Lasers.

Static and Dynamic Studies of Electro-Active Polymer Actuators and Integration in a Demonstrator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline Poncet

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the haptic effect is used and developed for many applications—particularly in the automotive industry, where the mechanical feedback induced by a haptic system enables the user to receive information while their attention is kept on the road and on driving. This article presents the development of a vibrotactile button based on printed piezoelectric polymer actuation. Firstly, the characterization of the electro-active polymer used as the actuator and the development of a model able to predict the electromechanical behavior of this device are summarized. Then, the design of circular membranes and their dynamic characterization are presented. Finally, this work is concluded with the construction of a fully functional demonstrator, integrating haptic buttons leading to a clear haptic sensation for the user.

Versatile High-Throughput Fluorescence Assay for Monitoring Cas9 Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Seamon, Kyle J; Light, Yooli K; Saada, Edwin A; Schoeniger, Joseph S; Harmon, Brooke

2018-06-05

The RNA-guided DNA nuclease Cas9 is now widely used for the targeted modification of genomes of human cells and various organisms. Despite the extensive use of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) systems for genome engineering and the rapid discovery and engineering of new CRISPR-associated nucleases, there are no high-throughput assays for measuring enzymatic activity. The current laboratory and future therapeutic uses of CRISPR technology have a significant risk of accidental exposure or clinical off-target effects, underscoring the need for therapeutically effective inhibitors of Cas9. Here, we develop a fluorescence assay for monitoring Cas9 nuclease activity and demonstrate its utility with S. pyogenes (Spy), S. aureus (Sau), and C. jejuni (Cje) Cas9. The assay was validated by quantitatively profiling the species specificity of published anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, confirming the reported inhibition of Spy Cas9 by AcrIIA4 and Cje Cas9 by AcrIIC1 and no inhibition of Sau Cas9 by either anti-CRISPR. To identify drug-like inhibitors, we performed a screen of 189 606 small molecules for inhibition of Spy Cas9. Of 437 hits (0.2% hit rate), six were confirmed as Cas9 inhibitors in a direct gel electrophoresis secondary assay. The high-throughput nature of this assay makes it broadly applicable for the discovery of additional Cas9 inhibitors or the characterization of Cas9 enzyme variants.

High-antibacterial activity of Urtica spp. seed extracts on food and plant pathogenic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Körpe, Didem Aksoy; İşerı, Özlem Darcansoy; Sahin, Feride Iffet; Cabi, Evren; Haberal, Mehmet

2013-05-01

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate antibacterial activities of methanol (MetOH) and aqueous (dw) leaf (L), root (R) and seed (S) extracts of Urtica dioica L. (Ud; stinging nettle) and Urtica pilulifera L. (Up; Roman nettle) on both food- and plant-borne pathogens, with total phenolic contents and DPPH radical scavenging activities (DRSA). MetOH extracts of leaves and roots of U. dioica had the highest DRSA. Extracts with high antibacterial activity were in the order Up-LMetOH (13/16) > Ud-SMetOH (11/16) > Up-SMetOH (9/16). Results obtained with Up-SMetOH against food spoiling Bacillus pumilus, Shigella spp. and Enterococcus gallinarum with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in 128-1024 μg/ml range seem to be promising. Up-SMetOH also exerted strong inhibition against Clavibacter michiganensis with a considerably low MIC (32 μg/ml). Ud-SMetOH and Up-LMetOH were also effective against C. michiganensis (MIC = 256 and 1024 μg/ml, respectively). Ud-SMetOH and Ud-RMetOH had also antimicrobial activity against Xanthomonas vesicatoria (MIC = 512 and 1024 μg/ml, respectively). Results presented here demonstrate high-antibacterial activity of U. pilulifera extracts and U. dioica seed extract against phytopathogens for the first time, and provide the most comprehensive data on the antibacterial activity screening of U. pilulifera against food-borne pathogens. Considering limitations in plant disease control, antibacterial activities of these extracts would be of agricultural importance.

High inorganic triphosphatase activities in bacteria and mammalian cells: identification of the enzymes involved.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory Kohn

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We recently characterized a specific inorganic triphosphatase (PPPase from Nitrosomonas europaea. This enzyme belongs to the CYTH superfamily of proteins. Many bacterial members of this family are annotated as predicted adenylate cyclases, because one of the founding members is CyaB adenylate cyclase from A. hydrophila. The aim of the present study is to determine whether other members of the CYTH protein family also have a PPPase activity, if there are PPPase activities in animal tissues and what enzymes are responsible for these activities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Recombinant enzymes were expressed and purified as GST- or His-tagged fusion proteins and the enzyme activities were determined by measuring the release of inorganic phosphate. We show that the hitherto uncharacterized E. coli CYTH protein ygiF is a specific PPPase, but it contributes only marginally to the total PPPase activity in this organism, where the main enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of inorganic triphosphate (PPP(i is inorganic pyrophosphatase. We further show that CyaB hydrolyzes PPP(i but this activity is low compared to its adenylate cyclase activity. Finally we demonstrate a high PPPase activity in mammalian and quail tissue, particularly in the brain. We show that this activity is mainly due to Prune, an exopolyphosphatase overexpressed in metastatic tumors where it promotes cell motility. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: We show for the first time that PPPase activities are widespread in bacteria and animals. We identified the enzymes responsible for these activities but we were unable to detect significant amounts of PPP(i in E. coli or brain extracts using ion chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The role of these enzymes may be to hydrolyze PPP(i, which could be cytotoxic because of its high affinity for Ca(2+, thereby interfering with Ca(2+ signaling.

Preparation of a highly concentrated, completely monomeric, active sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase.

Science.gov (United States)

Lüdi, H; Hasselbach, W

1985-11-21

Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from fast skeletal muscle were partially delipidated with sodium cholate at high ionic strength and sedimented in a discontinuous sucrose gradient. Phospholipid content was reduced from 0.777 mumol/mg protein to 0.242 mumol/mg protein. As judged from gel electrophoresis and high pressure liquid gel chromatography, accessory proteins were removed during centrifugation and the Ca2+-ATPase was obtained in an almost pure form. Addition of myristoylglycerophosphocholine (1 mg/mg protein) reactivates ATPase and dinitrophenylphosphatase activity to the same degree obtained with native vesicles. Using the analytical ultracentrifuge it could be demonstrated that the reactivated Ca2+-ATPase was present exclusively in a monomeric state. These results were obtained at high and low ionic strength and up to a protein concentration of 10 mg/ml. Therefore this preparation should be very useful to investigate differences between oligomeric and monomeric Ca2+-ATPase.

Salt decontamination demonstration test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snell, E.B.; Heng, C.J.

1983-06-01

The Salt Decontamination Demonstration confirmed that the precipitation process could be used for large-scale decontamination of radioactive waste sale solution. Although a number of refinements are necessary to safely process the long-term requirement of 5 million gallons of waste salt solution per year, there were no observations to suggest that any fundamentals of the process require re-evaluation. Major accomplishments were: (1) 518,000 gallons of decontaminated filtrate were produced from 427,000 gallons of waste salt solution from tank 24H. The demonstration goal was to produce a minimum of 200,000 gallons of decontaminated salt solution; (2) cesium activity in the filtrate was reduced by a factor of 43,000 below the cesium activity in the tank 24 solution. This decontamination factor (DF) exceeded the demonstration goal of a DF greater than 10,000; (3) average strontium-90 activity in the filtrate was reduced by a factor of 26 to less than 10 3 d/m/ml versus a goal of less than 10 4 d/m/ml; and (4) the concentrated precipitate was washed to a final sodium ion concentration of 0.15 M, well below the 0.225 M upper limit for DWPF feed. These accomplishments were achieved on schedule and without incident. Total radiation exposure to personnel was less than 350 mrem and resulted primarily from sampling precipitate slurry inside tank 48. 3 references, 6 figures, 2 tables

Poland petroleum refinery sludge lagoon demonstration project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altman, D.J.

2000-01-01

The US Department of Energy and the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Area have been working together to develop mutually beneficial, cost-effective environmental remediation technologies such as the demonstration of bioremediation techniques for the clean up of acidic petroleum sludge impacted soils at an oil refinery in southern Poland. After an expedited site characterization, treatability study, and a risk assessment study, a remediation strategy was devised. The waste material was composed primarily of high molecular weight paraffinic and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. A biopile design which employed a combination of passive and active aeration in conjunction with nutrient and surfactant application as used to increase the biodegradation of the contaminants of concern

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

The Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) supports the applied research, development, demonstration, and evaluation of a suite of advanced technologies that offer promising solutions to the problems associated with the remediation of buried waste. BWID addresses the difficult remediation problems associated with DOE complex-wide buried waste, particularly transuranic (TRU) contaminated buried waste. BWID has implemented a systems approach to the development and demonstration of technologies that will characterize, retrieve, treat, and dispose of DOE buried wastes. This approach encompasses the entire remediation process from characterization to post-monitoring. The development and demonstration of the technology is predicated on how a technology fits into the total remediation process. To address all of these technological issues, BWID has enlisted scientific expertise of individuals and groups from within the DOE Complex, as well as experts from universities and private industry. The BWID mission is to support development and demonstration of a suite of technologies that, when integrated with commercially-available technologies, forms a comprehensive, remediation system for the effective and efficient remediation of buried waste throughout the DOE Complex. BWID will evaluate and validate demonstrated technologies and transfer this information and equipment to private industry to support the Office of Environmental Restoration (ER), Office of Waste Management (WM), and Office of Facility Transition (FT) remediation planning and implementation activities

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

Science.gov (United States)

Hepler, Justin; Albarracin, Dolores

2018-01-01

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

Immunohistochemical expression of EGFR in colorectal carcinoma correlates with high but not low level gene amplification, as demonstrated by CISH.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmings, Chris; Broomfield, Amy; Bean, Elaine; Whitehead, Martin; Yip, Desmond

2009-01-01

To assess and compare immunohistochemical expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with gene amplification as demonstrated by chromogenic in situ hybridisation (CISH), in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Sections from 100 consecutive colorectal cancer resection specimens were stained for EGFR using immunohistochemistry and CISH. Immunohistochemical assessment was independently performed at two laboratories, using the same antibody and protocols. With immunohistochemistry, strong circumferential membrane staining (3+ staining) was demonstrated in only 5% of cases, and this was only focal in three of five cases. At one laboratory, weak or incomplete staining (1+ or 2+) was observed in five further cases (5%), which had been negative at the other laboratory. CISH demonstrated high level gene amplification (>10 copies/nucleus) in the same five cases which had demonstrated 3+ staining with immunohistochemistry, and in those cases where the staining was focal, the amplification was demonstrated in the same foci of the tumour. Five further cases (5%) had low level amplification (5-10 copies per nucleus); these cases did not exhibit significant positive staining with immunohistochemistry. All the cases which demonstrated gene amplification (high or low level) arose in the distal colon. There was no correlation between gene amplification status and a variety of other variables, including stage at diagnosis, mucinous differentiation, neuroendocrine differentiation, or loss of expression of mismatch repair proteins. Immunohistochemical expression of EGFR is variable between laboratories, even using standardised protocols. 3+ staining is predictive of high level gene amplification, but correlates very poorly with low level amplification, which may still be clinically significant. In some cases gene amplification was only focal, offering a potential explanation for poor response to targeted therapy in patients with EGFR positive tumours.

Palladium-pyridyl catalytic films: a highly active and recyclable catalyst for hydrogenation of styrene under mild conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shuiying; Li, Weijin; Cao, Rong

2015-03-01

Palladium-pyridyl catalytic films, (PdCl2/bpy)n, were created by alternating immersions of a substrate in PdCl2 and bpy (bpy=4, 4'-bipyridyl) solutions. The as-prepared (PdCl2/bpy)10 catalyst demonstrated a remarkable catalytic activity toward hydrogenation of styrene under mild conditions and the turnover frequency (TOF) is as high as 6944h(-1). Pd(II) ions of (PdCl2/bpy)n films are in situ reduced to Pd nanoparticles (NPs) during the hydrogenation of styrene process, which results in the catalytic activity of the films. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further demonstrate that Pd(II) ions of (PdCl2/bpy)n films were gradually converted to Pd(0) states. The catalytic activity is related to bilayer numbers and the activity increases with the number of bilayers below 10 bilayers. The solid substrates coated with (PdCl2/bpy)n multilayer catalysts were easily removed from the reaction mixture without separation filtration. Moreover, (PdCl2/bpy)n catalysts were reused for 10 consecutive reactions without loss of activity. The present (PdCl2/bpy)n heterogeneous catalysts have the advantages of easy separation and good recyclability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Get SET: aligning anatomy demonstrator programmes with Surgical Education and Training selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Danielle; Fogg, Quentin A; Lazarus, Michelle D

2018-05-01

Prevocational doctors aspiring to surgical careers are commonly recruited as anatomy demonstrators for undergraduate and graduate medical programmes. Entry into Surgical Education and Training (SET) is highly competitive and a unique opportunity exists to align anatomy demonstrator programmes with the selection criteria and core competencies of SET programmes. This study used a qualitative approach to (i) determine what criteria applicants for SET are assessed on and (ii) identify criteria that could be aligned with and enhanced by an anatomy demonstrator programme. The selection guidelines of all nine surgical specialties for the 2017 intake of SET trainees were analysed using qualitative content analysis methodology. The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons adopted a holistic approach to trainee selection that assessed both discipline-specific and discipline-independent skills. Qualitative content analysis identified eight categories of key selection criteria: medical expertise, scholarly activity, professional identity, interpersonal skills, integrity, self-management, insight and self-awareness and community involvement. The structured curriculum vitae was heavily weighted towards discipline-specific skills, such as medical expertise and scholarly activity. Insufficient information was available to determine the weighting of selection criteria assessed by the structured referee reports or interviews. Anatomy demonstrator programmes provide prevocational doctors with unique opportunities to develop surgical skills and competencies in a non-clinical setting. Constructively aligned anatomy demonstrator programmes may be particularly beneficial for prevocational doctors seeking to improve their anatomical knowledge, teaching skills or scholarly activity. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

High-Lift Propeller Noise Prediction for a Distributed Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Nark, Douglas M.; Buning, Pieter G.; Jones, William T.; Derlaga, Joseph M.

2017-01-01

Over the past several years, the use of electric propulsion technologies within aircraft design has received increased attention. The characteristics of electric propulsion systems open up new areas of the aircraft design space, such as the use of distributed electric propulsion (DEP). In this approach, electric motors are placed in many different locations to achieve increased efficiency through integration of the propulsion system with the airframe. Under a project called Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research (SCEPTOR), NASA is designing a flight demonstrator aircraft that employs many "high-lift propellers" distributed upstream of the wing leading edge and two cruise propellers (one at each wingtip). As the high-lift propellers are operational at low flight speeds (take-off/approach flight conditions), the impact of the DEP configuration on the aircraft noise signature is also an important design consideration. This paper describes efforts toward the development of a mulit-fidelity aerodynamic and acoustic methodology for DEP high-lift propeller aeroacoustic modeling. Specifically, the PAS, OVERFLOW 2, and FUN3D codes are used to predict the aerodynamic performance of a baseline high-lift propeller blade set. Blade surface pressure results from the aerodynamic predictions are then used with PSU-WOPWOP and the F1A module of the NASA second generation Aircraft NOise Prediction Program to predict the isolated high-lift propeller noise source. Comparisons of predictions indicate that general trends related to angle of attack effects at the blade passage frequency are captured well with the various codes. Results for higher harmonics of the blade passage frequency appear consistent for the CFD based methods. Conversely, evidence of the need for a study of the effects of increased azimuthal grid resolution on the PAS based results is indicated and will be pursued in future work. Overall, the results indicate that the computational

Innovative technology demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1992-04-01

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

Mangiferin Upregulates Glyoxalase 1 Through Activation of Nrf2/ARE Signaling in Central Neurons Cultured with High Glucose.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yao-Wu; Cheng, Ya-Qin; Liu, Xiao-Li; Hao, Yun-Chao; Li, Yu; Zhu, Xia; Zhang, Fan; Yin, Xiao-Xing

2017-08-01

Mangiferin, a natural C-glucoside xanthone, has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, neuroprotective actions. Our previous study showed that mangiferin could attenuate diabetes-associated cognitive impairment of rats by enhancing the function of glyoxalase 1 (Glo-1) in brain. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Glo-1 upregulation by mangiferin in central neurons exposed to chronic high glucose may be related to activation of Nrf2/ARE pathway. Compared with normal glucose (25 mmol/L) culture, Glo-1 protein, mRNA, and activity levels were markedly decreased in primary hippocampal and cerebral cortical neurons cultured with high glucose (50 mmol/L) for 72 h, accompanied by the declined Nrf2 nuclear translocation and protein expression of Nrf2 in cell nucleus, as well as protein expression and mRNA level of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) and superoxide dismutase activity, target genes of Nrf2/ARE signaling. Nonetheless, high glucose cotreating with mangiferin or sulforaphane, a typical inducer of Nrf2 activation, attenuated the above changes in both central neurons. In addition, mangiferin and sulforaphane significantly prevented the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) reflecting Glo-1 activity, while elevated the level of glutathione, a cofactor of Glo-1 activity and production of γ-GCS, in high glucose cultured central neurons. These findings demonstrated that Glo-1 was greatly downregulated in central neurons exposed to chronic high glucose, which is expected to lead the formation of AGEs and oxidative stress damages. We also proved that mangiferin enhanced the function of Glo-1 under high glucose condition by inducing activation of Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.

A Comprehensive General Chemistry Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeder, Ryan D.; Jeffery, Kathleen A.

2013-01-01

This article describes the use of a comprehensive demonstration suitable for a high school or first-year undergraduate introductory chemistry class. The demonstration involves placing a burning candle in a container adjacent to a beaker containing a basic solution with indicator. After adding a lid, the candle will extinguish and the produced…

Highly porous activated carbons prepared from carbon rich Mongolian anthracite by direct NaOH activation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byamba-Ochir, Narandalai [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Wang Geun [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungang-Ro, Suncheon, Jeollanam-Do 57922 (Korea, Republic of); Balathanigaimani, M.S., E-mail: msbala@rgipt.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Ratapur Chowk, Rae Bareli, 229316 Uttar Pradesh (India); Moon, Hee, E-mail: hmoon@jnu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-Ro, Gwangju 61186 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • Highly porous carbon materials from Mongolian anthracite by chemical activation. • Cheaper and eco-friendly activation process has been employed. • Activated carbons with graphitic structure and energetically heterogeneous surface. • Surface hydrophobicity and porosity of the activated carbons can be controlled. - Abstract: Highly porous activated carbons (ACs) were prepared from Mongolian raw anthracite (MRA) using sodium hydroxide as an activation agent by varying the mass ratio (powdered MRA/NaOH) as well as the mixing method of chemical agent and powdered MRA. The specific BET surface area and total pore volume of the prepared MRA-based activated carbons (MACs) are in the range of 816–2063 m{sup 2}/g and of 0.55–1.61 cm{sup 3}/g, respectively. The pore size distribution of MACs show that most of the pores are in the range from large micropores to small mesopores and their distribution can be controlled by the mass ratio and mixing method of the activating agent. As expected from the intrinsic property of the MRA, the highly graphitic surface morphology of prepared carbons was confirmed from Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Furthermore the FTIR and XPS results reveal that the preparation of MACs with hydrophobic in nature is highly possible by controlling the mixing conditions of activating agent and powdered MRA. Based on all the results, it is suggested that the prepared MACs could be used for many specific applications, requiring high surface area, optimal pore size distribution, proper surface hydrophobicity as well as strong physical strength.

Social capital and physical activity among Croatian high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, D; Doubova, S V; Kawachi, I

2016-06-01

To examine factors associated with regular physical activity in Croatian adolescents. A cross-sectional survey among high school students was carried out in the 2013/14 school year. A survey was conducted among 33 high schools in Zagreb City, Croatia. Participants were students aged 17-18 years. The dependent variables were regular moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and overall physical activity measured by the short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire and defined as 60 min or more of daily physical activity. The independent variables included family, neighborhood, and high school social capital. Other study covariates included: socio-economic status, self-rated health, psychological distress and nutritional status. The associations between physical activity and social capital variables were assessed separately for boys and girls through multiple logistic regression and inverse probability weighting in order to correct for missing data bias. A total of 1689 boys and 1739 girls responded to the survey. A higher percentage of boys reported performing regular vigorous and moderate physical activity (59.4%) and overall physical activity (83.4%), comparing with the girls (35.4% and 70%, respectively). For boys, high family social capital and high informal social control were associated with increased odds of regular MVPA (1.49, 95%CI: 1.18 - 1.90 and 1.26, 95%CI: 1.02 - 1.56, respectively), compared to those with low social capital. For girls, high informal social control was associated with regular overall physical activity (OR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.76). High social capital is associated with regular MVPA in boys and regular overall activity in girls. Intervention and policies that leverage community social capital might serve as an avenue for promotion of physical activity in youth. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Study of Education Satellite Communication Demonstration. Third Quarterly Progress Report. Report of Activities and Accomplishments January 11, 1975 to April 10, 1975.

Science.gov (United States)

Syracuse Univ. Research Corp., NY. Educational Policy Research Center.

A report on the Education Satellite Communication Demonstration (ESCD) describes activities of the evaluators during the first quarter of 1975, including staff trips and site visits and activities of various staff members. A calendar of future events in satellites, telecommunications, and education is included, with revision on dates and new…

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.

1991-01-01

This report is the so-called Synthesis report 1985-1989 of the international HAW project performed in the 800 m level of the ASSE salt mine in the Federal Republic of Germany. The major objective of this project is the pilot testing and demonstration of safe methods for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste in geological salt-deposits. The HAW-project is carried out by the GSF-Institut fuer Tieflagerung (IFT) in cooperation with the French Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs (ANDRA); the Spanish Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radioactivos S.A (ENRESA) and the Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN). During the years 1985 to 1989 the underground test field was excavated and after some delays in the licensing procedure, the emplacement of 30 vitrified highly radioactive canisters (containers) is now envisaged for early 1991. 32 refs; 76 figs., 11 tabs

Bioindicator demonstrates high persistence of sulfentrazone in dry soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato Coradello Lourenço

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In sugarcane crop areas, the application of preemergence herbicides with long residual effect in the soil has been frequently necessary. The herbicide persistence in the soil must be high especially because of applications during the dry season of the year, after sugarcane harvest. This study aimed at estimating the sulfentrazone persistence and dissipation in dry soil using bioindicator. Five experiments were carried out, divided into two phases. In the first phase, three dose-response curves were adjusted to select the best bioindicator to be adopted in the second phase. Niger was adopted due to its lower sensibility to sulfentrazone. In the second phase, a new dose-response curve was carried out, with six doses of sulfentrazone, in order to standardize the bioindicator sensibility to sulfentrazone. At the end, another experiment with six periods of sulfentrazone persistence in dry clay soil was developed. Persistence periods were: 182, 154, 125, 98 and 30 days. The bioindicator was seeded at the application day in treated plots and control. In this experiment, the sulfentrazone dose applied was 800 g ha-1. Niger was considered a good species to estimate the sulfentrazone persistence in dry soil. The sulfentrazone phytotoxic activity was identified up to 182 days after application, and its average dissipation rate was 2.15 g ha-1 day-1, with half-life higher than 182 days.

Feasibility of High Energy Lasers for Interdiction Activities

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS FEASIBILITY OF HIGH ENERGY LASERS FOR INTERDICTION ACTIVITIES by Carlos Abel Javier Romero... ENERGY LASERS FOR INTERDICTION ACTIVITIES 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Carlos Abel Javier Romero Chero 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND...the people or cargo. High Energy Laser (HEL) weapons are an effective way to deliver energy precisely from a relative long range. This thesis studies

Status and prospects of photovoltaic RTD and demonstration within the european union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menna, P.; Gambi, R.; Gillett, W.; Ostrom, R.; Scholz, H.

2004-01-01

One pillars of the European Union strategy to meet the Kyoto targets is the goal to achieve a 12% share of renewable in gross energy consumption by 2010. Moreover, renewable represent an option to mitigate the current trend towards increasing energy dependence. In view of these policy commitments the future development of photovoltaic is supported through the EU Framework Programmes, for both research and demonstration activities. Research focuses on the next generation of PV technologies, including thin film PV, processing and automated manufacturing, cost reductions for components and systems as well as research for innovative applications of PV in the built environment. The aim of the demonstration activities is to accelerate the market penetration of more cost-effective PV technologies. The priorities are to demonstrate innovative production concepts for high efficiency modules and to transfer a new generation of PV products to industrial scale, as well as to promote the markets for building integration and autonomous generation systems. Incremental progress for PV can only be pursued by maintaining the stability of support programmes and subsidy schemes. To accelerate the development, demonstration and market introduction of a new generation of PV systems and make the European industry a stronger competitor, the Commission proceeds along a two track approach, combining an intense legislative initiative with a strong research and demonstration effort. (authors)

Early high-Tc commercial activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

The high temperature superconductors have already begun to generate the first stirrings of commercial activity. Companies that supply instruments and chemicals to researchers have enjoyed increased business. At least one company has begun to supply educational materials. Venture capital firms have invested about $15 million in startups to capitalize on developments in high-field applications, superconducting electronics, and magnetic shielding. Consulting firms are gathering and selling market research information. And the federal government is studying the question of how to cooperate with American companies to commercialize the research taking place in the national laboratories. This article discusses these issues

Testing and demonstrations in ONKALO - aims and needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anttila, P.; Hellae, P.; Haapala, K.

2009-04-01

Posiva Oy is preparing to submit an application for the construction license for a disposal facility at Olkiluoto by the end of 2012. An essential part of the repository development is the construction of the underground research and characterisation facility, ONKALO, which will later be a part of the disposal facility. The construction of ONKALO was commenced in 2004 in order to obtain information on detailed characteristics of the bedrock not possible to provide from the ground surface. ONKALO enables to test and demonstrate the disposal system as designed in a real environment. The objective of this report is to outline the plans for testing and demonstrations for more detailed elaboration of the operational activities and their schedule for the next ten years or more. The main focus is the work to be done in ONKALO, but also other laboratories and facilities above and below ground are considered. The reference design considered here is KBS-3V, but many of the tests and demonstrations proposed are also beneficial for the alternative design, KBS-3H as well. The tests and demonstrations discussed in this report concern activities relating to investigation, construction and operation of the disposal facility. The report shortly describes the current status for the activities and after that preliminary plans for testing and demonstrations are presented for each of them. Finally the location for the performance of the activities and the preliminary time schedule for them are discussed

Highly Oriented Growth of Catalytically Active Zeolite ZSM‐5 Films with a Broad Range of Si/Al Ratios

OpenAIRE

Fu, Donglong; Schmidt, Joel E.; Ristanović, Zoran; Chowdhury, Abhishek Dutta; Meirer, Florian; Weckhuysen, Bert M.

2017-01-01

Abstract Highly b‐oriented zeolite ZSM‐5 films are critical for applications in catalysis and separations and may serve as models to study diffusion and catalytic properties in single zeolite channels. However, the introduction of catalytically active Al3+ usually disrupts the orientation of zeolite films. Herein, using structure‐directing agents with hydroxy groups, we demonstrate a new method to prepare highly b‐oriented zeolite ZSM‐5 films with a broad range of Si/Al ratios (Si/Al=45 to ∞)...

DEMONSTRATION OF SORBENT INJECTION TECHNOLOGY ON A TANGENTIALLY COAL-FIRED UTILITY BOILER (YORKTOWN LIMB DEMONSTRATION)

Science.gov (United States)

The report summarizes activities conducted and results achieved in an EPA-sponsored program to demonstrate Limestone Injection Multistage Burner (LIMB) technology on a tangentially fired coal-burning utility boiler, Virginia Power's 180-MWe Yorktown Unit No. 2. his successfully d...

Active Gaming Among High School Students--United States, 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, MinKyoung; Carroll, Dianna D; Lee, Sarah M; Fulton, Janet E

2015-08-01

Our study is the first to describe the prevalence and correlates (demographics, body mass index [BMI], sedentary behaviors, and physical activity) of high school youth who report active videogame playing (active gaming) in a U.S. representative sample. The National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study of 2010 provided data for this study. Active gaming was assessed as the number of days in the 7 days prior to the survey that students in grades 9-12 (14-18 years of age) reported participating in active videogames (e.g., "Wii™ Fit" [Nintendo, Kyoto, Japan], "Dance Dance Revolution" [Konami, Osaka, Japan]). Students reporting ≥1 days were classified as active gamers. Logistic regression was used to examine the association among active gaming and demographic characteristics, BMI, sedentary behaviors, and physical activity. Among 9125 U.S. high school students in grades 9-12 surveyed, 39.9 percent (95 percent confidence interval=37.9 percent, 42.0 percent) reported active gaming. Adjusting for covariates, the following characteristics were positively associated (Pblack, non-Hispanic race/ethnicity; being overweight or obese; watching DVDs >0 hours/day; watching TV >0 hours/day; and meeting guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity. Four out of 10 U.S. high school students report participating in active gaming. Active gamers tend to spend more time watching DVDs or TV, meet guidelines for physical activity, and/or be overweight or obese compared with nonactive gamers. These findings may serve to provide a baseline to track active gaming in U.S. youth and inform interventions that target sedentary behaviors and/or physical activity.

Passive Reactive Berm to Provide Low Maintenance Lead Containment at Active Small Arms Firing Ranges: Field Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

Containment at Active Small Arms Firing Ranges Field Demonstration E nv ir on m en ta l L ab or at or y Michelle Wynter, Steven L. Larson, W.A...efficiency of 37 to 100 percent can be achieved through the process of hydroxyapatite dissolution and hydroxypyromorphite [Pb10(PO4)6(OH)2...al. 2006; Tardy et al. 2003; USEPA 2001a). Application of soluble or solid phase phosphate (such as hydroxyapatite , HAP) amendments have been shown

High early life stress and aberrant amygdala activity: risk factors for elevated neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Uraina S; Sweet, Lawrence H; Morgello, Susan; Philip, Noah S; Cohen, Ronald A

2017-06-01

Relative to HIV-negative adults, HIV+ adults report elevated levels of early life stress (ELS). In non-HIV samples, high ELS has been linked to abnormalities in brain structure and function, as well as increased risk of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Yet, little is known about the neural effects of high ELS, and their relation to elevated neuropsychiatric symptoms, in HIV+ adults. Recent studies have revealed combined effects of HIV and high ELS on amygdala morphometry. Aberrant amygdala activity is prominently implicated in studies of neuropsychiatric symptomology in non-HIV samples. Hence, this preliminary study examined: 1) the combined effects of HIV and high ELS on amygdala activity, and 2) the relation between amygdala activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults. We included 28 HIV+ adults and 25 demographically-matched HIV-negative control (HC) adults. ELS exposure was quantified using a retrospective ELS questionnaire, which defined four groups: HIV+ Low-ELS (N = 15); HIV+ High-ELS (N = 13); HC Low-ELS (N = 16); and HC High-ELS (N = 9). Participants completed a battery of neuropsychiatric measures. BOLD fMRI assessed amygdala reactivity during explicit observation of fearful/angry faces. High-ELS participants demonstrated reduced levels of amygdala reactivity relative to Low-ELS participants. HIV+ High-ELS participants reported higher levels of neuropsychiatric symptoms than all other groups. In the HIV+ group, lower amygdala responses were associated with higher neuropsychiatric symptoms, particularly depression, anxiety, and alexithymia. Collectively, these results suggest that high ELS exposure is a significant risk factor for neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults. Furthermore, our results implicate ELS-related abnormalities in amygdala activity in the etiology of neuropsychiatric symptoms in HIV+ adults.

Active metal brazing of titanium to high-conductivity carbon-based sandwich structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, M.; Morscher, Gregory N.; Shpargel, Tarah P.; Asthana, Rajiv

2008-01-01

Reactive brazing technology was developed and processing parameters were optimized for the bonding of titanium tubes, graphite foam, and high-conductivity carbon-carbon composite face sheets using the active braze Cusil-ABA paste and foils. The microstructure and composition of the joints, examined using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, showed good bonding and braze penetration in all systems when braze paste was used. The hardness values of the brazed joints were consistent for the different specimen stacking configurations. Mechanical testing of Ti tube/foam/C-C composite structures both in tension and shear showed that failure always occurred in the foam material demonstrating that the brazed joint was sufficient for these types of sandwich structures

Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol inhibits MRCKα kinase and demonstrates promising anti prostate cancer activity in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Henry I C; Watson, Charah T; Badal, Simone; Toyang, Ngeh J; Bryant, Joseph

2012-11-14

Given the high occurrence of prostate cancer worldwide and one of the major sources of the discovery of new lead molecules being medicinal plants, this research undertook to investigate the possible anti-cancer activity of two natural cycloartanes; cycloartane-3,24,25-diol (extracted in our lab from Tillandsia recurvata) and cycloartane-3,24,25-triol (purchased). The inhibition of MRCKα kinase has emerged as a potential solution to restoring the tight regulation of normal cellular growth, the loss of which leads to cancer cell formation. Kinase inhibition was investigated using competition binding (to the ATP sites) assays which have been previously established and authenticated and cell proliferation was measured using the WST-1 assay. Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol demonstrated strong selectivity towards the MRCKα kinase with a Kd50 of 0.26 μM from a total of 451 kinases investigated. Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol reduced the viability of PC-3 and DU145 cell lines with IC50 values of 2.226 ± 0.28 μM and 1.67 ± 0.18 μM respectively. These results will prove useful in drug discovery as Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol has shown potential for development as an anti-cancer agent against prostate cancer.

Innovative activity of high-technology companies as assessment and forecasting object

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. E. Sklyarov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Innovation activities, as well as innovations, are closely related meanings, and like many others economical definitions, have a broad range of meanings. Main characteristics and attributes of innovation involves new or significantly improved product, that’s being used, or in other words, found its application, and innovative activities – activities focused on realization of innovations. In this article, innovations are mainly considered in terms of high-technology production, evidence from Russian space industry. There are 5 basic stages of lifecycle of innovative project in considered industry: initiation, development, realization, expansion, consumption. Practically, third or fourth, or even both of these stages, often missing because there is no need of them. R&D activities, or even further serial production, based on previous developments, is an innovation activity, because these activities are stages of innovative projects lifecycle itself. Then it seems legit, to draw a conclusion, that in terms of high-technology production, company’s primary activity equals innovative activity. Basic characteristics of innovative activity of high-technology companies as assessment and forecasting object involves high level of uncertainty at every stage of projects lifecycle, high dependency on funding level of this activity, and high level and erratic structure of risk. All the above mentioned, means that assessment and forecasting of innovative activity of high-technology companies, needs development of its own methodological tools for each industry.

Real-Time On-Board Airborne Demonstration of High-Speed On-Board Data Processing for Science Instruments (HOPS)

Science.gov (United States)

Beyon, Jeffrey Y.; Ng, Tak-Kwong; Davis, Mitchell J.; Adams, James K.; Bowen, Stephen C.; Fay, James J.; Hutchinson, Mark A.

2015-01-01

The project called High-Speed On-Board Data Processing for Science Instruments (HOPS) has been funded by NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) program since April, 2012. The HOPS team recently completed two flight campaigns during the summer of 2014 on two different aircrafts with two different science instruments. The first flight campaign was in July, 2014 based at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, VA on the NASA's HU-25 aircraft. The science instrument that flew with HOPS was Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) CarbonHawk Experiment Simulator (ACES) funded by NASA's Instrument Incubator Program (IIP). The second campaign was in August, 2014 based at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in Palmdale, CA on the NASA's DC-8 aircraft. HOPS flew with the Multifunctional Fiber Laser Lidar (MFLL) instrument developed by Excelis Inc. The goal of the campaigns was to perform an end-to-end demonstration of the capabilities of the HOPS prototype system (HOPS COTS) while running the most computationally intensive part of the ASCENDS algorithm real-time on-board. The comparison of the two flight campaigns and the results of the functionality tests of the HOPS COTS are presented in this paper.

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

Science.gov (United States)

1996-01-01

Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) arrays developed by the NASA Lewis Research Center and the Air Force Rome Laboratory were demonstrated in aeronautical terminals and in mobile or fixed Earth terminals linked with NASA's Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). Four K/Ka-band experimental arrays were demonstrated between May 1994 and May 1995. Each array had GaAs MMIC devices at each radiating element for electronic beam steering and distributed power amplification. The 30-GHz transmit array used in uplinks to ACTS was developed by Lewis and Texas Instruments. The three 20-GHz receive arrays used in downlinks from ACTS were developed in cooperation with the Air Force Rome Laboratory, taking advantage of existing Air Force integrated-circuit, active-phased-array development contracts with the Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Four demonstrations, each related to an application of high interest to both commercial and Department of Defense organizations, were conducted. The location, type of link, and the data rate achieved for each of the applications is shown. In one demonstration-- an aeronautical terminal experiment called AERO-X--a duplex voice link between an aeronautical terminal on the Lewis Learjet and ACTS was achieved. Two others demonstrated duplex voice links (and in one case, interactive video links as well) between ACTS and an Army high-mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV, or "humvee"). In the fourth demonstration, the array was on a fixed mount and was electronically steered toward ACTS. Lewis served as project manager for all demonstrations and as overall system integrator. Lewis engineers developed the array system including a controller for open-loop tracking of ACTS during flight and HMMWV motion, as well as a laptop data display and recording system used in all demonstrations. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory supported the AERO-X program, providing elements of the ACTS Mobile Terminal. The successful

Pyrene conjugation and spectroscopic analysis of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose compounds successfully demonstrated a local dielectric difference associated with in vivo anti-prion activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenta Teruya

Full Text Available Our previous study on prion-infected rodents revealed that hydroxypropyl methylcellulose compounds (HPMCs with different molecular weights but similar composition and degree of substitution have different levels of long-lasting anti-prion activity. In this study, we searched these HPMCs for a parameter specifically associated with in vivo anti-prion activity by analyzing in vitro chemical properties and in vivo tissue distributions. Infrared spectroscopic and thermal analyses revealed no differences among HPMCs, whereas pyrene conjugation and spectroscopic analysis revealed that the fluorescence intensity ratio of peak III/peak I correlated with anti-prion activity. This correlation was more clearly demonstrated in the anti-prion activity of the 1-year pre-infection treatment than that of the immediate post-infection treatment. In addition, the intensity ratio of peak III/peak I negatively correlated with the macrophage uptake level of HPMCs in our previous study. However, the in vivo distribution pattern was apparently not associated with anti-prion activity and was different in the representative tissues. These findings suggest that pyrene conjugation and spectroscopic analysis are powerful methods to successfully demonstrate local dielectric differences in HPMCs and provide a feasible parameter denoting the long-lasting anti-prion activity of HPMCs in vivo.

Waste and Disposal: Demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neerdael, B.; Buyens, M.; De Bruyn, D.; Volckaert, G.

2002-01-01

Within the Belgian R and D programme on geological disposal, demonstration experiments have become increasingly important. In this contribution to the scientific report 2001, an overview is given of SCK-CEN's activities and achievements in the field of large-scale demonstration experiments. In 2001, main emphasis was on the PRACLAY project, which is a large-scale experiment to demonstrate the construction and the operation of a gallery for the disposal of HLW in a clay formation. The PRACLAY experiment will contribute to enhance understanding of water flow and mass transport in dense clay-based materials as well as to improve the design of the reference disposal concept. In the context of PRACLAY, a surface experiment (OPHELIE) has been developed to prepare and to complement PRACLAY-related experimental work in the HADES Underground Research Laboratory. In 2001, efforts were focussed on the operation of the OPHELIE mock-up. SCK-CEN also contributed to the SELFRAC roject which studies the self-healing of fractures in a clay formation

Physical activity barriers and motivators among high-risk employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Paguntalan, John C; Gregoski, Mathew

2016-11-22

Worksite wellness programs offer an ideal setting to target high-risk sedentary workers to improve health status. Lack of physical activity is associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease and mortality. Despite the risks, the number of sedentary workers is increasing. This study examined the perceived barriers and motivators for physical activity among employees at high-risk for coronary heart disease. A purposive sample of 24 high-risk workers participating in a wellness program in rural South Carolina were enrolled in the study. Qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Grounded theory was used to analyze qualitative data, and identify overarching themes. Physical limitations due to pain and weakness, lack of motivation, and lack of time emerged as the main barriers to physical activity. Family relationships were reported as the strongest motivator along with social support and potential health benefits. Findings highlight the unique experience of high-risk workers with physical activity. The findingsunderscore the need to design and implement effective interventions specifically designed to meet the needs of high-risk employees.

Prototype scale demonstration of CECE detritiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadhankar Ramesh; Cobanoglu, Macit

2004-01-01

AECL has developed and demonstrated the Combined Electrolysis and Catalytic Exchange (CECE) Process for detritiation of heavy water. Although CECE has been the subject of pilot-scale demonstrations by various organizations, AECL is the first to demonstrate this technology in an industrial prototype plant. AECL designed, built and operated a CECE demonstration facility under CAN/CSA N286 Quality Assurance Program. The facility was licensed by the Canadian nuclear regulator. This was a two-fold demonstration of the CECE technology - for upgrading (removal of light water) and for detritiation of heavy water. In 1998 June, AECL began operating the facility in upgrading mode. The design feed rate ranged up to 25 Mg/a for 95 mol% D 2 O feed water. After 18 months of operation in upgrading mode, the facility was reconfigured and operated for an additional 9 months from 2000 August in detritiation mode. Design capacity for detritiation was 5 Mg/a with a detritiation factor (DF) of 100. However, significantly higher DFs, up to 56 000, were demonstrated. Highlights of the detritiation demonstration were: Proven robustness of AECL's proprietary wetproofed catalyst for Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange; Demonstration of a trickle-bed-recombiner for stoichiometric combination of deuterium and oxygen; Demonstration of electrolysis of highly tritiated heavy water; High process availability and controllability was demonstrated by a long interrupted run; Low emissions; Demonstration of high DF - up to 56 000 - a significant advantage of the CECE process over other approaches to detritiation; Validation of AECL's simulation code for the CECE process over a range of DFs from 100 to 50 000. Apart from the technology, AECL has expertise in all aspects of setting up a new detritiation facility including design, engineering, safety assessment, licensing support, project management and training. AECL is also the engineering and design contractor for a tritium removal facility that is under

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostelnik, K.M.

1991-12-01

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

Enclosure for handling high activity materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimeno de Osso, F.

1977-01-01

One of the most important problems that are met at the laboratories producing and handling radioisotopes is that of designing, building and operating enclosures suitable for the safe handling of active substances. With this purpose in mind, an enclosure has been designed and built for handling moderately high activities under a shielding made of 150 mm thick lead. In this report a description is given of those aspects that may be of interest to people working in this field. (Author)

Enclosure for handling high activity materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jimeno de Osso, F

1977-07-01

One of the most important problems that are met at the laboratories producing and handling radioisotopes is that of designing, building and operating enclosures suitable for the safe handling of active substances. With this purpose in mind, an enclosure has been designed and built for handling moderately high activities under a shielding made of 150 mm thick lead. In this report a description is given of those aspects that may be of interest to people working in this field. (Author)

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.

Recent status and improvement of reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic steels for high-temperature service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, L., E-mail: tanl@ornl.gov [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831 (United States); Katoh, Y. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831 (United States); Tavassoli, A.-A.F.; Henry, J. [DMN/Dir, DEN, CEA Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Rieth, M. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, 76021 (Germany); Sakasegawa, H. [National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Rokkasho, Aomori, 039-3212 (Japan); Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831 (United States); Tanigawa, H. [National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Rokkasho, Aomori, 039-3212 (Japan); Huang, Q. [Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, 230031 (China)

2016-10-15

Reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steels, candidate structural materials for fusion reactors, have achieved technological maturity after about three decades of research and development. The recent status of a few developmental aspects of current RAFM steels, such as aging resistance, plate thickness effects, fracture toughness, and fatigue, is updated in this paper, together with ongoing efforts to develop next-generation RAFM steels for superior high-temperature performance. In addition to thermomechanical treatments, including nonstandard heat treatment, alloy chemistry refinements and modifications have demonstrated some improvements in high-temperature performance. Castable nanostructured alloys (CNAs) were developed by significantly increasing the amount of nanoscale MX (M = V/Ta/Ti, X = C/N) precipitates and reducing coarse M{sub 23}C{sub 6} (M = Cr). Preliminary results showed promising improvement in creep resistance and Charpy impact toughness. Limited low-dose neutron irradiation results for one of the CNAs and China low activation martensitic are presented and compared with data for F82H and Eurofer97 irradiated up to ∼70 displacements per atom at ∼300–325 °C.

Demonstration of a 100-kWth high-temperature solar thermochemical reactor pilot plant for ZnO dissociation

Science.gov (United States)

Koepf, E.; Villasmil, W.; Meier, A.

2016-05-01

Solar thermochemical H2O and CO2 splitting is a viable pathway towards sustainable and large-scale production of synthetic fuels. A reactor pilot plant for the solar-driven thermal dissociation of ZnO into metallic Zn has been successfully developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). Promising experimental results from the 100-kWth ZnO pilot plant were obtained in 2014 during two prolonged experimental campaigns in a high flux solar simulator at PSI and a 1-MW solar furnace in Odeillo, France. Between March and June the pilot plant was mounted in the solar simulator and in-situ flow-visualization experiments were conducted in order to prevent particle-laden fluid flows near the window from attenuating transparency by blocking incoming radiation. Window flow patterns were successfully characterized, and it was demonstrated that particle transport could be controlled and suppressed completely. These results enabled the successful operation of the reactor between August and October when on-sun experiments were conducted in the solar furnace in order to demonstrate the pilot plant technology and characterize its performance. The reactor was operated for over 97 hours at temperatures as high as 2064 K; over 28 kg of ZnO was dissociated at reaction rates as high as 28 g/min.

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

First demonstration report on the high temperature materials data Bank of JRC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The High Temperature Materials Programme of the Joint Research Centre has among its activities a project which has the objective to develop a computerised data bank containing mechanical property data of alloys for high temperature applications. The pilot phase of this project during the multiannual programme 1980-1983 is restricted to a few alloys and properties. The present scope comprises tensile, creep and fatigue test results with emphasis on 600-1000 0 C test temperature and C-O-H environments for alloys covered by the specifications of the ''Alloy 800'' group. The data bank is now operational. This report is the first presentation of the data bank characteristics, contents and some output illustrations. It contains a descriptive part on the system and its structure and on the characteristics and quantity of the present data, and an illustrative part showing examples of data bank processed output. The selected print-outs are generated by interactive on-line searches and subsequent numerical or graphical processing in the data bank facilities at Petten and Ispra which are linked by EURONET

Beta activity measurements in high, variable gamma backgrounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanga, D.; Sandu, E.; Craciun, L.

1997-01-01

In many cases beta activity measurements must be performed in high and variable gamma backgrounds. In such instances it is necessary to use well-shielded detectors but this technique is limited to laboratory equipment and frequently insufficient. In order to perform in a simple manner beta activity measurements in high and variable backgrounds a software-aided counting technique have been developed and a counting system have been constructed. This technique combines the different counting techniques with traditional method of successive measurement of the sample and background. The counting system is based on a programmable multi-scaler which is endowed with appropriate software and allow all operations to be performed via keyboard in an interactive fashion. Two large - area proportional detectors were selected in order to have the same background and the same gamma response within 5%. A program has been developed for the counting data analysis and beta activity computing. The software-aided counting technique has been implemented for beta activity measurement in high and variable backgrounds. (authors)

Visual Electricity Demonstrator

Science.gov (United States)

Lincoln, James

2017-09-01

The Visual Electricity Demonstrator (VED) is a linear diode array that serves as a dynamic alternative to an ammeter. A string of 48 red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) blink one after another to create the illusion of a moving current. Having the current represented visually builds an intuitive and qualitative understanding about what is happening in a circuit. In this article, I describe several activities for this device and explain how using this technology in the classroom can enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics.

of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α Activity by the Fusion of High-Resolution SPECT and Morphological Imaging Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirofumi Fujii

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. We aimed to clearly visualize heterogeneous distribution of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF activity in tumor tissues in vivo. Methods. We synthesized of 125I-IPOS, a 125I labeled chimeric protein probe, that would visualize HIF activity. The biodistribution of 125I-IPOS in FM3A tumor-bearing mice was evaluated. Then, the intratumoral localization of this probe was observed by autoradiography, and it was compared with histopathological findings. The distribution of 125I-IPOS in tumors was imaged by a small animal SPECT/CT scanner. The obtained in vivo SPECT-CT fusion images were compared with ex vivo images of excised tumors. Fusion imaging with MRI was also examined. Results. 125I-IPOS well accumulated in FM3A tumors. The intratumoral distribution of 125I-IPOS by autoradiography was quite heterogeneous, and it partially overlapped with that of pimonidazole. High-resolution SPECT-CT fusion images successfully demonstrated the heterogeneity of 125I-IPOS distribution inside tumors. SPECT-MRI fusion images could give more detailed information about the intratumoral distribution of 125I-IPOS. Conclusion. High-resolution SPECT images successfully demonstrated heterogeneous intratumoral distribution of 125I-IPOS. SPECT-CT fusion images, more favorably SPECT-MRI fusion images, would be useful to understand the features of heterogeneous intratumoral expression of HIF activity in vivo.

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

Innovative grout/retrieval demonstration final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, G.G.; Thompson, D.N.

1995-01-01

This report presents the results of an evaluation of an innovative retrieval technique for buried transuranic waste. Application of this retrieval technique was originally designed for full pit retrieval; however, it applies equally to a hot spot retrieval technology. The technique involves grouting the buried soil waste matrix with a jet grouting procedure, applying an expansive demolition grout to the matrix, and retrieving the debris. The grouted matrix provides an agglomeration of fine soil particles and contaminants resulting in an inherent contamination control during the dusty retrieval process. A full-scale field demonstration of this retrieval technique was performed on a simulated waste pit at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Details are reported on all phases of this proof-of-concept demonstration including pit construction, jet grouting activities, application of the demolition grout, and actual retrieval of the grouted pit. A quantitative evaluation of aerosolized soils and rare earth tracer spread is given for all phases of the demonstration, and these results are compared to a baseline retrieval activity using conventional retrieval means. 8 refs., 47 figs., 10 tabs

Optimized Expression and Purification for High-Activity Preparations of Algal [FeFe]-Hydrogenase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yacoby, I.; Tegler, L. T.; Pochekailov, S.; Zhang, S.; King, P. W.

2012-04-01

Recombinant expression and purification of metallo-enzymes, including hydrogenases, at high-yields is challenging due to complex, and enzyme specific, post-translational maturation processes. Low fidelities of maturation result in preparations containing a significant fraction of inactive, apo-protein that are not suitable for biophysical or crystallographic studies. We describe the construction, overexpression and high-yield purification of a fusion protein consisting of the algal [2Fe2S]-ferredoxin PetF (Fd) and [FeFe]-hydrogenase HydA1. The maturation of Fd-HydA1 was optimized through improvements in culture conditions and media components used for expression. We also demonstrated that fusion of Fd to the N-terminus of HydA1, in comparison to the C-terminus, led to increased expression levels that were 4-fold higher. Together, these improvements led to enhanced HydA1 activity and improved yield after purification. The strong binding-affinity of Fd for DEAE allowed for two-step purification by ion exchange and StrepTactin affinity chromatography. In addition, the incorporation of a TEV protease site in the Fd-HydA1 linker allowed for the proteolytic removal of Fd after DEAE step, and purification of HydA1 alone by StrepTactin. In combination, this process resulted in HydA1 purification yields of 5 mg L{sup -1} of culture from E. coli with specific activities of 1000 U (U = 1 {micro}mol hydrogen evolved mg{sup -1} min{sup -1}). The [FeFe]-hydrogenases are highly efficient enzymes and their catalytic sites provide model structures for synthetic efforts to develop robust hydrogen activation catalysts. In order to characterize their structure-function properties in greater detail, and to use hydrogenases for biotechnological applications, reliable methods for rapid, high-yield expression and purification are required.

Integrating scientific results for a post-closure safety demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1994-01-01

The U.S. 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. Recent regulatory, legal, and scientific developments imply that the safety demonstration must be simple. The scientific developments taken together support a simple set of hypotheses that constitute a post-closure safety argument for a repository at Yucca Mountain. If the understanding of Yucca Mountain hydrology presented in the Site Characterization Plan proves correct, then these hypotheses might be confirmed by combining results of Surface-Based Testing with early testing results in the Exploratory Studies Facility

High-speed linear optics quantum computing using active feed-forward.

Science.gov (United States)

Prevedel, Robert; Walther, Philip; Tiefenbacher, Felix; Böhi, Pascal; Kaltenbaek, Rainer; Jennewein, Thomas; Zeilinger, Anton

2007-01-04

As information carriers in quantum computing, photonic qubits have the advantage of undergoing negligible decoherence. However, the absence of any significant photon-photon interaction is problematic for the realization of non-trivial two-qubit gates. One solution is to introduce an effective nonlinearity by measurements resulting in probabilistic gate operations. In one-way quantum computation, the random quantum measurement error can be overcome by applying a feed-forward technique, such that the future measurement basis depends on earlier measurement results. This technique is crucial for achieving deterministic quantum computation once a cluster state (the highly entangled multiparticle state on which one-way quantum computation is based) is prepared. Here we realize a concatenated scheme of measurement and active feed-forward in a one-way quantum computing experiment. We demonstrate that, for a perfect cluster state and no photon loss, our quantum computation scheme would operate with good fidelity and that our feed-forward components function with very high speed and low error for detected photons. With present technology, the individual computational step (in our case the individual feed-forward cycle) can be operated in less than 150 ns using electro-optical modulators. This is an important result for the future development of one-way quantum computers, whose large-scale implementation will depend on advances in the production and detection of the required highly entangled cluster states.

Determination of oxygen content in high T/sub c/ superconductors by a charged particle activation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Z.; Alburger, D.E.; Jones, K.W.; Yao, Y.D.; Kao, Y.H.

1988-01-01

A new method for determining the oxygen content in high T/sub c/ superconductors has been demonstrated using a charged particle activation technique. This method allows a measurement of the concentration of 16 O atoms in the superconducting material by detection of the 17 F produced with the 16 O(d,n) 17 F nuclear reaction. By way of example, this technique is applied to the determination of oxygen content in a series of high T/sub c/ Y-Ba-Cu-O samples in which the stoichiometry is varied by reducing the copper concentration. The stabilized oxygen content shows a nonlinear dependence on the copper deficiency in these specimens

High Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activity Identifies a Subset of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells with Vascular Regenerative Potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherman, Stephen E; Kuljanin, Miljan; Cooper, Tyler T; Putman, David M; Lajoie, Gilles A; Hess, David A

2017-06-01

During culture expansion, multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) differentially express aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), an intracellular detoxification enzyme that protects long-lived cells against oxidative stress. Thus, MSC selection based on ALDH-activity may be used to reduce heterogeneity and distinguish MSC subsets with improved regenerative potency. After expansion of human bone marrow-derived MSCs, cell progeny was purified based on low versus high ALDH-activity (ALDH hi ) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and each subset was compared for multipotent stromal and provascular regenerative functions. Both ALDH l ° and ALDH hi MSC subsets demonstrated similar expression of stromal cell (>95% CD73 + , CD90 + , CD105 + ) and pericyte (>95% CD146 + ) surface markers and showed multipotent differentiation into bone, cartilage, and adipose cells in vitro. Conditioned media (CDM) generated by ALDH hi MSCs demonstrated a potent proliferative and prosurvival effect on human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) under serum-free conditions and augmented HMVEC tube-forming capacity in growth factor-reduced matrices. After subcutaneous transplantation within directed in vivo angiogenesis assay implants into immunodeficient mice, ALDH hi MSC or CDM produced by ALDH hi MSC significantly augmented murine vascular cell recruitment and perfused vessel infiltration compared with ALDH l ° MSC. Although both subsets demonstrated strikingly similar mRNA expression patterns, quantitative proteomic analyses performed on subset-specific CDM revealed the ALDH hi MSC subset uniquely secreted multiple proangiogenic cytokines (vascular endothelial growth factor beta, platelet derived growth factor alpha, and angiogenin) and actively produced multiple factors with chemoattractant (transforming growth factor-β, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1, 2, and 3 (GRO), C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (RANTES), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8) and matrix

Designing a highly active soluble PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase for efficient glucose biosensors and biofuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durand, Fabien [Universite de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP), UPR 8641, Avenue Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France); Stines-Chaumeil, Claire [Universite de Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut de Biochimie et de Genetique Cellulaires, 1 rue Camille Saint Saens, 33077 Bordeaux Cedex (France); Flexer, Victoria [Universite de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP), UPR 8641, Avenue Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France); Andre, Isabelle [Universite de Toulouse, INSA, UPS, INP, LISBP, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, F-31077 Toulouse (France); CNRS, UMR5504, F-31400 Toulouse (France); INRA, UMR 792 Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, F-31400 Toulouse (France); Mano, Nicolas, E-mail: mano@crpp-bordeaux.cnrs.fr [Universite de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP), UPR 8641, Avenue Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac (France)

2010-11-26

Research highlights: {yields} A new mutant of PQQ-GDH designed for glucose biosensors application. {yields} First mutant of PQQ-GDH with higher activity for D-glucose than the Wild type. {yields} Position N428 is a key point to increase the enzyme activity. {yields} Molecular modeling shows that the N428 C mutant displays a better interaction for PQQ than the WT. -- Abstract: We report for the first time a soluble PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase that is twice more active than the wild type for glucose oxidation and was obtained by combining site directed mutagenesis, modelling and steady-state kinetics. The observed enhancement is attributed to a better interaction between the cofactor and the enzyme leading to a better electron transfer. Electrochemical experiments also demonstrate the superiority of the new mutant for glucose oxidation and make it a promising enzyme for the development of high-performance glucose biosensors and biofuel cells.

Two-dimensional gold nanostructures with high activity for selective oxidation of carbon–hydrogen bonds

KAUST Repository

Wang, Liang

2015-04-22

Efficient synthesis of stable two-dimensional (2D) noble metal catalysts is a challenging topic. Here we report the facile synthesis of 2D gold nanosheets via a wet chemistry method, by using layered double hydroxide as the template. Detailed characterization with electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that the nanosheets are negatively charged and [001] oriented with thicknesses varying from single to a few atomic layers. X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals unusually low gold–gold coordination numbers. These gold nanosheets exhibit high catalytic activity and stability in the solvent-free selective oxidation of carbon–hydrogen bonds with molecular oxygen.

Two-dimensional gold nanostructures with high activity for selective oxidation of carbon-hydrogen bonds

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liang; Zhu, Yihan; Wang, Jian-Qiang; Liu, Fudong; Huang, Jianfeng; Meng, Xiangju; Basset, Jean-Marie; Han, Yu; Xiao, Feng-Shou

2015-04-01

Efficient synthesis of stable two-dimensional (2D) noble metal catalysts is a challenging topic. Here we report the facile synthesis of 2D gold nanosheets via a wet chemistry method, by using layered double hydroxide as the template. Detailed characterization with electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that the nanosheets are negatively charged and [001] oriented with thicknesses varying from single to a few atomic layers. X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals unusually low gold-gold coordination numbers. These gold nanosheets exhibit high catalytic activity and stability in the solvent-free selective oxidation of carbon-hydrogen bonds with molecular oxygen.

Offsite demonstrations for MWLID technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, C.; Gruebel, R.

1995-01-01

The goal of the Offsite Demonstration Project for Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration (MWLID)-developed environmental site characterization and remediation technologies is to facilitate the transfer, use, and commercialization of these technologies to the public and private sector. The meet this goal, the project identified environmental restoration needs of mixed waste and/or hazardous waste landfill owners (Native American, municipal, DOE, and DoD); documenting potential demonstration sites and the contaminants present at each site; assessing the environmental regulations that would effect demonstration activities; and evaluating site suitability for demonstrating MWLID technologies at the tribal and municipal sites identified. Eighteen landfill sites within a 40.2-km radius of Sandia National Laboratories are listed on the CERCLIS Site/Event Listing for the state of New Mexico. Seventeen are not located within DOE or DoD facilities and are potential offsite MWLID technology demonstration sites. Two of the seventeen CERCLIS sites, one on Native American land and one on municipal land, were evaluated and identified as potential candidates for off-site demonstrations of MWLID-developed technologies. Contaminants potentially present on site include chromium waste, household/commercial hazardous waste, volatile organic compounds, and petroleum products. MWLID characterization technologies applicable to these sites include Magnetometer Towed Array, Cross-borehole Electromagnetic Imaging, SitePlanner trademark/PLUME, Hybrid Directional Drilling, Seamist trademark/Vadose Zone Monitoring, Stripping Analyses, and x-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy for Heavy Metals

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.

High-accuracy vibration sensor based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer with active phase-tracking technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Wei; Li, Chuncheng; Hao, Hui; Wang, Yiping; Ni, Xiaoqi; Guo, Dongmei; Wang, Ming

2018-02-01

A novel position-sensitive Fabry-Perot interferometer was constructed with direct phase modulation by a built-in electro-optic modulator. Pure sinusoidal phase modulation of the light was produced, and the first harmonic of the interference signal was extracted to dynamically maintain the interferometer phase to the most sensitive point of the interferogram. Therefore, the minute vibration of the object was coded on the variation of the interference signal and could be directly retrieved by the output voltage of a photodetector. The operating principle and the signal processing method for active feedback control of the interference phase have been demonstrated in detail. The developed vibration sensor was calibrated through a high-precision piezo-electric transducer and tested by a nano-positioning stage under a vibration magnitude of 60 nm and a frequency of 300 Hz. The active phase-tracking method of the system provides high immunity against environmental disturbances. Experimental results show that the proposed interferometer can effectively reconstruct tiny vibration waveforms with subnanometer resolution, paving the way for high-accuracy vibration sensing, especially for micro-electro-mechanical systems/nano-electro-mechanical systems and ultrasonic devices.

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Strategy Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostelnik, K.M.

1993-02-01

The Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) supports the applied research, development, demonstration, and evaluation of a suite of advanced technologies that form a comprehensive remediation system for the effective and efficient remediation of buried waste. These efforts are identified and coordinated in support of the US Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) needs and objectives. The present focus of BWID is to support retrieval and ex situ treatment configuration options. Future activities will explore and support containment and stabilization efforts in addition to the retrieval/ex situ treatment options. Long and short term strategies of the BWID are provided. Processes for identifying technological needs, screening candidate technologies for BWID applicability, researching technical issues, field demonstrating technologies, evaluating demonstration results to determine each technology's threshold of capability, and commercializing successfully demonstrated technologies for implementation for environmental restoration also are presented in this report

Effect of high-intensity intermittent swimming training on fatty acid oxidation enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Terada, Shin; Tabata, Izumi; Higuchi, Mitsuru

2004-02-01

We previously reported that high-intensity exercise training significantly increased citrate synthase (CS) activity, a marker of oxidative enzyme, in rat skeletal muscle to a level equaling that attained after low-intensity prolonged exercise training (Terada et al., J Appl Physiol 90: 2019-2024, 2001). Since mitochondrial oxidative enzymes and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) enzymes are often increased simultaneously, we assessed the effect of high-intensity intermittent swimming training on FAO enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (3 to 4 weeks old) were assigned to a 10-day period of high-intensity intermittent exercise training (HIT), low-intensity prolonged exercise training (LIT), or sedentary control conditions. In the HIT group, the rats repeated fourteen 20 s swimming sessions with a weight equivalent to 14-16% of their body weight. Between the exercise sessions, a 10 s pause was allowed. Rats in the LIT group swam 6 h/day in two 3 h sessions separated by 45 min of rest. CS activity in the triceps muscle of rats in the HIT and LIT groups was significantly higher than that in the control rats by 36 and 39%, respectively. Furthermore, 3-beta hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) activity, an important enzyme in the FAO pathway in skeletal muscle, was higher in the two training groups than in the control rats (HIT: 100%, LIT: 88%). No significant difference in HAD activity was observed between the two training groups. In conclusion, the present investigation demonstrated that high-intensity intermittent swimming training elevated FAO enzyme activity in rat skeletal muscle to a level similar to that attained after 6 h of low-intensity prolonged swimming exercise training.

Demonstration of in vitro antibacterial activity of the popular cosmetics items used by the Dhaka locality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanzia Akon

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To demonstrate the antibacterial activity of cosmetic products commonly used by the community of Dhaka metropolis. Methods: A total of 10 categories of cosmetic samples (with a subtotal of 30 brands were subjected to microbiological analysis through conventional culture and biochemical tests. Agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial trait in the tested samples which was further confirmed by the minimum inhibitory concentration method. Results: All samples were found to be populated with bacteria and fungi up to 105 CFU/ g and 103 CFU/g, respectively. Growth of Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Klebsiella spp. was recorded as well. Conversely, 7 out of 30 items were found to exhibit the in vitro antibacterial activity against an array of laboratory test bacterial species including Staphylococcus spp., E. coli, Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Klebsiella spp. and Listeria spp. Consequently, all the samples showed antibacterial activity below the concentration of 0.46 mg/mL as found in the minimum inhibitory concentration test. Conclusions: Overall, the presence of huge microbial population in cosmetic products is not acceptable from the point microbiological contamination level. The antibacterial trait of these items, in contrary, may draw an overall public health impact.

A Demonstration and a Souvenir

Science.gov (United States)

Lentz, Randy

1978-01-01

Describes an activity using interchangeable, preset tool holders to provide a demonstration for parents or students attending a school's open house session that produces a small souvenir (an aluminum mini-chalice) for them. A procedure sheet for the school's individual lathe and specification diagrams for making the cup are provided. (TA)

Experimental demonstration of OpenFlow-enabled media ecosystem architecture for high-end applications over metro and core networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ntofon, Okung-Dike; Channegowda, Mayur P; Efstathiou, Nikolaos; Rashidi Fard, Mehdi; Nejabati, Reza; Hunter, David K; Simeonidou, Dimitra

2013-02-25

In this paper, a novel Software-Defined Networking (SDN) architecture is proposed for high-end Ultra High Definition (UHD) media applications. UHD media applications require huge amounts of bandwidth that can only be met with high-capacity optical networks. In addition, there are requirements for control frameworks capable of delivering effective application performance with efficient network utilization. A novel SDN-based Controller that tightly integrates application-awareness with network control and management is proposed for such applications. An OpenFlow-enabled test-bed demonstrator is reported with performance evaluations of advanced online and offline media- and network-aware schedulers.

The innovation of cryo-SEM freeze-fracturing methodology demonstrated on high pressure frozen biofilm.

Science.gov (United States)

Hrubanova, Kamila; Nebesarova, Jana; Ruzicka, Filip; Krzyzanek, Vladislav

2018-04-22

In this study we present an innovative method for the preparation of fully hydrated samples of microbial biofilms of cultures Staphylococcus epidermidis, Candida parapsilosis and Candida albicans. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and high-pressure freezing (HPF) rank among cutting edge techniques in the electron microscopy of hydrated samples such as biofilms. However, the combination of these techniques is not always easily applicable. Therefore, we present a method of combining high-pressure freezing using EM PACT2 (Leica Microsystems), which fixes hydrated samples on small sapphire discs, with a high resolution SEM equipped with the widely used cryo-preparation system ALTO 2500 (Gatan). Using a holder developed in house, a freeze-fracturing technique was applied to image and investigate microbial cultures cultivated on the sapphire discs. In our experiments, we focused on the ultrastructure of the extracellular matrix produced during cultivation and the relationships among microbial cells in the biofilm. The main goal of our investigations was the detailed visualization of areas of the biofilm where the microbial cells adhere to the substrate/surface. We show the feasibility of this technique, which is clearly demonstrated in experiments with various freeze-etching times. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management: Development and Demonstrations - 12532

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freshley, Mark D.; Freedman, Vicky; Gorton, Ian [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, MSIN K9-33, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Hubbard, Susan S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 50B-4230, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Moulton, J. David; Dixon, Paul [Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS B284, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87544 (United States)

2012-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM), Technology Innovation and Development is supporting development of the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM). ASCEM is a state-of-the-art scientific tool and approach for understanding and predicting contaminant fate and transport in natural and engineered systems. The modular and open source high-performance computing tool facilitates integrated approaches to modeling and site characterization that enable robust and standardized assessments of performance and risk for EM cleanup and closure activities. The ASCEM project continues to make significant progress in development of capabilities, which are organized into Platform and Integrated Tool-sets and a High-Performance Computing Multi-process Simulator. The Platform capabilities target a level of functionality to allow end-to-end model development, starting with definition of the conceptual model and management of data for model input. The High-Performance Computing capabilities target increased functionality of process model representations, tool-sets for interaction with Platform, and verification and model confidence testing. The new capabilities are demonstrated through working groups, including one focused on the Hanford Site Deep Vadose Zone. The ASCEM program focused on planning during the first year and executing a prototype tool-set for an early demonstration of individual components. Subsequently, ASCEM has focused on developing and demonstrating an integrated set of capabilities, making progress toward a version of the capabilities that can be used to engage end users. Demonstration of capabilities continues to be implemented through working groups. Three different working groups, one focused on EM problems in the deep vadose zone, another investigating attenuation mechanisms for metals and radionuclides, and a third focusing on waste tank performance assessment, continue to make progress. The project

Operating experience during high-level waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valenti, P.J.; Elliott, D.I.

1999-01-01

This report provides a summary of operational experiences, component and system performance, and lessons learned associated with the operation of the Vitrification Facility (VF) at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). The VF was designed to convert stored high-level radioactive waste (HLW) into a stable waste form (borosilicate glass) suitable for disposal in a federal repository. Following successful completion on nonradioactive test, HLW processing began in July 1995. Completion of Phase 1 of HLW processing was reached on 10 June 1998 and represented the processing of 9.32 million curies of cesium-137 (Cs-137) and strontium-90 (Sr-90) to fill 211 canisters with over 436,000 kilograms of glass. With approximately 85% of the total estimated curie content removed from underground waste storage tanks during Phase 1, subsequent operations will focus on removal of tank heel wastes

Methods for demonstration of enzyme activity in muscle fibres at the muscle/bone interface in demineralized tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkeby, S; Vilmann, H

1981-01-01

A method for demonstration of activity for ATPase and various oxidative enzymes (succinic dehydrogenase, alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, and lactic dehydrogenase) in muscle/bone sections of fixed and demineralized tissue has been developed. It was found that it is possible to preserve...... considerable amounts of the above mentioned enzymes in the muscle fibres at the muscle/bone interfaces. The best results were obtained after 20 min fixation, and 2-3 weeks of storage in MgNa2EDTA containing media. As the same technique previously has been used to describe patterns of resorption and deposition...

Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol inhibits MRCKα kinase and demonstrates promising anti prostate cancer activity in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lowe Henry I C

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Given the high occurrence of prostate cancer worldwide and one of the major sources of the discovery of new lead molecules being medicinal plants, this research undertook to investigate the possible anti-cancer activity of two natural cycloartanes; cycloartane-3,24,25-diol (extracted in our lab from Tillandsia recurvata and cycloartane-3,24,25-triol (purchased. The inhibition of MRCKα kinase has emerged as a potential solution to restoring the tight regulation of normal cellular growth, the loss of which leads to cancer cell formation. Methods Kinase inhibition was investigated using competition binding (to the ATP sites assays which have been previously established and authenticated and cell proliferation was measured using the WST-1 assay. Results Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol demonstrated strong selectivity towards the MRCKα kinase with a Kd50 of 0.26 μM from a total of 451 kinases investigated. Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol reduced the viability of PC-3 and DU145 cell lines with IC50 values of 2.226 ± 0.28 μM and 1.67 ± 0.18 μM respectively. Conclusions These results will prove useful in drug discovery as Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol has shown potential for development as an anti-cancer agent against prostate cancer.

Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol inhibits MRCKα kinase and demonstrates promising anti prostate cancer activity in vitro

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Given the high occurrence of prostate cancer worldwide and one of the major sources of the discovery of new lead molecules being medicinal plants, this research undertook to investigate the possible anti-cancer activity of two natural cycloartanes; cycloartane-3,24,25-diol (extracted in our lab from Tillandsia recurvata) and cycloartane-3,24,25-triol (purchased). The inhibition of MRCKα kinase has emerged as a potential solution to restoring the tight regulation of normal cellular growth, the loss of which leads to cancer cell formation. Methods Kinase inhibition was investigated using competition binding (to the ATP sites) assays which have been previously established and authenticated and cell proliferation was measured using the WST-1 assay. Results Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol demonstrated strong selectivity towards the MRCKα kinase with a Kd50 of 0.26 μM from a total of 451 kinases investigated. Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol reduced the viability of PC-3 and DU145 cell lines with IC50 values of 2.226 ± 0.28 μM and 1.67 ± 0.18 μM respectively. Conclusions These results will prove useful in drug discovery as Cycloartane-3,24,25-triol has shown potential for development as an anti-cancer agent against prostate cancer. PMID:23151005

Highly sensitive assay for tyrosine hydroxylase activity by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagatsu, T; Oka, K; Kato, T

1979-07-21

A highly sensitive assay for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with amperometric detection was devised based on the rapid isolation of enzymatically formed DOPA by a double-column procedure, the columns fitted together sequentially (the top column of Amberlite CG-50 and the bottom column of aluminium oxide). DOPA was adsorbed on the second aluminium oxide column, then eluted with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid, and assayed by HPLC with amperometric detection. D-Tyrosine was used for the control. alpha-Methyldopa was added to the incubation mixture as an internal standard after incubation. This assay was more sensitive than radioassays and 5 pmol of DOPA formed enzymatically could be measured in the presence of saturating concentrations of tyrosine and 6-methyltetrahydropterin. The TH activity in 2 mg of human putamen could be easily measured, and this method was found to be particularly suitable for the assay of TH activity in a small number of nuclei from animal and human brain.

Leptospira interrogans activation of peripheral blood monocyte glycolipoprotein demonstrated in whole blood by the release of IL-6

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Dorigatti

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Glycolipoprotein (GLP from pathogenic serovars of Leptospira has been implicated in the pathogenesis of leptospirosis by its presence in tissues of experimental animals with leptospirosis, the inhibition of the Na,K-ATPase pump activity, and induced production of cytokines. The aims of the present study were to investigate the induction of IL-6 by GLP in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC and to demonstrate monocyte stimulation at the cellular level in whole blood from healthy volunteers. PBMC were stimulated with increasing concentrations (5 to 2500 ng/ml of GLP extracted from the pathogenic L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni, lipopolysaccharide (positive control or medium (negative control, and supernatants were collected after 6, 20/24, and 48 h, and kept at -80ºC until use. Whole blood was diluted 1:1 in RPMI medium and cultivated for 6 h, with medium, GLP and lipopolysaccharide as described above. Monensin was added after the first hour of culture. Supernatant cytokine levels from PBMC were measured by ELISA and intracellular IL-6 was detected in monocytes in whole blood cultures by flow-cytometry. Monocytes were identified in whole blood on the basis of forward versus side scatter parameters and positive reactions with CD45 and CD14 antibodies. GLP ( > or = 50 ng/ml-induced IL-6 levels in supernatants were detected after 6-h incubation, reaching a peak after 20/24 h. The percentage of monocytes staining for IL-6 increased with increasing GLP concentration. Thus, our findings show a GLP-induced cellular activation by demonstrating the ability of GLP to induce IL-6 and the occurrence of monocyte activation in whole blood at the cellular level.

The physical activity climate in Minnesota middle and high schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuelson, Anne; Lytle, Leslie; Pasch, Keryn; Farbakhsh, Kian; Moe, Stacey; Sirard, John Ronald

2010-11-01

This article describes policies, practices, and facilities that form the physical activity climate in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota metro area middle and high schools and examines how the physical activity climate varies by school characteristics, including public/private, school location and grade level. Surveys examining school physical activity practices, policies and environment were administered to principals and physical education department heads from 115 middle and high schools participating in the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer-Identifying Determinants of Eating and Activity (TREC-IDEA) study. While some supportive practices were highly prevalent in the schools studied (such as prohibiting substitution of other classes for physical education); other practices were less common (such as providing opportunity for intramural (noncompetitive) sports). Public schools vs. private schools and schools with a larger school enrollment were more likely to have a school climate supportive of physical activity. Although schools reported elements of positive physical activity climates, discrepancies exist by school characteristics. Of note, public schools were more than twice as likely as private schools to have supportive physical activity environments. Establishing more consistent physical activity expectations and funding at the state and national level is necessary to increase regular school physical activity.

Using microwave heating to improve the desorption efficiency of high molecular weight VOC from beaded activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Fayaz, Mohammadreza; Shariaty, Pooya; Atkinson, John D; Hashisho, Zaher; Phillips, John H; Anderson, James E; Nichols, Mark

2015-04-07

Incomplete regeneration of activated carbon loaded with organic compounds results in heel build-up that reduces the useful life of the adsorbent. In this study, microwave heating was tested as a regeneration method for beaded activated carbon (BAC) loaded with n-dodecane, a high molecular weight volatile organic compound. Energy consumption and desorption efficiency for microwave-heating regeneration were compared with conductive-heating regeneration. The minimum energy needed to completely regenerate the adsorbent (100% desorption efficiency) using microwave regeneration was 6% of that needed with conductive heating regeneration, owing to more rapid heating rates and lower heat loss. Analyses of adsorbent pore size distribution and surface chemistry confirmed that neither heating method altered the physical/chemical properties of the BAC. Additionally, gas chromatography (with flame ionization detector) confirmed that neither regeneration method detectably altered the adsorbate composition during desorption. By demonstrating improvements in energy consumption and desorption efficiency and showing stable adsorbate and adsorbent properties, this paper suggests that microwave heating is an attractive method for activated carbon regeneration particularly when high-affinity VOC adsorbates are present.

Flexible-Rotor Balancing Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Giordano, J.; Zorzi, E.

1986-01-01

Report describes method for balancing high-speed rotors at relatively low speeds and discusses demonstration of method on laboratory test rig. Method ensures rotor brought up to speeds well over 20,000 r/min smoothly, without excessive vibration amplitude at critical speeds or at operating speed.

Demonstration of Active Power Controls by Utility-Scale PV Power Plant in an Island Grid: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gevorgian, Vahan; O' Neill, Barbara

2017-02-01

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), AES, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority conducted a demonstration project on a utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) plant to test the viability of providing important ancillary services from this facility. As solar generation increases globally, there is a need for innovation and increased operational flexibility. A typical PV power plant consists of multiple power electronic inverters and can contribute to grid stability and reliability through sophisticated 'grid-friendly' controls. In this way, it may mitigate the impact of its variability on the grid and contribute to important system requirements more like traditional generators. In 2015, testing was completed on a 20-MW AES plant in Puerto Rico, and a large amount of test data was produced and analyzed that demonstrates the ability of PV power plants to provide various types of new grid-friendly controls. This data showed how active power controls can leverage PV's value from being simply an intermittent energy resource to providing additional ancillary services for an isolated island grid. Specifically, the tests conducted included PV plant participation in automatic generation control, provision of droop response, and fast frequency response.

High fat diet feeding results in gender specific steatohepatitis and inflammasome activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganz, Michal; Csak, Timea; Szabo, Gyongyi

2014-07-14

To develop an animal model that encompasses the different facets of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which has been a challenge. In this study, we used a high fat diet (HFD) feeding supplemented with fructose and sucrose in the water mimicking the high-fructose corn syrup that is abundant in the diet in the United States. We used C57Bl/6 wild-type mice for short and long-term feedings of 6 and 16 wk respectively, and evaluated the extent of liver damage, steatosis, and inflammasome activation. Our methods included histopathological analysis to assess liver damage and steatosis, which involved H and E and oil-red-o staining; biochemical studies to look at ALT and triglyceride levels; RNA analysis using quantitative polymerase chain reaction; and cytokine analysis, which included the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method to look at interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) levels. Furthermore, at each length of feeding we also looked at insulin resistance and glucose tolerance using insulin tolerance tests (ITT) and glucose tolerance tests. There was no insulin resistance, steatosis, or inflammasome activation at 6 wk. In contrast, at 16 wk we found significant insulin resistance demonstrated by impaired glucose and ITT in male, but not female mice. In males, elevated alanine aminotransferase and triglyceride levels, indicated liver damage and steatosis, respectively. Increased liver TNFα and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA and protein, correlated with steatohepatitis. The inflammasome components, adaptor molecule, Aim2, and NOD-like receptor 4, increased at the mRNA level, and functional inflammasome activation was indicated by increased caspase-1 activity and IL-1β protein levels in male mice fed a long-term HFD. Male mice on HFD had increased α-smooth muscle actin and pro-collagen-1 mRNA indicating evolving fibrosis. In contrast, female mice displayed only elevated triglyceride levels, steatosis, and no fibrosis. Our data

Demonstrating multibit magnetic memory in the Fe8 high-spin molecule by muon spin rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Shafir, Oren; Keren, Amit; Maegawa, Satoru; Ueda, Miki; Amato, Alex; Baines, Chris

2005-09-01

We develop a method to detect the quantum nature of high-spin molecules using muon spin rotation and a three-step field cycle ending always with the same field. We use this method to demonstrate that the Fe8 molecule can remember six (possibly eight) different histories (bits). A wide range of fields can be used to write a particular bit, and the information is stored in discrete states. Therefore, Fe8 can be used as a model compound for multibit magnetic memory. Our experiment also paves the way for magnetic quantum tunneling detection in films.

Infiltration barrier demonstration at Maxey Flats, Kentucky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, D.; Razor, J.

1983-01-01

At the 1982 DOE LLWMP meeting, the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet presented a history of the Maxey Flats Waste Disposal Facility, its status, and current Commonwealth activities leading toward stabilization and decommissioning. Information was presented at that time on the purpose of the DOE Trench Moisture Barrier Demonstration Grant and the early phases of construction and implementation. In this paper, final construction and implementation of the trench moisture barrier demonstration are discussed. Data including trench water level measurements, lateral liquid flow in experimental sections, and soil moisture measurements are presented and discussed. The Paper is completed with a brief discussion of remediation activities currently being implemented at Maxey Flats. 9 references, 7 figures, 1 table

Commercial incineration demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1982-01-01

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

A high-throughput colorimetric screening assay for terpene synthase activity based on substrate consumption.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maiko Furubayashi

Full Text Available Terpene synthases catalyze the formation of a variety of terpene chemical structures. Systematic mutagenesis studies have been effective in providing insights into the characteristic and complex mechanisms of C-C bond formations and in exploring the enzymatic potential for inventing new chemical structures. In addition, there is growing demand to increase terpene synthase activity in heterologous hosts, given the maturation of metabolic engineering and host breeding for terpenoid synthesis. We have developed a simple screening method for the cellular activities of terpene synthases by scoring their substrate consumption based on the color loss of the cell harboring carotenoid pathways. We demonstrate that this method can be used to detect activities of various terpene synthase or prenyltransferase genes in a high-throughput manner, irrespective of the product type, enabling the mutation analysis and directed evolution of terpene synthases. We also report the possibility for substrate-specific screening system of terpene synthases by taking advantage of the substrate-size specificity of C30 and C40 carotenoid pathways.

Demonstration of a high-intensity neutron source based on a liquid-lithium target for Accelerator based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Halfon, S; Arenshtam, A; Kijel, D; Paul, M; Weissman, L; Berkovits, D; Eliyahu, I; Feinberg, G; Kreisel, A; Mardor, I; Shimel, G; Shor, A; Silverman, I; Tessler, M

2015-12-01

A free surface liquid-lithium jet target is operating routinely at Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF), bombarded with a ~1.91 MeV, ~1.2 mA continuous-wave narrow proton beam. The experiments demonstrate the liquid lithium target (LiLiT) capability to constitute an intense source of epithermal neutrons, for Accelerator based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The target dissipates extremely high ion beam power densities (>3 kW/cm(2), >0.5 MW/cm(3)) for long periods of time, while maintaining stable conditions and localized residual activity. LiLiT generates ~3×10(10) n/s, which is more than one order of magnitude larger than conventional (7)Li(p,n)-based near threshold neutron sources. A shield and moderator assembly for BNCT, with LiLiT irradiated with protons at 1.91 MeV, was designed based on Monte Carlo (MCNP) simulations of BNCT-doses produced in a phantom. According to these simulations it was found that a ~15 mA near threshold proton current will apply the therapeutic doses in ~1h treatment duration. According to our present results, such high current beams can be dissipated in a liquid-lithium target, hence the target design is readily applicable for accelerator-based BNCT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business cycle and innovation activity in medium-high and high technology industry in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dzikowski Piotr

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines differences in an impact of business cycle phases on innovation activity in medium-high and high technology industry in Poland. It is assumed that each business cycle phase influences innovation activity in the same fashion, but its impact varies and it depends on the firm’s innovation activity. The higher innovation activity the less impact of business cycle. The scope of the survey relates to innovation in MHT and HT industry in Poland. The data concerns the innovation at the firm level and the diffusion “new for the company”. Innovation activity is defined by the following activities: (1 expenditure on research and development and investments in fixed assets not used so far such as: abuildings, premises and land; b machinery and equipment, c computer software; (2 implementation of new products and technological processes and (3 innovation cooperation. The methodological part of the analysis includes a logit modeling. The survey includes 1355 companies. Business cycle has a great influence on innovation activity in MTH and HT industry in Poland. The influence of recovery phase is positive whereas both stagnation and recession phases decrease the probability of innovation activity. The character of influence depends on the propensity to take innovation activity. The higher level of innovation activity the enterprises present the less influence of business cycle they get.

Adult Basic Learning in an Activity Center: A Demonstration Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Metropolitan Adult Education Program, San Jose, CA.

Escuela Amistad, an activity center in San Jose, California, is now operating at capacity, five months after its origin. Average daily attendance has been 125 adult students, 18-65, most of whom are females of Mexican-American background. Activities and services provided by the center are: instruction in English as a second language, home…

One-step synthesis of hierarchically porous hybrid TiO2 hollow spheres with high photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ruiping; Ren, Feng; Yang, Jinlin; Su, Weiming; Sun, Zhiming; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Chang-an

2016-03-01

Hierarchically porous hybrid TiO2 hollow spheres were solvothermally synthesized successfully by using tetrabutyl titanate as titanium precursor and hydrated metal sulfates as soft templates. The as-prepared TiO2 spheres with hierarchically pore structures and high specific surface area and pore volume consisted of highly crystallized anatase TiO2 nanocrystals hybridized with a small amount of metal oxide from the hydrated sulfate. The proposed hydrated-sulfate assisted solvothermal (HAS) synthesis strategy was demonstrated to be widely applicable to various systems. Evaluation of the hybrid TiO2 hollow spheres for the photo-decomposition of methyl orange (MO) under visible-light irradiation revealed that they exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and durability.

Joint DIII-D/EAST Experiments Toward Steady State AT Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Garofalo, A. M.; Meneghini, O.; Staebler, G. M.; van Zeeland, M. A.; Gong, X.; Ding, S.; Qian, J.; Ren, Q.; Xu, G.; Grierson, B. A.; Solomon, W. M.; Holcomb, C. T.

2015-11-01

Joint DIII-D/EAST experiments on fully noninductive operation at high poloidal beta have demonstrated several attractive features of this regime for a steady-state fusion reactor. Very large bootstrap fraction (>80 %) is desirable because it reduces the demands on external noninductive current drive. High bootstrap fraction with an H-mode edge results in a broad current profile and internal transport barriers (ITBs) at large minor radius, leading to high normalized energy confinement and high MHD stability limits. The ITB radius expands with higher normalized beta, further improving both stability and confinement. Electron density ITB and large Shafranov shift lead to low AE activity in the plasma core and low anomalous fast ion losses. Both the ITB and the current profile show remarkable robustness against perturbations, without external control. Supported by US DOE under DE-FC02-04ER54698, DE-AC02-09CH11466 & DE-AC52-07NA27344 & by NMCFSP under contracts 2015GB102000 and 2015GB110001.

IAEA high temperature gas-cooled reactor activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendall, J.M.

2000-01-01

The IAEA activities on high temperature gas-cooled reactors are conducted with the review and support of the Member states, primarily through the International Working Group on Gas-Cooled Reactors (IWG-GCR). This paper summarises the results of the IAEA gas-cooled reactor project activities in recent years along with ongoing current activities through a review of Co-ordinated Research Projects (CRPs), meetings and other international efforts. A series of three recently completed CRPs have addressed the key areas of reactor physics for LEU fuel, retention of fission products and removal of post shutdown decay heat through passive heat transport mechanisms. These activities along with other completed and ongoing supporting CRPs and meetings are summarised with reference to detailed documentation of the results. (authors)

High activity carbon sorbents for mercury capture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stavropoulos George G.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available High efficiency activated carbons have been prepared for removing mercury from gas streams. Starting materials used were petroleum coke, lignite, charcoal and olive seed waste, and were chemically activated with KOH. Produced adsorbents were primarily characterized for their porosity by N2 adsorption at 77 K. Their mercury retention capacity was characterized based on the breakthrough curves. Compared with typical commercial carbons, they have exhibited considerably enhanced mercury adsorption capacity. An attempt has been made to correlate mercury entrapment and pore structure. It has been shown that physical surface area is increased during activation in contrast to the mercury adsorption capacity that initially increases and tends to decrease at latter stages. Desorption of active sites may be responsible for this behavior.

IAEA high temperature gas cooled reactor activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendall, J.M.

2001-01-01

IAEA activities on high temperature gas cooled reactors are conducted with the review and support of Member States, primarily through the International Working Group on Gas Cooled Reactors (IWGGCR). This paper summarises the results of the IAEA gas cooled reactor project activities in recent years along with ongoing current activities through a review of Co-ordinated Research Projects (CRPs), meetings and other international efforts. A series of three recently completed CRPs have addressed the key areas of reactor physics for LEU fuel, retention of fission products, and removal of post shutdown decay heat through passive heat transport mechanisms. These activities along with other completed and ongoing supporting CRPs and meetings are summarised with reference to detailed documentation of the results. (author)

Performance Demonstration Program Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

To demonstrate compliance with the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) waste characterization program, each testing and analytical facility performing waste characterization activities participates in the Performance Demonstration Program (PDP). The PDP serves as a quality control check against expected results and provides information about the quality of data generated in the characterization of waste destined for WIPP. Single blind audit samples are prepared and distributed by an independent organization to each of the facilities participating in the PDP. There are three elements within the PDP: analysis of simulated headspace gases, analysis of solids for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) constituents, and analysis for transuranic (TRU) radionuclides using nondestructive assay (NDA) techniques. Because the analysis for TRU radionuclides using NDA techniques involves both the counting of drums and standard waste boxes, four PDP plans are required to describe the activities of the three PDP elements. In accordance with these PDP plans, the reviewing and approving authority for PDP results and for the overall program is the CBFO PDP Appointee. The CBFO PDP Appointee is responsible for ensuring the implementation of each of these plans by concurring with the designation of the Program Coordinator and by providing technical oversight and coordination for the program. The Program Coordinator will designate the PDP Manager, who will coordinate the three elements of the PDP. The purpose of this management plan is to identify how the requirements applicable to the PDP are implemented during the management and coordination of PDP activities. The other participants in the program (organizations that perform site implementation and activities under CBFO contracts or interoffice work orders) are not covered under this management plan. Those activities are governed by the organization's quality assurance (QA) program and procedures or as otherwise directed by CBFO.

Direct conscious telemetry recordings demonstrate increased renal sympathetic nerve activity in rats with chronic kidney disease

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Ibrahim M Salman

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Chronic kidney disease (CKD is associated with sympathetic hyperactivity and impaired blood pressure control reflex responses, yet direct evidence demonstrating these features of autonomic dysfunction in conscious animals is still lacking. Here we measured renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA and mean arterial pressure (MAP using telemetry-based recordings in a rat model of CKD, the Lewis Polycystic Kidney (LPK rat, and assessed responses to chemoreflex activation and acute stress. Male LPK and Lewis control animals (total n=16 were instrumented for telemetric recording of RSNA and MAP. At 12–13 weeks-of-age, resting RSNA and MAP, sympathetic and haemodynamic responses to both peripheral (hypoxia: 10% O2 and central chemoreflex (hypercapnia: 7% CO2 activation and acute stress (open-field exposure, were measured. As indicators of renal function, urinary protein (UPro and creatinine (Ucr levels were assessed. LPK rats had higher resting RSNA (1.2±0.1 vs. 0.6±0.1 µV, p<0.05 and MAP (151±8 vs. 97±2 mmHg, p<0.05 compared to Lewis. MAP was negatively correlated with Ucr (r=-0.80, p=0.002 and positively correlated with RSNA (r=0.66, p=0.014, with multiple linear regression modeling indicating the strongest correlation was with Ucr. RSNA and MAP responses to activation of the central chemoreflex and open-field stress were reduced in the LPK relative to the Lewis (all p<0.05. This is the first description of dual conscious telemetry recording of RSNA and MAP in a genetic rodent model of CKD. Elevated RSNA is likely a key contributor to the marked hypertension in this model, while attenuated RSNA and MAP responses to central chemoreflex activation and acute stress in the LPK indicate possible deficits in the neural processing of autonomic outflows evoked by these sympathoexcitatory pathways.

MODIL cryocooler producibility demonstration project results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz, G.E.; Franks, R.M.

1993-01-01

The production of large quantities of spacecraft needed by SDIO will require a cultural change in design and production practices. Low rates production and the need for exceedingly high reliability has driven the industry to custom designed, hand crafted, and exhaustively tested satellites. These factors have mitigated against employing design and manufacturing cost reduction methods commonly used in tactical missile production. Additional challenges to achieving production efficiencies are presented by the SDI spacecraft mission requirement. IR sensor systems, for example, are comprised of subassemblies and components that require the design, manufacture, and maintenance of ultra precision tolerances over challenging operational lifetimes. These IR sensors demand the use of reliable, closed loop, cryogenic refrigerators or active cryocoolers to meet stringent system acquisition and pointing requirements. The authors summarize some spacecraft cryocooler requirements and discuss observations regarding Industry's current production capabilities of cryocoolers. The results of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Spacecraft Fabrication and Test (SF and T) MODIL's Phase I producibility demonstration project is presented

High repetition rate, high energy, actively Q-switched all-in-fiber laser

Science.gov (United States)

Lecourt, J. B.; Bertrand, A.; Guillemet, S.; Hernandez, Y.; Giannone, D.

2010-05-01

We report an actively Q-switched Ytterbium-doped all-in-fibre laser delivering 10ns pulses with high repetition rate (from 100kHz to 1MHz). The laser operation has been validated at three different wavelengths (1040, 1050 and 1064nm). The laser can deliver up to 20Watts average power with an high beam quality (M2 = 1).

Antifungal and phytotoxic activity of essential oil from root of Senecio amplexicaulis Kunth. (Asteraceae) growing wild in high altitude-Himalayan region.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rajendra; Ahluwalia, Vivek; Singh, Pratap; Kumar, Naresh; Prakash Sati, Om; Sati, Nitin

2016-08-01

This work was aimed to evaluate the essential oil from root of medicinally important plant Senecio amplexicaulis for chemical composition, antifungal and phytotoxic activity. The chemical composition analysed by GC/GC-MS showed the presence of monoterpene hydrocarbons in high percentage with marker compounds as α-phellandrene (48.57%), o-cymene (16.80%) and β-ocimene (7.61%). The essential oil exhibited significant antifungal activity against five phytopathogenic fungi, Sclerotium rolfsii, Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium debaryanum and Fusarium oxysporum. The oil demonstrated remarkable phytotoxic activity in tested concentration and significant reduction in seed germination percentage of Phalaris minor and Triticum aestivum at higher concentrations. The roots essential oil showed high yield for one of its marker compound (α-phellandrene) which makes it important natural source of this compound.

High-resolution mapping reveals links of HP1 with active and inactive chromatin components.

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Elzo de Wit

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1 is commonly seen as a key factor of repressive heterochromatin, even though a few genes are known to require HP1-chromatin for their expression. To obtain insight into the targeting of HP1 and its interplay with other chromatin components, we have mapped HP1-binding sites on Chromosomes 2 and 4 in Drosophila Kc cells using high-density oligonucleotide arrays and the DNA adenine methyltransferase identification (DamID technique. The resulting high-resolution maps show that HP1 forms large domains in pericentric regions, but is targeted to single genes on chromosome arms. Intriguingly, HP1 shows a striking preference for exon-dense genes on chromosome arms. Furthermore, HP1 binds along entire transcription units, except for 5' regions. Comparison with expression data shows that most of these genes are actively transcribed. HP1 target genes are also marked by the histone variant H3.3 and dimethylated histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me2, which are both typical of active chromatin. Interestingly, H3.3 deposition, which is usually observed along entire transcription units, is limited to the 5' ends of HP1-bound genes. Thus, H3.3 and HP1 are mutually exclusive marks on active chromatin. Additionally, we observed that HP1-chromatin and Polycomb-chromatin are nonoverlapping, but often closely juxtaposed, suggesting an interplay between both types of chromatin. These results demonstrate that HP1-chromatin is transcriptionally active and has extensive links with several other chromatin components.

Transparent and Highly Responsive Phototransistors Based on a Solution-Processed, Nanometers-Thick Active Layer, Embedding a High-Mobility Electron-Transporting Polymer and a Hole-Trapping Molecule.

Science.gov (United States)

Caranzi, Lorenzo; Pace, Giuseppina; Sassi, Mauro; Beverina, Luca; Caironi, Mario

2017-08-30

Organic materials are suitable for light sensing devices showing unique features such as low cost, large area, and flexibility. Moreover, transparent photodetectors are interesting for smart interfaces, windows, and display-integrated electronics. The ease of depositing ultrathin organic films with simple techniques enables low light absorbing active layers, resulting in the realization of transparent devices. Here, we demonstrate a strategy to obtain high efficiency organic photodetectors and phototransistors based on transparent active layers with a visible transmittance higher than 90%. The photoactive layer is composed of two phases, each a few nanometers thick. First, an acceptor polymer, which is a good electron-transporting material, on top of which a small molecule donor material is deposited, forming noncontinuous domains. The small molecule phase acts as a trap for holes, thus inducing a high photoconductive gain, resulting in a high photoresponsivity. The organic transparent detectors proposed here can reach very high external quantum efficiency and responsivity values, which in the case of the phototransistors can be as high as ∼74000% and 340 A W -1 at 570 nm respectively, despite an absorber total thickness below 10 nm. Moreover, frequency dependent 2D photocurrent mapping allows discrimination between the contribution of a fast but inefficient and highly spatially localized photoinduced injection mechanism at the electrodes, and the onset of a slower and spatially extended photoconductive process, leading to high responsivity.

Use of activity-based probes to develop high throughput screening assays that can be performed in complex cell extracts.

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Edgar Deu

2010-08-01

Full Text Available High throughput screening (HTS is one of the primary tools used to identify novel enzyme inhibitors. However, its applicability is generally restricted to targets that can either be expressed recombinantly or purified in large quantities.Here, we described a method to use activity-based probes (ABPs to identify substrates that are sufficiently selective to allow HTS in complex biological samples. Because ABPs label their target enzymes through the formation of a permanent covalent bond, we can correlate labeling of target enzymes in a complex mixture with inhibition of turnover of a substrate in that same mixture. Thus, substrate specificity can be determined and substrates with sufficiently high selectivity for HTS can be identified. In this study, we demonstrate this method by using an ABP for dipeptidyl aminopeptidases to identify (Pro-Arg2-Rhodamine as a specific substrate for DPAP1 in Plasmodium falciparum lysates and Cathepsin C in rat liver extracts. We then used this substrate to develop highly sensitive HTS assays (Z'>0.8 that are suitable for use in screening large collections of small molecules (i.e >300,000 for inhibitors of these proteases. Finally, we demonstrate that it is possible to use broad-spectrum ABPs to identify target-specific substrates.We believe that this approach will have value for many enzymatic systems where access to large amounts of active enzyme is problematic.

Large-scale demonstration of D ampersand D technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharyya, S.K.; Black, D.B.; Rose, R.W.

1997-01-01

It is becoming increasingly evident that new technologies will need to be utilized for decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) activities in order to assure safe and cost effective operations. The magnitude of the international D ampersand D problem is sufficiently large in anticipated cost (100's of billions of dollars) and in elapsed time (decades), that the utilization of new technologies should lead to substantial improvements in cost and safety performance. Adoption of new technologies in the generally highly contaminated D ampersand D environments requires assurances that the technology will perform as advertised. Such assurances can be obtained from demonstrations of the technology in environments that are similar to the actual environments without being quite as contaminated and hazardous. The Large Scale Demonstration Project (LSDP) concept was designed to provide such a function. The first LSDP funded by the U.S. Department Of Energy's Environmental Management Office (EM) was on the Chicago Pile 5 (CP-5) Reactor at Argonne National Laboratory. The project, conducted by a Strategic Alliance for Environmental Restoration, has completed demonstrations of 10 D ampersand D technologies and is in the process of comparing the performance to baseline technologies. At the conclusion of the project, a catalog of performance comparisons of these technologies will be developed that will be suitable for use by future D ampersand D planners

INTERACTIVE CHANGE DETECTION USING HIGH RESOLUTION REMOTE SENSING IMAGES BASED ON ACTIVE LEARNING WITH GAUSSIAN PROCESSES

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H. Ru

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Although there have been many studies for change detection, the effective and efficient use of high resolution remote sensing images is still a problem. Conventional supervised methods need lots of annotations to classify the land cover categories and detect their changes. Besides, the training set in supervised methods often has lots of redundant samples without any essential information. In this study, we present a method for interactive change detection using high resolution remote sensing images with active learning to overcome the shortages of existing remote sensing image change detection techniques. In our method, there is no annotation of actual land cover category at the beginning. First, we find a certain number of the most representative objects in unsupervised way. Then, we can detect the change areas from multi-temporal high resolution remote sensing images by active learning with Gaussian processes in an interactive way gradually until the detection results do not change notably. The artificial labelling can be reduced substantially, and a desirable detection result can be obtained in a few iterations. The experiments on Geo-Eye1 and WorldView2 remote sensing images demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method.

An active magnetic bearing with high Tc superconducting coils and ferromagnetic cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, G.V.; DiRusso, E.; Provenza, A.J.

1996-01-01

A proof-of-feasibility demonstration showed that high-T c , superconductor (HTS) coils can be used in a high-load, active magnetic bearing in LN 2 . A homopolar radial bearing with commercially wound HTS (Bi 2223) bias and control coils produced over 890 N (200 lb) radial load capacity (measured nonrotating) and supported a shaft to 14000 rpm. The goal was to show that HTS coils can operate stably with ferromagnetic cores in a feedback controlled system at a current density similar to that for Cu in LN 2 . The bias coil, wound with nontwisted, multifilament HTS conductor, dissipated negligible power for its direct current. The control coils, wound with monofilament HTS sheathed in Ag, dissipated negligible power for direct current. AC losses increased rapidly with frequency and quadratically with AC amplitude. Above about 2 Hz, the effective resistance of the control coils exceeds that of the silver which is in electrical parallel with the oxide superconductor. These results show that twisted multifilament conductor is not needed for stable levitation but may be desired to reduce control power for sizable dynamic loads

Factors limiting microbial growth and activity at a proposed high-level nuclear repository, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kieft, T.L.; Kovacik, W.P. Jr.; Ringelberg, D.B.; White, D.C.; Haldeman, D.L.; Amy, P.S.; Hersman, L.E.

1997-01-01

As part of the characterization of Yucca Mountain, Nev., as a potential repository for high-level nuclear waste, volcanic tuff was analyzed for microbial abundance and activity. Tuff was collected aseptically from nine sites along a tunnel in Yucca Mountain. Microbial abundance was generally low: direct microscopic cell counts were near detection limits at all sites (3.2 X 10(1) to 2.0 X 10(5) cells g-1 [dry weight]); plate counts of aerobic heterotrophs ranged from 1.0 X 10(1) to 3.2 X 10(3) CFU g-1 (dry weight). Phospholipid fatty acid concentrations (0.1 to 3.7 pmol g-1) also indicated low microbial biomasses: diglyceride fatty acid concentrations, indicative of dead cells, were in a similar range (0.2 to 2.3 pmol g-1). Potential microbial activity was quantified as 14CO2 production in microcosms containing radiolabeled substrates (glucose, acetate, and glutamic acid); amendments with water and nutrient solutions (N and P) were used to test factors potentially limiting this activity. Similarly, the potential for microbial growth and the factors limiting growth were determined by performing plate counts before and after incubating volcanic tuff samples for 24 h under various conditions: ambient moisture, water-amended, and amended with various nutrient solutions (N, P, and organic C). A high potential for microbial activity was demonstrated by high rates of substrate mineralization (as much as 70% of added organic C in 3 weeks). Water was the major limiting factor to growth and microbial activity, while amendments with N and P resulted in little further stimulation. Organic C amendments stimulated growth more than water alone

Enclosure for handling high activity materials abstract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimeno de Osso, F.; Dominguez Rodriguez, G.; Cruz Castillo, F. de la; Rodriguez Esteban, A.

1977-01-01

One of the most important problems that are met at the laboratories producing and handling radioisotopes is that of designing, building and operating enclosures suitable for the safe handling of active substances. With that purpose in mind, an enclosure has been designed and built for handling moderately high activities under a shielding made of 150 mm thick lead. A description is given of those aspects that may be of interest to people working in this field. (author) [es

Prototypical Consolidation Demonstration Project: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gili, J.A.; Poston, V.K.

1993-11-01

This is the final report of the Prototypical Consolidation Demonstration Project, which was funded by the US Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The project had two objectives: (a) to develop and demonstrate a prototype of production-scale equipment for the dry, horizontal consolidation and packaging of spent nuclear fuel rods from commercial boiling water reactor and pressurized water reactor fuel assemblies, and (b) to report the development and demonstration results to the US Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office. This report summarizes the activities and conclusions of the project management contractor, EG ampersand G Idaho, Inc., and the fabrication and testing contractor, NUS Corporation (NUS). The report also presents EG ampersand G Idaho's assessments of the equipment and procedures developed by NUS

High Throughput and Mechano-Active Platforms to Promote Cartilage Regeneration and Repair

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanraj, Bhavana

Traumatic joint injuries initiate acute degenerative changes in articular cartilage that can lead to progressive loss of load-bearing function. As a result, patients often develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), a condition for which there currently exists no biologic interventions. To address this need, tissue engineering aims to mimic the structure and function of healthy, native counterparts. These constructs can be used to not only replace degenerated tissue, but also build in vitro, pre-clinical models of disease. Towards this latter goal, this thesis focuses on the design of a high throughput system to screen new therapeutics in a micro-engineered model of PTOA, and the development of a mechanically-responsive drug delivery system to augment tissue-engineered approaches for cartilage repair. High throughput screening is a powerful tool for drug discovery that can be adapted to include 3D tissue constructs. To facilitate this process for cartilage repair, we built a high throughput mechanical injury platform to create an engineered cartilage model of PTOA. Compressive injury of functionally mature constructs increased cell death and proteoglycan loss, two hallmarks of injury observed in vivo. Comparison of this response to that of native cartilage explants, and evaluation of putative therapeutics, validated this model for subsequent use in small molecule screens. A primary screen of 118 compounds identified a number of 'hits' and relevant pathways that may modulate pathologic signaling post-injury. To complement this process of therapeutic discovery, a stimuli-responsive delivery system was designed that used mechanical inputs as the 'trigger' mechanism for controlled release. The failure thresholds of these mechanically-activated microcapsules (MAMCs) were influenced by physical properties and composition, as well as matrix mechanical properties in 3D environments. TGF-beta released from the system upon mechano-activation stimulated stem cell

Inseparable Phone Books Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Balta, Nuri; Çetin, Ali

2017-01-01

This study is aimed at first introducing a well-known discrepant event; inseparable phone books and second, turning it into an experiment for high school or middle school students. This discrepant event could be used especially to indicate how friction force can be effective in producing an unexpected result. Demonstration, discussion, explanation…

Differences in time course activation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex associated with low or high risk choicesin a gambling task

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Stefano eBembich

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Prefrontal cortex plays an important role in decision making (DM, supporting choices in the ordinary uncertainty of everyday life. To assess DM in an unpredictable situation, a playing card task, such as the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT, has been proposed. This task is supposed to specifically test emotion-based learning, linked to the integrity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC. However, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC has demonstrated a role in IGT performance too. Our aim was to study, by multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy, the contribution of DLPFC to the IGT execution over time. We tested the hypothesis that low and high risk choices would differentially activate DLPFC, as IGT execution progressed. We enrolled 11 healthy adults. To identify DLPFC activation associated with IGT choices, we compared regional differences in oxy-haemoglobin variation, from baseline to the event. The time course of task execution was divided in four periods, each one consisting of 25 choices, and DLPFC activation was distinctly analyzed for low and high risk choices in each period. We found different time courses in DLPFC activation, associated with low or high risk choices. During the first period, a significant DLPFC activation emerged with low risk choices, whereas, during the second period, we found a cortical activation with high risk choices. Then, DLPFC activation decreased to non-significant levels during the third and fourth period. This study shows that DLPFC involvement in IGT execution is differentiated over time and according to choice risk level. DLPFC is activated only in the first half of the task, earlier by low risk and later by high risk choices. We speculate that DLPFC may sustain initial and more cognitive functions, such as attention shifting and response inhibition. The lack of DLPFC activation, as the task progresses, may be due to VMPFC activation, not detectable by fNIRS, which takes over the IGT execution in its

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

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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.

ACTIVE SOIL DEPRESSURIZATION (ASD) DEMONSTRATION IN A LARGE BUILDING

Science.gov (United States)

The report gives results of an evaluation of the feasibility of implementing radon resistant construction techniques -- especially active soil depressurization (ASD) -- in new large buildings in Florida. Indoor radon concentrations and radon entry were monitored in a finished bui...

The C-terminal region of the non-structural protein 2B from Hepatitis A Virus demonstrates lipid-specific viroporin-like activity

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Ashutosh; Dey, Debajit; Banerjee, Kamalika; Nain, Anshu; Banerjee, Manidipa

2015-10-01

Viroporins are virally encoded, membrane-active proteins, which enhance viral replication and assist in egress of viruses from host cells. The 2B proteins in the picornaviridae family are known to have viroporin-like properties, and play critical roles during virus replication. The 2B protein of Hepatitis A Virus (2B), an unusual picornavirus, is somewhat dissimilar from its analogues in several respects. HAV 2B is approximately 2.5 times the length of other 2B proteins, and does not disrupt calcium homeostasis or glycoprotein trafficking. Additionally, its membrane penetrating properties are not yet clearly established. Here we show that the membrane interacting activity of HAV 2B is localized in its C-terminal region, which contains an alpha-helical hairpin motif. We show that this region is capable of forming small pores in membranes and demonstrates lipid specific activity, which partially rationalizes the intracellular localization of full-length 2B. Using a combination of biochemical assays and molecular dynamics simulation studies, we also show that HAV 2B demonstrates a marked propensity to dimerize in a crowded environment, and probably interacts with membranes in a multimeric form, a hallmark of other picornavirus viroporins. In sum, our study clearly establishes HAV 2B as a bona fide viroporin in the picornaviridae family.

III-V/Active-Silicon Integration for Low-Cost High-Performance Concentrator Photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ringel, Steven [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States); Carlin, John A [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States); Grassman, Tyler [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)

2018-04-17

This FPACE project was motivated by the need to establish the foundational pathway to achieve concentrator solar cell efficiencies greater than 50%. At such an efficiency, DOE modeling projected that a III-V CPV module cost of $0.50/W or better could be achieved. Therefore, the goal of this project was to investigate, develop and advance a III-V/Si mulitjunction (MJ) CPV technology that can simultaneously address the primary cost barrier for III-V MJ solar cells while enabling nearly ideal MJ bandgap profiles that can yield efficiencies in excess of 50% under concentrated sunlight. The proposed methodology was based on use of our recently developed GaAsP metamorphic graded buffer as a pathway to integrate unique GaAsP and Ga-rich GaInP middle and top junctions having bandgaps that are adjustable between 1.45 – 1.65 eV and 1.9 – 2.1 eV, respectively, with an underlying, 1.1 eV active Si subcell/substrate. With this design, the Si can be an active component sub-cell due to the semi-transparent nature of the GaAsP buffer with respect to Si as well as a low-cost alternative substrate that is amenable to scaling with existing Si foundry infrastructure, providing a reduction in materials cost and a low cost path to manufacturing at scale. By backside bonding of a SiGe, a path to exceed 50% efficiency is possible. Throughout the course of this effort, an expansive range of new understanding was achieved that has stimulated worldwide efforts in III-V/Si PV R&D that spanned materials development, metamorphic device optimization, and complete III-V/Si monolithic integration. Highlights include the demonstration of the first ideal GaP/Si interfaces grown by industry-standard MOCVD processes, the first high performance metamorphic tunnel junctions designed for III-V/Si integration, record performance of specific metamorphic sub-cell designs, the first fully integrated GaInP/GaAsP/Si double (1.7 eV/1.1 eV) and triple (1.95 eV/1.5 eV/1.1 eV) junction solar cells, the first

Quantified safety objectives in high technology: Meaning and demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinck, W.F.; Gilby, E.; Chicken, J.

1986-01-01

An overview and trends-analysis is given of the types of quantified criteria and objectives which are presently applied or envisaged and discussed in Europe in the nuclear application, more specifically Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), and in non-nuclear applications, more specifically in the chemical and petrochemical process industry. Some comparative deductions are made. Attention is paid to the similarities or discrepancies between such criteria and objectives and to problems associated with the demonstration that they are implemented. The role of cost-effectiveness of Risk deduction is briefly discussed and mention made of a search made into combining the technical, economic and socio-political factors playing a role in Risk acceptance

Replacement of soybean oil by fish oil increases cytosolic lipases activities in liver and adipose tissue from rats fed a high-carbohydrate diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Angélica Heringer; Moreira, Carolina Campos Lima; Neves, Maria José; Botion, Leida Maria; Chaves, Valéria Ernestânia

2018-06-01

Several studies have demonstrated that fish oil consumption improves metabolic syndrome and comorbidities, as insulin resistance, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, dyslipidaemia and hypertension induced by high-fat diet ingestion. Previously, we demonstrated that administration of a fructose-rich diet to rats induces liver lipid accumulation, accompanied by a decrease in liver cytosolic lipases activities. In this study, the effect of replacement of soybean oil by fish oil in a high-fructose diet (FRUC, 60% fructose) for 8 weeks on lipid metabolism in liver and epididymal adipose tissue from rats was investigated. The interaction between fish oil and FRUC diet increased glucose tolerance and decreased serum levels of triacylglycerol (TAG), VLDL-TAG secretion and lipid droplet volume of hepatocytes. In addition, the fish oil supplementation increased the liver cytosolic lipases activities, independently of the type of carbohydrate ingested. Our results firmly establish the physiological regulation of liver cytosolic lipases to maintain lipid homeostasis in hepatocytes. In epididymal adipose tissue, the replacement of soybean oil by fish oil in FRUC diet did not change the tissue weight and lipoprotein lipase activity; however, there was increased basal and insulin-stimulated de novo lipogenesis and glucose uptake. Increased cytosolic lipases activities were observed, despite the decreased basal and isoproterenol-stimulated glycerol release to the incubation medium. These findings suggest that fish oil increases the glycerokinase activity and glycerol phosphorylation from endogenous TAG hydrolysis. Our findings are the first to show that the fish oil ingestion increases cytosolic lipases activities in liver and adipose tissue from rats treated with high-carbohydrate diets. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Status of the Southern California Edison Company 3 MW Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) demonstration project

Science.gov (United States)

Scheffler, R. L.

1979-01-01

To demonstrate the concept of utility scale electricity production from a high wind energy resource, a program was initiated to construct and test a 3 megawatt (3,000 kW) Schachle wind turbine generator near Palm Springs, California. The background and current status of this program are presented along with a summary of future planned program activities.

High-energy azimuthally polarized laser beam generation from an actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with c-cut YVO4 crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jing; Zhang, Baofu; Jiao, Zhongxing; He, Guangyuan; Wang, Biao

2018-05-01

A high-energy, azimuthally polarized (AP) and actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser is demonstrated. The thermal bipolar lensing effect in the Nd:YAG laser rod is used as a polarization discriminator, and a c-cut YVO4 crystal is inserted into the laser cavity to increase the mode-selecting ability of the cavity for AP mode. The laser generated AP pulses with maximum pulse energy as high as 4.2 mJ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest pulse energy obtained from an actively Q-switched AP laser. The pulse energy remained higher than 1 mJ over a wide range of repetition rates from 5 kHz to 25 kHz.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 polymorphism associates with recurrent coronary event risk in patients with high HDL and C-reactive protein levels.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James P Corsetti

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to investigate whether fibrinolysis plays a role in establishing recurrent coronary event risk in a previously identified group of postinfarction patients. This group of patients was defined as having concurrently high levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and C-reactive protein (CRP and was previously demonstrated to be at high-risk for recurrent coronary events. Potential risk associations of a genetic polymorphism of plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2 were probed as well as potential modulatory effects on such risk of a polymorphism of low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein (LRP-1, a scavenger receptor known to be involved in fibrinolysis in the context of cellular internalization of plasminogen activator/plansminogen activator inhibitor complexes. To this end, Cox multivariable modeling was performed as a function of genetic polymorphisms of PAI-2 (SERPINB, rs6095 and LRP-1 (LRP1, rs1800156 as well as a set of clinical parameters, blood biomarkers, and genetic polymorphisms previously demonstrated to be significantly and independently associated with risk in the study population including cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP, rs708272, p22phox (CYBA, rs4673, and thrombospondin-4 (THBS4, rs1866389. Risk association was demonstrated for the reference allele of the PAI-2 polymorphism (hazard ratio 0.41 per allele, 95% CI 0.20-0.84, p=0.014 along with continued significant risk associations for the p22phox and thrombospondin-4 polymorphisms. Additionally, further analysis revealed interaction of the LRP-1 and PAI-2 polymorphisms in generating differential risk that was illustrated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. We conclude from the study that fibrinolysis likely plays a role in establishing recurrent coronary risk in postinfarction patients with concurrently high levels of HDL-C and CRP as manifested by differential effects on risk by polymorphisms of several genes linked

Optical Verification Laboratory Demonstration System for High Security Identification Cards

Science.gov (United States)

Javidi, Bahram

1997-01-01

Document fraud including unauthorized duplication of identification cards and credit cards is a serious problem facing the government, banks, businesses, and consumers. In addition, counterfeit products such as computer chips, and compact discs, are arriving on our shores in great numbers. With the rapid advances in computers, CCD technology, image processing hardware and software, printers, scanners, and copiers, it is becoming increasingly easy to reproduce pictures, logos, symbols, paper currency, or patterns. These problems have stimulated an interest in research, development and publications in security technology. Some ID cards, credit cards and passports currently use holograms as a security measure to thwart copying. The holograms are inspected by the human eye. In theory, the hologram cannot be reproduced by an unauthorized person using commercially-available optical components; in practice, however, technology has advanced to the point where the holographic image can be acquired from a credit card-photographed or captured with by a CCD camera-and a new hologram synthesized using commercially-available optical components or hologram-producing equipment. Therefore, a pattern that can be read by a conventional light source and a CCD camera can be reproduced. An optical security and anti-copying device that provides significant security improvements over existing security technology was demonstrated. The system can be applied for security verification of credit cards, passports, and other IDs so that they cannot easily be reproduced. We have used a new scheme of complex phase/amplitude patterns that cannot be seen and cannot be copied by an intensity-sensitive detector such as a CCD camera. A random phase mask is bonded to a primary identification pattern which could also be phase encoded. The pattern could be a fingerprint, a picture of a face, or a signature. The proposed optical processing device is designed to identify both the random phase mask and the

Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project (NDDP) in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tewari, P.K.; Misra, B.M.

2001-01-01

In order to gainfully employ the years of experience and expertise in various aspects of desalination activity, BARC (India) has undertaken installation of a hybrid nuclear desalination plant coupled to 170 MW(e) PHWR station at Kalpakkam, Chennai in the Southeast coast of India. The integrated system, called the Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project (NDDP), will thus meet the dual needs of process water for nuclear power plant and drinking water for the neighbouring people. NDDP aims for demonstrating the safe and economic production of good quality water by nuclear desalination of seawater. It comprises a 4500 m 3 /d Multistage Flash (MSF) and a 1800 m 3 /d Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant. MSF section uses low pressure steam from Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), Kalpakkam. The objectives of the NDDP (Kalpakkam) are as follows: to establish the indigenous capability for the design, manufacture, installation and operation of nuclear desalination plants; to generate necessary design inputs and optimum process parameters for large scale nuclear desalination plant; to serve as a demonstration project to IAEA welcoming participation from interested member states. The hybrid plant is envisaged to have a number of advantages: a part of high purity desalted water produced from MSF plant will be used for the makeup demineralised water requirement (after necessary polishing) for the power station; blending of the product water from RO and MSF plants would provide requisite quality drinking water; the RO plant will continue to be operated to provide the water for drinking purposes during the shutdown of the power station

High-fidelity hybrid simulation of allergic emergencies demonstrates improved preparedness for office emergencies in pediatric allergy clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Joshua L; Jones, Stacie M; Porter, Nicholas; White, Marjorie L; Gephardt, Grace; Hill, Travis; Cantrell, Mary; Nick, Todd G; Melguizo, Maria; Smith, Chris; Boateng, Beatrice A; Perry, Tamara T; Scurlock, Amy M; Thompson, Tonya M

2013-01-01

Simulation models that used high-fidelity mannequins have shown promise in medical education, particularly for cases in which the event is uncommon. Allergy physicians encounter emergencies in their offices, and these can be the source of much trepidation. To determine if case-based simulations with high-fidelity mannequins are effective in teaching and retention of emergency management team skills. Allergy clinics were invited to Arkansas Children's Hospital Pediatric Understanding and Learning through Simulation Education center for a 1-day workshop to evaluate skills concerning the management of allergic emergencies. A Clinical Emergency Preparedness Team Performance Evaluation was developed to evaluate the competence of teams in several areas: leadership and/or role clarity, closed-loop communication, team support, situational awareness, and scenario-specific skills. Four cases, which focus on common allergic emergencies, were simulated by using high-fidelity mannequins and standardized patients. Teams were evaluated by multiple reviewers by using video recording and standardized scoring. Ten to 12 months after initial training, an unannounced in situ case was performed to determine retention of the skills training. Clinics showed significant improvements for role clarity, teamwork, situational awareness, and scenario-specific skills during the 1-day workshop (all P clinics (all P ≤ .004). Clinical Emergency Preparedness Team Performance Evaluation scores demonstrated improved team management skills with simulation training in office emergencies. Significant recall of team emergency management skills was demonstrated months after the initial training. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Demonstrating Multi-bit Magnetic Memory in the Fe8 High Spin Molecule by Muon Spin Rotation

OpenAIRE

Shafir, Oren; Keren, Amit; Maegawa, Satoru; Ueda, Miki; Amato, Alex; Baines, Chris

2005-01-01

We developed a method to detect the quantum nature of high spin molecules using muon spin rotation, and a three-step field cycle ending always with the same field. We use this method to demonstrate that the Fe8 molecule can remember 6 (possibly 8) different histories (bits). A wide range of fields can be used to write a particular bit, and the information is stored in discrete states. Therefore, Fe8 can be used as a model compound for Multi-bit Magnetic Memory. Our experiment also paves the w...

Tin-containing zeolites are highly active catalysts for the isomerization of glucose in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Moliner, Manuel; Román-Leshkov, Yuriy; Davis, Mark E

2010-04-06

The isomerization of glucose into fructose is a large-scale reaction for the production of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS; reaction performed by enzyme catalysts) and recently is being considered as an intermediate step in the possible route of biomass to fuels and chemicals. Here, it is shown that a large-pore zeolite that contains tin (Sn-Beta) is able to isomerize glucose to fructose in aqueous media with high activity and selectivity. Specifically, a 10% (wt/wt) glucose solution containing a catalytic amount of Sn-Beta (150 Sn:glucose molar ratio) gives product yields of approximately 46% (wt/wt) glucose, 31% (wt/wt) fructose, and 9% (wt/wt) mannose after 30 min and 12 min of reaction at 383 K and 413 K, respectively. This reactivity is achieved also when a 45 wt% glucose solution is used. The properties of the large-pore zeolite greatly influence the reaction behavior because the reaction does not proceed with a medium-pore zeolite, and the isomerization activity is considerably lower when the metal centers are incorporated in ordered mesoporous silica (MCM-41). The Sn-Beta catalyst can be used for multiple cycles, and the reaction stops when the solid is removed, clearly indicating that the catalysis is occurring heterogeneously. Most importantly, the Sn-Beta catalyst is able to perform the isomerization reaction in highly acidic, aqueous environments with equivalent activity and product distribution as in media without added acid. This enables Sn-Beta to couple isomerizations with other acid-catalyzed reactions, including hydrolysis/isomerization or isomerization/dehydration reaction sequences [starch to fructose and glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) demonstrated here].

Sensory and cognitive neurophysiology in rats. Part 2: Validation and demonstration.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitriadis, George; Fransen, Anne M M; Maris, Eric

2014-07-30

We have developed a novel setup for rats that allows for controlled sensory input to an animal engaged in a task while recording both electrophysiological signals and behavioral output. Our setup is described in a companion paper. We validate our setup by replicating (1) the functionally nonspecific spread of neural activity following tactile stimulation, and (2) the effects of anesthesia on the tactile evoked responses. We also demonstrate for the first time that the ECoG can be used to record evoked responses in a signal that reflects neural output (spiking activity), and illustrate the usefulness of our setup by demonstrating that these evoked responses are modulated by both the phase of pre-stimulus oscillations and by expectation. Compared with high-density wire recordings, micro-ECoG offers a much more stable signal without readjustments, and a much better scalability. Compared with extracranial and regular ECoG recordings, micro-ECoG allows us to measure signals that reflect both neural input and neural output. For sensory and cognitive research, our setup provides a unique combination of possibilities that cannot be achieved in other setups for rodents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The HADES demonstration and pilot project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruyn, D.de; Meynendonckx, P.; Neerdael, B.; Noynaert, L.; Voet, M.; Volckaert, G.; Bonne, A.

1988-01-01

This report deals with the activities of SCK/CEN and its subcontractors performed during the years 1986-87 in the framework of the HADES demonstration and pilot project, which is carried out in the geological Boom clay formation underlying the nuclear research establishment at Mol. This demonstration and pilot project is sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities under contract number Fl1W-004 B (B) in the framework of Part B of the CEC programme on radioactive waste management and disposal. The actions undertaken and reported here deal essentially with design and engineering activities in preparation for the construction of a test drift and of a mine-by-test directly related to this construction test and of a combined irradiation/heating test to be performed later on in this test drift. A time schedule for the various tests planned to be made in the test drift has also been worked out taking into account time and spatial dependencies

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothfuchs, T.; Duijves, K.A.

1990-04-01

The HAW-project plants the testwise emplacement of 30 vitrified highly radioactive canisters containing Cs-137 and Sr-90 at the 800 m level of the Asse salt mine for a testing period of approximately five years. The major objective of this project is the pilot testing and demonstration of safe methods for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HAW) in geological salt formations. During the years 1985 to 1989 the underground test field was excavated, the measuring equipment installed, and two preceedings inactive electrical tests taken into operation. Furthermore, the components of a system for transportation and emplacement of highly radioactive canisters was fabricated, installed, and preliminarily tested. After some delays in the licensing procedure the emplacement of the 30 radioactive canisters is now envisaged for early 1991. 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 and will be tested. 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./HP)

Shielding design of highly activated sample storage at reactor TRIGA PUSPATI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naim Syauqi Hamzah; Julia Abdul Karim; Mohamad Hairie Rabir; Muhd Husamuddin Abdul Khalil; Mohd Amin Sharifuldin Salleh

2010-01-01

Radiation protection has always been one of the most important things considered in Reaktor Triga PUSPATI (RTP) management. Currently, demands on sample activation were increased from variety of applicant in different research field area. Radiological hazard may occur if the samples evaluation done were misjudge or miscalculated. At present, there is no appropriate storage for highly activated samples. For that purpose, special irradiated samples storage box should be provided in order to segregate highly activated samples that produce high dose level and typical activated samples that produce lower dose level (1 - 2 mR/ hr). In this study, thickness required by common shielding material such as lead and concrete to reduce highly activated radiotracer sample (potassium bromide) with initial exposure dose of 5 R/ hr to background level (0.05 mR/ hr) were determined. Analyses were done using several methods including conventional shielding equation, half value layer calculation and Micro shield computer code. Design of new irradiated samples storage box for RTP that capable to contain high level gamma radioactivity were then proposed. (author)

Disposal of high-activity nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, E.I.

1983-01-01

A discussion is presented on the deep sea ocean disposal for high-activity nuclear wastes. The following topics are covered: effect of ionizing radiation on marine ecosystems; pathways by which radionuclides are transferred to man from the marine environment; information about releases of radioactivity to the sea; radiological protection; storage and disposal of radioactive wastes and information needs. (U.K.)

Classroom as Reality: Demonstrating Campaign Effects through Live Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Coffey, Daniel J.; Miller, William J.; Feuerstein, Derek

2011-01-01

Scholastic research has demonstrated that when conducted properly, active learning exercises are successful at increasing student awareness, student interest, and knowledge retention. Face-to-face simulations, in particular, have been demonstrated to add positively to classrooms focusing on comparative politics, international relations, public…

High-power quantum-dot superluminescent diodes with p-doped active region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rossetti, M.; Li, L.; Fiore, A.; Occhi, L.; Velez, C.; Mikhrin, S.; Kovsh, A.

2006-01-01

We demonstrate the use of p-doping in the active region of quantum-dot superluminescent diodes. Modal gain measurements and light output-current characteristics prove that p-doping is beneficial for achieving higher gain, higher output power, and better temperature stability

High resolution in situ zymography reveals matrix metalloproteinase activity at glutamatergic synapses.

Science.gov (United States)

Gawlak, M; Górkiewicz, T; Gorlewicz, A; Konopacki, F A; Kaczmarek, L; Wilczynski, G M

2009-01-12

Synaptic plasticity involves remodeling of extracellular matrix. This is mediated, in part, by enzymes of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, in particular by gelatinase MMP-9. Accordingly, there is a need of developing methods to visualize gelatinolytic activity at the level of individual synapses, especially in the context of neurotransmitters receptors. Here we present a high-resolution fluorescent in situ zymography (ISZ), performed in thin sections of the alcohol-fixed and polyester wax-embedded brain tissue of the rat (Rattus norvegicus), which is superior to the current ISZ protocols. The method allows visualization of structural details up to the resolution-limit of light microscopy, in conjunction with immunofluorescent labeling. We used this technique to visualize and quantify gelatinolytic activity at the synapses in control and seizure-affected rat brain. In particular, we demonstrated, for the first time, frequent colocalization of gelatinase(s) with synaptic N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)- and AMPA-type glutamate receptors. We believe that our method represents a valuable tool to study extracellular proteolytic processes at the synapses, it could be used, as well, to investigate proteinase involvement in a range of physiological and pathological phenomena in the nervous system.

Kinesthetic Transverse Wave Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Pantidos, Panagiotis; Patapis, Stamatis

2005-09-01

This is a variation on the String and Sticky Tape demonstration "The Wave Game," suggested by Ron Edge. A group of students stand side by side, each one holding a card chest high with both hands. The teacher cues the first student to begin raising and lowering his card. When he starts lowering his card, the next student begins to raise his. As succeeding students move their cards up and down, a wave such as that shown in the figure is produced. To facilitate the process, students' motions were synchronized with the ticks of a metronome (without such synchronization it was nearly impossible to generate a satisfactory wave). Our waves typically had a frequency of about 1 Hz and a wavelength of around 3 m. We videotaped the activity so that the students could analyze the motions. The (17-year-old) students had not received any prior instruction regarding wave motion and did not know beforehand the nature of the exercise they were about to carry out. During the activity they were asked what a transverse wave is. Most of them quickly realized, without teacher input, that while the wave propagated horizontally, the only motion of the transmitting medium (them) was vertical. They located the equilibrium points of the oscillations, the crests and troughs of the waves, and identified the wavelength. The teacher defined for them the period of the oscillations of the motion of a card to be the total time for one cycle. The students measured this time and then several asserted that it was the same as the wave period. Knowing the length of the waves and the number of waves per second, the next step can easily be to find the wave speed.

Dust Removal Technology Demonstration for a Lunar Habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Calle, C. I.; Chen, A.; Immer, C. D.; Csonka, M.; Hogue, M. D.; Snyder, S. J.; Rogriquez, M.; Margiotta, D. V.

2010-01-01

We have developed an Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS), an active dust mitigation technology with applications to solar panels, thermal radiators, optical systems, visors, seals and connectors. This active technology is capable of removing dust and granular material with diameters as large as several hundred microns. In this paper, we report on the development of three types of EDS systems for NASA's Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU). A transparent EDS 20 cm in diameter with indium tin oxide electrodes on a 0.1 mm-thick polyethylene terephtalate (PET) film was constructed for viewport dust protection. Two opaque EDS systems with copper electrodes on 0.1 mm-thick Kapton were also built to demonstrate dust removal on the doors of the HDU. A lotus coating that minimizes dust adhesion was added to one of the last two EDS systems to demonstrate the effectiveness of the combined systems.

Piperidine alkaloids from Piperretrofractum Vahl. protect against high-fat diet-induced obesity by regulating lipid metabolism and activating AMP-activated protein kinase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kyung Jin [Department of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Myoung-Su; Jo, Keunae [Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Jae-Kwan, E-mail: jkhwang@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Translational Research Center for Protein Functional Control, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-07-22

Highlights: {yields} Piperidine alkaloids from Piperretrofractum Vahl. (PRPAs), including piperine, pipernonaline, and dehydropipernonaline, are isolated as the anti-obesity constituents. {yields} PRPA administration significantly reduces body weight gain without altering food intake and fat pad mass. {yields} PRPA reduces high-fat diet-induced triglyceride accumulation in liver. {yields} PRPAs attenuate HFD-induced obesity by activating AMPK and PPAR{delta}, and regulate lipid metabolism, suggesting their potential anti-obesity effects. -- Abstract: The fruits of Piperretrofractum Vahl. have been used for their anti-flatulent, expectorant, antitussive, antifungal, and appetizing properties in traditional medicine, and they are reported to possess gastroprotective and cholesterol-lowering properties. However, their anti-obesity activity remains unexplored. The present study was conducted to isolate the anti-obesity constituents from P. retrofractum Vahl. and evaluate their effects in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Piperidine alkaloids from P. retrofractum Vahl. (PRPAs), including piperine, pipernonaline, and dehydropipernonaline, were isolated as the anti-obesity constituents through a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {delta} (PPAR{delta}) transactivation assay. The molecular mechanism was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myocytes. PRPA treatment activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and PPAR{delta} protein and also regulated the expression of lipid metabolism-related proteins. In the animal model, oral PRPA administration (50, 100, or 300 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks) significantly reduced HFD-induced body weight gain without altering the amount of food intake. Fat pad mass was reduced in the PRPA treatment groups, as evidenced by reduced adipocyte size. In addition, elevated serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total lipid, leptin, and lipase were suppressed by PRPA treatment. PRPA also

Piperidine alkaloids from Piperretrofractum Vahl. protect against high-fat diet-induced obesity by regulating lipid metabolism and activating AMP-activated protein kinase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyung Jin; Lee, Myoung-Su; Jo, Keunae; Hwang, Jae-Kwan

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Piperidine alkaloids from Piperretrofractum Vahl. (PRPAs), including piperine, pipernonaline, and dehydropipernonaline, are isolated as the anti-obesity constituents. → PRPA administration significantly reduces body weight gain without altering food intake and fat pad mass. → PRPA reduces high-fat diet-induced triglyceride accumulation in liver. → PRPAs attenuate HFD-induced obesity by activating AMPK and PPARδ, and regulate lipid metabolism, suggesting their potential anti-obesity effects. -- Abstract: The fruits of Piperretrofractum Vahl. have been used for their anti-flatulent, expectorant, antitussive, antifungal, and appetizing properties in traditional medicine, and they are reported to possess gastroprotective and cholesterol-lowering properties. However, their anti-obesity activity remains unexplored. The present study was conducted to isolate the anti-obesity constituents from P. retrofractum Vahl. and evaluate their effects in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Piperidine alkaloids from P. retrofractum Vahl. (PRPAs), including piperine, pipernonaline, and dehydropipernonaline, were isolated as the anti-obesity constituents through a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) transactivation assay. The molecular mechanism was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myocytes. PRPA treatment activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and PPARδ protein and also regulated the expression of lipid metabolism-related proteins. In the animal model, oral PRPA administration (50, 100, or 300 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks) significantly reduced HFD-induced body weight gain without altering the amount of food intake. Fat pad mass was reduced in the PRPA treatment groups, as evidenced by reduced adipocyte size. In addition, elevated serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total lipid, leptin, and lipase were suppressed by PRPA treatment. PRPA also protected against the development of

Focal Adhesion Kinase Inhibitors in Combination with Erlotinib Demonstrate Enhanced Anti-Tumor Activity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grant A Howe

Full Text Available Blockade of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR activity has been a primary therapeutic target for non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC. As patients with wild-type EGFR have demonstrated only modest benefit from EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs, there is a need for additional therapeutic approaches in patients with wild-type EGFR. As a key component of downstream integrin signalling and known receptor cross-talk with EGFR, we hypothesized that targeting focal adhesion kinase (FAK activity, which has also been shown to correlate with aggressive stage in NSCLC, would lead to enhanced activity of EGFR TKIs. As such, EGFR TKI-resistant NSCLC cells (A549, H1299, H1975 were treated with the EGFR TKI erlotinib and FAK inhibitors (PF-573,228 or PF-562,271 both as single agents and in combination. We determined cell viability, apoptosis and 3-dimensional growth in vitro and assessed tumor growth in vivo. Treatment of EGFR TKI-resistant NSCLC cells with FAK inhibitor alone effectively inhibited cell viability in all cell lines tested; however, its use in combination with the EGFR TKI erlotinib was more effective at reducing cell viability than either treatment alone when tested in both 2- and 3-dimensional assays in vitro, with enhanced benefit seen in A549 cells. This increased efficacy may be due in part to the observed inhibition of Akt phosphorylation when the drugs were used in combination, where again A549 cells demonstrated the most inhibition following treatment with the drug combination. Combining erlotinib with FAK inhibitor was also potent in vivo as evidenced by reduced tumor growth in the A549 mouse xenograft model. We further ascertained that the enhanced sensitivity was irrespective of the LKB1 mutational status. In summary, we demonstrate the effectiveness of combining erlotinib and FAK inhibitors for use in known EGFR wild-type, EGFR TKI resistant cells, with the potential that a subset of cell types, which includes A549, could be

Magnetically-focusing biochip structures for high-speed active biosensing with improved selectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Haneul; Lee, Dong Jun; Kim, Daesan; Park, Juhun; Chen, Xing; Hong, Seunghun

2018-06-01

We report a magnetically-focusing biochip structure enabling a single layered magnetic trap-and-release cycle for biosensors with an improved detection speed and selectivity. Here, magnetic beads functionalized with specific receptor molecules were utilized to trap target molecules in a solution and transport actively to and away from the sensor surfaces to enhance the detection speed and reduce the non-specific bindings, respectively. Using our method, we demonstrated the high speed detection of IL-13 antigens with the improved detection speed by more than an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the release step in our method was found to reduce the non-specific bindings and improve the selectivity and sensitivity of biosensors. This method is a simple but powerful strategy and should open up various applications such as ultra-fast biosensors for point-of-care services.

The OE-A OPV demonstrator anno domini 2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krebs, Frederik C; Fyenbo, Jan; Tanenbaum, David M.

2011-01-01

Roll-to-roll manufacture of OPV and integration into credit card sized flashlights for the OE-A demonstrate that large numbers (10 000 units) can be prepared in high technical yield.......Roll-to-roll manufacture of OPV and integration into credit card sized flashlights for the OE-A demonstrate that large numbers (10 000 units) can be prepared in high technical yield....

The effects of high-frequency oscillations in hippocampal electrical activities on the classification of epileptiform events using artificial neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Alan W. L.; Jahromi, Shokrollah S.; Khosravani, Houman; Carlen, Peter L.; Bardakjian, Berj L.

2006-03-01

The existence of hippocampal high-frequency electrical activities (greater than 100 Hz) during the progression of seizure episodes in both human and animal experimental models of epilepsy has been well documented (Bragin A, Engel J, Wilson C L, Fried I and Buzsáki G 1999 Hippocampus 9 137-42 Khosravani H, Pinnegar C R, Mitchell J R, Bardakjian B L, Federico P and Carlen P L 2005 Epilepsia 46 1-10). However, this information has not been studied between successive seizure episodes or utilized in the application of seizure classification. In this study, we examine the dynamical changes of an in vitro low Mg2+ rat hippocampal slice model of epilepsy at different frequency bands using wavelet transforms and artificial neural networks. By dividing the time-frequency spectrum of each seizure-like event (SLE) into frequency bins, we can analyze their burst-to-burst variations within individual SLEs as well as between successive SLE episodes. Wavelet energy and wavelet entropy are estimated for intracellular and extracellular electrical recordings using sufficiently high sampling rates (10 kHz). We demonstrate that the activities of high-frequency oscillations in the 100-400 Hz range increase as the slice approaches SLE onsets and in later episodes of SLEs. Utilizing the time-dependent relationship between different frequency bands, we can achieve frequency-dependent state classification. We demonstrate that activities in the frequency range 100-400 Hz are critical for the accurate classification of the different states of electrographic seizure-like episodes (containing interictal, preictal and ictal states) in brain slices undergoing recurrent spontaneous SLEs. While preictal activities can be classified with an average accuracy of 77.4 ± 6.7% utilizing the frequency spectrum in the range 0-400 Hz, we can also achieve a similar level of accuracy by using a nonlinear relationship between 100-400 Hz and <4 Hz frequency bands only.

ADVANCED SIMULATION CAPABILITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT- CURRENT STATUS AND PHASE II DEMONSTRATION RESULTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seitz, R.

2013-02-26

The U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM), Office of Soil and Groundwater, is supporting development of the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM). ASCEM is a state-of-the-art scientific tool and approach for understanding and predicting contaminant fate and transport in natural and engineered systems. The modular and open source high-performance computing tool facilitates integrated approaches to modeling and site characterization that enable robust and standardized assessments of performance and risk for EM cleanup and closure activities. The ASCEM project continues to make significant progress in development of computer software capabilities with an emphasis on integration of capabilities in FY12. Capability development is occurring for both the Platform and Integrated Toolsets and High-Performance Computing (HPC) Multiprocess Simulator. The Platform capabilities provide the user interface and tools for end-to-end model development, starting with definition of the conceptual model, management of data for model input, model calibration and uncertainty analysis, and processing of model output, including visualization. The HPC capabilities target increased functionality of process model representations, toolsets for interaction with Platform, and verification and model confidence testing. The Platform and HPC capabilities are being tested and evaluated for EM applications in a set of demonstrations as part of Site Applications Thrust Area activities. The Phase I demonstration focusing on individual capabilities of the initial toolsets was completed in 2010. The Phase II demonstration completed in 2012 focused on showcasing integrated ASCEM capabilities. For Phase II, the Hanford Site deep vadose zone (BC Cribs) served as an application site for an end-to-end demonstration of capabilities, with emphasis on integration and linkages between the Platform and HPC components. Other demonstrations

Chemical synthesis of high specific-activity [35S]adenosylhomocysteine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stern, P.H.; Hoffman, R.M.

1986-01-01

The study of the family of transmethylases, critical to normal cellular function and often altered in cancer, can be facilitated by the availability of a high specific-activity S-adenosylhomocysteine. The authors report the two-step preparation of [ 35 S]adenosylhomocysteine from [ 35 S]methionine at a specific activity of 1420 Ci/mmol in an overall yield of 24% by a procedure involving demethylation of the [ 35 S]methionine to [ 35 S]homocysteine followed by condensation with 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine. The ease of the reactions, ready availability and low cost of the reagents and high specific-activity and stability of the product make the procedure an attractive one with many uses, and superior to current methodology

78 FR 22527 - TRICARE Access to Care Demonstration Project

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-16

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary TRICARE Access to Care Demonstration Project AGENCY... is to advise interested parties of a 2-year extension of the demonstration project in which the... project will continue through May 4, 2015. ADDRESSES: TRICARE Management Activity, Health Plan Operations...

Activated Carbon Fibers with Hierarchical Nanostructure Derived from Waste Cotton Gloves as High-Performance Electrodes for Supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chao; Yu, Jianlin; Yang, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Guoqing

2017-06-01

One of the most challenging issues that restrict the biomass/waste-based nanocarbons in supercapacitor application is the poor structural inheritability during the activating process. Herein, we prepare a class of activated carbon fibers by carefully selecting waste cotton glove (CG) as the precursor, which mainly consists of cellulose fibers that can be transformed to carbon along with good inheritability of their fiber morphology upon activation. As prepared, the CG-based activated carbon fiber (CGACF) demonstrates a surface area of 1435 m2 g-1 contributed by micropores of 1.3 nm and small mesopores of 2.7 nm, while the fiber morphology can be well inherited from the CG with 3D interconnected frameworks created on the fiber surface. This hierarchically porous structure and well-retained fiber-like skeleton can simultaneously minimize the diffusion/transfer resistance of the electrolyte and electron, respectively, and maximize the surface area utilization for charge accumulation. Consequently, CGACF presents a higher specific capacitance of 218 F g-1 and an excellent high-rate performance as compared to commercial activated carbon.

Activated Carbon Fibers with Hierarchical Nanostructure Derived from Waste Cotton Gloves as High-Performance Electrodes for Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chao; Yu, Jianlin; Yang, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Guoqing

2017-12-01

One of the most challenging issues that restrict the biomass/waste-based nanocarbons in supercapacitor application is the poor structural inheritability during the activating process. Herein, we prepare a class of activated carbon fibers by carefully selecting waste cotton glove (CG) as the precursor, which mainly consists of cellulose fibers that can be transformed to carbon along with good inheritability of their fiber morphology upon activation. As prepared, the CG-based activated carbon fiber (CGACF) demonstrates a surface area of 1435 m 2  g -1 contributed by micropores of 1.3 nm and small mesopores of 2.7 nm, while the fiber morphology can be well inherited from the CG with 3D interconnected frameworks created on the fiber surface. This hierarchically porous structure and well-retained fiber-like skeleton can simultaneously minimize the diffusion/transfer resistance of the electrolyte and electron, respectively, and maximize the surface area utilization for charge accumulation. Consequently, CGACF presents a higher specific capacitance of 218 F g -1 and an excellent high-rate performance as compared to commercial activated carbon.

Active Learning Strategies for Phenotypic Profiling of High-Content Screens.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kevin; Horvath, Peter

2014-06-01

High-content screening is a powerful method to discover new drugs and carry out basic biological research. Increasingly, high-content screens have come to rely on supervised machine learning (SML) to perform automatic phenotypic classification as an essential step of the analysis. However, this comes at a cost, namely, the labeled examples required to train the predictive model. Classification performance increases with the number of labeled examples, and because labeling examples demands time from an expert, the training process represents a significant time investment. Active learning strategies attempt to overcome this bottleneck by presenting the most relevant examples to the annotator, thereby achieving high accuracy while minimizing the cost of obtaining labeled data. In this article, we investigate the impact of active learning on single-cell-based phenotype recognition, using data from three large-scale RNA interference high-content screens representing diverse phenotypic profiling problems. We consider several combinations of active learning strategies and popular SML methods. Our results show that active learning significantly reduces the time cost and can be used to reveal the same phenotypic targets identified using SML. We also identify combinations of active learning strategies and SML methods which perform better than others on the phenotypic profiling problems we studied. © 2014 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Technology Demonstration For Long Duration In-Space Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Michael L.; Motil, Susan M.; Kortes, Trudy F.; Taylor, William J.; McRight, Patrick S.

2012-01-01

The high specific impulse of cryogenic propellants can provide a significant performance advantage for in-space transfer vehicles. The upper stages of the Saturn V and various commercial expendable launch vehicles have used liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants; however, the application of cryogenic propellants has been limited to relatively short duration missions due to the propensity of cryogens to absorb environmental heat resulting in fluid losses. Utilizing advanced cryogenic propellant technologies can enable the efficient use of high performance propellants for long duration missions. Crewed mission architectures for beyond low Earth orbit exploration can significantly benefit from this capability by developing realistic launch spacing for multiple launch missions, by prepositioning stages and by staging propellants at an in-space depot. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the Office of the Chief Technologist is formulating a Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Technology Demonstration Mission to mitigate the technical and programmatic risks of infusing these advanced technologies into the development of future cryogenic propellant stages or in-space propellant depots. NASA is seeking an innovative path for human space exploration, which strengthens the capability to extend human and robotic presence throughout the solar system. This mission will test and validate key cryogenic technological capabilities and has the objectives of demonstrating advanced thermal control technologies to minimize propellant loss during loiter, demonstrating robust operation in a microgravity environment, and demonstrating efficient propellant transfer on orbit. The status of the demonstration mission concept development, technology demonstration planning and technology maturation activities in preparation for flight system development are described.

Visible-light active thin-film WO3 photocatalyst with controlled high-rate deposition by low-damage reactive-gas-flow sputtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nobuto Oka

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A process based on reactive gas flow sputtering (GFS for depositing visible-light active photocatalytic WO3 films at high deposition rates and with high film quality was successfully demonstrated. The deposition rate for this process was over 10 times higher than that achieved by the conventional sputtering process and the process was highly stable. Furthermore, Pt nanoparticle-loaded WO3 films deposited by the GFS process exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than those deposited by conventional sputtering, where the photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the extent of decomposition of CH3CHO under visible light irradiation. The decomposition time for 60 ppm of CH3CHO was 7.5 times more rapid on the films deposited by the GFS process than on the films deposited by the conventional process. During GFS deposition, there are no high-energy particles bombarding the growing film surface, whereas the bombardment of the surface with high-energy particles is a key feature of conventional sputtering. Hence, the WO3 films deposited by GFS should be of higher quality, with fewer structural defects, which would lead to a decrease in the number of centers for electron-hole recombination and to the efficient use of photogenerated holes for the decomposition of CH3CHO.

Designing a new highly active liquid evaporator - 16075

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, Paul; Candy, Emma

2009-01-01

The Highly Active Liquid Effluent Storage (HALES) plant stores, concentrates and conditions Highly Active Liquor (HAL) in evaporators for buffer storage in Highly Active Storage Tanks (HAST). Highly Active (HA) evaporators play a pivotal role in the delivery of reprocessing, historic clean up and hazard reduction missions across the Sellafield site. In addition to the engineering projects implemented to extend the life expectation of the current evaporator fleet, the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA) is sponsoring the construction of a new HA evaporator (Evaporator D) on the Sellafield site. The design and operation of the new HA evaporator is based on existing/recent HA evaporator technology but learning from past operational experience. Operational experience has been a key area where the existing plant operators have influenced both the new design itself and the requirements for commissioning and training. Many of the learning experiences require relatively simple engineering design modifications such as a new internal washing provision and transfer line blockage recovery systems, they are never-the-less expected to significantly improve the flexibility and operational capability of the new evaporator. Issues that the project delivery team has addressed as part of the development of the design and construction have included: - Minimising interruptions and/or changes to the normal operations of interfacing plants during construction, commissioning and operation of the new facility. - Modularization of the plant, enabling fabrication of the majority of the plant equipment off-site within a workshop (as opposed to on-site) environment improving Quality Assurance and reducing on-Site testing needs. - Drawing out the balance between operational and corrosion resistance improvements with actual design and delivery needs. - Provision of a new facility reliant on the infrastructure of an existing and ageing facility and the competing demands of the related safety

GATEWAY Demonstrations: Trial Demonstration of Area Lighting Retrofit, Yuma Border Patrol, Yuma, Arizona

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilkerson, A. M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); McCullough, J. J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-12-31

Along the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area in Yuma, Arizona, the GATEWAY program conducted a trial demonstration in which the incumbent quartz metal halide area lighting was replaced with LED at three pole locations at the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area in Yuma, Arizona. The retrofit was documented to better understand LED technology performance in 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.

A novel human model of the neurodegenerative disease GM1 gangliosidosis using induced pluripotent stem cells demonstrates inflammasome activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Mi-Young; Kwak, Jae Eun; Seol, Binna; Lee, Da Yong; Jeon, Hyejin; Cho, Yee Sook

2015-09-01

GM1 gangliosidosis (GM1) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the lysosomal β-galactosidase (β-gal) gene. Insufficient β-gal activity leads to abnormal accumulation of GM1 gangliosides in tissues, particularly in the central nervous system, resulting in progressive neurodegeneration. Here, we report an in vitro human GM1 model, based on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. Neural progenitor cells differentiated from GM1 patient-derived iPSCs (GM1-NPCs) recapitulated the biochemical and molecular phenotypes of GM1, including defective β-gal activity and increased lysosomes. Importantly, the characterization of GM1-NPCs established that GM1 is significantly associated with the activation of inflammasomes, which play a critical role in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases. Specific inflammasome inhibitors potently alleviated the disease-related phenotypes of GM1-NPCs in vitro and in vivo. Our data demonstrate that GM1-NPCs are a valuable in vitro human GM1 model and suggest that inflammasome activation is a novel target pathway for GM1 drug development. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High-active waste (HAW) data report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duijves, K.A.

1991-06-01

Data are presented from the High Active Waste (HAW) experiment, a large-scale, in situ test being performed underground at the Asse salt mine in Remlingen, FRG. These data include selected field information, the test configuration, instrumentation activities and comprehensive results from a large number of gauges. The results are measured data obtained from gap meters, thermocouples, linear displacement trans-ducers, extensometers, inclinometers and pressure gauges. Data certification practices have been described together with the quality assurance of the data reduction and of the data base management system. The experiment began on November 8, 1988 and will continue for five years. Data in this report cover the period from July 1st, 1990 to December 31, 1990. (author). 4 refs.; 100 figs.; 8 tabs

Perceived stigma and highly active antiretroviral treatment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceived stigma and highly active antiretroviral treatment adherence among persons living with HIV/AIDS in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. ... Data on socio-demographic characteristics, stigma and adherence to drug regimen were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Data were ...

Pulsed laser activated cell sorter (PLACS) for high-throughput fluorescent mammalian cell sorting

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yue; Wu, Ting-Hsiang; Chung, Aram; Kung, Yu-Chung; Teitell, Michael A.; Di Carlo, Dino; Chiou, Pei-Yu

2014-09-01

We present a Pulsed Laser Activated Cell Sorter (PLACS) realized by exciting laser induced cavitation bubbles in a PDMS microfluidic channel to create high speed liquid jets to deflect detected fluorescent samples for high speed sorting. Pulse laser triggered cavitation bubbles can expand in few microseconds and provide a pressure higher than tens of MPa for fluid perturbation near the focused spot. This ultrafast switching mechanism has a complete on-off cycle less than 20 μsec. Two approaches have been utilized to achieve 3D sample focusing in PLACS. One is relying on multilayer PDMS channels to provide 3D hydrodynamic sheath flows. It offers accurate timing control of fast (2 m sec-1) passing particles so that synchronization with laser bubble excitation is possible, an critically important factor for high purity and high throughput sorting. PLACS with 3D hydrodynamic focusing is capable of sorting at 11,000 cells/sec with >95% purity, and 45,000 cells/sec with 45% purity using a single channel in a single step. We have also demonstrated 3D focusing using inertial flows in PLACS. This sheathless focusing approach requires 10 times lower initial cell concentration than that in sheath-based focusing and avoids severe sample dilution from high volume sheath flows. Inertia PLACS is capable of sorting at 10,000 particles sec-1 with >90% sort purity.

A facile lyophilization synthesis of MoS{sub 2} QDs@graphene as a highly active electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Wenzhu; Li, Feng; Wang, Xiang; Tang, Yu; Yang, Yuanyuan; Gao, Wenbin [State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Gansu Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Catalysis, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Li, Rong, E-mail: liyirong@lzu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Gansu Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Chemical Catalysis, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • The target catalyst was prepared by a facile and novel lyophilization method. • The HER activity of various morphologies of MoS{sub 2}-based catalysts were studied. • The catalyst owns superior dispersion, large active sites and high conductivity. • The catalyst exhibits superior HER activity and long-term stability. - Abstract: The development of robust, active and nonprecious electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction is quite urgent but still challenging. Here MoS{sub 2} QDs@Graphene is prepared via a facile lyophilization method, which leads to a better dispersion of MoS{sub 2} QDs on the graphene and optimizes the electronic mobility between the MoS{sub 2} layers. Impressively, the electrocatalyst MoS{sub 2} QDs@Graphene demonstrates the remarkable activity for HER in 0.5 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution, with a current density of 10 mA cm{sup −2} at a low overpotential of 140 mV and strong stability in acid condition. The achieved excellent performance is attributed to its morphology with large amount of active sites fabricated by the lyophilization method. This new method opens new pathway for the fabrication of non-precious metal electrocatalysts achieving high activity.

EPA program to demonstrate mitigation measures for indoor radon: initial results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henschel, D.B.; Scott, A.G.

1986-01-01

EPA has installed radon mitigation techniques in 18 concrete block basement homes in the Reading Prong region of eastern Pennsylvania. Three alternative active soil ventilation approaches were tested: suction on the void network within the concrete block basement walls; suction on the footing drain tile system; and suction on the aggregate underneath the concrete slab. The initial 18 mitigation installations were designed to demonstrate techniques which would have low to moderate installation and operating costs. Where effective closure of major openings in the block walls is possible, suction on the wall voids has proved to be extremely effective, able to reduce homes having very high radon Working Levels (up to 7 WL) to 0.02 WL and less. However, where inaccessible major openings are concealed within the wall, it is more difficult and/or more expensive to develop adequate suction on the void network, and performance is reduced. Testing is continuing to demonstrate the steps required to achieve high performance with wall suction in homes with such difficult-to close walls. Drain tile suction can be very effective where the drain tiles completely surround the home; drain tile suction is the least expensive and most aesthetic of the active soil ventilation approaches, but appears susceptible to spikes in radon levels when the basement is depressurized. Sub-slab suction as tested in this study - with one or two individual suction points in the slab - does not appear adequate to ensure sustained high levels of reduction on block wall basement homes; it appears to effectively treat slab-related soil gas entry routes so long as a uniform layer of aggregate is present, but it does not appear to effectively treat the wall-related entry routes. Closure of major openings might have improved sub-slab suction performance. 5 figures, 3 tables

Underground disposal of high active waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelmann, H.J.

1982-01-01

This paper is concerned with the engineering aspects relating to the deep burial of high active waste in stable geological formations. The design of a repository depends upon a number of factors not least of which is the type of rock in which it is to be constructed. High level wastes must be isolated from man's environment for such periods that subsequent release will not result in an unacceptable hazard to human population. Design aspects of repositories are reviewed and conceptual design are present in relation to the geological formations under consideration. Over long time periods the most probable mode of release of radionuclides is through groundwater contacting the waste. The proposed concepts therefore include the use of engineered and natural barriers to delay the eventual release of waterborne radionuclides into mans environment. In all cases the ultimate barrier will be the geological formation. Nevertheless, depending upon the type of host rock, use will be made of various additional engineered barriers to delay water contacting the high level waste for several hundreds of years. During this time the level of radiation and associated heat emitted by the waste, will fall by several orders of magnitude and the rock temperatures within a repository will be returning to ambient. Thereafter the residual activity will mainly arise from the actinides. Containment may be enhanced by surrounding the canisters with materials having high sorption capabilities for many of the radionuclides involved. The depth at which a repository is excavated must be sufficient to ensure that the overburden will withstand changes in environmental conditions. The depth of cover required in different rock types may vary. In clay excavating at depth of up to -250 m appears feasible, while in hard rocks and salts working at depth of up to -1000 m is entirely practicable. (orig./RW)

Final report for the cryogenic retrieval demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valentich, D.J.; Yokuda, E.L.

1992-09-01

This report documents a demonstration of a proposed buried transuranic waste retrieval concept that uses cryogenic ground freezing and remote excavation. At the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), there are over 8 million ft 3 of intermingled soil and transuranic (TRU) wastes in shallow land burial, and retrieval of the material is one of the options being considered by the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration for the Environmental Restoration program. Cryogenically freezing contaminated soil and buried waste has been proposed as a way to greatly reduce or eliminate the climate the threat of contamination spread during retrieval activities. In support of this idea, a demonstration of an innovative ground freezing and retrieval technology was performed at the INEL. This initial demonstration was held near the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at a ''cold test pit'' that was built in 1988 as a test bed for the demonstration of retrieval contamination control technologies. This pit is not contaminated with any radioactive or hazardous wastes. Barrels and boxes filled with metals, plastics, tools, paper, cloth, etc. configured in the same manner as expected in contaminated pits and trenches are buried at the cold test pit. After design, fabrication, and shop testing, Sonsub mobilized to the field in early July 1992 to perform the field demonstration. It was planned to freeze and extract four pits, each 9 x 9 x 10 ft. Each pit represented a different configuration of buried waste (stacked boxes, stacked barrels, random dumped barrels and boxes, and random dumped barrels). Sonsub's proposed technology consisted of driving a series of freeze pipes into the soil and waste, using liquid nitrogen to freeze the mass, and extracting the soil and debris using a series of remote operated, bridge crane mounted tools. In conjunction with the freezing and removal activities, temperature and moisture measurements, and air monitoring were performed

Final report for the cryogenic retrieval demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valentich, D.J.; Yokuda, E.L.

1992-09-01

This report documents a demonstration of a proposed buried transuranic waste retrieval concept that uses cryogenic ground freezing and remote excavation. At the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), there are over 8 million ft{sup 3} of intermingled soil and transuranic (TRU) wastes in shallow land burial, and retrieval of the material is one of the options being considered by the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration for the Environmental Restoration program. Cryogenically freezing contaminated soil and buried waste has been proposed as a way to greatly reduce or eliminate the climate the threat of contamination spread during retrieval activities. In support of this idea, a demonstration of an innovative ground freezing and retrieval technology was performed at the INEL. This initial demonstration was held near the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at a ``cold test pit`` that was built in 1988 as a test bed for the demonstration of retrieval contamination control technologies. This pit is not contaminated with any radioactive or hazardous wastes. Barrels and boxes filled with metals, plastics, tools, paper, cloth, etc. configured in the same manner as expected in contaminated pits and trenches are buried at the cold test pit. After design, fabrication, and shop testing, Sonsub mobilized to the field in early July 1992 to perform the field demonstration. It was planned to freeze and extract four pits, each 9 {times} 9 {times} 10 ft. Each pit represented a different configuration of buried waste (stacked boxes, stacked barrels, random dumped barrels and boxes, and random dumped barrels). Sonsub`s proposed technology consisted of driving a series of freeze pipes into the soil and waste, using liquid nitrogen to freeze the mass, and extracting the soil and debris using a series of remote operated, bridge crane mounted tools. In conjunction with the freezing and removal activities, temperature and moisture measurements, and air monitoring were performed.

Final report for the cryogenic retrieval demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valentich, D.J.; Yokuda, E.L.

1992-09-01

This report documents a demonstration of a proposed buried transuranic waste retrieval concept that uses cryogenic ground freezing and remote excavation. At the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), there are over 8 million ft[sup 3] of intermingled soil and transuranic (TRU) wastes in shallow land burial, and retrieval of the material is one of the options being considered by the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration for the Environmental Restoration program. Cryogenically freezing contaminated soil and buried waste has been proposed as a way to greatly reduce or eliminate the climate the threat of contamination spread during retrieval activities. In support of this idea, a demonstration of an innovative ground freezing and retrieval technology was performed at the INEL. This initial demonstration was held near the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at a cold test pit'' that was built in 1988 as a test bed for the demonstration of retrieval contamination control technologies. This pit is not contaminated with any radioactive or hazardous wastes. Barrels and boxes filled with metals, plastics, tools, paper, cloth, etc. configured in the same manner as expected in contaminated pits and trenches are buried at the cold test pit. After design, fabrication, and shop testing, Sonsub mobilized to the field in early July 1992 to perform the field demonstration. It was planned to freeze and extract four pits, each 9 [times] 9 [times] 10 ft. Each pit represented a different configuration of buried waste (stacked boxes, stacked barrels, random dumped barrels and boxes, and random dumped barrels). Sonsub's proposed technology consisted of driving a series of freeze pipes into the soil and waste, using liquid nitrogen to freeze the mass, and extracting the soil and debris using a series of remote operated, bridge crane mounted tools. In conjunction with the freezing and removal activities, temperature and moisture measurements, and air monitoring were

The stainless steel beneficial reuse integrated demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boettinger, W.L.; Lutz, R.N.

1994-01-01

Process water heat exchangers at SRS contains over 95% 304 stainless steel which could be recycled back to DOE in a ''controlled release'' manner, that is, the radioactive scrap metal (RSM) could be reprocessed into new reusable products for return to DOE for use within the DOE Complex. In 1994, a demonstration was begun to recycle recycle contaminated stainless steel by melting 60 tons of RSM and refabricating it into containers for long-term temporary storage. The demonstration covers the entire recycle chain; the melting and the fabrication are to be done through subcontracts with private industry. Activity level of RSM to be supplied to industry is less than one curie total; the average specific activity level of the cobalt-60 which will be imbedded in the final products was estimated to be 117 pico curies per gram (4.31 becquerels/gram)

Activated carbon derived from chitosan as air cathode catalyst for high performance in microbial fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yi; Zhao, Yong; Li, Kexun; Wang, Zhong; Tian, Pei; Liu, Di; Yang, Tingting; Wang, Junjie

2018-02-01

Chitosan with rich of nitrogen is used as carbon precursor to synthesis activated carbon through directly heating method in this study. The obtained carbon is activated by different amount of KOH at different temperatures, and then prepared as air cathodes for microbial fuel cells. Carbon sample treated with double amount of KOH at 850 °C exhibits maximum power density (1435 ± 46 mW m-2), 1.01 times improved, which ascribes to the highest total surface area, moderate micropore and mesoporous structure and the introduction of nitrogen. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and powder resistivity state that carbon treated with double amount of KOH at 850 °C possesses lower resistance. The other electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the best kinetic activity make the above treated sample to show the best oxygen reduction reaction activity. Besides, the degree of graphitization of samples increases with the activated temperature increasing, which is tested by Raman. According to elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, all chitosan samples are nitrogen-doped carbon, and high content nitrogen (pyridinic-N) improves the electrochemical activity of carbon treated with KOH at 850 °C. Thus, carbon materials derived from chitosan would be an optimized catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cell.

Production of high specific activity silicon-32

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, D.R.; Brzezinski, M.A.

1998-01-01

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development Project (LDRD) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). There were two primary objectives for the work performed under this project. The first was to take advantage of capabilities and facilities at Los Alamos to produce the radionuclide 32 Si in unusually high specific activity. The second was to combine the radioanalytical expertise at Los Alamos with the expertise at the University of California to develop methods for the application of 32 Si in biological oceanographic research related to global climate modeling. The first objective was met by developing targetry for proton spallation production of 32 Si in KCl targets and chemistry for its recovery in very high specific activity. The second objective was met by developing a validated field-useable, radioanalytical technique, based upon gas-flow proportional counting, to measure the dynamics of silicon uptake by naturally occurring diatoms

In situ gas treatment technology demonstration test plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thornton, E.C.; Miller, R.D.

1996-01-01

This document defines the objectives and requirements associated with undertaking a field demonstration of an in situ gas treatment appoach to remediation chromate-contaminated soil. The major tasks presented in this plan include the design and development of the surface gas treatment system, performance of permitting activities, and completion of site preparation and field testing activities