How to reduce risk of climate change: Domestic hot water production methanization and programmed timing of heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvestrini, G.

1992-01-01

This paper first identifies a significant and deleterious trend, in terms of poor energy efficiency and high carbon dioxide emissions, towards the increased use of electric water heaters for sanitary hot water production in single family units. It then points out how the use of wall mounted methane fired boilers can result in overall energy savings (overall electric power consumption for domestic hot water production is estimated to represent one- quarter of Italy's total domestic power demand), as well as air pollution abatement. The feasibility of other methods of energy conservation and pollution abatement in domestic water heating are also examined. These include the use of solar hot water heaters, computerized timers which allow users to program the operation of their heating plants, and the adoption by residential communities of methane fuelled district heating plants

Life cycle assessment of domestic heat pump hot water systems in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moore Andrew D.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Water heating accounts for 23% of residential energy consumption in Australia, and, as over half is provided by electric water heaters, is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Due to inclusion in rebate schemes heat pump water heating systems are becoming increasingly popular, but do they result in lower greenhouse gas emissions? This study follows on from a previous life cycle assessment study of domestic hot water systems to include heat pump systems. The streamlined life cycle assessment approach used focused on the use phase of the life cycle, which was found in the previous study to be where the majority of global warming potential (GWP impacts occurred. Data was collected from an Australian heat pump manufacturer and was modelled assuming installation within Australian climate zone 3 (AS/NZS 4234:2011. Several scenarios were investigated for the heat pumps including different sources of electricity (grid, photovoltaic solar modules, and batteries and the use of solar thermal panels. It was found that due to their higher efficiency heat pump hot water systems can result in significantly lower GWP than electric storage hot water systems. Further, solar thermal heat pump systems can have lower GWP than solar electric hot water systems that use conventional electric boosting. Additionally, the contributions of HFC refrigerants to GWP can be significant so the use of alternative refrigerants is recommended. Heat pumps combined with PV and battery technology can achieve the lowest GWP of all domestic hot water systems.

Analysis, Modeling and Optimum Design of Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Lin

1999-01-01

This study focus on the analysis, modeling and simulation of solar domestic hot water(DHW) systems. Problems related to the system operation such as input weather data and hot water load conditions are also investigated.In order to investigate the heat loss as part of the total heat load, dynamic...... model of distribution network is developed and simulations are carried out for typical designed circulation type of distribution networks. For dynamic simulation of thermosyphon and drain-back solar DHW systems, thermosyphon loop model and drain-back tank model are put forward. Based on the simulations...

Investigation af a solar heating system for space heating and domestic hot water supply with a high degree of coverage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vejen, Niels Kristian

1999-01-01

A solar storage tank for space heating and domestic hot water supply was designed and testet in af laboratory test facility.......A solar storage tank for space heating and domestic hot water supply was designed and testet in af laboratory test facility....

Retrofitted Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems for Swedish Single-Family Houses—Evaluation of a Prototype and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Ricardo Bernardo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available According to recent technology road maps, system cost reductions and development of standardised plug-and-function systems are some of the most important goals for solar heating technology development. Retrofitting hot water boilers in single-family houses when installing solar collectors has the potential to significantly reduce both material and installation costs. Previous studies have investigated such retrofitting, using theoretical simulations and laboratory tests, but no actual installations were made and tested in practice. This article describes the installation, measured performance and cost effectiveness of a retrofitting solution that converts existing domestic hot water heaters to a solar domestic hot water system. The measured performance is characterised by the monthly and annual solar fractions. The cost effectiveness is evaluated by a life-cycle cost analysis, comparing the retrofitted system to a conventional solar domestic hot water system and the case without any solar heating system. Measurements showed that approximately 50% of the 5000 kWh/year of domestic hot water consumption was saved by the retrofitted system in south Sweden. Such savings are in agreement with previous estimations and are comparable to the energy savings when using a conventional solar domestic hot water system. The life-cycle cost analysis showed that, according to the assumptions and given climate, the return on investment of the retrofitted system is approximately 17 years, while a conventional system does not reach profitability during its lifetime of 25 years.

Simulation Programs for Ph.D. Study of Analysis, Modeling and Optimum Design of Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Lin

1999-01-01

The design of solar domestic hot water system is a complex process, due to characteristics inherent in solar heating technology. Recently, computer simulation has become a widely used technique to improve the understanding of the thermal processes in such systems. This report presents the detaile...... programs or units that were developed in the Ph.D study of " Analysis, Modeling and Optimum Design of Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems"....

Advantages using inlet stratification devices in solar domestic hot water storage tanks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dragsted, Janne; Furbo, Simon; Bava, Federico

2017-01-01

performances of two solar domestic hot water systems are presented. One system is a traditional high flow system with a heat exchanger spiral in the tank. The other system is a low flow system with an external heat exchanger and a newly developed inlet stratifier from EyeCular Technologies ApS installed......The thermal performance of a domestic hot water system is strongly affected by whether the storage tank is stratified or not. Thermal stratification can be built up in a solar storage tank if the heated water from the solar collectors enters the tank through an inlet stratifier.Measured thermal...... with the stratification device has a higher thermal performance compared to the system with the heat exchanger spiral inside the tank.The relative performance (defined as the ratio between the net utilized solar energy of the low flow system and the net utilized solar energy of the high flow system), is a function...

Optimization of China's centralized domestic hot water system by applying Danish elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Lipeng; Gudmundsson, Oddgeir; Thorsen, Jan Eric

2014-01-01

Regardless of where they are in the world, people depend on a reliable and sufficient supply of domestic hot water (DHW) for daily use. Some countries that have district heating (DH) infrastructure, such as Denmark and China, combine spacing heating (SH) and DHW together, with the aim of having...

Simulation programs for ph.D. study of analysis, modeling and optimum design of solar domestic hot water systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin Qin

1998-12-31

The design of solar domestic hot water (DHW) systems is a complex process, due to characteristics inherent in the solar heating technology. Recently, computer simulation has become a widely used technique to improve the understanding of the thermal processes in such systems. One of the main objects of the Ph.D. study of `Analysis, Modelling and optimum Design of Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems` is to develop and verify programs for carrying out the simulation and evaluation of the dynamic performance of solar DHW systems. During this study, simulation programs for hot water distribution networks and for certain types of solar DHW systems were developed. (au)

Measure Guideline. Combination Forced-Air Space and Tankless Domestic Hot Water Heating Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rudd, Armin [Building Science Corporation Industry Team (BSC), Somerville, MA (United States)

2012-08-01

This document describes design and application guidance for combination space and tankless domestic hot water heating systems (combination systems) used in residential buildings, based on field evaluation, testing, and industry meetings conducted by Building Science Corporation. As residential building enclosure improvements continue to drive heating loads down, using the same water heating equipment for both space heating and domestic water heating becomes attractive from an initial cost and space-saving perspective. This topic is applicable to single- and multi-family residential buildings, both new and retrofitted.

Parametric CAD and Fea Model of a Saddle Tapping Tee

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

A. Kristensen, Anders Schmidt; Lund Jepsen, Kristian

2007-01-01

 Often it is necessary to branch of a pipe section on an oilrig. This operation is often performed by making a so-called "Hot Tapping", which involves welding a pipe and a flange on to the pipe section. A spherical valve and a gate are mounted on to the flange, i.e. weld-o-let. In order to perform...... the welding operations a so-called habitat must be constructed. This habitat encapsulates the "Hot Tapping" spot and is relatively costly. Thus, to avoid weld operations on to the pipeline, a solution with clamps has been developed, i.e. a Saddle Tapping Tee. The Saddle Tapping Tee is clamped on the pipe...... is determined from paragraph K302.3.2 in ASME B31.3. A full parametric 3D CAD model of the Saddle Tapping Tee is developed where a number of user-defined parameters are controlled from an Excel spreadsheet allowing parameter studies and technical documentation to be generated effectively. The same Excel spread...

Thermal performance assessment and improvement of a solar domestic hot water tank with PCM in the mantle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deng, Jie; Furbo, Simon; Kong, Weiqiang

2018-01-01

To develop an appropriate solar DHW (Domestic Hot Water) tank for residential dwellings and put it into the European solar thermal market for promotion, thermal performance tests of PCM (Phase Change Material) hot water storage tanks of both a prototype and an improved version with a water volume...

Prototype Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems (A collation of Quarterly Reports)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1978-02-01

This report is a collection of quarterly reports from Solar Engineering and Manufacturing Company (SEMCO) covering the period from November 1976 through September 1977. SEMCO, under NASA/MSFC Contract NAS8-32248, is developing two prototype solar domestic hot water systems consisting of the following subsystems: collector, storage, control, transport, and auxiliary energy. These two systems are being installed at sites in Loxahatchee, Florida (OTS-27) and Macon, Georgia (OTS-28).

Investigation of a low flow solar heating system for space heating and domestic hot water supply for Aidt Miljø A/S

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vejen, Niels Kristian

1997-01-01

A low flow solar heating system for space heating and domestic hot water supply from Aidt Miljø A/Swas tested in a laboratory test facility.......A low flow solar heating system for space heating and domestic hot water supply from Aidt Miljø A/Swas tested in a laboratory test facility....

Domestic hot water and solar energy in Ireland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hand, F; Asare, B; Haslett, J

1977-01-01

Two systems are discussed which involve the use of solar energy to supply domestic hot-water requirements and their usefulness in Ireland is examined. The systems are evaluated for thermal performance and cost-effectiveness by the use of a computer simulation model of a system involving a typical commercially available solar panel. It is shown that such systems may be economically justified when compared with electricity, but only if the water supply is directly heated by solar panels and only if the installed cost of such panels is low. Further, it appears that the system performance is relatively insensitive to the panel orientation and consequently that retro-fit installations on existing houses are unlikely to cause difficulties.

Hot surface temperatures of domestic appliances.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassett, Malcolm; Arild, Anne-Helene

2002-09-01

Domestic appliances are burning people. In the European Union, accidents requiring hospital treatment due to burns from hot objects account for between 0 and 1% of all such accidents. Young children are particularly at risk. These reported accidents requiring hospital treatment are also likely to be a small proportion of the total number of burns from hot objects. There is a lack of hard evidence about the level of accidents, typical consumer expectation and use, and on the state of the art of appliances. Results of technical laboratory tests carried out on products are used to demonstrate the state of the art and also show how consumer expectations could be changing. Results of a survey into accidents, based on a written questionnaire following telephone contact, provide information on non-hospital cases. Results of tests on products show that there are significant differences in the temperatures of touchable surfaces, even in products of the same type. Typically, these differences are due to variations in design and/or materials of construction. Some products are hot enough to burn skin. Accident research indicates that non-hospital medical practices are treating burn injuries, which are therefore not being included into the current accident statistics. For products with the same function, some types of design or materials of construction are safer, with lower surface temperatures. Many product standards have no or unnecessarily high limits on surface temperatures. Many standards do not address the realities of who is using their products, for what purpose or where they are located. Some standards use unreasonable general limitations and exclusions that allow products with higher surface temperatures than they should have. Many standards rely on the experience factor for avoiding injury that is no longer valid, with the increased availability of safer products of the same type. A major field of work ahead is to carry out more surveys and in-depth studies of non

Investigation of a solar heating system for space heating and domestic hot water supply for Sol&Træ A.m.b.a

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vejen, Niels Kristian

1999-01-01

A solar heating system for space heating and domestic hot water supply from "Sol&Træ A.m.b.a." was tested in a laboratory test facility.......A solar heating system for space heating and domestic hot water supply from "Sol&Træ A.m.b.a." was tested in a laboratory test facility....

Evaluations of different domestic hot water preparing methods with ultra-low-temperature district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

of Legionella in the DHW (domestic hot water) and assure the comfortable temperature, all substations were installed with supplementary heating devices. Detailed measurements were taken in the substations, including the electricity demand of the supplementary heating devices. To compare the energy and economic...

Energy, economy and exergy evaluations of the solutions for supplying domestic hot water from low-temperature district heating in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

. Evaluation models were built to investigate the energy, economy and exergy performances of the proposed domestic hot water systems in various configurations. The configurations of the devised domestic hot water substations were optimised to fit well with both low and ultra-low-temperature district heating...... °C and 50 °C district heating scenarios, while the individual micro tank solution consumed less energy and cost less in the 35 °C district heating scenario....

Solar heating and domestic hot water system installed at Kansas City, Fire Stations, Kansas City, Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

The solar system was designed to provide 47 percent of the space heating, 8,800 square feet area and 75 percent of the domestic hot water (DHW) load. The solar system consists of 2,808 square feet of Solaron, model 2001, air, flat plate collector subsystem, a concrete box storage subsystem which contains 1,428 cubic feet of 0.5 inch diameter pebbles weighing 71.5 tons, a DHW preheat tank, blowers, pumps, heat exchangers, air ducting, controls and associated plumbing. Two 120 gallon electric DHW heaters supply domestic hot water which is preheated by the solar system. Auxiliary space heating is provided by three electric heat pumps with electric resistance heaters and four 30 kilowatt electric unit heaters. There are six modes of system operation.

Solar heating and domestic hot water system installed at Kansas City, Fire Stations, Kansas City, Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

The solar system was designed to provide 47 percent of the space heating, 8,800 square feet area and 75 percent of the domestic hot water (DHW) load. The solar system consists of 2,808 square feet of Solaron, model 2001, air, flat plate collector subsystem, a concrete box storage subsystem which contains 1,428 cubic feet of 0.5 inch diameter pebbles weighing 71.5 tons, a DHW preheat tank, blowers, pumps, heat exchangers, air ducting, controls and associated plumbing. Two 120 gallon electric DHW heaters supply domestic hot water which is preheated by the solar system. Auxiliary space heating is provided by three electric heat pumps with electric resistance heaters and four 30 kilowatt electric unit heaters. There are six modes of system operation.

Non-parametric method for separating domestic hot water heating spikes and space heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bacher, Peder; de Saint-Aubain, Philip Anton; Christiansen, Lasse Engbo

2016-01-01

In this paper a method for separating spikes from a noisy data series, where the data change and evolve over time, is presented. The method is applied on measurements of the total heat load for a single family house. It relies on the fact that the domestic hot water heating is a process generating...

Energy, economy and exergy evaluations of the solutions for supplying domestic hot water from low-temperature district heating in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

District heating in Denmark is going through the transition from 3rd generation (80/40 °C) to 4th generation (50-55 °C/25 °C) systems in,preparation for district heating based completely on renewable fuels by 2035. However, concern about Legionella growth and reduced comfort with low......-temperature domestic hot water supply may be discouraging the implementation of low-temperature district heating. Aimed at providing possible solutions, this study modelled various proposals for district heating systems with supply temperatures of 65 °C, 50 °C and 35 °C and for two different building topologies....... Evaluation models were built to investigate the energy, economy and exergy performances of the proposed domestic hot water systems in various configurations. The configurations of the devised domestic hot water substations were optimised to fit well with both low and ultra-low-temperature district heating...

Solar heating and domestic hot water system installed at North Dallas High School

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

The solar energy system located at the North Dallas High School, Dallas, Texas is discussed. The system is designed as a retrofit in a three story with basement, concrete frame high school building. Extracts from the site files, specification references for solar modification to existing building heating and domestic hot water systems, drawings, installation, operation and maintenance instructions are included.

The Use of Solar Energy for Preparing Domestic Hot Water in a Multi-Storey Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giedrius Šiupšinskas

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the possibilities of solar collectors used for a domestic hot water system and installed on the roofs of modernized multi-storey buildings under the existing climate conditions. A number of combinations of flat plate and vacuum solar collectors with accumulation tank systems of various sizes have been examined. Heat from the district heating system is used as an additional heat source for preparing domestic hot water. The paper compares calculation results of energy and economy regarding the combinations of flat plate and vacuum solar collectors and the size of the accumulation tank. The influence of variations in the main indicators on the final economic results has also been evaluated. Research has been supported applying EC FP7 CONCERTO program (‘‘Sustainable Zero Carbon ECO-Town Developments Improving Quality of Life across EU - ECO-Life’’ (ECO-Life Project Contract No. TREN/FP7EN/239497/”ECOLIFE”.Article in Lithuanian

Energy, economy and exergy evaluations of the solutions for supplying domestic hot water from low-temperature district heating in Denmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Provided domestic hot water configurations for low-temperature district heating. • Various building typologies and district heating supply temperatures were included. • Different scenarios were evaluated from the energy, economy and exergy aspects. • The benefits of lower return temperature to district heating were investigated. - Abstract: District heating in Denmark is going through the transition from 3rd generation (80/40 °C) to 4th generation (50–55 °C/25 °C) systems in preparation for district heating based completely on renewable fuels by 2035. However, concern about Legionella growth and reduced comfort with low-temperature domestic hot water supply may be discouraging the implementation of low-temperature district heating. Aimed at providing possible solutions, this study modelled various proposals for district heating systems with supply temperatures of 65 °C, 50 °C and 35 °C and for two different building topologies. Evaluation models were built to investigate the energy, economy and exergy performances of the proposed domestic hot water systems in various configurations. The configurations of the devised domestic hot water substations were optimised to fit well with both low and ultra-low-temperature district heating and to reduce the return temperature to district heating. The benefits of lower return temperatures were also analysed compared with the current district heating situation. The evaluation results show that the decentralized substation system with instantaneous heat exchanger unit performed better under the 65 °C and 50 °C district heating scenarios, while the individual micro tank solution consumed less energy and cost less in the 35 °C district heating scenario.

High performance in low-flow solar domestic hot water systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dayan, M.

1997-12-31

Low-flow solar hot water heating systems employ flow rates on the order of 1/5 to 1/10 of the conventional flow. Low-flow systems are of interest because the reduced flow rate allows smaller diameter tubing, which is less costly to install. Further, low-flow systems result in increased tank stratification. Lower collector inlet temperatures are achieved through stratification and the useful energy produced by the collector is increased. The disadvantage of low-flow systems is the collector heat removal factor decreases with decreasing flow rate. Many solar domestic hot water systems require an auxiliary electric source to operate a pump in order to circulate fluid through the solar collector. A photovoltaic driven pump can be used to replace the standard electrical pump. PV driven pumps provide an ideal means of controlling the flow rate, as pumps will only circulate fluid when there is sufficient radiation. Peak performance was always found to occur when the heat exchanger tank-side flow rate was approximately equal to the average load flow rate. For low collector-side flow rates, a small deviation from the optimum flow rate will dramatically effect system performance.

Domestic hot water. Measurements of consumption and heat loss from circulation pipes; Varmt brugsvand. Maaling af forbrug og varmetab fra cirkulationsledninger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boehm, B.; Schroeder, F.; Bergsoee, N.C.

2009-07-01

It is likely that the production and distribution of domestic hot water (DHW) in buildings will constitute a dominant share of both the present and in particular future energy design requirements. The goal of this project has been to propose more energy efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for DHW systems based on analyses of existing conditions. The possibilities include new types of circulation pipes, which have the potential of a 40 per cent reduction of heat losses. In addition to the reduction of heat losses inside the building, a low return temperature from the hot water system will have a large impact on the heat losses from the district heating network when the building is being heated by district heating. The results of this project could influence not only future buildings but also existing buildings in case of renovation of the installations. In this project measurements of water and energy consumptions have been carried out in a number of buildings, and heat losses from the production of domestic hot water and the distribution lines have been measured. In addition to the measurements, analyses and simulations have been carried out. Two models have been developed: One of an apartment room with vertical pipes passing through the room, and one of a room above a basement with horizontal heating pipes. The models make it possible to assess how much of the heat loss from the heating pipes is utilised for space heating. The following recommendations are pointed out: 1) In large buildings e.g. apartment buildings and office buildings the technical installations should be provided with meters so that it is possible to separate the energy consumption for DHW, space heating and ventilation, respectively. 2) In new buildings and in case of retrofitting existing buildings, careful planning of the placement and disposition of hot water taps compared with the location of the hot water tank or heat exchanger is recommended. Also, the necessity of a

Thermal performance of small solar domestic hot water systems in theory, in the laboratory and in practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Elsa

1998-01-01

for poor thermal performances of systems tested in practice are given. Based on theoretical calculations the negative impact on the thermal performance, due to a large number of different parameter variations are given. Recommendations for future developments of small solar domestic hot water systems...

Hot chocolate effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, F.S.

1982-01-01

The ''hot chocolate effect'' was investigated quantitatively, using water. If a tall glass cylinder is filled nearly completely with water and tapped on the bottom with a softened mallet one can detect the lowest longitudinal mode of the water column, for which the height of the water column is one-quarter wavelength. If the cylinder is rapidly filled with hot tap water containing dissolved air the pitch of that mode may descend by nearly three octaves during the first few seconds as the air comes out of solution and forms bubbles. Then the pitch gradually rises as the bubbles float to the top. A simple theoretical expression for the pitch ratio is derived and compared with experiment. The agreement is good to within the 10% accuracy of the experiments

Simulation of hybrid ground-coupled heat pump with domestic hot water heating systems using HVACSIM+

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui, Ping; Yang, Hongxing [Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (China); Spitler, Jeffrey D. [School of Mechanical Engineering, Oklahoma State University (United States); Fang, Zhaohong [Ground Source Heat Pump Research Center, Shandong University of Architecture and Engineering, Jinan (China)

2008-07-01

A hybrid ground-coupled heat pump (HGCHP) with domestic hot water (DHW) supply system has been proposed in this paper for space cooling/heating and DHW supply for residential buildings in hot-climate areas. A simulation model for this hybrid system is established within the HVACSIM+ environment. A sample system, applied for a small residential apartment located in Hong Kong, is hourly simulated in a typical meteorological year. The conventional GCHP system and an electric heater for DHW supply are also modeled and simulated on an hourly basis within the HVACSIM+ for comparison purpose. The results obtained from this case study show that the HGCHP system can effectively alleviate the imbalanced loads of the ground heat exchanger (GHE) and can offer almost 95% DHW demand. The energy saving for DHW heating is about 70% compared with an electric heater. This proposed scheme, i.e. the HGCHP with DHW supply, is suitable to residential buildings in hot-climate areas, such as in Hong Kong. (author)

Numerical Simulation of a Solar Domestic Hot Water System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mongibello, L; Graditi, G; Bianco, N; Di Somma, M; Naso, V

2014-01-01

An innovative transient numerical model is presented for the simulation of a solar Domestic Hot Water (DHW) system. The solar collectors have been simulated by using a zerodimensional analytical model. The temperature distributions in the heat transfer fluid and in the water inside the tank have been evaluated by one-dimensional models. The reversion elimination algorithm has been used to include the effects of natural convection among the water layers at different heights in the tank on the thermal stratification. A finite difference implicit scheme has been implemented to solve the energy conservation equation in the coil heat exchanger, and the energy conservation equation in the tank has been solved by using the finite difference Euler implicit scheme. Energy conservation equations for the solar DHW components models have been coupled by means of a home-made implicit algorithm. Results of the simulation performed using as input data the experimental values of the ambient temperature and the solar irradiance in a summer day are presented and discussed

Numerical Simulation of a Solar Domestic Hot Water System

Science.gov (United States)

Mongibello, L.; Bianco, N.; Di Somma, M.; Graditi, G.; Naso, V.

2014-11-01

An innovative transient numerical model is presented for the simulation of a solar Domestic Hot Water (DHW) system. The solar collectors have been simulated by using a zerodimensional analytical model. The temperature distributions in the heat transfer fluid and in the water inside the tank have been evaluated by one-dimensional models. The reversion elimination algorithm has been used to include the effects of natural convection among the water layers at different heights in the tank on the thermal stratification. A finite difference implicit scheme has been implemented to solve the energy conservation equation in the coil heat exchanger, and the energy conservation equation in the tank has been solved by using the finite difference Euler implicit scheme. Energy conservation equations for the solar DHW components models have been coupled by means of a home-made implicit algorithm. Results of the simulation performed using as input data the experimental values of the ambient temperature and the solar irradiance in a summer day are presented and discussed.

The hot chocolate effect

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Frank S.

1982-05-01

The ''hot chocolate effect'' was investigated quantitatively, using water. If a tall glass cylinder is filled nearly completely with water and tapped on the bottom with a softened mallet one can detect the lowest longitudinal mode of the water column, for which the height of the water column is one-quarter wavelength. If the cylinder is rapidly filled with hot tap water containing dissolved air the pitch of that mode may descend by nearly three octaves during the first few seconds as the air comes out of solution and forms bubbles. Then the pitch gradually rises as the bubbles float to the top. A simple theoretical expression for the pitch ratio is derived and compared with experiment. The agreement is good to within the 10% accuracy of the experiments.

Generalizable occupant-driven optimization model for domestic hot water production in NZEB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazmi, H.; D’Oca, S.; Delmastro, C.; Lodeweyckx, S.; Corgnati, S.P.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Smart meter data for domestic hot water consumption is collected for 46 NZEB. • Reinforcement learning optimizes energy consumed while constrained on user comfort. • Online optimization models learn occupant behaviour and system thermodynamics. • Offline generalizable models calibrate dynamically the storage vessel operation. • Real world application of the active controls resulted in energy savings of 27%. - Abstract: The primary objective of this paper is to demonstrate improved energy efficiency for domestic hot water (DHW) production in residential buildings. This is done by deriving data-driven optimal heating schedules (used interchangeably with policies) automatically. The optimization leverages actively learnt occupant behaviour and models for thermodynamics of the storage vessel to operate the heating mechanism – an air-source heat pump (ASHP) in this case – at the highest possible efficiency. The proposed algorithm, while tested on an ASHP, is essentially decoupled from the heating mechanism making it sufficiently robust to generalize to other types of heating mechanisms as well. Simulation results for this optimization based on data from 46 Net-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in the Netherlands are presented. These show a reduction of energy consumption for DHW by 20% using a computationally inexpensive heuristic approach, and 27% when using a more intensive hybrid ant colony optimization based method. The energy savings are strongly dependent on occupant comfort level. This is demonstrated in real-world settings for a low-consumption house where active control was performed using heuristics for 3.5 months and resulted in energy savings of 27% (61 kW h). It is straightforward to extend the same models to perform automatic demand side management (ADSM) by treating the DHW vessel as a flexibility bearing device.

The efficiency of the heat pump water heater, during DHW tapping cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gużda Arkadiusz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses one of the most effective systems for domestic hot water (DHW production based on air-source heat pump with an integrated tank. The operating principle of the heat pump is described in detail. Moreover, there is an account of experimental set-up and results of the measurements. In the experimental part, measurements were conducted with the aim of determining the energy parameters and measures of the economic efficiency related to the presented solution. The measurements that were conducted are based on the tapping cycle that is similar to the recommended one in EN-16147 standard. The efficiency of the air source heat pump during the duration of the experiment was 2.43. In the end of paper, authors conducted a simplified ecological analysis in order to determine the influence of operation of air-source heat pump with integrated tank on the environment. Moreover the compression with the different source of energy (gas boiler with closed combustion chamber and boiler fired by the coal was conducted. The heat pump is the ecological friendly source of the energy.

The efficiency of the heat pump water heater, during DHW tapping cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Gużda, Arkadiusz; Szmolke, Norbert

2017-10-01

This paper discusses one of the most effective systems for domestic hot water (DHW) production based on air-source heat pump with an integrated tank. The operating principle of the heat pump is described in detail. Moreover, there is an account of experimental set-up and results of the measurements. In the experimental part, measurements were conducted with the aim of determining the energy parameters and measures of the economic efficiency related to the presented solution. The measurements that were conducted are based on the tapping cycle that is similar to the recommended one in EN-16147 standard. The efficiency of the air source heat pump during the duration of the experiment was 2.43. In the end of paper, authors conducted a simplified ecological analysis in order to determine the influence of operation of air-source heat pump with integrated tank on the environment. Moreover the compression with the different source of energy (gas boiler with closed combustion chamber and boiler fired by the coal) was conducted. The heat pump is the ecological friendly source of the energy.

Analysis, modeling and optimum design of solar domestic hot water systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin Qin

1998-12-31

The object of this study was dynamic modeling, simulation and optimum design of solar DHW (domestic hot water) systems, with respect to different whether conditions, and accurate dynamic behaviour of the heat load. Special attention was paid to systems with thermosyphon and drain-back design. The solar radiation in Beijing (China) and in Denmark are analyzed both by theoretical calculations and the analysis of long-term measurements. Based on the weather data from the Beijing Meteorological Station during the period of 1981-1993, a Beijing Test Reference Year has been formulated by means of statistical analysis. A brief introduction about the Danish Test Reference Year and the Design Reference Year is also presented. In order to investigate the heat loss as a part of the total heat load, dynamic models for distribution networks have been developed, and simulations have been carried out for typically designed distribution networks of the circulation type. The influence of operation parameters such as the tank outlet temperature, the hot-water load and the load pattern, on the heat loss from the distribution networks in presented. It was found that the tank outlet temperature has a significant influence on the heat loss from a circulation type of distribution network, while the hot-water load and the load pattern have no obvious effect. Dynamic models of drain-back tanks, both as a separated tank and combined with a mantle tank, have been developed and presented. Models of the other basic components commonly used in solar DHW systems, such as flat-plate collectors, connection pipes, storage tanks with a heat exchanger spiral, and controllers, are also described. (LN) 66 refs.

Generation of Domestic Hot Water, Space Heating and Driving Pattern Profiles for Integration Analysis of Active Loads in Low Voltage Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diaz de Cerio Mendaza, Iker; Pigazo, Alberto; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte

2013-01-01

at household level. Despite of the well-known flexible service that this kind of loads can provide, their flexibility is highly dependent of the domestic hot water and space heating demand and the driving habits of each user. This paper presents two methodologies employed to randomly generate thermal power......The changes in the Danish energy sector, consequence of political agreements, are expected to have direct impact in the actual power distribution systems. Large number of electric boiler, heat pumps and electric vehicles are planned and will cope large percentage of the future power consumption...... demand and electric vehicle driving profiles, to be used for power grid calculations. The generated thermal profiles relied on a statistical analysis made from real domestic hot water and space heating data from 25 households of a typical Danish residential area. The driving profiles instead were formed...

Technical, economic and environmental investigation of using district heating to prepare domestic hot water in Chinese multi-storey buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Lipeng; Xia, Jianjun; Thorsen, Jan Eric

2016-01-01

The development of DH (District Heating) is an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient strategy in China. Currently, the vast majority of DH systems are SH (Space Heating) only and do not provide DHW (Domestic Hot Water). DHW is mainly produced by individual water heaters due to the cost......-effective issues of the centralized DHW systems. From the perspective of long-term development, DHW produced via DH systems would be more sustainable because DH is an important precondition for an environmental safe use of domestic waste fuels. This paper presents an approach that uses flat stations meanwhile...

Evaluating Domestic Hot Water Distribution System Options with Validated Analysis Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weitzel, E. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States); Hoeschele, E. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States)

2014-09-01

A developing body of work is forming that collects data on domestic hot water consumption, water use behaviors, and energy efficiency of various distribution systems. Transient System Simulation Tool (TRNSYS) is a full distribution system developed that has been validated using field monitoring data and then exercised in a number of climates to understand climate impact on performance. In this study, the Building America team built upon previous analysis modeling work to evaluate differing distribution systems and the sensitivities of water heating energy and water use efficiency to variations of climate, load, distribution type, insulation and compact plumbing practices. Overall, 124 different TRNSYS models were simulated. The results of this work are useful in informing future development of water heating best practices guides as well as more accurate (and simulation time efficient) distribution models for annual whole house simulation programs.

Investigation of a heat storage for a solar heating system for combined space heating and domestic hot water supply for homeowner´s association "Bakken"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vejen, Niels Kristian

1998-01-01

A heat storage for a solar heating system for combined space heating and domestic hot water supply was tested in a laboratory test facility.The heat storage consist of a mantle tank with water for the heating system and of a hot water tank, which by means of thermosyphoning is heated by the water...

Control of bacterial contamination of washbasin taps and output water using Ecasol: a one-year study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Boyle, M A

2012-04-01

Contaminated washbasin taps and output water are an important source of bacteria that may cause nosocomial infection. A five-week pretreatment study of hot and cold water from 15 washbasin taps at Dublin Dental Hospital showed consistently heavy contamination by aerobic heterotrophic bacteria: mean bacterial counts of 482.5 [standard deviation (SD) 293] colony-forming units (cfu)\\/mL and 5022 (SD 4322) cfu\\/mL, respectively.

Control Strategies to Reduce the Energy Consumption of Central Domestic Hot Water Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, Jordan [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Ansanelli, Eric [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Henderson, Hugh [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions; Varshney, Kapil [The Levy Partnership, Inc., New York, NY (United States). Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions

2016-06-23

Domestic hot water (DHW) heating is the second largest energy end use in U.S. buildings, exceeded only by space conditioning. Recirculation systems consisting of a pump and piping loop(s) are commonly used in multifamily buildings to reduce wait time for hot water at faucets; however, constant pumping increases energy consumption by exposing supply and return line piping to continuous heat loss, even during periods when there is no demand for hot water. In this study, ARIES installed and tested two types of recirculation controls in a pair of buildings in order to evaluate their energy savings potential. Demand control, temperature modulation controls, and the simultaneous operation of both were compared to the baseline case of constant recirculation. Additionally, interactive effects between DHW control fuel reductions and space conditioning (heating and cooling) were estimated in order to make more realistic predictions of the payback and financial viability of retrofitting DHW systems with these controls. Results showed that DHW fuel consumption reduced by 7% after implementing the demand control technique, 2% after implementing temperature modulation, and 15% after implementing demand control and temperature modulation techniques simultaneously; recirculation pump runtime was reduced to 14 minutes or less per day. With space heating and cooling interactions included, the estimated annual cost savings were 8%, 1%, and 14% for the respective control techniques. Possible complications in the installation, commissioning and operation of the controls were identified and solutions offered.

Control Strategies to Reduce the Energy Consumption of Central Domestic Hot Water Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dentz, Jordan; Ansanelli, Eric; Henderson, Hugh; Varshney, Kapil

2016-06-03

Domestic hot water (DHW) heating is the second largest energy end use in U.S. buildings, exceeded only by space conditioning. Recirculation systems consisting of a pump and piping loop(s) are commonly used in multifamily buildings to reduce wait time for hot water at faucets; however, constant pumping increases energy consumption by exposing supply and return line piping to continuous heat loss, even during periods when there is no demand for hot water. In this study, ARIES installed and tested two types of recirculation controls in a pair of buildings in order to evaluate their energy savings potential. Demand control, temperature modulation controls, and the simultaneous operation of both were compared to the baseline case of constant recirculation. Additionally, interactive effects between DHW control fuel reductions and space conditioning (heating and cooling) were estimated in order to make more realistic predictions of the payback and financial viability of retrofitting DHW systems with these controls. Results showed that DHW fuel consumption reduced by 7% after implementing the demand control technique, 2% after implementing temperature modulation, and 15% after implementing demand control and temperature modulation techniques simultaneously; recirculation pump runtime was reduced to 14 minutes or less per day. With space heating and cooling interactions included, the estimated annual cost savings were 8%, 1%, and 14% for the respective control techniques. Possible complications in the installation, commissioning and operation of the controls were identified and solutions offered.

Measurements of cold and hot water in ten dwellings; Maetning av kall- och varmvatten i tio hushaall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wahlstroem, Aasa; Nordman, Roger; Pettersson, Ulrik (Swedish National Testing and Research Inst., Boraas (Sweden))

2008-07-01

Reducing tap water consumption has considerable potential for reducing overall environmental impact. It not only saves fresh water, but also gives significant savings of energy that would otherwise have been needed to heat hot water. However, in order to improve the energy efficiency of building services systems and to help occupants act more energy-efficiently, more knowledge is needed on how water is used in our homes. Today, we actually know very little about usage patterns from one tapping point to another, or the division between cold and hot water use, and this study aims to help provide appropriate information. The aim of this project is to increase the knowledge of how tap water is used in Swedish households. The main purpose is to gain knowledge of how to decrease the energy use and for that reason the description of the use of hot water is essential. Measurement has been made of hot and cold water use at each tapping point in ten dwellings: four apartments in apartment buildings, and six single-family buildings. The households were of the following categories; single, young couple, middle-aged couple and families with children. The number of households is too low to represent the water use at national level, but can still contribute with important knowledge of how we use water in our homes. The results show the following division of tap water use: - wash basin: 19% (11 % hot water and 8 % cold water); - kitchen sink 41% (23 % hot water and 18 % cold water); - shower/bathtub 40% (27 % hot water and 13 % cold water). About 61% of the total water quantity is hot water (note that cold water for toilet flushing and for laundry is not included in the total water use). The proportions between tapping points are very similar for the dwellings in the apartment buildings and single-family houses, and the use of water in the shower/bathtub is essentially the same as the use in the kitchens. In the single-family buildings the water use in laundry rooms was measured

Development of domestic hot water systems in Costa Rica from solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lizana-Moreno, Fernando

2015-01-01

A software tool is developed to implement the solar domestic hot water systems (DHW) in Costa Rica and to replace the electric water heating equipment. A database with information from the solar radiation is elaborated for different locations in Costa Rica. A manual of design DHW solar systems is realized for the country. An DHW solar system is designed for the type of average building the of country. A software is implemented to calculate the parameters and dimensions necessary for the solar installation of DHW, using the F-Chart method; in addition, the information of the mentioned database is included. A financial analysis is elaborated of the DHW solar systems in Costa Rica. The strategies are proposed for the implementation of DHW solar systems in Costa Rica [es

Microbial growth in domestic hot water systems with special emphasis on connections to district heating networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frederiksen, S [Lund Institute of Technology, Dept. of Heat and Power Engineering, Lund (SE); Krongaard Kristensen, K [Regional Food and Hygiene Authority, Koebenhavns Amt Vest, Glostrup (DK)

1991-01-01

It is by now well-estalished that domestic hot water systems often harbour Legionella bacteria. Measurements into a number of Danish systems have revealed many other bacteria, among them the thermophilic species Thermus, which is predominantly found on heating coils, where local temperatures are higher. This bacterium not only hampers heat transfer due to fouling, but may also be pathogenic, due to release of endotoxins. Its presence may explain a wide spectrum of symptoms experienced by people after hot baths, such as rashes and itching. The paper summarizes these findings, and on this basis engineering and microbiological considerations are presented in an effort to find ways of future control strategies that go beyond Legionella prevention. Special attention is given to district heating connections, in which low supply and return temperatures are generally wanted in the primary circuit. (author) 16 refs.

Lead isotopes in tap water: implications for Pb sources within a municipal water supply system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Zhongqi; Foland, Kenneth A.

2005-01-01

Residential tap waters were investigated to examine the feasibility of using isotopic ratios to identify dominant sources of water Pb in the Columbus (Ohio, USA) municipal supply system. Overall, both the concentrations, which are generally low (0.1-28 μg/L), and isotopic compositions of tap water Pb show wide variations. This contrasts with the situation for a limited number of available service lines, which exhibit only a limited Pb-isotope variation but contain Pb of two very different types with one significantly more radiogenic than the other. Most tap water samples in contact with Pb service lines have Pb-isotope ratios that are different from the pipe Pb. Furthermore, the Pb isotope compositions of sequentially drawn samples in the same residence generally are similar, but those from separate residences are different, implying dominant Pb sources from domestic plumbing. A separate pilot study at two residences without Pb service lines shows isotopic similarity between water and solders in each house, further suggesting that the major Pb sources are domestic in these cases and dominated by Pb from solder joints. Although complicated by the broad range of overall Pb-isotope variations observed and limited by sample availability, the results suggest that Pb isotopes can be used effectively to constrain the sources of Pb in tap waters, especially for individual houses where multiple source candidates can be identified

Analysis and comparison of methods for the preparation of domestic hot water from district heating system, selected renewable and non-renewable sources in low-energy buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knapik Maciej

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents an economic analysis and comparison of selected (district heating, natural gas, heat pump with renewable energy sources methods for the preparation of domestic hot water in a building with low energy demand. In buildings of this type increased demand of energy for domestic hot water preparation in relation to the total energy demand can be observed. As a result, the proposed solutions allow to further lower energy demand by using the renewable energy sources. This article presents the results of numerical analysis and calculations performed mainly in MATLAB software, based on typical meteorological years. The results showed that system with heat pump and renewable energy sources Is comparable with district heating system.

Analysis and comparison of methods for the preparation of domestic hot water from district heating system, selected renewable and non-renewable sources in low-energy buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Knapik, Maciej

2018-02-01

The article presents an economic analysis and comparison of selected (district heating, natural gas, heat pump with renewable energy sources) methods for the preparation of domestic hot water in a building with low energy demand. In buildings of this type increased demand of energy for domestic hot water preparation in relation to the total energy demand can be observed. As a result, the proposed solutions allow to further lower energy demand by using the renewable energy sources. This article presents the results of numerical analysis and calculations performed mainly in MATLAB software, based on typical meteorological years. The results showed that system with heat pump and renewable energy sources Is comparable with district heating system.

Performance analysis of solar cogeneration system with different integration strategies for potable water and domestic hot water production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uday Kumar, N.T.; Mohan, Gowtham; Martin, Andrew

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Solar driven cogeneration system integrating membrane distillation technology is developed. • System utilizes solar thermal energy for the operations without auxiliary heaters. • Three different system integrations are experimentally investigated in UAE. • Economical benefits of solar cogeneration system is also reported. - Abstract: A novel solar thermal cogeneration system featuring the provision of potable water with membrane distillation in combination with domestic hot water supply has been developed and experimentally analyzed. The system integrates evacuated tube collectors, thermal storage, membrane distillation unit, and heat exchangers with the overall goals of maximizing the two outputs while minimizing costs for the given design conditions. Experiments were conducted during one month’s operation at AURAK’s facility in UAE, with average peak global irradiation levels of 650 W/m"2. System performance was determined for three integration strategies, all utilizing brackish water (typical conductivity of 20,000 μs/cm) as a feedstock: Thermal store integration (TSI), which resembles a conventional indirect solar domestic hot water system; Direct solar integration (DSI) connecting collectors directly to the membrane distillation unit without thermal storage; and Direct solar with thermal store integration (DSTSI), a combination of these two approaches. The DSTSI strategy offered the best performance given its operational flexibility. Here the maximum distillate productivity was 43 L/day for a total gross solar collector area of 96 m"2. In terms of simultaneous hot water production, 277 kWh/day was achieved with this configuration. An economic analysis shows that the DSTSI strategy has a payback period of 3.9 years with net cumulative savings of $325,000 during the 20 year system lifetime.

The influence of TAP1 and TAP2 gene polymorphisms on TAP function and its inhibition by viral immune evasion proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Praest, P; Luteijn, R D; Brak-Boer, I G J; Lanfermeijer, J; Hoelen, H; Ijgosse, L; Costa, A I; Gorham, R D; Lebbink, R J; Wiertz, E J H J

2018-06-04

Herpesviruses encode numerous immune evasion molecules that interfere with the immune system, particularly with certain stages in the MHC class I antigen presentation pathway. In this pathway, the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) is a frequent target of viral immune evasion strategies. This ER-resident transporter is composed of the proteins TAP1 and TAP2, and plays a crucial role in the loading of viral peptides onto MHC class I molecules. Several variants of TAP1 and TAP2 occur in the human population, some of which are linked to autoimmune disorders and susceptibility to infections. Here, we assessed the influence of naturally occurring TAP variants on peptide transport and MHC class I expression. In addition, we tested the inhibitory capacity of three viral immune evasion proteins, the TAP inhibitors US6 from human cytomegalovirus, ICP47 from herpes simplex virus type 1 and BNLF2a from Epstein-Barr virus, for a series of TAP1 and TAP2 variants. Our results suggest that these TAP polymorphisms have no or limited effect on peptide transport or MHC class I expression. Furthermore, our study indicates that the herpesvirus-encoded TAP inhibitors target a broad spectrum of TAP variants; inhibition of TAP is not affected by the naturally occurring polymorphisms of TAP tested in this study. Our findings suggest that the long-term coevolution of herpesviruses and their host did not result in selection of inhibitor-resistant TAP variants in the human population. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development of space heating and domestic hot water systems with compact thermal energy storage. Compact thermal energy storage: Material development for System Integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davidson, J.H.; Quinnell, J.; Burch, J.; Zondag, H.A.; Boer, R. de; Finck, C.J.; Cuypers, R.; Cabeza, L.F.; Heinz, A.; Jahnig, D.; Furbo, S.; Bertsch, F.

2013-01-01

Long-term, compact thermal energy storage (TES) is essential to the development of cost-effective solar and passive building-integrated space heating systems and may enhance the annual technical and economic performance of solar domestic hot water (DHW) systems. Systems should provide high energy

Studies to overcome the manufacturing problems in blast furnace tap hole clay of Integrated Steel Plants: Experimental approach

Science.gov (United States)

Siva kumar, R.; Mohammed, Raffi; Srinivasa Rao, K.

2018-03-01

Integrated Steel Plants commonly uses Blast Furnace route for iron production which accounts for over 60 % of the world iron output. Blast Furnace runs for ten to twenty years without repairing hearth walls and Tap Hole (TH). Tap hole is an outlet for hot metal produced in a Blast Furnace and run from the shell of the furnace into the interior allowing access to the molten material. Tapping is the term used for drilling a hole through the tap hole which allows the molten iron and slag to flow out. In Iron making process, removal of liquid iron from furnace and sending it for steel making is known as cast house practice. For tapping liquid iron and operating the tap hole requires a special type of clay. Tap hole clay (THC) used to stop the flow of liquid iron and slag from the blast furnace. Present work deals with the study on manufacturing of THC at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and problems related to manufacturing. Experiments were conducted to solve the identified problems and results are furnished in detail. The findings can improve the manufacturing process and improve the productivity of tap hole clay.

Solar heating, cooling, and domestic hot water system installed at Kaw Valley State Bank and Trust Company, Topeka, Kansas

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

The building has approximately 5600 square feet of conditioned space. Solar energy was used for space heating, space cooling, and preheating domestic hot water (DHW). The solar energy system had an array of evacuated tube-type collectors with an area of 1068 square feet. A 50/50 solution of ethylene glycol and water was the transfer medium that delivered solar energy to a tube-in-shell heat exchanger that in turn delivered solar heated water to a 1100 gallon pressurized hot water storage tank. When solar energy was insufficient to satisfy the space heating and/or cooling demand, a natural gas-fired boiler provided auxiliary energy to the fan coil loops and/or the absorption chillers. Extracts from the site files, specification references, drawings, and installation, operation and maintenance instructions are presented.

Answer Extraction Based on Merging Score Strategy of Hot Terms

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LE Juan; ZHANG Chunxia; NIU Zhendong

2016-01-01

Answer extraction (AE) is one of the key technologies in developing the open domain Question&an-swer (Q&A) system . Its task is to yield the highest score to the expected answer based on an effective answer score strategy. We introduce an answer extraction method by Merging score strategy (MSS) based on hot terms. The hot terms are defined according to their lexical and syn-tactic features to highlight the role of the question terms. To cope with the syntactic diversities of the corpus, we propose four improved candidate answer score algorithms. Each of them is based on the lexical function of hot terms and their syntactic relationships with the candidate an-swers. Two independent corpus score algorithms are pro-posed to tap the role of the corpus in ranking the candi-date answers. Six algorithms are adopted in MSS to tap the complementary action among the corpus, the candi-date answers and the questions. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Evaluations of different domestic hot water preparing methods with ultra-low-temperature district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

of Legionella in the DHW (domestic hot water) and assure the comfortable temperature, all substations were installed with supplementary heating devices. Detailed measurements were taken in the substations, including the electricity demand of the supplementary heating devices. To compare the energy and economic......This study investigated the performances of five different substation configurations in single-family houses supplied with ULTDH (ultra-low-temperature district heating). The temperature at the heat plant is 46 degrees C and around 40 degrees C at the substations. To avoid the proliferation...... performance of the substations, separate models were built based on standard assumptions. The relative heat and electricity delivered for preparing DHW were calculated. The results showed that substations with storage tanks and heat pumps have high relative electricity demand, which leads to higher integrated...

Modelling and multi-scenario analysis for electric heat tracing system combined with low temperature district heating for domestic hot water supply

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

Low temperature district heating (LTDH) is a cost-efficient way of supplying space heating and domestic hot water (DHW) for buildings in urban areas. However, there is concern that the potential hygiene problems (Legionella) might occur if LTDH is implemented, especially for large buildings...... performance on heat loss saving, and it also gave benefits to district heating network by sharing part of the heating load....

Effects of cold stratification, sulphuric acid, submersion in hot and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of cold stratification, sulphuric acid, submersion in hot and tap water pretreatments in the greenhouse and open field conditions on germination of bladder-Senna ( Colutea armena Boiss. and Huet.) seeds.

Freely Chosen Index Finger Tapping Frequency Is Increased in Repeated Bouts of Tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Ernst Albin; Ebbesen, Brian Duborg; Dalsgaard, Ane; Mora-Jensen, Mark Holten; Rasmussen, Jakob

2015-01-01

Healthy individuals (n = 40) performed index finger tapping at freely chosen frequency during repeated bouts and before and after near-maximal muscle action consisting of 3 intense flexions of the index finger metacarpal phalangeal joint. One experiment showed, unexpectedly, that a bout of tapping increased the tapping frequency in the subsequent bout. Thus, a cumulating increase of 8.2 ± 5.4% (p tapping frequency was still increased in consecutive bouts when rest periods were extended to 20 min. Besides, near-maximal muscle activation, followed by 5 min rest, did not affect the tapping frequency. In conclusion, freely chosen tapping frequency was increased in repeated bouts of tapping, which were separated by 10-20 min rest periods. The observed phenomenon is suggested to be termed repeated bout rate enhancement.

10 years with TAPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loehneer, H.

1997-01-01

During the IV TAPS (two arm photon spectrometer) workshop held at Mont Saint Odile near Strasbourg the third of September, the TAPS collaboration celebrated its 10. anniversary. At this occasion a compilation entitled 'The first 10 years with TAPS' was issued. The foreword of the spokesperson of the TAPS collaboration is presented. (K.A.)

Analysis of the Difference of Radon Concentration between Water Treatment Plant and Tap water in house

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Jeongil; Yoo, Donghan; Kim, Heereyoung

2013-01-01

As importance for the health, measurements and analysis about radon is active recently. Especially, radon concentration measurement about underground water which people drink was been carried out by the environment organizations in Korea and has been hot-issued because of the high radon concentration in water source. In present study, the difference of radon concentration among water source, water treatment plant and tap water in house is analyzed. It makes sense that the radon concentration in water treatment plant can represent the radon concentration in the tap water. Through the above experiments, the difference of the radon concentration between water treatment plant and tap water in house is figured out. It contributes to confirm more specific basis for estimating the annual radon exposure for the public. With further experiments and analysis, it is thought that it will be used as tool to assess more qualitatively for the radon concentration in tap water. Finally, this Fundamental approach will help in making new regulations about radon

Analysis of the Difference of Radon Concentration between Water Treatment Plant and Tap water in house

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Jeongil; Yoo, Donghan; Kim, Heereyoung [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

As importance for the health, measurements and analysis about radon is active recently. Especially, radon concentration measurement about underground water which people drink was been carried out by the environment organizations in Korea and has been hot-issued because of the high radon concentration in water source. In present study, the difference of radon concentration among water source, water treatment plant and tap water in house is analyzed. It makes sense that the radon concentration in water treatment plant can represent the radon concentration in the tap water. Through the above experiments, the difference of the radon concentration between water treatment plant and tap water in house is figured out. It contributes to confirm more specific basis for estimating the annual radon exposure for the public. With further experiments and analysis, it is thought that it will be used as tool to assess more qualitatively for the radon concentration in tap water. Finally, this Fundamental approach will help in making new regulations about radon.

More than just tapping: index finger-tapping measures procedural learning in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Da Silva, Felipe N; Irani, Farzin; Richard, Jan; Brensinger, Colleen M; Bilker, Warren B; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C

2012-05-01

Finger-tapping has been widely studied using behavioral and neuroimaging paradigms. Evidence supports the use of finger-tapping as an endophenotype in schizophrenia, but its relationship with motor procedural learning remains unexplored. To our knowledge, this study presents the first use of index finger-tapping to study procedural learning in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SCZ/SZA) as compared to healthy controls. A computerized index finger-tapping test was administered to 1169 SCZ/SZA patients (62% male, 88% right-handed), and 689 healthy controls (40% male, 93% right-handed). Number of taps per trial and learning slopes across trials for the dominant and non-dominant hands were examined for motor speed and procedural learning, respectively. Both healthy controls and SCZ/SZA patients demonstrated procedural learning for their dominant hand but not for their non-dominant hand. In addition, patients showed a greater capacity for procedural learning even though they demonstrated more variability in procedural learning compared to healthy controls. Left-handers of both groups performed better than right-handers and had less variability in mean number of taps between non-dominant and dominant hands. Males also had less variability in mean tap count between dominant and non-dominant hands than females. As expected, patients had a lower mean number of taps than healthy controls, males outperformed females and dominant-hand trials had more mean taps than non-dominant hand trials in both groups. The index finger-tapping test can measure both motor speed and procedural learning, and motor procedural learning may be intact in SCZ/SZA patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hot water reticulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fellows, S. K.

1977-10-15

Hot water reticulation (district heating) is an established method of energy supply within cities in many countries. It is based on the fact that heat can often be obtained cheaply in bulk, and that the resultant savings can, in suitable circumstances, justify the investment in a reticulation network of insulated pipes to distribute the heat to many consumers in the form of hot water or occasionally steam. The heat can be used by domestic, commercial, and industrial consumers for space heating and water heating, and by industries for process heat. The costs of supplying domestic consumers can be determined by considering an average residential area, but industrial and commercial consumers are so varied in their requirements that every proposal must be treated independently. Fixed costs, variable costs, total costs, and demand and resource constraints are discussed.

Bilateral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block with 24 hours ropivacaine infusion via TAP catheters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Pernille L; Hilsted, Karen L; Dahl, Jørgen B

2013-01-01

The analgesic effect of a TAP block has been investigated in various surgical settings. There are however limited information about block level and block duration. Furthermore, there is a lack of information about continuous TAP block after ultrasound-guided posterior TAP blocks.The aim of this d...... of this double-blind randomized study was therefore to investigate the effect of an ultrasound-guided posterior TAP block with 24 hours local anesthetic infusion via a TAP catheter....

Impact on a utility, utility customers and the environment of an ensemble of solar domestic hot water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cragan, K.E.; Klein, S.A.; Beckman, W.A.

1995-01-01

The benefits of the installation of a large number of solar domestic hot water (SDHW) systems are identified and quantified. The benefits of SDHW systems include reduced energy use, reduced electrical demand, and reduced pollution. The avoided emissions, capacity contribution, energy and demand savings were evaluated using the power generation schedules, emissions data and annual hourly load profiles from a Wisconsin utility. It is shown that each six square meter solar water heater system can save annually: 3,560 kWh of energy, 0.66 kW of peak demand, and over four tons of pollution

Feasibility analysis of domestic hot water systems using TRNSYS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gill, G.S.; Fung, A.S.

2008-01-01

A study was conducted in which 17 conventional and solar-based domestic hot water (DHW) systems were simulated using the TRYNSYS simulation model, and their results were compared. According to Natural Resources Canada, DHW heating currently accounts for 25 per cent of Canadian residential energy consumption and 25 per cent of Canadian residential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The objective of this simulation study was to investigate the fuel consumption of DHW systems, their GHG emissions and 30-year life cycle costs. Another aspect of the study was to model and analyze the effect of time of use (TOU) electricity pricing which was developed by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to provide stable and predictable electricity pricing. TOU electricity pricing also promotes energy conservation. In addition, the TOU electricity price charged per kilowatt-hour changes throughout the day to reflect the changes in cost to produce electricity at different times of the day. The Ontario government plans to equip all homes and businesses with smart meters using TOU pricing by 2010. Therefore, this study also investigated the effects of the TOU feature by optimizing its use in the effort to reduce overall energy costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The results revealed that a DHW system with solar pre-heat and electrical back-up is the best system for energy conservation and GHG reduction. The best system in terms of 30-year life cycle cost is a high efficiency DHW system with an on demand modulating gas combo boiler with gray water heat recovery. 23 refs., 7 tabs., 8 figs

Legionella species diversity and dynamics from surface reservoir to tap water: from cold adaptation to thermophily.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesnik, René; Brettar, Ingrid; Höfle, Manfred G

2016-05-01

Water samples of the Drinking Water Supply System (DWSS) of the city of Braunschweig were analysed for its Legionella species composition using genus-specific PCR amplicons and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) fingerprint analyses based on 16S rRNA genes. These analyses comprised the whole supply chain including raw water, treatment process and large-scale storage, and a seasonal study of finished drinking water sampled monthly from cold and hot tap water. Treatment of raw water had a major impact on Legionella species by reducing their diversity and abundances. The Legionella species composition of the tap water was highly distinct from that of both source waters. In cold water, 8-14 different phylotypes of Legionella (PTLs) were observed per sample with relative abundances ranging from >1% to 53%. In hot water, L. pneumophila was present during all seasons at high relative abundances (8-40%) accompanied by 5-14 other PTLs of which 6 PTLs were in common with cold water. This thermophilic Legionella community, including L. pneumophila, was able to grow in the hot water above 50 °C. Such thermophilic Legionella populations are of general relevance for drinking water management and public health, but also for the ecology and evolution of the genus Legionella.

Contamination Control and Monitoring of Tap Water as Fluid in Industrial Tap Water Hydraulic Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conrad, Finn; Adelstorp, Anders

1998-01-01

Presentation of results and methods addressed to contamination control and monitoring of tap water as fluid in tap water hydraulic systems.......Presentation of results and methods addressed to contamination control and monitoring of tap water as fluid in tap water hydraulic systems....

Solar heating, cooling, and domestic hot water system installed at Kaw Valley State Bank and Trust Company, Topeka, Kansas. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-11-01

The building has approximately 5600 square feet of conditioned space. Solar energy is used for space heating, space cooling, and preheating domestic hot water (DHW). The solar energy system has an array of evacuated tube-type collectors with an area of 1068 square feet. A 50/50 solution of ethylene glycol and water is the transfer medium that delivers solar energy to a tube-in-shell heat exchanger that in turn delivers solar-heated water to a 1100 gallon pressurized hot water storage tank. When solar energy is insufficient to satisfy the space heating and/or cooling demand, a natural gas-fired boiler provides auxiliary energy to the fan coil loops and/or the absorption chillers. Extracts from the site files, specification references, drawings, and installation, operation and maintenance instructions are included.

Thermal performance behavior of a domestic hot water solar storage tank during consumption operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dehghan, A.A.; Barzegar, A.

2011-01-01

Transient thermal performance behavior of a vertical storage tank of a domestic solar water heating system with a mantle heat exchanger has been investigated numerically in the discharge/consumption mode. It is assumed that the tank is initially stratified during its previous heat storing/charging operation. During the discharging period, the city cold water is fed at the bottom of the tank and hot water is extracted from its top outlet port for consumption. Meanwhile, the collector loop is assumed to be active. The conservation equations in the axis-symmetric cylindrical co-ordinate have been used and discretised by employing the finite volume method. The low Reynolds number (LRN) k - ω model is utilized for treating turbulence in the fluid. The influence of the tank Grashof number, the incoming cold fluid Reynolds number and the size of the inlet port of the heat storage tank on the transient thermal characteristics of the tank is investigated and discussed. It is found that for higher values of Grashof number, the pre-established thermal stratification is well preserved during the discharging operation mode. It is also noticed that in order to have a tank with a proper thermal performance and or have least mixing inside the tank during the consumption period, the tank inflow Reynolds number and or its inflow port diameter should be kept below certain values. In these cases, the storage tank is enabling to provide proper amount of hot water with a proper temperature for consumption purposes.

An economic and performance design study of solar preheaters for domestic hot water heaters in North Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, C. B.; Smetana, F. O.

1977-01-01

The performance and estimated material costs for several solar preheaters for domestic hot water heaters using isolation levels present in North Carolina are presented. The effects of monthly variations in isolation and the direction of incident radiation are included. Demand is assumed at 13 gallons (49.2 liters) per day per person. The study shows that a closed circulation system with 82 gallons (310 liters) of preheated storage and 53.4 cu ft (4.94 cu m) of collector surface with single cover can be expected to cost about $800 and to repay it capital cost and interest (at 8%) in 5.2 years, assuming present electric rates increase at 5% per year.

Achieving low return temperature for domestic hot water preparation by ultra-low-temperature district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiaochen; Svendsen, Svend

2017-01-01

District heating (DH) is a cost-effective method of heat supply, especially to area with high heat density. Ultra-low-temperature district heating (ULTDH) is defined with supply temperature at 35-45 degrees C. It aims at making utmost use of the available low-temperature energy sources. In order...... to achieve high efficiency of the ULTDH system, the return temperature should be as low as possible. For the energy-efficient buildings in the future, it is feasible to use ULTDH to cover the space heating demand. However, considering the comfort and hygiene requirements of domestic hot water (DHW...... lower return temperature and higher efficiency for DHW supply, an innovative substation was devised, which replaced the bypass with an instantaneous heat exchanger and a micro electric storage tank. The energy performance of the proposed substation and the resulting benefits for the DH system...

Simulation of the interaction of a solar domestic hot water tank system with a compact plate heat exchanger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nizami, D.J.; Lightstone, M.F. [McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Harrison, S.; Cruickshank, C. [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

2008-08-15

An external natural convection heat exchanger (NCHE) was used as an alternative to forced convection for transferring energy from solar collector loops to a hot water storage tank. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program was used to predict interactions between the natural convection-driven side-arm heat exchanger and a hot water storage tank. A solar domestic hot water tank with a vertical compact plate natural convection heat exchanger was modelled. In addition, the heat exchanger was modelled as a section of pipe with high flow resistance and a volumetric energy source. Transient analyses were conducted and the CFD model was then compared with data obtained from laboratory experiments. Simulations were conducted on the fluid domain in order to investigate the influence of the flow on the thermal stratification in the tank, the heat transfer inside the tank, and the natural convection in the tank loop. Buoyancy for an incompressible fluid with constant fluid properties was modelled using a Boussinesq approximation. Temperature distributions were measured as a function of time. Results of the study indicated that assuming a constant thermal expansion coefficient in evaluation buoyancy forces for a wide range of operating temperatures did not result in accurate predictions. Future studies will model natural convection with a full buoyancy model. 11 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs.

Hot dry rock heat mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duchane, D.V.

1992-01-01

Geothermal energy utilizing fluids from natural sources is currently exploited on a commercial scale at sites around the world. A much greater geothermal resource exists, however, in the form of hot rock at depth which is essentially dry. This hot dry rock (HDR) resource is found almost everywhere, but the depth at which usefully high temperatures are reached varies from place to place. The technology to mine the thermal energy from HDR has been under development for a number of years. Using techniques adapted from the petroleum industry, water is pumped at high pressure down an injection well to a region of usefully hot rock. The pressure forces open natural joints to form a reservoir consisting of a small amount of water dispensed in a large volume of hot rock. This reservoir is tapped by second well located at some distance from the first, and the heated water is brought to the surface where its thermal energy is extracted. The same water is then recirculated to mine more heat. Economic studies have indicated that it may be possible to produce electricity at competitive prices today in regions where hot rock is found relatively close to the surface

Experimental study on the performance of a multi-functional domestic air conditioner with integrated water heater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Jiankai; Li, Hui; Yao, Yang; Jiang, Yiqiang; Zhang, Xinran

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A novel MDACWH was presented and experimentally studied. • MDACWH has high performance on making domestic hot water and air conditioning. • The time for heating water reduced to 22.0 min after modification. • Average COP reached 4.32, which was 1.58 times higher than the unmodified unit. - Abstract: The recovery of condenser heat is concerned one of the most effective methods to curb energy consumption in residential dwellings. Aiming at recovering the condenser heat of domestic air conditioner, this paper experimentally studied a multi-functional domestic air conditioner with integrated water heater (MDACWH) which can effectively provide space – cooling and domestic hot water simultaneously. The dynamic operation characteristics, such as hot water supply and energy efficiency were tested to verify the availability of the MDACWH. The results showed that the MDACWH can effectively heat the domestic hot water without losing its cooling capacity. It was also found that with the use of MDACWH, the coefficient of comprehensive energy performance of the MDACWH was about 1.58 times higher than that of the unmodified experimental unit. Furthermore, the water-heating time was shorten remarkably from 128.5 min to 22.0 min. The novel domestic air conditioner, compared with the unmodified initial prototype, can be more practical and provide significant energy savings in space-cooling and hot water supply.

Finger-tapping motion analysis in cervical myelopathy by magnetic-sensor tapping device.

Science.gov (United States)

Miwa, Toshitada; Hosono, Noboru; Mukai, Yoshihiro; Makino, Takahiro; Kandori, Akihiko; Fuji, Takeshi

2013-08-01

Case-control study. The purpose of this study is to determine finger motion of patients with cervical myelopathy during finger-tapping cycles. A major symptom of patients with compressive cervical myelopathy is finger clumsiness. Therefore, understanding finger motion is prerequisite in assessing the severity of myelopathy. The popular grip-and-release test evaluates only the number of motion cycles, which is insufficient to fully describe complex finger motion. Forty-three patients with cervical myelopathy and 41 healthy controls tapped their index fingers against their thumbs as rapidly as possible for 30 seconds and the motion was recorded by a magnetic-sensor coil attached to the nail surface. Output signals were stored in a computer, which automatically calculated tapping frequency, distance moved, ratio of opening/closing velocity and the SD of the tapping interval. The SD of the tapping interval was significantly greater and all other measures were significantly smaller in patients with cervical myelopathy, than in healthy controls. All indices significantly improved after surgical decompression of the cervical spine. Distance moved (Pearson correlation coefficient: r=0.590, Ptapping interval (r=-0.451; P=0.002) were significantly correlated with the Japanese Orthopedic Association score (neurological scale). The quantitative evaluation of finger paralysis was performed by this tapping device. Speed and regularity in repetitive motion of fingers were correlated with the severity of cervical myelopathy.

Low Temperature District Heating Consumer Unit with Micro Heat Pump for Domestic Hot Water Preparation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zvingilaite, Erika; Ommen, Torben Schmidt; Elmegaard, Brian

2012-01-01

In this paper we present and analyse the feasibility of a district heating (DH) consumer unit with micro heat pump for domestic hot water (DHW) preparation in a low temperature (40 °C) DH network. We propose a micro booster heat pump of high efficiency (COP equal to 5,3) in a consumer DH unit...... in order to boost the temperature of the district heating water for heating the DHW. The paper presents the main designs of the suggested system and different alternative micro booster heat pump concepts. Energy efficiency and thermodynamic performance of these concepts are calculated and compared....... The results show that the proposed system has the highest efficiency. Furthermore, we compare thermodynamic and economic performance of the suggested heat pump-based concept with different solutions, using electric water heater. The micro booster heat pump system has the highest annualised investment (390 EUR...

Basics of Solar Heating & Hot Water Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

American Inst. of Architects, Washington, DC.

In presenting the basics of solar heating and hot water systems, this publication is organized from the general to the specific. It begins by presenting functional and operational descriptions of solar heating and domestic hot water systems, outlining the basic concepts and terminology. This is followed by a description of solar energy utilization…

Perineal tap water burns in the elderly: at what cost?

Science.gov (United States)

Potter, Michael D E; Maitz, Peter K M; Kennedy, Peter J; Goltsman, David

2017-11-01

Burn injuries are expensive to treat. Burn injuries have been found to be difficult to treat in elderly patients than their younger counterparts. This is likely to result in higher financial burden on the healthcare system; however, no population-specific study has been conducted to ascertain the inpatient treatment costs of elderly patients with hot tap water burns. Six elderly patients (75-92 years) were admitted for tap water burns at Concord Hospital during 2010. All costs incurred during their hospitalization were followed prospectively, and were apportioned into 'direct' and 'indirect' costs. Direct costs encompassed directly measurable costs, such as consumables used on the ward or in theatres, and indirect costs included hospital overheads, such as bed and theatre costs. Three males and three females admitted with burns to the buttocks, legs or feet. Total burn surface area (TBSA) ranged from 9-21% (mean 12.8%). Length of stay ranged from 26-98 days (mean 46 days). One patient died, and four required surgical management or grafting. Total inpatient costs ranged from $69 782.33 to $254 652.70 per patient (mean $122 800.20, standard deviation $67 484.46). TBSA was directly correlated with length of stay (P < 0.01) and total cost (P < 0.01). Hot water burns among the elderly are associated with high treatment costs, which are proportional to the size of the burn. The cost of treating this cohort is higher than previously reported in a general Australian burn cohort. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Biomechanical loading on the upper extremity increases from single key tapping to directional tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Jin; Trudeau, Matthieu; Katz, Jeffrey N; Buchholz, Bryan; Dennerlein, Jack T

2011-08-01

Musculoskeletal disorders associated with computer use span the joints of the upper extremity. Computing typically involves tapping in multiple directions. Thus, we sought to describe the loading on the finger, wrist, elbow and shoulder joints in terms of kinematic and kinetic difference across single key switch tapping to directional tapping on multiple keys. An experiment with repeated measures design was conducted. Six subjects tapped with their right index finger on a stand-alone number keypad placed horizontally in three conditions: (1) on single key switch (the number key 5); (2) left and right on number key 4 and 6; (3) top and bottom on number key 8 and 2. A force-torque transducer underneath the keypad measured the fingertip force. An active-marker infrared motion analysis system measured the kinematics of the fingertip, hand, forearm, upper arm and torso. Joint moments for the metacarpophalangeal, wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints were estimated using inverse dynamics. Tapping in the top-bottom orientation introduced the largest biomechanical loading on the upper extremity especially for the proximal joint, followed by tapping in the left-right orientation, and the lowest loading was observed during single key switch tapping. Directional tapping on average increased the fingertip force, joint excursion, and peak-to-peak joint torque by 45%, 190% and 55%, respectively. Identifying the biomechanical loading patterns associated with these fundamental movements of keying improves the understanding of the risks of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders for computer keyboard users. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TAPS for Pupils

Science.gov (United States)

Earle, Sarah

2018-01-01

By placing the Focused Assessment approach within the TAPS pyramid framework, schools are beginning to find a number of ways in which learning in science can be enhanced for pupils. The quotations in this article provide examples of the ways in which science subject leaders (SSL) describe the impact of TAPS on their pupils.

Inserting the tap values of the tap changer transformers into the Jacobian matrix as control variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faruk Yalçın

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Series and shunt admittance values of under load tap changer transformers are changed according to tap changing. As this situation changes the structure of bus admittance matrix, it causes the need of rebuilding the bus admittance matrix at each tap changing case in power flow studies. In this paper, a new approach that includes the tap changing effects into the Jacobian matrix. By this approach, the need of rebuilding the bus admittance matrix at each tap changing case during power flow study is prevented. So, fast convergence is achieved for the power flow algorithm. Although there are similar studies for this aim in the literature, apart from these studies, including the tap changing effects to the Jacobian matrix when more than one under load tap changer transformers are connected to the same bus with different connection combinations is provided by the proposed approach. For this aim, new power equations and new Jacobian matrix component calculation equations are obtained. The proposed approach is tested on IEEE 57-bus test system and its accuracy is proved.

Solar Hot Water Heater

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

The solar panels pictured below, mounted on a Moscow, Idaho home, are part of a domestic hot water heating system capable of providing up to 100 percent of home or small business hot water needs. Produced by Lennox Industries Inc., Marshalltown, Iowa, the panels are commercial versions of a collector co-developed by NASA. In an effort to conserve energy, NASA has installed solar collectors at a number of its own facilities and is conducting research to develop the most efficient systems. Lewis Research Center teamed with Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota to develop the flat plate collector shown. Key to the collector's efficiency is black chrome coating on the plate developed for use on spacecraft solar cells, the coating prevents sun heat from "reradiating," or escaping outward. The design proved the most effective heat absorber among 23 different types of collectors evaluated in a Lewis test program. The Lennox solar domestic hot water heating system has three main components: the array of collectors, a "solar module" (blue unit pictured) and a conventional water heater. A fluid-ethylene glycol and water-is circulated through the collectors to absorb solar heat. The fluid is then piped to a double-walled jacket around a water tank within the solar module.

Domestic Hot Water Production with Ground Source Heat Pump in Apartment Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jukka Yrjölä

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Producing domestic hot water (DHW with a ground source heat pump (GSHP is challenging due to the high temperature (HT of DHW. There are many studies proving the better performance of cascade heat pumps compared to single-stage heat pumps when the difference between the condensing and the evaporation temperature is large. In this system approach study, different GSHP arrangements are described and computationally compared. A two-stage heat pump arrangement is introduced in which water tanks of the heating system are utilized for warming up the DHW in two stages. It is shown that the electricity consumption with this two-stage system is approximately 31% less than with the single-stage heat pump and 12% less than with the cascade system. Further, both low temperature (LT and HT heat pumps can run alone, which is not common in cascade or other two-stage heat pumps. This is advantageous because the high loads of the space heating and DHW production are not simultaneous. Proper insulation of the DHW and recirculation pipe network is essential, and drying towel rails or other heating coils should be avoided when aiming for a high efficiency. The refrigerants in the calculations are R407C for the LT heat pump and R134a for the HT heat pump. Investment costs are excluded from calculations.

Spontaneous eye blinks are entrained by finger tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, D-K; Sharikadze, M; Staude, G; Deubel, H; Wolf, W

2010-02-01

We studied the mutual cross-talk between spontaneous eye blinks and continuous, self-paced unimanual and bimanual tapping. Both types of motor activities were analyzed with regard to their time-structure in synchronization-continuation tapping tasks which involved different task instructions, namely "standard" finger tapping (Experiment 1), "strong" tapping (Experiment 2) requiring more forceful finger movements, and "impulse-like" tapping (Experiment 3) where upward-downward finger movements had to be very fast. In a further control condition (Experiment 4), tapping was omitted altogether. The results revealed a prominent entrainment of spontaneous blink behavior by the manual tapping, with bimanual tapping being more effective than unimanual tapping, and with the "strong" and "impulse-like" tapping showing the largest effects on blink timing. Conversely, we found no significant effects of the tapping on the timing of the eye blinks across all experiments. The findings suggest a functional overlap of the motor control structures responsible for voluntary, rhythmic finger movements and eye blinking behavior.

Tapping with intentional drift

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vardy, A.N.; Daffertshofer, A.; Beek, P.J.

2009-01-01

When tapping a desired frequency, subjects tend to drift away from this target frequency. This compromises the estimate of the correlation between inter-tap intervals (ITIs) as predicted by the two-level model of Wing and Kristofferson which consists of an internal timer ('clock') and motor delays.

Solar action: solar hot water in The Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van de Water, Adrie

2001-01-01

This paper focuses on the use of solar hot water systems in the Netherlands, and reports on the Dutch Solar Domestic Hot Water System agreement signed in 1999 and set up to enhance the development of the market for solar domestic hot water (SDHW) systems and their application as a sustainable energy source. The Dutch Thermal Solar Energy Programme's objectives and goals, the subsidy schemes for thermal solar energy administered by Senter - an agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA), and the project-based and individual approaches to boosting the sales of SDHW systems are examined. Large system sales, the targeting of consumers via a national campaign, and national publicity using the slogan 'Sustainable energy. Goes without saying' commissioned by the MEA are discussed along with the support shown by the Dutch power distribution companies for SDHW systems, marketing aspects, and the outlook for sales of SDHW systems

Central model predictive control of a group of domestic heat pumps, case study for a small district

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, Richard Pieter; Fink, J.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria; Helfert, Markus; Krempels, Karl-Heinz; Donnellan, Brian; Klein, Cornel

2015-01-01

In this paper we investigate optimal control of a group of heat pumps. Each heat pump provides space heating and domestic hot water to a single household. Besides a heat pump, each house has a buffer for domestic hot water and a floor heating system for space heating. The paper describes models and

Sustainability in the UK domestic sector : A review and analysis of the sustainable energy innovations available to homeowners

OpenAIRE

Hultgren, Elin

2015-01-01

The UK Government has set an ambitious legislative goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 % by 2050. Of the total energy used in the UK, 31 % is used in the domestic sector. In the domestic sector energy is used for space and hot water heating, lighting, appliances and cooking. Space and hot water heating make up 82 % of the total energy used in the UK domestic sector. Almost all of the energy used in the UK domestic sector originates from depletable resources. In order for the UK to...

Lower extremity kinetics in tap dance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayers, Lester; Bronner, Shaw; Agraharasamakulam, Sujani; Ojofeitimi, Sheyi

2010-01-01

Tap dance is a unique performing art utilizing the lower extremities as percussion instruments. In a previous study these authors reported decreased injury prevalence among tap dancers compared to other dance and sports participants. No biomechanical analyses of tap dance exist to explain this finding. The purpose of the current pilot study was to provide a preliminary overview of normative peak kinetic and kinematic data, based on the hypothesis that tap dance generates relatively low ground reaction forces and joint forces and moments. Six professional tap dancers performed four common tap dance sequences that produced data captured by the use of a force platform and a five-camera motion analysis system. The mean vertical ground reaction force for all sequences was found to be 2.06+/-0.55 BW. Mean peak sagittal, frontal, and transverse plane joint moments (hip, knee, and ankle) ranged from 0.07 to 2.62 N.m/kg. These small ground reaction forces and joint forces and moments support our hypothesis, and may explain the relatively low injury incidence in tap dancers. Nevertheless, the analysis is highly complex, and other factors remain to be studied and clarified.

Evaluating Domestic Hot Water Distribution System Options With Validated Analysis Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weitzel, E.; Hoeschele, M.

2014-09-01

A developing body of work is forming that collects data on domestic hot water consumption, water use behaviors, and energy efficiency of various distribution systems. A full distribution system developed in TRNSYS has been validated using field monitoring data and then exercised in a number of climates to understand climate impact on performance. This study builds upon previous analysis modelling work to evaluate differing distribution systems and the sensitivities of water heating energy and water use efficiency to variations of climate, load, distribution type, insulation and compact plumbing practices. Overall 124 different TRNSYS models were simulated. Of the configurations evaluated, distribution losses account for 13-29% of the total water heating energy use and water use efficiency ranges from 11-22%. The base case, an uninsulated trunk and branch system sees the most improvement in energy consumption by insulating and locating the water heater central to all fixtures. Demand recirculation systems are not projected to provide significant energy savings and in some cases increase energy consumption. Water use is most efficient with demand recirculation systems, followed by the insulated trunk and branch system with a central water heater. Compact plumbing practices and insulation have the most impact on energy consumption (2-6% for insulation and 3-4% per 10 gallons of enclosed volume reduced). The results of this work are useful in informing future development of water heating best practices guides as well as more accurate (and simulation time efficient) distribution models for annual whole house simulation programs.

Integration of space heating and hot water supply in low temperature district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elmegaard, Brian; Ommen, Torben Schmidt; Markussen, Michael

2016-01-01

District heating may supply many consumers efficiently, but the heat loss from the pipes to the ground is a challenge. The heat loss may be lowered by decreasing the network temperatures for which reason low temperature networks are proposed for future district heating. The heating demand...... of the consumers involves both domestic hot water and space heating. Space heating may be provided at low temperature in low energy buildings. Domestic hot water, however, needs sufficient temperatures to avoid growth of legionella. If the network temperature is below the demand temperature, supplementary heating...... is required by the consumer. We study conventional district heating at different temperatures and compare the energy and exergetic efficiency and annual heating cost to solutions that utilize electricity for supplementary heating of domestic hot water in low temperature district heating. This includes direct...

Electronic tap-changer for distribution transformers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faiz, Jawad [Tehran Univ. (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Univ. College of Engineering; Siahkolah, Behzad [Kavandish Company, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-07-01

This reference collects all relevant aspects electronic tap-changer and presents them in a comprehensive and orderly manner. It explains logically and systematically the design and optimization of a full electronic tap-changer for distribution transformers. The book provides a fully new insight to all possible structures of power section design and categorizes them comprehensively, including cost factors of the design. In the control section design, the authors review mechanical tap-changer control systems and they present the modeling of a full electronic tap-changer as well as a closed-loop control of the full-electronic tap-changer. The book is written for electrical engineers in industry and academia but should be useful also to postgraduate students of electrical engineering. (orig.)

Residential solar hot water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-06-01

This report examines the feasibility of using solar energy to preheat domestic water coming from the city supply at a temperature of approximately 4{degree}C. Four solar collectors totalling 7 m{sup 2} were installed on a support structure facing south at an angle of 60{degree} from the horizontal. The system worked most efficiently in the spring and early summer when the combination of long hours of sunshine, clean air and clear skies allowed for maximum availability of solar radiation. Performance dropped in late summer and fall mainly due to cloudier weather conditions. The average temperature in the storage tank over the 10 months of operation was 42{degree}C, ranging from a high of 83{degree}C in July to a low of 6{degree}C in November. The system provided a total of 7.1 GJ, which is approximately one-third the annual requirement for domestic hot water heating. At the present time domestic use of solar energy to heat water does not appear to be economically viable. High capital costs are the main problem. As a solar system with present day technology can only be expected to meet half to two-thirds of the hot water energy demand the savings are not sufficient for the system to pay for itself within a few years. 5 figs.

Solar-powered hot-air system

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

Solar-powered air heater supplies part or all of space heating requirements of residential or commercial buildings and is interfaced with air to water heat exchanger to heat domestic hot water. System has potential application in drying agricultural products such as cotton, lumber, corn, grains, and peanuts.

Electronic tap-changer for distribution transformers

CERN Document Server

Faiz, Jawad

2011-01-01

This reference collects all relevant aspects electronic tap-changer and presents them in a comprehensive and orderly manner. It explains logically and systematically the design and optimization of a full electronic tap-changer for distribution transformers. The book provides a fully new insight to all possible structures of power section design and categorizes them comprehensively, including cost factors of the design. In the control section design, the authors review mechanical tap-changer control systems and they present the modeling of a full electronic tap-changer as well as a closed-loop

Endothermic technology for domestic houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Virk, G.S.

2005-01-01

The paper introduces the endothermic energy systems being developed for buildings. These use the concept of solar assisted heat pumps where thermal energy is harvested using large integrated solar collectors connected to energy stores. The low grade energy is upgraded using heat pumps to provide thermal energy effectively to a wide variety of applications for space heating and cooling and hot water. The domestic housing sector is focused upon here and a current EC funded project aimed at assessing the potential of the endothermic technology for providing the thermal energy for space heating and cooling and hot water is presented. (author)

Combined heat pump for sanitary hot water and space heating with CO{sub 2} as refrigerant; Kombineret brugsvands- og rumvarmepumpe med CO{sub 2} som koelemiddel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schoen Poulsen, C. [Teknologisk Institut (Denmark)

2006-05-19

This project report describes the implementation of the Danish project called 'Combined heat pump for sanitary hot water and space heating with CO{sub 2} as refrigerant'. In the course of the project, a combined heat pump has been developed for heating sanitary hot water and producing domestic space heating. The project shows that CO2 has excellent properties in systems where a high temperature is desired on the gas cooler side and that it is possible to combine the production of sanitary hot water with the production of domestic space heating. During the project, a number of system solutions have been analysed and at the end of the project a prototype was built. It was tested in the laboratory according to a current Dutch standard for heat pumps for sanitary hot water. The prototype was constructed without the space heat part which solely has been analysed according to calculations. The reason is that there currently are no applicable European standards for the testing of combined systems and as the total efficiency of the system mainly depends on the temperature out of the gas cooler it was decided not to spend resources on the construction of the combined system in the prototype version of the unit. Instead, a number of proposals have been submitted to how the system with a space heat section could be constructed. The main components used in the prototype (compressor, exchangers, valve, control and tank) are all partly commercially available and therefore focus has been on the system construction. During the project, a number of CFD calculations have been carried out on the gas cooler in the hot water tank and the results show how important it is that the gas cooler is designed and placed correctly. The laboratory tests carried out on the unit show that the COP of the heat pump plant in connection with sanitary hot water tapping (according to Dutch standard) is 1.4 1.5 which is not immediately satisfactory. But when it is considered that the unit is a

Analytical assessment about the simultaneous quantification of releasable pharmaceutical relevant inorganic nanoparticles in tap water and domestic waste water.

Science.gov (United States)

Krystek, Petra; Bäuerlein, Patrick S; Kooij, Pascal J F

2015-03-15

For pharmaceutical applications, the use of inorganic engineered nanoparticles is of growing interest while silver (Ag) and gold (Au) are the most relevant elements. A few methods were developed recently but the validation and the application testing were quite limited. Therefore, a routinely suitable multi element method for the identification of nanoparticles of different sizes below 100 nm and elemental composition by applying asymmetric flow field flow fraction (AF4) - inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) is developed. A complete validation model of the quantification of releasable pharmaceutical relevant inorganic nanoparticles based on Ag and Au is presented for the most relevant aqueous matrices of tap water and domestic waste water. The samples are originated from locations in the Netherlands and it is of great interest to study the unwanted presence of Ag and Au as nanoparticle residues due to possible health and environmental risks. During method development, instability effects are observed for 60 nm and 70 nm Ag ENPs with different capping agents. These effects are studied more closely in relation to matrix effects. Besides the methodological aspects, the obtained analytical results and relevant performance characteristics (e.g. measuring range, limit of detection, repeatability, reproducibility, trueness, and expanded uncertainty of measurement) are determined and discussed. For the chosen aqueous matrices, the results of the performance characteristics are significantly better for Au ENPs in comparison to Ag ENPs; e.g. repeatability and reproducibility are below 10% for all Au ENPs respectively maximal 27% repeatability for larger Ag ENPs. The method is a promising tool for the simultaneous determination of releasable pharmaceutical relevant inorganic nanoparticles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation on Kombiterm GE Domestic Hot Water Tank

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heller, Alfred; Heuer, Andreas Walter

1996-01-01

Investigation of a hot water tank with a high heat exchanger spiral with a small pipe diameter in the upper part of the heat exchanger spiral and a large pipe diameter in the lower part of the heat exchanger spiral in cooperation with Kãhler&Breum Beholder- og Maskinfabrik K/S. First preprint of ...

Energy Requirement and Comfort of Gas- and Electric-powered Hot-water Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luedemann, B.; Schmitz, G.

1999-01-01

In view of the continuous reduction in the specific heating energy demand of new buildings the power demand for hot-water supply increasingly dominates the heating supply of residential buildings. Furthermore, the German energy-savings-regulation 2000 (ESVO) is intended to evaluate the techniques installed such as domestic heating or hot-water supply within an overall energetic view of the building. Planning advice for domestic heating, ventilation and hot-water systems in gas-heated, low-energy buildings has therefore been developed in a common research project of the Technical University of Hamburg Harburg (TUHH) and four energy supply companies. In this article different gas-or electricity-based hot-water systems in one family houses and multiple family houses are compared with one another with regard to the aspects of comfort and power requirements considering the user's behaviour. (author)

Assessment of leg muscle activity using toe tapping in patients with Parkinson's disease: comparison of two types of toe tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Taniguchi, Seira; Peper, Ferdinand; Shimokawa, Tetsuya

2018-05-01

[Purpose] This study investigates two types of toe tapping, i.e., "closed," with both feet on the floor, and "open," in which the foot does not touch the ground, and evaluates their usefulness in combination with monitoring of muscle activity during toe tapping. [Subjects and Methods] The study enrolled 11 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 9 controls (Controls). The tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius (GS) muscle activity during toe tapping was measured using surface electromyography. [Results] In closed tapping, the minima in GS activation with the first tap was significantly higher in patients with PD than in Controls. In open tapping, the coefficient of variation (CV) of local maxima in TA activation was significantly higher in patients with PD than in Controls. In both types of tapping, the CV of extrema in GS activities increased with disease duration, but this may be due to the long-term administration of Levodopa, which itself tends to cause excessive GS activities. [Conclusion] Closed tapping is suitable for the assessment of GS activity and can detect excessive activities, which is observed as visible movement. Open tapping, on the other hand, is suitable for assessment of TA activity.

Preliminary Feasibility Study on the Construction of Steel Hot Cell Facility for Precise Manipulated Examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Sangbok; Kwon, Hyungmun; Kim, Heemoon; Kim, Dosik; Min, Duckkee; Hong, Kwonpyo

2006-01-01

Hot laboratory is essential facility to research and develop in the nuclear industries to examine radioactive materials. The post irradiation examinations for irradiated fuels and materials should be mainly conducted in the hot cell facility to protect radiations to operators. Hot cells are divided into a concrete hot cell and a steel hot cell according to the wall materials. Usually a concrete hot cell is applied to test for high level radioactive materials like as a fuel assembly, rods, and large structure specimens, and a steel hot cell for comparatively lower level activity materials in fuel fragments, and small structural materials. A steel hot cell has many benefits in a specimen manipulation, construction and maintenance costs. In recent the test for the irradiated materials is more frequently required a small and precise manipulating examination for higher degree tests of research and developments. Unfortunately hot laboratory facilities in domestics have mainly constituted of concrete hot cells, and not ready for techniques in steel hot cells. In this paper the construction feasibility of steel hot cell facility is preliminary reviewed in the points of the status of domestic facilities, the test demand prospect and detailed plans

Optimal selection among different domestic energy consumption patterns based on energy and exergy analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, S.; Wu, J.Y.

2010-01-01

In China market, people have many choices for air conditioning of their apartments, including heat-pump systems or gas-fired boilers for heating and air conditioners for cooling. Domestic hot water is usually provided by domestic water heaters making use of electricity or natural gas, which are known for their great energy costs. These systems consume much energy and increase the total cost of required domestic energy. A novel system combining heat pump with water heater is proposed in this paper, and it is named domestic energy system. The system can realize the provision of space heating, cooling and domestic hot water throughout a year. Based on different types of air conditioners, space heating equipments and water heaters, domestic energy consumption patterns are concluded to be eight categories. This study describes and compares the eight domestic energy consumption patterns by economic analysis and prime energy analysis method. Results show that the domestic energy system can provide good economy and save energy significantly. Furthermore, exergy analysis method is employed to compare the exergy efficiencies of different energy consumption systems. The results show that the domestic energy system has the highest energy conversion efficiency and can make remarkable contribution to social energy saving.

Solar system for domestic hot water and space heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiss, W. [Arbeitsgemeinschaf Erneubare Energie, Gleisdorf (Austria)

1997-12-31

The solar thermal markets, different types of solar systems for hot water and space heating, the dimensioning and the components of solar heating systems, the properties of the systems are reviewed in this presentation

Solar system for domestic hot water and space heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiss, W [Arbeitsgemeinschaf Erneubare Energie, Gleisdorf (Austria)

1998-12-31

The solar thermal markets, different types of solar systems for hot water and space heating, the dimensioning and the components of solar heating systems, the properties of the systems are reviewed in this presentation

Disaggregating Hot Water Use and Predicting Hot Water Waste in Five Test Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, H.; Wade, J.

2014-04-01

While it is important to make the equipment (or 'plant') in a residential hot water system more efficient, the hot water distribution system also affects overall system performance and energy use. Energy wasted in heating water that is not used is estimated to be on the order of 10 to 30 percent of total domestic hot water (DHW) energy use. This field monitoring project installed temperature sensors on the distribution piping (on trunks and near fixtures) and programmed a data logger to collect data at 5 second intervals whenever there was a hot water draw. This data was used to assign hot water draws to specific end uses in the home as well as to determine the portion of each hot water that was deemed useful (i.e., above a temperature threshold at the fixture). Five houses near Syracuse NY were monitored. Overall, the procedures to assign water draws to each end use were able to successfully assign about 50% of the water draws, but these assigned draws accounted for about 95% of the total hot water use in each home. The amount of hot water deemed as useful ranged from low of 75% at one house to a high of 91% in another. At three of the houses, new water heaters and distribution improvements were implemented during the monitoring period and the impact of these improvements on hot water use and delivery efficiency were evaluated.

Disaggregating Hot Water Use and Predicting Hot Water Waste in Five Test Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, Hugh [ARIES Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Wade, Jeremy [ARIES Collaborative, New York, NY (United States)

2014-04-01

While it is important to make the equipment (or "plant") in a residential hot water system more efficient, the hot water distribution system also affects overall system performance and energy use. Energy wasted in heating water that is not used is estimated to be on the order of 10%-30% of total domestic hot water (DHW) energy use. This field monitoring project installed temperature sensors on the distribution piping (on trunks and near fixtures) in five houses near Syracuse, NY, and programmed a data logger to collect data at 5 second intervals whenever there was a hot water draw. This data was used to assign hot water draws to specific end uses in the home as well as to determine the portion of each hot water that was deemed useful (i.e., above a temperature threshold at the fixture). Overall, the procedures to assign water draws to each end use were able to successfully assign about 50% of the water draws, but these assigned draws accounted for about 95% of the total hot water use in each home. The amount of hot water deemed as useful ranged from low of 75% at one house to a high of 91% in another. At three of the houses, new water heaters and distribution improvements were implemented during the monitoring period and the impact of these improvements on hot water use and delivery efficiency were evaluated.

Presentation of the 'Atlas hot workability in steels'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merlone, G.F.; Nunez Pettinari, S.I.; Ruzzante, J.E.

1993-01-01

The Atlas summarizes the experience of almost two decades of applied research in the siderurgical industry (IAS-CNEA joint agreements), by means of hot torsion test to evaluate the hot workability in steels through ductility properties and the formation strength. It has a technical prologue, from the abundant specific bibliography, and diagrams of about 40 steels of domestic manufacturing. The information is of industrial application as well as metallurgical research. (Author)

Standard Guide for On-Site Inspection and Verification of Operation of Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1987-01-01

1.1 This guide covers procedures and test methods for conducting an on-site inspection and acceptance test of an installed domestic hot water system (DHW) using flat plate, concentrating-type collectors or tank absorber systems. 1.2 It is intended as a simple and economical acceptance test to be performed by the system installer or an independent tester to verify that critical components of the system are functioning and to acquire baseline data reflecting overall short term system heat output. 1.3 This guide is not intended to generate accurate measurements of system performance (see ASHRAE standard 95-1981 for a laboratory test) or thermal efficiency. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine th...

Diagnosis of small capacity reverse osmosis desalination unit for domestic water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillali, Z.; Hamed, A.; Elfil, Hamza; Ferjani, E.

2009-01-01

Tunisian norm of drinking water tolerates a maximum TDS of 1.5 g/L, and the domestic water presents usually a salinity grater than 500 mg/L. In the last years, several small capacity reverse osmosis desalination prototypes have been marketed. They are used to desalinate brackish water with TDS lower than 1.5 g/L. This RO unit, tested with tap waters during four years, was diagnosed. The RO unit produces 10-15 L/Hour with a recovery rate between 25 and 40 pour cent and salt rejection in order of 90 pour cent. The salinity of the tested domestic water is located between 0.4 and 1.4 g/L. Water pretreatment is composed of three filtration operations (cartridge filter, granulate active carbon filter and 5 =m cartridge filter). Pretreated water is pumped through RO membrane with maximum pressure of 6 bars. At the 4th year, the RO unit performances were substantial decreased. Recovery rate and salt rejection fall down more than 50 and 100% respectively and the pressure drop increase from 1 to 2.1 bar The membrane regeneration allowed only the rate recovery restoration. The membrane selectivity was not improved. The membrane seems irreversibly damaged by the tap water chlorine none retained by the deficient pretreatment. An autopsy of the used RO membrane was done by different analysis techniques as SEM/EDX, AFM, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy. The analysis of membrane (proper and used) surfaces show a deposit film on the used membrane witch evaluated to environ 2 =m, it indicates a fooling phenomenon. The SEM photos show deterioration on the active layer material of the membrane witch seems attacked by the tap water chlorine. The X Rays Diffraction and FTIR show that the deposit collected on the used membrane contains organic and mineral (Gypsum, SiO 2 and clays) materials. Silicates and clays can exist in tap waters and reach the RO membrane when the pretreatment micro-filter became deficient. The Gypsum presence is due only to germination on the membrane.

Heat from domestic and industrial wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasharov, S.

2006-01-01

More than 40% of the energy produced in the world is utilized by the building sector - mainly for heating of buildings and water. Different methods are used for the reduction of this energy - new thermo-isolating materials in the new building process, treating of the already existing buildings with thermo-isolating coverings, new aluminium and PVC frames for the windows, application of different solar equipment. At the same time the energy necessary for the heating of water for domestic usage increases permanently. Besides, the need for hot water is constant - every day, all the years. Here the possibilities for saving energy are more limited - limitation of the quantities of consumed hot water (but the statistics show just the opposite tendency), or recycling of the residual heat that is contained in the sewerage hot water, domestic and industrial. This solution is possible and technologically feasible through the usage of thermo-exchanging devices and thermo-pumps, and a process in which only the heat / thermal energy / of the sewerage water is accumulated, and then returned to the equipment for heating water. The heating module could be repaid for a period of 3.5 - 4 years as a result of the savings of thermal energy, which is economically very advantageous. And last but not least, the process has favourable ecological effect, following the world's latest tendencies. (author)

Evaluation of primary stability of self-tapping and non-self-tapping dental implants. A 12-week clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Marković, Aleksa; Calvo-Guirado, José Luís; Lazić, Zoran; Gómez-Moreno, Gerardo; Ćalasan, Dejan; Guardia, Javier; Čolic, Snježana; Aguilar-Salvatierra, Antonio; Gačić, Bojan; Delgado-Ruiz, Rafael; Janjić, Bojan; Mišić, Tijana

2013-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between surgical techniques and implant macro-design (self-tapping/non-self-tapping) for the optimization of implant stability in the low-density bone present in the posterior maxilla using resonance frequency analysis (RFA). A total of 102 implants were studied. Fifty-six self-tapping BlueSkyBredent® (Bredent GmbH&Co.Kg®, Senden, Germany) and 56 non-self-tapping Standard Plus Straumann® (Institut Straumann AG®, Waldenburg, Switzerland) were placed in the posterior segment of the maxilla. Implants of both types were placed in sites prepared with either lateral bone-condensing or with bone-drilling techniques. Implant stability measurements were performed using RFA immediately after implant placement and weekly during a 12-week follow-up period. Both types of implants placed after bone condensing achieved significantly higher stability immediately after surgery, as well as during the entire 12-week observation period compared with those placed following bone drilling. After bone condensation, there were no significant differences in primary stability or in implant stability after the first week between both implant types. From 2 to 12 postoperative weeks, significantly higher stability was shown by self-tapping implants. After bone drilling, self-tapping implants achieved significantly higher stability than non-self-tapping implants during the entire follow-up period. The outcomes of the present study indicate that bone drilling is not an effective technique for improving implant stability and, following this technique, the use of self-tapping implants is highly recommended. Implant stability optimization in the soft bone can be achieved by lateral bone-condensing technique, regardless of implant macro-design. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radioactive substances in tap water.

Science.gov (United States)

Atsuumi, Ryo; Endo, Yoshihiko; Suzuki, Akihiko; Kannotou, Yasumitu; Nakada, Masahiro; Yabuuchi, Reiko

2014-01-01

A 9.0 magnitude (M) earthquake with an epicenter off the Sanriku coast occurred at 14: 46 on March 11, 2011. TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (F-1 NPP) was struck by the earthquake and its resulting tsunami. Consequently a critical nuclear disaster developed, as a large quantity of radioactive materials was released due to a hydrogen blast. On March 16(th), 2011, radioiodine and radioactive cesium were detected at levels of 177 Bq/kg and 58 Bq/kg, respectively, in tap water in Fukushima city (about 62km northwest of TEPCO F-1 NPP). On March 20th, radioiodine was detected in tap water at a level of 965 Bq/kg, which is over the value-index of restrictions on food and drink intake (radioiodine 300 Bq/kg (infant intake 100 Bq/kg)) designated by the Nuclear Safety Commission. Therefore, intake restriction measures were taken regarding drinking water. After that, although the all intake restrictions were lifted, in order to confirm the safety of tap water, an inspection system was established to monitor all tap water in the prefecture. This system has confirmed that there has been no detection of radioiodine or radioactive cesium in tap water in the prefecture since May 5(th), 2011. Furthermore, radioactive strontium ((89) Sr, (90)Sr) and plutonium ((238)Pu, (239)Pu+(240)Pu) in tap water and the raw water supply were measured. As a result, (89) Sr, (238)Pu, (239)Pu+(240)Pu were undetectable and although (90)Sr was detected, its committed effective dose of 0.00017 mSv was much lower than the yearly 0.1 mSv of the World Health Organization guidelines for drinking water quality. In addition, the results did not show any deviations from past inspection results.

Tapping mode microwave impedance microscopy

KAUST Repository

Lai, K.

2009-01-01

We report tapping mode microwave impedance imaging based on atomic force microscope platforms. The shielded cantilever probe is critical to localize the tip-sample interaction near the tip apex. The modulated tip-sample impedance can be accurately simulated by the finite-element analysis and the result agrees quantitatively to the experimental data on a series of thin-film dielectric samples. The tapping mode microwave imaging is also superior to the contact mode in that the thermal drift in a long time scale is totally eliminated and an absolute measurement on the dielectric properties is possible. We demonstrated tapping images on working nanodevices, and the data are consistent with the transport results. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.

Metal leaching in drinking water domestic distribution system: an Italian case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sorlini, Sabrina; Gialdini, Francesca; Collivignarelli, Carlo

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate metal contamination of tap water in seven public buildings in Brescia (Italy). Two monitoring periods were performed using three different sampling methods (overnight stagnation, 30-min stagnation, and random daytime). The results show that the water parameters exceeding the international standards (Directive 98/83/EC) at the tap were lead (max = 363 μg/L), nickel (max = 184 μg/L), zinc (max = 4900 μg/L), and iron (max = 393 μg/L). Compared to the total number of tap water samples analyzed (122), the values higher than limits of Directive 98/83/EC were 17% for lead, 11% for nickel, 14% for zinc, and 7% for iron. Three buildings exceeded iron standard while five buildings exceeded the standard for nickel, lead, and zinc. Moreover, there is no evident correlation between the leaching of contaminants in the domestic distribution system and the age of the pipes while a significant influence is shown by the sampling methods.

Experimental Study on Environment Friendly Tap Hole Clay for Blast Furnace

Science.gov (United States)

Siva kumar, R.; Mohammed, Raffi; Srinivasa Rao, K.

2018-03-01

Blast furnace (BF) is the best possible route of iron production available. Blast furnace is a high pressure vessel where iron ore is melted and liquid iron is produced. The liquid iron is tapped through the hole in Blast Furnace called tap hole. The tapped liquid metal flowing through the tap hole is plugged using a clay called tap hole clay. Tap hole clay (THC) is a unshaped refractory used to plug the tap hole. The tap hole clay extruded through the tap hole using a gun. The tap hole clay is designed to expand and plug the tap hole. The tap hole filled with clay is drilled using drill bit and the hole made through the tap hole to tap the liquid metal accumulated inside the furnace. The number of plugging and drilling varies depending on the volume of the furnace. The tap hole clay need to have certain properties to avoid problems during plugging and drilling. In the present paper tap hole clay properties in industrial use was tested and studied. The problems were identified related to tap hole clay manufacturing. Experiments were conducted in lab scale to solve the identified problems. The present composition was modified with experimental results. The properties of the modified tap hole clay were found suitable and useful for blast furnace operation with lab scale experimental results.

Thermal solar energy. Collective domestic hot water installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garnier, Cedric; Chauvet, Chrystele; Fourrier, Pascal

2016-01-01

This brochure, edited by ADEME, the French office for energy management and sustainable development, gives a basic outlook on the way to complete the installation of a collective domestic water solar heating system. After some recall of what is solar energy, the thermal solar technology and the energy savings it may induce, this document presents the main hydraulic configurations of a solar heating system with water storage, the dimensioning of a solar water heating system and its cost estimation, the installation and the commissioning of the system, the monitoring and maintenance operations

Multiplication of Legionella pneumophila in unsterilized tap water.

OpenAIRE

Yee, R B; Wadowsky, R M

1982-01-01

Naturally occurring Legionella pneumophila, an environmental isolate which had not been grown on artificial medium, was tested for the ability to multiply in tap water. A showerhead containing L. pneumophila and non-Legionellaceae bacteria was immersed in nonsterile tap water supplying this fixture. Also L. pneumophila and non-Legionellaceae bacteria were sedimented from tap water from a surgical intensive care unit. This bacterial suspension was inoculated into tap water from our laboratory....

Enhanced chlorine resistance of tap water-adapted Legionella pneumophila as compared with agar medium-passaged strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchta, J M; States, S J; McGlaughlin, J E; Overmeyer, J H; Wadowsky, R M; McNamara, A M; Wolford, R S; Yee, R B

1985-07-01

Previous studies have shown that bacteria maintained in a low-nutrient "natural" environment such as swimming pool water are much more resistant to disinfection by various chemical agents than strains maintained on rich media. In the present study a comparison was made of the chlorine (Cl2) susceptibility of hot-water tank isolates of Legionella pneumophila maintained in tap water and strains passaged on either nonselective buffered charcoal-yeast extract or selective differential glycine-vancomycin-polymyxin agar medium. Our earlier work has shown that environmental and clinical isolates of L. pneumophila maintained on agar medium are much more resistant to Cl2 than coliforms are. Under the present experimental conditions (21 degrees C, pH 7.6 to 8.0, and 0.25 mg of free residual Cl2 per liter, we found the tap water-maintained L. pneumophila strains to be even more resistant than the agar-passaged isolates. Under these conditions, 99% kill of tap water-maintained strains of L. pneumophila was usually achieved within 60 to 90 min compared with 10 min for agar-passaged strains. Samples from plumbing fixtures in a hospital yielded legionellae which were "super"-chlorine resistant when assayed under natural conditions. After one agar passage their resistance dropped to levels of comparable strains which had not been previously exposed to additional chlorination. These studies more closely approximate natural conditions than our previous work and show that tap water-maintained L. pneumophila is even more resistant to Cl2 than its already resistant agar medium-passaged counterpart.

Advanced analysis of finger-tapping performance: a preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barut, Cağatay; Kızıltan, Erhan; Gelir, Ethem; Köktürk, Fürüzan

2013-06-01

The finger-tapping test is a commonly employed quantitative assessment tool used to measure motor performance in the upper extremities. This task is a complex motion that is affected by external stimuli, mood and health status. The complexity of this task is difficult to explain with a single average intertap-interval value (time difference between successive tappings) which only provides general information and neglects the temporal effects of the aforementioned factors. This study evaluated the time course of average intertap-interval values and the patterns of variation in both the right and left hands of right-handed subjects using a computer-based finger-tapping system. Cross sectional study. Thirty eight male individuals aged between 20 and 28 years (Mean±SD = 22.24±1.65) participated in the study. Participants were asked to perform single-finger-tapping test for 10 seconds of test period. Only the results of right-handed (RH) 35 participants were considered in this study. The test records the time of tapping and saves data as the time difference between successive tappings for further analysis. The average number of tappings and the temporal fluctuation patterns of the intertap-intervals were calculated and compared. The variations in the intertap-interval were evaluated with the best curve fit method. An average tapping speed or tapping rate can reliably be defined for a single-finger tapping test by analysing the graphically presented data of the number of tappings within the test period. However, a different presentation of the same data, namely the intertap-interval values, shows temporal variation as the number of tapping increases. Curve fitting applications indicate that the variation has a biphasic nature. The measures obtained in this study reflect the complex nature of the finger-tapping task and are suggested to provide reliable information regarding hand performance. Moreover, the equation reflects both the variations in and the general

Vaccination and the TAP-independent antigen processing pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Daniel; Lorente, Elena; Barriga, Alejandro; Johnstone, Carolina; Mir, Carmen

2013-09-01

The cytotoxic CD8(+) T lymphocyte-mediated cellular response is important for the elimination of virus-infected cells and requires the prior recognition of short viral peptide antigens previously translocated to the endoplasmic reticulum by the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP). However, individuals with nonfunctional TAP complexes or infected cells with TAP molecules blocked by specific viral proteins, such as the cowpoxvirus, a component of the first source of early empirical vaccination against smallpox, are still able to present several HLA class I ligands generated by the TAP-independent antigen processing pathways to specific cytotoxic CD8(+) T lymphocytes. Currently, bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases have renewed interest in poxviruses. Recent works that have identified HLA class I ligands and epitopes in virus-infected TAP-deficient cells have implications for the study of both the effectiveness of early empirical vaccination and the analysis of HLA class I antigen processing in TAP-deficient subjects.

What's Wrong with the Tap? Examining Perceptions of Tap Water and Bottled Water at Purdue University

Science.gov (United States)

Saylor, Amber; Prokopy, Linda Stalker; Amberg, Shannon

2011-09-01

The environmental impacts of bottled water prompted us to explore drinking water choices at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, IN. A random sample of 2,045 Purdue University students, staff, and faculty was invited to participate in an online survey. The survey assessed current behaviors as well as perceived barriers and benefits to drinking tap water versus bottled water. 677 surveys were completed for a response rate of 33.1%. We then conducted qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of university undergraduates ( n = 21) to obtain contextual insights into the survey results and the beliefs of individuals with a variety of drinking water preferences. This study revealed that women drink disproportionately more bottled water then men while undergraduate students drink more than graduate students, staff and faculty. The study also uncovered a widespread belief that recycling eliminates the environmental impacts of bottled water. Important barriers to drinking tap water at Purdue include: perceived risks from tap water and the perceived safety of bottled water, preferring the taste of bottled water, and the convenience of drinking bottled water. The qualitative interviews revealed that drinking water choices can be influenced by several factors—especially whether individuals trust tap water to be clean—but involve varying levels of complexity. The implications of these results for social marketing strategies to promote tap water are discussed.

A New System to Estimate and Reduce Electrical Energy Consumption of Domestic Hot Water in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Gutierrez-Escolar

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Energy consumption rose about 28% over the 2001 to 2011 period in the Spanish residential sector. In this environment, domestic hot water (DHW represents the second highest energy demand. There are several methodologies to estimate DHW consumption, but each methodology uses different inputs and some of them are based on obsolete data. DHW energy consumption estimation is a key tool to plan modifications that could enhance this consumption and we decided to update the methodologies. We studied DHW consumption with data from 10 apartments in the same building during 18 months. As a result of the study, we updated one chosen methodology, adapting it to the current situation. One of the challenges to improve efficiency of DHW use is that most of people are not aware of how it is consumed in their homes. To help this information to reach consumers, we developed a website to allow users to estimate the final electrical energy needed for DHW. The site uses three estimation methodologies and chooses the best fit based on information given by the users. Finally, the application provides users with recommendations and tips to reduce their DHW consumption while still maintaining the desired comfort level.

Heat losses through pipe connections in hot water stores

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Elsa; Fan, Jianhua; Furbo, Simon

2007-01-01

The heat loss from pipe connections at the top of hot water storage tanks with and without a heat trap is investigated theoretically and compared to similar experimental investigations. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used for the theoretical analysis. The investigations show that the heat...... loss from an ideally insulated pipe connected to the top of a hot water tank is mainly due to a natural convection flow in the pipe, that the heat loss coefficient of pipes connected to the top of a hot water tank is high, and that a heat trap can reduce the heat loss coefficient significantly. Further......, calculations show that the yearly thermal performance of solar domestic hot water systems is strongly reduced if the hot water tank has a thermal bridge located at the top of the tank....

Retrofitting Domestic Hot Water Heaters for Solar Water Heating Systems in Single-Family Houses in a Cold Climate: A Theoretical Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Björn Karlsson

2012-10-01

Full Text Available One of the biggest obstacles to economic profitability of solar water heating systems is the investment cost. Retrofitting existing domestic hot water heaters when a new solar hot water system is installed can reduce both the installation and material costs. In this study, retrofitting existing water heaters for solar water heating systems in Swedish single-family houses was theoretically investigated using the TRNSYS software. Four simulation models using forced circulation flow with different system configurations and control strategies were simulated and analysed in the study. A comparison with a standard solar thermal system was also presented based on the annual solar fraction. The simulation results indicate that the retrofitting configuration achieving the highest annual performance consists of a system where the existing tank is used as storage for the solar heat and a smaller tank with a heater is added in series to make sure that the required outlet temperature can be met. An external heat exchanger is used between the collector circuit and the existing tank. For this retrofitted system an annual solar fraction of 50.5% was achieved. A conventional solar thermal system using a standard solar tank achieves a comparable performance for the same total storage volume, collector area and reference conditions.

49 CFR 192.627 - Tapping pipelines under pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tapping pipelines under pressure. 192.627 Section... NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Operations § 192.627 Tapping pipelines under pressure. Each tap made on a pipeline under pressure must be performed by a crew qualified to make...

Crop domestication in the upper Madeira River basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Roland Clement

Full Text Available Abstract Most native Amazonian crops were domesticated in the periphery of the basin. The upper Madeira River basin is an important part of this periphery where several important crops were domesticated and others are suspected to have been domesticated or arrived early. Some of these crops have been reasonably well studied, such as manioc, peanut, peach palm, coca and tobacco, while others are not as well known, such as the hot peppers Capsicum baccatum and C. frutescens, and still others need confirmation, such as cocoyam and annatto. We review the information available for manioc, peach palm, Capsicum, peanut, annatto and cocoyam. The state-of-the-art for Capsicum frutescens, annatto and cocoyam is insufficient to conclude definitively that they were domesticated in the upper Madeira, while all the others have at least one of their origins or centers of diversity in the upper Madeira.

Investigation of transient behaviour of combi boiler type appliances for domestic hot water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atmaca, Ayşe Uğurcan; Erek, Aytunç; Altay, Hürrem Murat

2015-01-01

Combi boiler type appliances heating both space and water demanded for use and consuming natural gas as the energy source are one of the most common branches of the household goods. This study touches mainly on two types of combi boiler concepts to investigate only domestic hot water (DHW) heating function since highly efficient condensing appliances have been manufactured in terms of space heating. First concept has the normal working configuration of the heat exchangers of a standard combi boiler; whereas, the second has the opposite operation order of the heat exchangers. 1D transient energy equations have been constructed with the help of the laws of thermodynamics in order to model the heat exchangers in a standard combi boiler. After obtaining a general mathematical model for the standard combi boiler, the energy equations have been discretised with finite difference scheme, and solved numerically in Matlab ® . Subsequently, numerical results are validated experimentally in different working modes of a standard appliance. As the last step, similar results are obtained for the second proposed concept using the related equations of the standard combi model to compare both concepts on a numerical basis. - Highlights: • 1D theoretical model of a combi boiler was constructed and verified experimentally. • Preliminary estimations will be obtained from the model about the laboratory tests. • Number of the laboratory tests will be decreased thanks to the theoretical model. • The model was used to compare the transient behaviour of two kinds of combi boilers. • The second combi boiler alternative to standard one has a higher comfort potential

BIOMECHANICAL EVALUATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF CERVICAL SCREWS TAPPING AND DESIGN.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Patricia; Rosa, Rodrigo César; Shimano, Antonio Carlos; Albuquerque de Paula, Francisco José; Volpon, José Batista; Aparecido Defino, Helton Luiz

2009-01-01

To assess if the screw design (self-drilling/self-tapping) and the pilot hole tapping could affect the insertion torque and screw pullout strength of the screw used in anterior fixation of the cervical spine. Forty self-tapping screws and 20 self-drilling screws were inserted into 10 models of artificial bone and 10 cervical vertebrae of sheep. The studied parameters were the insertion torque and pullout strength. The following groups were created: Group I-self-tapping screw insertion after pilot hole drilling and tapping; Group II-self-tapping screw insertion after pilot hole drilling without tapping; Group III-self-drilling screw insertion without drilling and tapping. In Groups I and II, the pilot hole had 14.0 mm in depth and was made with a 3mmn drill, while tapping was made with a 4mm tap. The insertion torque was measured and the pullout test was performed. The comparison between groups was made considering the mean insertion torque and the maximum mean pullout strength with the variance analysis (ANOVA; p≤ 0.05). Previous drilling and tapping of pilot hole significantly decreased the insertion torque and the pullout strength. The insertion torque and pullout strength of self-drilling screws were significantly higher when compared to self-tapping screws inserted after pilot hole tapping.

Computerized measures of finger tapping: reliability, malingering and traumatic brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Hubel, Kerry A; Yund, E William; Herron, Timothy J; Woods, David L

2013-01-01

We analyzed computerized finger tapping metrics in four experiments. Experiment 1 showed tapping-rate differences associated with hand dominance, digits, sex, and fatigue that replicated those seen in a previous, large-scale community sample. Experiment 2 revealed test-retest correlations (r = .91) that exceeded those reported in previous tapping studies. Experiment 3 investigated subjects simulating symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI); 62% of malingering subjects produced abnormally slow tapping rates. A tapping-rate malingering index, based on rate-independent tapping patterns, provided confirmatory evidence of malingering in 48% of the subjects with abnormal tapping rates. Experiment 4 compared tapping in 24 patients with mild TBI (mTBI) and a matched control group; mTBI patients showed slowed tapping without evidence of malingering. Computerized finger tapping measures are reliable measures of motor speed, useful in detecting subjects performing with suboptimal effort, and are sensitive to motor abnormalities following mTBI.

INDUSTRIAL APPROBATION OF COMBINED COUNTERSINK-TAP TOOL

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Nurulla M. Vagabov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Objectives Based on a critical analysis of the results of complex studies, we set out to demonstrate the advantages, as compared with existing technologies, of a developed technology that uses a new cutting scheme with a combined countersink-tap tool. Methods One way to improve the processing capacity, tool life and quality of a cut thread is to reduce the torque and strain hardening of the processed material by employing a new cutting approach to completely eliminate the friction of the lateral sides of the tooth on the surface of the cut thread. It was necessary for this technology to be checked in real production conditions. Results The conducted production tests of a combined countersink-tap tool with the new cutting scheme developed by the inventors have shown that, as a result of a significant reduction in the torque and a decrease in the strain hardening of the processed material, it is possible to increase the cutting speed and increase labour productivity by more than 2 times as compared with the thread cutting processes using taps with staggered teeth, 1.2 times as compared to taps with a corrected structure, and more than 6 times as compared to standard taps. At the same time, the stability of the tool is increased 3-5 times and the number of breakages is also sharply reduced. Conclusion It has been established that the accuracy of the geometric parameters as well as the strength and quality of the thread surface cut by the combined countersink-tap tool with the new cutting scheme in hard-to-work materials is much higher than the same thread parameters obtained by processing with standard and other known taps. The studies also indicated its high reliability, operability and expediency of application for processing the above-mentioned materials. The advantages of the combined tool also include a reduction in thread cutting time as compared to a separate machining of the threaded hole (countersinking with a standard

Frankincense tapping reduces the carbohydrate storage of Boswellia trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Mengistu, Tefera; Sterck, Frank J; Fetene, Masresha; Bongers, Frans

2013-06-01

Carbohydrates fixed by photosynthesis are stored in plant organs in the form of starch or sugars. Starch and sugars sum to the total non-structural carbohydrate pool (TNC) and may serve as intermediate pools between assimilation and utilization. We examined the impact of tapping on TNC concentrations in stem-wood, bark and root tissues of the frankincense tree (Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst) in two natural woodlands of Ethiopia. Two tapping treatments, one without tapping (control) and the other with tapping at 12 incisions, are applied on experimental trees. Trees are tapped in the leafless dry period, diminishing their carbon storage pools. If storage pools are not refilled by assimilation during the wet season, when crowns are in full leaf, tapping may deplete the carbon pool and weaken Boswellia trees. The highest soluble sugar concentrations were in the bark and the highest starch concentrations in the stem-wood. The stem-wood contains 12 times higher starch than soluble sugar concentrations. Hence, the highest TNC concentrations occurred in the stem-wood. Moreover, wood volume was larger than root or bark volumes and, as a result, more TNC was stored in the stem-wood. As predicted, tapping reduced the TNC concentrations and pool sizes in frankincense trees during the dry season. During the wet season, these carbon pools were gradually filled in tapped trees, but never to the size of non-tapped trees. We conclude that TNC is dynamic on a seasonal time scale and offers resilience against stress, highlighting its importance for tree carbon balance. But current resin tapping practices are intensive and may weaken Boswellia populations, jeopardizing future frankincense production.

Solid-state tap-changer of transformers: Design, control and implementation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faiz, Jawad; Siahkolah, Behzad [Center of Excellence on Applied Electromagnetic Systems, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 1439957131 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-02-15

This paper presents the implementation of a prototype electronic tap-changer of transformer. Mechanical tap-changer has many problems such as low operating speed, short lifetime and heavy size. In order to solve these problems a fully solid-state tap-changer with a new control strategy and optimal configuration is proposed. The design of tap-changer is discussed and bi-directional solid-state power electronics switches are implemented. Following the realization of the tap-changer controller, developed software for such precise control is introduced. To verify the design procedure and optimal configuration and apply the developed software, a prototype low-power tap-changer has been built and tested. (author)

Finger tapping ability in healthy elderly and young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Tomoko; Fukuoka, Yoshiyuki

2010-03-01

The maximum isometric force production capacity of the fingers decreases with age. However, little information is available on age-related changes in dynamic motor capacity of individual fingers. The purpose of this study was to compare the dynamic motor function of individual fingers between elderly and young adults using rapid single-finger and double-finger tapping. Fourteen elderly and 14 young adults performed maximum frequency tapping by the index, middle, ring, or little finger (single-finger tapping) and with alternate movements of the index-middle, middle-ring, or ring-little finger-pair (double-finger tapping). The maximum pinch force between the thumb and each finger, tactile sensitivity of each fingertip, and time taken to complete a pegboard test were also measured. Compared with young subjects, the older subjects had significantly slower tapping rates in all fingers and finger-pairs in the tapping tasks. The age-related decline was also observed in the tactile sensitivities of all fingers and in the pegboard test. However, there was no group difference in the pinch force of any finger. The tapping rate of each finger did not correlate with the pinch force or tactile sensitivity for the corresponding finger in the elderly subjects. Maximum rate of finger tapping was lower in the elderly adults compared with the young adults. The decline of finger tapping ability in elderly adults seems to be less affected by their maximum force production capacities of the fingers as well as tactile sensitivities at the tips of the fingers.

Estimation method of finger tapping dynamics using simple magnetic detection system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandori, Akihiko; Sano, Yuko; Miyashita, Tsuyoshi; Okada, Yoshihisa; Irokawa, Masataka; Shima, Keisuke; Tsuji, Toshio; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

2010-05-01

We have developed the simple estimation method of a finger tapping dynamics model for investigating muscle resistance and stiffness during tapping movement in normal subjects. We measured finger tapping movements of 207 normal subjects using a magnetic finger tapping detection system. Each subject tapped two fingers in time with a metronome at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Hz. The velocity and acceleration values for both the closing and opening tapping data were used to estimate a finger tapping dynamics model. Using the frequency response of the ratio of acceleration to velocity of the mechanical impedance parameters, we estimated the resistance (friction coefficient) and compliance (stiffness). We found two dynamics models for the maximum open position and tap position. In the maximum open position, the extensor muscle resistance was twice as high as the flexor muscle resistance and males had a higher spring constant. In the tap position, the flexor muscle resistance was much higher than the extensor muscle resistance. This indicates that the tapping dynamics in the maximum open position are controlled by the balance of extensor and flexor muscle friction resistances and the flexor stiffness, and the flexor friction resistance is the main component in the tap position. It can be concluded that our estimation method makes it possible to understand the tapping dynamics.

Estimation method of finger tapping dynamics using simple magnetic detection system

Science.gov (United States)

Kandori, Akihiko; Sano, Yuko; Miyashita, Tsuyoshi; Okada, Yoshihisa; Irokawa, Masataka; Shima, Keisuke; Tsuji, Toshio; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

2010-05-01

We have developed the simple estimation method of a finger tapping dynamics model for investigating muscle resistance and stiffness during tapping movement in normal subjects. We measured finger tapping movements of 207 normal subjects using a magnetic finger tapping detection system. Each subject tapped two fingers in time with a metronome at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Hz. The velocity and acceleration values for both the closing and opening tapping data were used to estimate a finger tapping dynamics model. Using the frequency response of the ratio of acceleration to velocity of the mechanical impedance parameters, we estimated the resistance (friction coefficient) and compliance (stiffness). We found two dynamics models for the maximum open position and tap position. In the maximum open position, the extensor muscle resistance was twice as high as the flexor muscle resistance and males had a higher spring constant. In the tap position, the flexor muscle resistance was much higher than the extensor muscle resistance. This indicates that the tapping dynamics in the maximum open position are controlled by the balance of extensor and flexor muscle friction resistances and the flexor stiffness, and the flexor friction resistance is the main component in the tap position. It can be concluded that our estimation method makes it possible to understand the tapping dynamics.

Installation package for a domestic solar heating and hot water system

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

The installation of two prototype solar heating and hot water systems is described. The systems consists of the following subsystems: solar collector, storage, control, transport, and auxiliary energy.

Technological Development of Brewing in Domestic Refrigerator Using Freeze-Dried Raw Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelika-Ioanna Gialleli

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Development of a novel directly marketable beer brewed at low temperature in a domestic refrigerator combined with yeast immobilization technology is presented in this study. Separately, freeze-dried wort and immobilized cells of the cryotolerant yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae AXAZ-1 on tubular cellulose were used in low-temperature fermentation (2, 5 and 7 °C. The positive eff ect of tubular cellulose during low-temperature brewing was examined, revealing that freeze-dried immobilized yeast cells on tubular cellulose signifi cantly reduced the fermentation rates in contrast to freeze-dried free cells, although they are recommended for home-made beer production. Immobilization also enhanced the yeast resistance at low-temperature fermentation, reducing the minimum brewing temperature value from 5 to 2 °C. In the case of high-quality beer production, the eff ect of temperature and initial sugar concentration on the fermentation kinetics were assessed. Sensory enrichment of the produced beer was confi rmed by the analysis of the fi nal products, revealing a low diacetyl concentration, together with improved polyphenol content, aroma profi le and clarity. The proposed process for beer production in a domestic refrigerator can easily be commercialized and applied by dissolving the content of two separate packages in tap water; one package containing dried wort and the other dried immobilized cells on tubular cellulose suspended in tap water.

Technological Development of Brewing in Domestic Refrigerator Using Freeze-Dried Raw Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Gialleli, Angelika-Ioanna; Ganatsios, Vassilios; Terpou, Antonia; Kanellaki, Maria; Bekatorou, Argyro; Koutinas, Athanasios A; Dimitrellou, Dimitra

2017-09-01

Development of a novel directly marketable beer brewed at low temperature in a domestic refrigerator combined with yeast immobilization technology is presented in this study. Separately, freeze-dried wort and immobilized cells of the cryotolerant yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae AXAZ-1 on tubular cellulose were used in low-temperature fermentation (2, 5 and 7 °C). The positive effect of tubular cellulose during low-temperature brewing was examined, revealing that freeze-dried immobilized yeast cells on tubular cellulose significantly reduced the fermentation rates in contrast to freeze-dried free cells, although they are recommended for home-made beer production. Immobilization also enhanced the yeast resistance at low-temperature fermentation, reducing the minimum brewing temperature value from 5 to 2 °C. In the case of high-quality beer production, the effect of temperature and initial sugar concentration on the fermentation kinetics were assessed. Sensory enrichment of the produced beer was confirmed by the analysis of the final products, revealing a low diacetyl concentration, together with improved polyphenol content, aroma profile and clarity. The proposed process for beer production in a domestic refrigerator can easily be commercialized and applied by dissolving the content of two separate packages in tap water; one package containing dried wort and the other dried immobilized cells on tubular cellulose suspended in tap water.

An experimental study on the influence of water stagnation and temperature change on water quality in a full-scale domestic drinking water system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zlatanović, Lj; Hoek, van der J.P.; Vreeburg, J.H.G.

2017-01-01

The drinking water quality changes during the transport through distribution systems. Domestic drinking water systems (DDWSs), which include the plumbing between the water meter and consumer's taps, are the most critical points in which water quality may be affected. In distribution networks, the

Quantification of Finger-Tapping Angle Based on Wearable Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Djurić-Jovičić, Milica; Jovičić, Nenad S; Roby-Brami, Agnes; Popović, Mirjana B; Kostić, Vladimir S; Djordjević, Antonije R

2017-01-25

We propose a novel simple method for quantitative and qualitative finger-tapping assessment based on miniature inertial sensors (3D gyroscopes) placed on the thumb and index-finger. We propose a simplified description of the finger tapping by using a single angle, describing rotation around a dominant axis. The method was verified on twelve subjects, who performed various tapping tasks, mimicking impaired patterns. The obtained tapping angles were compared with results of a motion capture camera system, demonstrating excellent accuracy. The root-mean-square (RMS) error between the two sets of data is, on average, below 4°, and the intraclass correlation coefficient is, on average, greater than 0.972. Data obtained by the proposed method may be used together with scores from clinical tests to enable a better diagnostic. Along with hardware simplicity, this makes the proposed method a promising candidate for use in clinical practice. Furthermore, our definition of the tapping angle can be applied to all tapping assessment systems.

Effects of aging on control of timing and force of finger tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Hirokazu; Masumoto, Junya; Inui, Nobuyuki

2011-04-01

The present study examined whether the elderly produced a hastened or delayed tap with a negative or positive constant intertap interval error more frequently in self-paced tapping than in the stimulus-synchronized tapping for the 2 N target force at 2 or 4 Hz frequency. The analysis showed that, at both frequencies, the percentage of the delayed tap was larger in the self-paced tapping than in the stimulus-synchronized tapping, whereas the hastened tap showed the opposite result. At the 4 Hz frequency, all age groups had more variable intertap intervals during the self-paced tapping than during the stimulus-synchronized tapping, and the variability of the intertap intervals increased with age. Thus, although the increase in the frequency of delayed taps and variable intertap intervals in the self-paced tapping perhaps resulted from a dysfunction of movement timing in the basal ganglia with age, the decline in timing accuracy was somewhat improved by an auditory cue. The force variability of tapping at 4 Hz further increased with age, indicating an effect of aging on the control of force.

A Dynamic Tap Allocation for Concurrent CMA-DD Equalizers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trindade DiegovonBM

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper proposes a dynamic tap allocation for the concurrent CMA-DD equalizer as a low complexity solution for the blind channel deconvolution problem. The number of taps is a crucial factor which affects the performance and the complexity of most adaptive equalizers. Generally an equalizer requires a large number of taps in order to cope with long delays in the channel multipath profile. Simulations show that the proposed new blind equalizer is able to solve the blind channel deconvolution problem with a specified and reduced number of active taps. As a result, it minimizes the output excess mean square error due to inactive taps during and after the equalizer convergence and the hardware complexity as well.

Brain activity during bilateral rapid alternate finger tapping measured with magnetoencephalography

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Hiroshi; Odagaki, Masato; Hiwaki, Osamu; Kodabashi, Atsushi; Fujimoto, Toshiro

2009-04-01

Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), brain regions involved in an alternate bimanual tapping task by index fingers triggered with spontaneous timing were investigated. The tapping mode in which both index fingers moved simultaneously was interlaced during the task. The groups of the alternate tapping (AL mode) and the simultaneous tapping (SI mode) were extracted from the successive alternating taps with a histogram of intervals between the right and left index fingers. MEG signals in each mode were averaged separately before and after the tapping initiation of the dominant index finger. The activities of the contralateral sensorimotor cortex before and after the tapping initiation in the AL mode were larger than that in the SI mode. The result indicates that the activity of the contralateral sensorimotor cortex depends on the degree of achievement in the difficult motor task such as the voluntary alternate tapping movements.

Origin and Domestication of Native Amazonian Crops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doriane Picanço-Rodrigues

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Molecular analyses are providing new elements to decipher the origin, domestication and dispersal of native Amazonian crops in an expanding archaeological context. Solid molecular data are available for manioc (Manihot esculenta, cacao (Theobroma cacao, pineapple (Ananas comosus, peach palm (Bactris gasipaes and guaraná (Paullinia cupana, while hot peppers (Capsicum spp., inga (Inga edulis, Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa and cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum are being studied. Emergent patterns include the relationships among domestication, antiquity (terminal Pleistocene to early Holocene, origin in the periphery, ample pre-Columbian dispersal and clear phylogeographic population structure for manioc, pineapple, peach palm and, perhaps, Capsicum peppers. Cacao represents the special case of an Amazonian species possibly brought into domestication in Mesoamerica, but close scrutiny of molecular data suggests that it may also have some incipiently domesticated populations in Amazonia. Another pattern includes the relationships among species with incipiently domesticated populations or very recently domesticated populations, rapid pre- or post-conquest dispersal and lack of phylogeographic population structure, e.g., Brazil nut, cupuassu and guaraná. These patterns contrast the peripheral origin of most species with domesticated populations with the subsequent concentration of their genetic resources in the center of the basin, along the major white water rivers where high pre-conquest population densities developed. Additional molecular genetic analyses on these and other species will allow better examination of these processes and will enable us to relate them to other historical ecological patterns in Amazonia.

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy in liquid

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Putman, Constant A.J.; Putman, C.A.J.; van der Werf, Kees; de Grooth, B.G.; van Hulst, N.F.; Greve, Jan

1994-01-01

We show that standard silicon nitride cantilevers can be used for tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) in air, provided that the energy of the oscillating cantilever is sufficiently high to overcome the adhesion of the water layer. The same cantilevers are successfully used for tapping mode

Steady state of tapped granular polygons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlevaro, Carlos M; Pugnaloni, Luis A

2011-01-01

The steady state packing fraction of a tapped granular bed is studied for different grain shapes via a discrete element method. Grains are monosized regular polygons, from triangles to icosagons. Comparisons with disc packings show that the steady state packing fraction as a function of the tapping intensity presents the same general trends in polygon packings. However, better packing fractions are obtained, as expected, for shapes that can tessellate the plane (triangles, squares and hexagons). In addition, we find a sharp transition for packings of polygons with more than 13 vertices signaled by a discontinuity in the packing fraction at a particular tapping intensity. Density fluctuations for most shapes are consistent with recent experimental findings in disc packing; however, a peculiar behavior is found for triangles and squares

Origin and domestication of native Amazonian crops

OpenAIRE

Clément, R. Charles; De Cristo-Araujo, Michelly; Coppens D'Eeckenbrugge, Géo; Alves Pereira, Allessandro; Picanço-Rodrigues, Doriane

2010-01-01

Molecular analyses are providing new elements to decipher the origin, domestication and dispersal of native Amazonian crops in an expanding archaeological context. Solid molecular data are available for manioc (Manihot esculenta), cacao (Theobroma cacao), pineapple (Ananas comosus), peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) and guaraná (Paullinia cupana), while hot peppers (Capsicum spp.), inga (Inga edulis), Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) are being studied. Emerg...

Genetic Variants in TAP Are Associated with High-Grade Cervical Neoplasia

Science.gov (United States)

Einstein, Mark H.; Leanza, Suzanne; Chiu, Lydia G.; Schlecht, Nicolas F.; Goldberg, Gary L.; Steinberg, Bettie M.; Burk, Robert D.

2018-01-01

Purpose The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) is essential in assembling MHC-I proteins. Human papillomavirus (HPV) evades immune recognition by decreasing class I MHC cell surface expression through down-regulation of TAP1 levels. Consistent with heterogeneity in MHC expression is the individual variability in clearing detectable HPV infections. Genetic polymorphisms in TAP genes may affect protein structure, function, and the ability to clear HPV infection. Experimental Design Case-control study of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II or III (n = 114) and women without high-grade CIN (n = 366). Five nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in TAP1 and TAP2 were genotyped using DNA collected in cervicovaginal lavage samples using microsphere array technology (Luminex ×MAP). HPV typing was done using a PCR-based system with MY09/MY11 primers. TAP1 and TAP2 SNPs were validated by direct sequencing. Results Differences in allele distribution between women with high-grade cervical neoplasia and women without was seen for TAP1 I333V (P = 0.02) and TAP1 D637G (p = 0.01).The odds ratios (OR) for CIN III were significantly lower among carriers of the TAP1 I333V polymorphism (OR, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.8), and TAP1 D637G polymorphism (OR, 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.7). These associations remained significant even after restricting the evaluation to women who were positive for high-risk HPV types. Conclusions In addition to the down-regulation of MHC-1 by oncogenic HPV, HPV pathogenesis might be facilitated by polymorphisms in the TAP proteins. Identifying TAP polymorphisms may potentially be used to identify women less susceptible to progression to high-grade CIN and cervical cancer. PMID:19188174

Presence of Legionella spp. in Hot Water Networks of Different Italian Residential Buildings: A Three-Year Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Totaro, Michele; Valentini, Paola; Costa, Anna Laura; Frendo, Lorenzo; Cappello, Alessia; Casini, Beatrice; Miccoli, Mario; Privitera, Gaetano; Baggiani, Angelo

2017-10-26

Although the European reports highlight an increase in community-acquired Legionnaires' disease cases, the risk of Legionella spp. in private houses is underestimated. In Pisa (Italy) we performed a three-year survey on Legionella presence in 121 buildings with an independent hot water production (IB); 64 buildings with a central hot water production (CB); and 35 buildings with a solar thermal system for hot water production (TB). From all the 220 buildings Legionella spp. was researched in two hot water samples collected either at the recirculation point or on the first floor and on the last floor, while the potable water quality was analysed in three cold water samples collected at the inlet from the aqueduct network, at the exit from the autoclave, and at the most remote tap. Legionella pneumophila sg1, Legionella pneumophila sg2-16, and non- pneumophila Legionella species were detected in 26% of the hot water networks, mostly in CB and TB. In these buildings we detected correlations between the presence of Legionella and the total chlorine concentration decrease and/or the increase of the temperature. Cold water resulted free from microbiological hazards, with the exception of Serratia liquefaciens and Enterobacter cloacae isolated at the exit from two different autoclaves. We observed an increase in total microbial counts at 22 °C and 37 °C between the samples collected at the most remote taps compared to the ones collected at the inlet from the aqueduct. The study highlights a condition of potential risk for susceptible categories of population and supports the need for measures of risk assessment and control.

Abnormal maximal finger tapping in abstinent cannabis users.

Science.gov (United States)

Flavel, Stanley C; White, Jason M; Todd, Gabrielle

2013-11-01

To investigate movement speed and rhythmicity in abstinent cannabis users, we hypothesized that abstinent cannabis users exhibit decreased maximal finger tapping frequency and increased variability of tapping compared with non-drug users. The study involved 10 healthy adult cannabis users and 10 age-matched and gender-matched controls with no history of illicit drug use. Subjects underwent a series of screening tests prior to participation. Subjects were then asked to tap a strain gauge as fast as possible with the index finger of their dominant hand (duration 5 s). The average intertap interval did not significantly differ between groups, but the coefficient of variation of the intertap interval was significantly greater in the cannabis group than in controls (p=0.011). The cannabis group also exhibited a slow tapping frequency at the beginning of the task. Rhythmicity of finger tapping is abnormal in individuals with a history of cannabis use. The abnormality appears to be long lasting and adds to the list of functional changes present in abstinent cannabis users. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Solar heating and hot water system installed at Southeast of Saline, Unified School District 306, Mentor, Kansas

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

The solar system, installed in a new building, was designed to provide 52 percent of the estimated annual space heating load and 84 percent of the estimated annual potable hot water requirement. The liquid flat plate collectors are ground-mounted and cover a total area of 5125 square feet. The system will provide supplemental heat for the school's closed-loop water-to-air heat pump system and domestic hot water. The storage medium is water inside steel tanks with a capacity of 11,828 gallons for space heating and 1,600 gallons for domestic hot water. The solar heating facility is described and drawings are presented of the completed system which was declared operational in September 1978, and has functioned successfully since.

Effects of age, task, and frequency on variability of finger tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommervoll, Yngve; Ettema, Gertjan; Vereijken, Beatrix

2011-10-01

The goal was to assess whether prior studies might have overestimated performance variability in older adults in dual task conditions by relying on primary motor tasks that are not constant with aging. 30 younger and 31 older adults performed a bimanual tapping task at four different frequencies in isolation or concurrently with a secondary task. Results showed that performance of younger and older adults was not significantly different in performing the tapping task at all frequencies and with either secondary task, as indicated by mean tapping performance and low number of errors in the secondary tasks. Both groups showed increased variability as tapping frequency increased and with the presence of a secondary task. Tapping concurrently while reading words increased tapping variability more than tapping concurrently while naming colours. Although older participants' performances were overall more variable, no interaction effects with age were found and at the highest frequencies of tapping, younger and older participants did not differ in performance.

Propeller TAP flap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Jørn Bo; Bille, Camilla; Wamberg, Peter

2013-01-01

major complications needing additional surgery. One flap was lost due to a vascular problem. Breast reconstruction can be performed by a propeller TAP flap without cutting the descending branch of the thoracodorsal vessels. However, the authors would recommend that a small cuff of muscle is left around...

Workshop on physics related to TAPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehn, W.; Loehner, H.

1991-06-01

Since December 1989 there exist two accepted proposals for TAPS experiments at SIS: 'η production in Relativistic Heavy Ion Experiments' (S 025) and 'π 0 Excitation Function and π 0 -π 0 Correlations Combined with Charged Particle Flow Analysis' (S 042). A third proposal 'Electromagnetic Excitations' (S 046) was submitted and is accepted by now. Before the new phase with data taking and detailed analysis of relativistic heavy ion data was about to begin, it was feld that there should be a few days set aside to take breath and to consider in a relaxed atmosphere the physics goals for which TAPS was constructed. The large number of undergraduate and graduate students in the collaboration was additional good reason to plan a meeting in a workshop-like atmosphere in order to communicate recent experimental and theoretical results touching the goals of TAPS and to discuss the aims of the submitted proposals and methods of the respective data analysis. Moreover, new ideas for future proposals and advanced technical developments should also be discussed. The aim was to broaden the view for applications of TAPS for photon and neutral meson measurements at the different accelerators at GANIL(Caen), SIS(GSI), MAMI(Mainz) and AGOR(KVI). See hints under the relevant topics. (orig./HSI)

Association of TAP Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camilla Natter

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP is responsible for peptide loading onto class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I molecules. TAP seems to facilitate the detection of HPV by MHC-I molecules and contributes to successful eradication of HPV. TAP polymorphisms could have an important impact on the course of HPV infection. Objective. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between five TAP gene polymorphisms and the risk of CIN. Methods. This case-control study investigated five common TAP polymorphisms in TAP1 (1341 and 2254 and TAP2 (1135, 1693, and 1993 in 616 women with CIN and 206 controls. Associations between gene polymorphisms and risk of CIN were analysed by univariate and multivariable models. The combined effect of the five TAP gene polymorphisms on the risk for CIN was investigated by haplotype analysis. Results. No significant difference in genotype distribution of the five TAP polymorphisms was observed in women with CIN and controls. Haplotype analysis revealed that women with haplotype mut-wt-wt-wt-wt (TAP polymorphisms t1135-t1341-t1693-t1993-t2254 had a significantly lower risk for CIN, compared to women with the haplotype wt-wt-wt-wt-wt (; OR 0.5 []. Conclusion. Identification of this haplotype combination could be used to identify women, less susceptible for development of CIN following HPV infection.

Military Transition Assistance Program (TAP): An Overview

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-15

in the development, management oversight, and strategic planning of TAP. TAP Counseling Requirements Over time, Congress has increased the...training, and placement services provided under qualified job training programs of the DOL* Veterans small business ownership and entrepreneurship ...Accessing Higher Education (DOD) Career Technical Training (VA) Entrepreneurship (SBA) Capstone Verifies that servicemembers have met Career

Dynamical TAP equations for non-equilibrium Ising spin glasses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roudi, Yasser; Hertz, John

2011-01-01

We derive and study dynamical TAP equations for Ising spin glasses obeying both synchronous and asynchronous dynamics using a generating functional approach. The system can have an asymmetric coupling matrix, and the external fields can be time-dependent. In the synchronously updated model, the TAP...... equations take the form of self consistent equations for magnetizations at time t+1, given the magnetizations at time t. In the asynchronously updated model, the TAP equations determine the time derivatives of the magnetizations at each time, again via self consistent equations, given the current values...... of the magnetizations. Numerical simulations suggest that the TAP equations become exact for large systems....

Specific Lipids Modulate the Transporter Associated with Antigen Processing (TAP)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scholz, C.; Parcej, D.; Ejsing, C. S.

2011-01-01

and structural analysis of this ATP-binding cassette complex, we established the overexpression of TAP in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. Screening of optimal solubilization and purification conditions allowed the isolation of the heterodimeric transport complex, yielding 30 mg of TAP/liter of culture....... Detailed analysis of TAP function in the membrane, solubilized, purified, and reconstituted states revealed a direct influence of the native lipid environment on activity. TAP-associated phospholipids, essential for function, were profiled by liquid chromatography Fourier transform mass spectrometry...

Paired Synchronous Rhythmic Finger Tapping without an External Timing Cue Shows Greater Speed Increases Relative to Those for Solo Tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Okano, Masahiro; Shinya, Masahiro; Kudo, Kazutoshi

2017-03-09

In solo synchronization-continuation (SC) tasks, intertap intervals (ITI) are known to drift from the initial tempo. It has been demonstrated that people in paired and group contexts modulate their action timing unconsciously in various situations such as choice reaction tasks, rhythmic body sway, and hand clapping in concerts, which suggests the possibility that ITI drift is also affected by paired context. We conducted solo and paired SC tapping experiments with three tempos (75, 120, and 200 bpm) and examined whether tempo-keeping performance changed according to tempo and/or the number of players. Results indicated that those tapping in the paired conditions were faster, relative to those observed in the solo conditions, for all tempos. For the faster participants, the degree of ITI drift in the solo conditions was strongly correlated with that in the paired conditions. Regression analyses suggested that both faster and slower participants adapted their tap timing to that of their partners. A possible explanation for these results is that the participants reset the phase of their internal clocks according to the faster beat between their own tap and the partners' tap. Our results indicated that paired context could bias the direction of ITI drift toward decreasing.

75 FR 65453 - Certain Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon Quality Steel Flat Products From Brazil: Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-25

... Nucor Corporation (Nucor) and United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel), domestic producers of hot..., the Department received requests from Nucor and U.S. Steel (collectively, domestic producers), that... July 6, 2010 (CBP Memo). On July 22, 2010, and July 23, 2010, respectively, Nucor and U.S. Steel timely...

Technical Assistance Plan (TAP)

Science.gov (United States)

A Technical Assistance Plan (TAP) enables community groups to retain the services of an independent technical advisor and to provide resources for a community group to help inform other community members about site decisions.

The neural substrates of impaired finger tapping regularity after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Calautti, Cinzia; Jones, P Simon; Guincestre, Jean-Yves; Naccarato, Marcello; Sharma, Nikhil; Day, Diana J; Carpenter, T Adrian; Warburton, Elizabeth A; Baron, Jean-Claude

2010-03-01

Not only finger tapping speed, but also tapping regularity can be impaired after stroke, contributing to reduced dexterity. The neural substrates of impaired tapping regularity after stroke are unknown. Previous work suggests damage to the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) and prefrontal cortex (PFCx) affects externally-cued hand movement. We tested the hypothesis that these two areas are involved in impaired post-stroke tapping regularity. In 19 right-handed patients (15 men/4 women; age 45-80 years; purely subcortical in 16) partially to fully recovered from hemiparetic stroke, tri-axial accelerometric quantitative assessment of tapping regularity and BOLD fMRI were obtained during fixed-rate auditory-cued index-thumb tapping, in a single session 10-230 days after stroke. A strong random-effect correlation between tapping regularity index and fMRI signal was found in contralesional PMd such that the worse the regularity the stronger the activation. A significant correlation in the opposite direction was also present within contralesional PFCx. Both correlations were maintained if maximal index tapping speed, degree of paresis and time since stroke were added as potential confounds. Thus, the contralesional PMd and PFCx appear to be involved in the impaired ability of stroke patients to fingertap in pace with external cues. The findings for PMd are consistent with repetitive TMS investigations in stroke suggesting a role for this area in affected-hand movement timing. The inverse relationship with tapping regularity observed for the PFCx and the PMd suggests these two anatomically-connected areas negatively co-operate. These findings have implications for understanding the disruption and reorganization of the motor systems after stroke. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analgesic effect of bilateral subcostal tap block after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karam, K.; Khan, B.I.

2018-01-01

Pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is mild to moderate in intensity. Several modalities are employed for achieving safe and effective postoperative analgesia, the benefits of which adds to the early recovery of the patients. As a part of multimodal analgesia, various approaches of Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has been used for management of parietal and incisional components of pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study was designed to compare the analgesic efficacy of two different approaches of ultrasound guided TAP block, i.e., Subcostal-TAP block technique with ultrasound guided Posterior-TAP block for post-operative pain management in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia. Methods: In this double blinded randomized controlled study, consecutive nonprobability sampling was done and a total of 126 patients admitted for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected. After induction of general anaesthesia, patients were randomized through draw method and received either ultrasound guided posterior TAP block with 0.375% bupivacaine (20ml volume) on each side of the abdomen or subcostal TAP block bilaterally with the same. Up to 24 hours postoperatively, static and dynamic numeric rating pain scores were assessed. Results: We found statistically significant difference in mean static pain scores over 24 hours postoperatively in subcostal TAP group, suggesting improved analgesia. However, mean dynamic postoperative pain scores were comparable between the two groups. Whereas, patients in both groups were satisfied with pain management. Conclusions: Ultrasound guided subcostal TAP block provides better postoperative analgesia as compared to the Posterior TAP block in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Otherwise both of the approaches improve patient outcomes towards early recovery and discharge from hospital. (author)

Astronomy on Tap: science engagement in the pub

Science.gov (United States)

Livermore, Rachael C.; Silverman, Jeffrey Michael

2015-08-01

Astronomy on Tap is a series of free lectures by astronomers in the pub, aimed at disseminating the latest research to the public in an informal setting. Started in New York City in 2013, Astronomy on Tap has now expanded to seven cities across North and South America. Organized by local astronomers, each event features talks by astronomers from local institutions or visitors, or others whose professions or hobbies intersect with astronomy, along with games and opportunities for the public to interact with professional astronomers. The largest Astronomy on Tap events are in Austin, Texas, attracting over 150 people each month, which consists of populations outside of the self-selected groups that might be reached by more formal EPO activities. The organisers of Astronomy on Tap in Austin (AoTATX) will discuss the impact of and feedback from all of the locations, and present information on setting up new satellite locations.

Transversus abdominal plane (TAP) block for postoperative pain management: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakobsson, Jan; Wickerts, Liselott; Forsberg, Sune; Ledin, Gustaf

2015-01-01

Transversus abdominal plane (TAP) block has a long history and there is currently extensive clinical experience around TAP blocks. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of the present evidence on the effects of TAP block and to provide suggestions for further studies. There are several approaches to performing abdominal wall blocks, with the rapid implementation of ultrasound-guided technique facilitating a major difference in TAP block performance. During surgery, an abdominal wall block may also be applied by the surgeon from inside the abdominal cavity. Today, there are more than 11 meta-analyses providing a compiled evidence base around the effects of TAP block. These analyses include different procedures, different techniques of TAP block administration and, importantly, they compare the TAP block with a variety of alternative analgesic regimes. The effects of TAP block during laparoscopic cholecystectomy seem to be equivalent to local infiltration analgesia and also seem to be beneficial during laparoscopic colon resection. The effects of TAP are more pronounced when it is provided prior to surgery and these effects are local anaesthesia dose-dependent. TAP block seems an interesting alternative in patients with, for example, severe obesity where epidural or spinal anaesthesia/analgesia is technically difficult and/or poses a risk. There is an obvious need for further high-quality studies comparing TAP block prior to surgery with local infiltration analgesia, single-shot spinal analgesia, and epidural analgesia. These studies should be procedure-specific and the effects should be evaluated, both regarding short-term pain and analgesic requirement and also including the effects on postoperative nausea and vomiting, recovery of bowel function, ambulation, discharge, and protracted recovery outcomes (assessed by e.g., postoperative quality of recovery scale).

Computerized measures of finger tapping: effects of hand dominance, age, and sex.

Science.gov (United States)

Hubel, Kerry A; Reed, Bruce; Yund, E William; Herron, Timothy J; Woods, David L

2013-06-01

Computerized measures of digit tapping rate were obtained over 3 successive, 10-sec. periods in the right and left index fingers, from a community sample of 1,519 participants (ages 18 to 65 years; 607 men, 912 women). Differences between the dominant and non-dominant hands were found for tapping rate, movement initiation, and button down times, and the decline in tapping rate over the successive, 10-sec. periods. Declines were found in tapping rate in older participants in association with increased intertap variability. Men had higher tapping rates than women in all age ranges. The computerized finger tapping test is an efficient and precise measure of tapping speed and kinetics of potential utility in research and clinical studies of motor performance.

Probing and Tapping: Are We Inserting Pedicle Screws Correctly?

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Vishal; Mesfin, Addisu; Lee, Robert; Reigrut, Julie; Schmidt, John

2016-11-01

Although there are a significant number of research publications on the topic of bone morphology and the strength of bone, the clinical significance of a failed pedicle screw is often revision surgery and the potential for further postoperative complications; especially in elderly patients with osteoporotic bone. The purpose of this report is to quantify the mechanical strength of the foam-screw interface by assessing probe/pilot hole diameter and tap sizes using statistically relevant sample sizes under highly controlled test conditions. The study consisted of two experiments and used up to three different densities of reference-grade polyurethane foam (ASTM 1839), including 0.16, 0.24, and 0.32 g/cm 3 . All screws and rods were provided by K2M Inc. and screws were inserted to a depth of 25 mm. A series of pilot holes, 1.5, 2.2, 2.7, 3.2, 3.7, 4.2, 5.0, and 6.0 mm in diameter were drilled through the entire depth of the material. A 6.5 × 45-mm pedicle screw was inserted and axially pulled from the material (n = 720). A 3.0-mm pilot hole was drilled and tapped with: no tap, 3.5-, 4.5-, 5.5-, and 6.5-mm taps. A 6.5 × 45-mm pedicle screw was inserted and axially pulled from the material (n = 300). The size of the probe/pilot hole had a nonlinear, parabolic effect on pullout strength. This shape suggests an optimum-sized probe hole for a given size pedicle screw. Too large or too small of a probe hole causes a rapid falloff in pullout strength. The tap data demonstrated that not tapping and undertapping by two or three sizes did not significantly alter the pullout strength of the screws. The data showed an exponential falloff of pullout strength when as tap size increased to the diameter of the screw. In the current study, the data show that an ideal pilot hole size half the diameter of the screw is a starting point. Also, that if tapping was necessary, to use a tap two sizes smaller than the screw being implanted. A similar optimum pilot hole or tap size may be

Evaluations of different domestic hot water preparing methods with ultra-low-temperature district heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2016-01-01

This study investigated the performances of five different substation configurations in single-family houses supplied with ULTDH (ultra-low-temperature district heating). The temperature at the heat plant is 46 °C and around 40 °C at the substations. To avoid the proliferation of Legionella in the DHW (domestic hot water) and assure the comfortable temperature, all substations were installed with supplementary heating devices. Detailed measurements were taken in the substations, including the electricity demand of the supplementary heating devices. To compare the energy and economic performance of the substations, separate models were built based on standard assumptions. The relative heat and electricity delivered for preparing DHW were calculated. The results showed that substations with storage tanks and heat pumps have high relative electricity demand, which leads to higher integrated costs considering both heat and electricity for DHW preparation. The substations with in-line electric heaters have low relative electricity usage because very little heat is lost due to the instantaneous DHW preparation. Accordingly, the substations with in-line electric heaters would have the lowest energy cost for DHW preparation. To achieve optimal design and operation for the ULTDH substation, the electricity peak loads of the in-line electric heaters were analysed according to different DHW-heating strategies. - Highlights: • Five different substations supplied with ultra-low-temperature district heating were measured. • The relative heat and electricity delivered for DHW preparation were modelled for different substations. • The levelized cost of the five substations in respect of DHW preparation was calculated. • The feasibility of applying instantaneous electric heater with normal power supply was tested.

Real time kernel performance monitoring with SystemTap

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2018-01-01

SystemTap is a dynamic method of monitoring and tracing the operation of a running Linux kernel. In this talk I will present a few practical use cases where SystemTap allowed me to turn otherwise complex userland monitoring tasks in simple kernel probes.

Manufacturing and mechanical property test of the large-scale oxide dispersion strengthened martensitic mother tube by hot isostatic pressing and hot extrusion process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narita, Takeshi; Ukai, Shigeharu; Kaito, Takeji; Ohtsuka, Satoshi; Fujiwara, Masayuki

2003-09-01

Mass production capability of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) ferritic steel cladding (9Cr) is evaluated in the Phase II of the Feasibility Studies on Commercialized Fast Reactor Cycle System. The cost for manufacturing mother tube is a dominant factor in the total cost for manufacturing ODS ferritic cladding. In this study, the large-scale 9Cr-ODS martensitic mother tube was produced by overseas supplier with mass production equipments for commercialized ODS steels. The process of manufacturing the ODS mother tube consists of raw material powder production, mechanical alloying by high energy ball mill, hot isostatic pressing(HIP), and hot extrusion. Following results were obtained in this study. (1) Micro structure of the ODS steels is equivalent to that of domestic products, and fine oxides are uniformly distributed. The mechanical alloying by large capacity (1 ton) ball mill can be satisfactorily carried out. (2) A large scale mother tube (65 mm OD x 48 mm ID x 10,000 mm L), which can produce about 60 pieces of 3 m length ODS ferritic claddings by four times cold rolling, have been successfully manufactured through HIP and Hot Extrusion process. (3) Rough surface of the mother tubes produced in this study can be improved by selecting the reasonable hot extrusion condition. (4) Hardness and tensile strength of the manufactured ODS steels are lower than domestic products with same chemical composition. This is owing to the high aluminum content in the product, and those properties could be improved by decreasing the aluminum content in the raw material powder. (author)

Largest solar installation on a hotel in Switzerland; Groesste Hotel-Solaranlage der Schweiz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stadelmann, M.

2008-07-01

This article describes the solar thermal installation on the Hotel Europa in St. Moritz-Champfer, Switzerland. The installation provides heat energy for domestic hot water preparation and for the heating of the hotel's indoor swimming pool. A thirty-percent reduction of heating oil consumption has been obtained. The system, which is based on the 'low-flow' principle, provides the highest possible temperature difference while using low pumping energy. The hotel's hot-water circulation system, which ensures fast availability of hot water at the taps, is also discussed. This largest hotel solar installation is designed to meet heating and hot-water requirements during the summer season. The high requirements placed on the materials used are discussed. Schematics are provided and first operational experience is briefly discussed.

Ideomotor effects of pitch on continuation tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Ammirante, Paolo; Thompson, William F; Russo, Frank A

2011-02-01

The ideomotor principle predicts that perception will modulate action where overlap exists between perceptual and motor representations of action. This effect is demonstrated with auditory stimuli. Previous perceptual evidence suggests that pitch contour and pitch distance in tone sequences may elicit tonal motion effects consistent with listeners' implicit awareness of the lawful dynamics of locomotive bodies. To examine modulating effects of perception on action, participants in a continuation tapping task produced a steady tempo. Auditory tones were triggered by each tap. Pitch contour randomly and persistently varied within trials. Pitch distance between successive tones varied between trials. Although participants were instructed to ignore them, tones systematically affected finger dynamics and timing. Where pitch contour implied positive acceleration, the following tap and the intertap interval (ITI) that it completed were faster. Where pitch contour implied negative acceleration, the following tap and the ITI that it completed were slower. Tempo was faster with greater pitch distance. Musical training did not predict the magnitude of these effects. There were no generalized effects on timing variability. Pitch contour findings demonstrate how tonal motion may elicit the spontaneous production of accents found in expressive music performance.

Chapter 12. Pure Tap Water Hydraulic Systems and Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conrad, Finn; Adelstorp, Anders

1997-01-01

Presentation of developed a modern pure tap water hydraulic components (Nessie), systems and industrial applications.......Presentation of developed a modern pure tap water hydraulic components (Nessie), systems and industrial applications....

Tap Water Hydraulic Systems for Medium Power Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conrad, Finn; Adelstorp, Anders

1998-01-01

Presentation of new range of developed tap water hydraulic componets and applications for medium power up to 4 kW and 50 bar.......Presentation of new range of developed tap water hydraulic componets and applications for medium power up to 4 kW and 50 bar....

Preliminary design package for solar heating and hot water system

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

The preliminary design review on the development of a multi-family solar heating and domestic hot water prototype system is presented. The report contains the necessary information to evaluate the system. The system consists of the following subsystems: collector, storage, transport, control and Government-furnished site data acquisition.

Synchronized tapping facilitates learning sound sequences as indexed by the P300.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamiyama, Keiko S; Okanoya, Kazuo

2014-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether and how single finger tapping in synchrony with sound sequences contributed to the auditory processing of them. The participants learned two unfamiliar sound sequences via different methods. In the tapping condition, they learned an auditory sequence while they tapped in synchrony with each sound onset. In the no tapping condition, they learned another sequence while they kept pressing a key until the sequence ended. After these learning sessions, we presented the two melodies again and recorded event-related potentials (ERPs). During the ERP recordings, 10% of the tones within each melody deviated from the original tones. An analysis of the grand average ERPs showed that deviant stimuli elicited a significant P300 in the tapping but not in the no-tapping condition. In addition, the significance of the P300 effect in the tapping condition increased as the participants showed highly synchronized tapping behavior during the learning sessions. These results indicated that single finger tapping promoted the conscious detection and evaluation of deviants within the learned sequences. The effect was related to individuals' musical ability to coordinate their finger movements along with external auditory events.

Eliciting Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials by Bone-Conducted Vibration via Various Tapping Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Chia-Chen; Young, Yi-Ho

2016-01-01

This study compared bone-conducted vibration (BCV) cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) via tapping at various skull sites in healthy subjects and patients with vestibular migraine (VM) to optimize stimulation conditions. Twenty healthy subjects underwent a series of cVEMP tests by BCV tapping via a minishaker at the Fz (forehead), Cz (vertex), and inion (occiput) sites in a randomized order of tapping sites. Another 20 VM patients were also enrolled in this study for comparison. All 20 healthy subjects had clear BCV cVEMPs when tapping at the inion (100%) or Cz (100%), but not at the Fz (75%). Mean p13 and n23 latencies from the Cz tapping were significantly longer than those from the Fz tapping, but not longer than those from the inion tapping. Unlike healthy subjects, tapping at the Cz (95%) elicited a significantly higher response rate of present cVEMPs than tapping at the inion (78%) in 20 VM patients (40 ears), because seven of nine VM ears with absent cVEMPs by inion tapping turned out to be present cVEMPs by Cz tapping. While both inion and Cz tapping elicited 100% response rate of cVEMPs for healthy individuals, Cz tapping had a higher response rate of cVEMPs than inion tapping for the VM group. In cases of total loss of saccular function, cVEMPs could not be activated by either inion or Cz tapping. However, if residual saccular function remains, Cz tapping may activate saccular afferents more efficiently than inion tapping.

Feasible voltage-tap based quench detection in a Ag/Bi-2212 coil enabled by fast 3D normal zone propagation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Tengming; Ye, Liyang; Li, Pei

2016-01-01

For this study, small insert solenoids have been built using a commercial Ag/Bi-2212 multifilamentary round wire, insulated with a new thin TiO 2 – polymer coating insulation (thickness in ~20 μm versus ~100 μm for a commonly used mullite braided sleeve insulation), and characterized in background magnetic field up to 14 T at 4.2 K to explore the high-field performance and quench detection of Bi-2212 magnets. The coil has no visible leakage and no electrical shorts after reaction, and it carries 280 A/mm -2 in a background field 14 T and generates an additional 1.7 T. A notable result is that, despite normal zones propagate slowly along the conductor, the hot spot temperature upon detection increases only from 40 K to 60 K when the resistive quench detection voltage threshold increases from 0.1 V to 1 V for all operating current density investigated, showing that quench detection using voltage taps is feasible for this coil. This is in a strong contrast to a coil we previously built to the same specifications but from wires insulated with the mullite braided sleeve insulation, for which the hot spot temperature upon detection increases from ~80 K to ~140 K while increasing from the detection voltage threshold from 0.1 V to 1 V, and thus for which quench detection using voltage taps presents significant risks, consistent with the common belief that the effectiveness of quench detection using voltage taps for superconducting magnets built using high temperature superconductors is seriously compromised by their slow normal zone propagation. This striking difference is ascribed to the fast transverse quench propagation enabled by thin insulation and improved thermal coupling between conductor turns. Finally, this work demonstrates that quench detection for high-temperature superconducting magnets highly depends on the design and construction of the coils such as insulation materials used and this dependence should be factored into the overall magnet design

Hydraulic Systems with Tap Water versus Bio-oils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conrad, Finn

1997-01-01

Deals with the advantages of using pure tap water hydraulics versus bio-oils for suiteable applications. Focus is in particular on food processing industry.......Deals with the advantages of using pure tap water hydraulics versus bio-oils for suiteable applications. Focus is in particular on food processing industry....

TAp63 suppress metastasis via miR-133b in colon cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, C W; Li, X R; Zhang, Y; Hu, G; Guo, Y H; Zhou, J Y; Du, J; Lv, L; Gao, K; Zhang, Y; Deng, H

2014-04-29

TAp63 is a tumour-suppressor protein that is often underexpressed in various types of cancer. It has been shown to activate gene transcription depending on the transcription domain and to be closely related with metastasis. In this study, we demonstrate that TAp63 suppresses metastasis in colon cancer cells through microRNA-133b. We evaluated the correlation of TAp63 and miR-133b with HT-29 and SW-620 cells and investigated the roles of TAp63 in the expression of RhoA, E-cadherin and vimentin. We further investigated the roles of TAp63-mediated invasion and migration of colon cancer cells. TAp63 expression is downregulated in colon cancer, and microRNA-133b is a transcriptional target of TAp63. Furthermore, microRNA-133b is essential for the inhibitory effects of TAp63 on RhoA, E-cadherin and vimentin. Moreover, TAp63 inhibits cell migration and invasion through microRNA-133b. Correspondingly, the inhibitory effect of TAp63 on RhoA, E-cadherin, vimentin, migration and invasion can be blocked by the microRNA-133b inhibitor. TAp63 and microRNA-133b were able to suppress the metastasis of colon cancer. Both TAp63 and microRNA-133b may be potential biomarkers for diagnosis in colon cancer metastasis and may provide unique therapeutic targets for this common malignancy.

Bimanual tapping of a syncopated rhythm reveals hemispheric preferences for relative movement frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pflug, Anja; Gompf, Florian; Kell, Christian Alexander

2017-08-01

In bimanual multifrequency tapping, right-handers commonly use the right hand to tap the relatively higher rate and the left hand to tap the relatively lower rate. This could be due to hemispheric specializations for the processing of relative frequencies. An extension of the double-filtering-by-frequency theory to motor control proposes a left hemispheric specialization for the control of relatively high and a right hemispheric specialization for the control of relatively low tapping rates. We investigated timing variability and rhythmic accentuation in right handers tapping mono- and multifrequent bimanual rhythms to test the predictions of the double-filtering-by-frequency theory. Yet, hemispheric specializations for the processing of relative tapping rates could be masked by a left hemispheric dominance for the control of known sequences. Tapping was thus either performed in an overlearned quadruple meter (tap of the slow rhythm on the first auditory beat) or in a syncopated quadruple meter (tap of the slow rhythm on the fourth auditory beat). Independent of syncopation, the right hand outperformed the left hand in timing accuracy for fast tapping. A left hand timing benefit for slow tapping rates as predicted by the double-filtering-by-frequency theory was only found in the syncopated tapping group. This suggests a right hemisphere preference for the control of slow tapping rates when rhythms are not overlearned. Error rates indicate that overlearned rhythms represent hierarchically structured meters that are controlled by a single timer that could potentially reside in the left hemisphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HIGH PERFORMANCE TAPS FOR CUTTING THREADS IN DIFFICULT TO MACHINE MATERIALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. R. Akhmedova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. This article explores in detail questions of instrument operation function of tapping internal threads in hard materials. The existing relationship between vibration system amplitude and tool durability is indicated; on this basis, it is determined that the best course for improving the durability performance is increasing vibratory resistance. Based on a critical analysis of existing designs with consideration of their flaws, the development of new technological designs of taps is tasked with ensuring stable operation when handling hard materials. Methods. It is noteworthy that one of the main vibration resistance improvement methods of the tool is to reduce the contact area of the tool with the work piece in the cutting zone. Methods are proposed for improving the vibration resistance of taps, considering the correlation adjustment of tap teeth in order to completely eliminate friction at the sides of the thread cutting surface and uneven implementation flute cutting steps. Results. The idea of increasing vibration resistance has seen the new development of vibration-proof tap designs, heralded as innovations due to the accuracy of thread cutting and durability achieved by reducing the thread contact area with the work piece in the cutting zone. Increased vibration resistance is achieved in the modified taps through high correction by means of thread side downgrading of the coarse tap cone by an additional angle of 30º. In another design, the stylus provided with uneven angular spacing. Test results of designed taps machined in corrosion-resistant 1Kh18N9T steel. A manifold increase in tool durability was achieved due to its high vibration resistance. Conclusions. The redesigned taps have a number of advantages, characterised by a high resistance when processing difficult materials and an insignificant increase in the complexity of their manufacture compared with standard taps. Therefore they can be recommended for large

TAP1-deficiency does not alter atherosclerosis development in Apoe-/- mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Kolbus

Full Text Available Antigen presenting cells (APC have the ability to present both extra-cellular and intra-cellular antigens via MHC class I molecules to CD8(+ T cells. The cross presentation of extra-cellular antigens is reduced in mice with deficient Antigen Peptide Transporter 1 (TAP1-dependent MHC class I antigen presentation, and these mice are characterized by a diminished CD8(+ T cell population. We have recently reported an increased activation of CD8(+ T cells in hypercholesterolemic Apoe(-/- mice. Therefore, this study included TAP1-deficient Apoe(-/- mice (Apoe(-/-Tap1(-/- to test the atherogenicity of CD8(+ T cells and TAP1-dependent cross presentation in a hypercholesterolemic environment. As expected the CD8(+ T cell numbers were low in Apoe(-/-Tap1(-/- mice in comparison to Apoe(-/- mice, constituting ~1% of the lymphocyte population. In spite of this there were no differences in the extent of atherosclerosis as assessed by en face Oil Red O staining of the aorta and cross-sections of the aortic root between Apoe(-/-Tap1(-/- and Apoe(-/- mice. Moreover, no differences were detected in lesion infiltration of macrophages or CD3(+ T cells in Apoe(-/-Tap1(-/- compared to Apoe(-/- mice. The CD3(+CD4(+ T cell fraction was increased in Apoe(-/-Tap1(-/- mice, suggesting a compensation for the decreased CD8(+ T cell population. Interestingly, the fraction of CD8(+ effector memory T cells was increased but this appeared to have little impact on the atherosclerosis development.In conclusion, Apoe(-/-Tap1(-/- mice develop atherosclerosis equal to Apoe(-/- mice, indicating a minor role for CD8(+ T cells and TAP1-dependent antigen presentation in the disease process.

Impact analysis of tap switch out of step for converter transformer

Science.gov (United States)

Hong-yue, ZHANG; Zhen-hua, ZHANG; Zhang-xue, XIONG; Gao-wang, YU

2017-06-01

AC transformer load regulation is mainly used to adjust the load side voltage level, improve the quality of power supply, the voltage range is relatively narrow. In DC system, converter transformer is the core equipment of AC and DC power converter and inverter. converter transformer tap adjustment can maintain the normal operation of the converter in small angle range control, the absorption of reactive power, economic operation, valve less stress, valve damping circuit loss, AC / DC harmonic component is also smaller. In this way, the tap switch action is more frequent, and a large range of the tap switch adjustment is required. Converter transformer with a more load voltage regulation switch, the voltage regulation range of the switch is generally 20~30%, the adjustment of each file is 1%~2%. Recently it is often found that the tap switch of Converter Transformers is out of step in Converter station. In this paper, it is analyzed in detail the impact of tap switch out of step for differential protection, overexcitation protection and zero sequence over current protection. Analysis results show that: the tap switch out of step has no effect on the differential protection and the overexcitation protection including the tap switch. But the tap switch out of step has effect on zero sequence overcurrent protection of out of step star-angle converter transformer. The zero sequence overcurrent protection will trip when the tap switch out of step is greater than 3 for out of step star-angle converter transformer.

A statistical characterization of the finger tapping test: modeling, estimation, and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Daniel; McNames, James; Klein, Krystal; Jimison, Holly; Pavel, Misha

2015-03-01

Sensory-motor performance is indicative of both cognitive and physical function. The Halstead-Reitan finger tapping test is a measure of sensory-motor speed commonly used to assess function as part of a neuropsychological evaluation. Despite the widespread use of this test, the underlying motor and cognitive processes driving tapping behavior during the test are not well characterized or understood. This lack of understanding may make clinical inferences from test results about health or disease state less accurate because important aspects of the task such as variability or fatigue are unmeasured. To overcome these limitations, we enhanced the tapper with a sensor that enables us to more fully characterize all the aspects of tapping. This modification enabled us to decompose the tapping performance into six component phases and represent each phase with a set of parameters having clear functional interpretation. This results in a set of 29 total parameters for each trial, including change in tapping over time, and trial-to-trial and tap-to-tap variability. These parameters can be used to more precisely link different aspects of cognition or motor function to tapping behavior. We demonstrate the benefits of this new instrument with a simple hypothesis-driven trial comparing single and dual-task tapping.

Finger tapping and pre-attentive sensorimotor timing in adults with ADHD.

Science.gov (United States)

Hove, Michael J; Gravel, Nickolas; Spencer, Rebecca M C; Valera, Eve M

2017-12-01

Sensorimotor timing deficits are considered central to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the tasks establishing timing impairments often involve interconnected processes, including low-level sensorimotor timing and higher level executive processes such as attention. Thus, the source of timing deficits in ADHD remains unclear. Low-level sensorimotor timing can be isolated from higher level processes in a finger-tapping task that examines the motor response to unexpected shifts of metronome onsets. In this study, adults with ADHD and ADHD-like symptoms (n = 25) and controls (n = 26) performed two finger-tapping tasks. The first assessed tapping variability in a standard tapping task (metronome-paced and unpaced). In the other task, participants tapped along with a metronome that contained unexpected shifts (±15, 50 ms); the timing adjustment on the tap following the shift captures pre-attentive sensorimotor timing (i.e., phase correction) and thus should be free of potential higher order confounds (e.g., attention). In the standard tapping task, as expected, the ADHD group had higher timing variability in both paced and unpaced tappings. However, in the pre-attentive task, performance did not differ between the ADHD and control groups. Together, results suggest that low-level sensorimotor timing and phase correction are largely preserved in ADHD and that some timing impairments observed in ADHD may stem from higher level factors (such as sustained attention).

Chapter 13. Industrial Application of Tap Water Hydraulic Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conrad, Finn; Adelstorp, Anders

1997-01-01

Design and application of modern pure tap water components and systems in industries, in particular food processing industry.......Design and application of modern pure tap water components and systems in industries, in particular food processing industry....

Study of non-domestic applications for active solar heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stammers, J.R.

1997-11-01

The UK Department of Trade and Industry (through ETSU) commissioned this study as part of its active solar programme. It was carried out from October 1996 to June 1997. The objective was to assess the potential for the use of active solar heating in non-domestic applications. The study was carried out by searching the literature, carrying out case studies and interviewing members of the solar industry and experts in other fields. There are currently about 45-50 active solar non-domestic schemes in operation in the UK, mostly for heating tap water in buildings of different types. The biggest potential for future non-domestic sales also lies in solar water heating for buildings. Most of the opportunities seem to be in the following building types: ablutions blocks in caravan and holiday camps, sheltered flats and hostels, nursing homes, office buildings, hotels and guest houses, and schools occupied during the summer. There are some other building types which might present niche markets for solar water heating. The market for active solar systems in space heating and cooling appears to be negligible. There is one other market for active solar heating in the non-domestic building sector. This is for warming water used to maintain stand-by generators at a temperature which allows them to kick in without delay in the event of a mains power failure. The main market is in buildings housing computers which control the provision of vital services, e.g. electricity, water and gas. (author)

Three tapasin docking sites in TAP cooperate to facilitate transporter stabilization and heterodimerization

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Ralf M.; Abrahimi, Parwiz; Mitchell, Susan M.; Cresswell, Peter

2014-01-01

The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) translocates peptide antigens into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for loading onto major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. MHC class I acquires its peptide cargo in the peptide loading complex (PLC), an oligomeric complex that the chaperone tapasin organizes by bridging TAP to MHC class I and recruiting accessory molecules such as ERp57 and calreticulin. Three tapasin binding sites on TAP have been described, two of which are located in the N-terminal domains (N domains) of TAP1 and TAP2. The third binding site is present in the core transmembrane domain (coreTMD) of TAP1 and is only used by the unassembled subunits. Tapasin is required to promote TAP stability, but through which binding site(s) it is acting is unknown. In particular the role of tapasin binding to the coreTMD of TAP1 single chains is mysterious as this interaction is lost upon TAP2 association. In this study, we map the respective binding site in TAP1 to the polar face of the amphipathic transmembrane helix TM9 and identify key residues that are essential to establish the interaction. We find that this interaction is dispensable for the peptide transport function but essential to achieve full stability of human TAP1. The interaction is also required for proper heterodimerization of the transporter. Based on similar results obtained using TAP mutants lacking tapasin binding to either N domain, we conclude that all three tapasin-binding sites in TAP cooperate to achieve high transporter stability and efficient heterodimerization. PMID:24501197

Thermal Stratification in Small Solar Domestic Storage Tanks caused by Draw-offs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jordan, Ulrike; Furbo, Simon

2005-01-01

As shown in many research studies in the past, the thermal stratification of the tank caused by draw-offs has a high impact on the performance of a Solar Domestic Hot Water (SDHW) system. Nevertheless, in most tank models for system simulations the influence of the draw-off pattern on the mixing...... behaviour is not taken into account sufficiently. Two typical Danish domestic water storage tanks, each with a volume of about 150 l, were investigated. In both tanks the inlet pipes are placed at the bottom and hot water is drawn from the upper part of tank. Above the inlet pipes, differently shaped plates...... are placed in order to reduce the mixing of the incoming cold water with the warmer storage water. To measure the thermal stratification thermocouples were placed in a vertical glass tube inside the tank. Measurements were carried out with different draw-off volumes, flow rates, and initial temperatures...

A Direct Heat Exchanger Unit used for Domestic Hot Water Supply in a Single-family House Supplied by Low Energy District Heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brand, Marek; Thorsen, Jan Eric; Svendsen, Svend

2010-01-01

The increasing number of new and renovated buildings with reduced heating requirements will soon make traditional District Heating (DH) systems uneconomic. To keep DH competitive in the future, the heat loss in DH networks needs to be reduced. One option is to reduce the supply temperature of DH...... as much as possible. This requires a review of the behaviour of the whole domestic hot water (DHW) supply system with focus on the user comfort and overall costs. This paper describes some practical approaches to the implementation of this Low Energy District Heating (LEDH) concept. It reports...... on the testing of the dynamic behaviour of an Instantaneous Heat Exchanger Unit(IHEU) designed for DHW heating and space heating in detached family houses supplied by LEDH ensuring an entry-to-substation temperature of 51 °C. We measured the time it takes for the IHEU to produce DHW with a temperature of 42 °C...

Finger and foot tapping sensor system for objective motor assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đurić-Jovičić Milica

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Finger tapping test is commonly used in neurological examinations as a test of motor performance. The new system comprising inertial and force sensors and custom proprietary software was developed for quantitative estimation and assessment of finger and foot tapping tests. The aim of this system was to provide diagnosis support and objective assessment of motor function. Methods. Miniature inertial sensors were placed on fingertips and used for measuring finger movements. A force sensor was placed on the fingertip of one finger, in order to measure the force during tapping. For foot tapping assessment, an inertial sensor was mounted on the subject’s foot, which was placed above a force platform. By using this system, various parameters such as a number of taps, tapping duration, rhythm, open and close speed, the applied force and tapping angle, can be extracted for detailed analysis of a patient’s motor performance. The system was tested on 13 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 14 healthy controls. Results. The system allowed easy measurement of listed parameters, and additional graphical representation showed quantitative differences in these parameters between neurological patient and healthy subjects. Conclusion. The novel system for finger and foot tapping test is compact, simple to use and efficiently collects patient data. Parameters measured in patients can be compared to those measured in healthy subjects, or among groups of patients, or used to monitor progress of the disease, or therapy effects. Created data and scores could be used together with the scores from clinical tests, providing the possibility for better insight into the diagnosis. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 175090 and Grant no. 175016

Cold-Climate Solar Domestic Hot Water Systems Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burch, J.; Salasovich, J.; Hillman, T.

2005-11-01

The Solar Heating and Lighting Sub-program has set the key goal to reduce the cost of saved energy [Csav, defined as (total cost, $)/(total discounted savings, kWh_thermal)] for solar domestic water heaters (SDWH) by at least 50%. To determine if this goal is attainable and prioritize R&D for cold-climate SDWH, life-cycle analyses were done with hypothetical lower-cost components in glycol, drainback, and thermosiphon systems. Balance-of-system (BOS, everything but the collector) measures included replacing metal components with polymeric versions and system simplification. With all BOS measures in place, Csav could be reduced more than 50% with a low-cost, selectively-coated, glazed polymeric collector, and slightly less than 50% with either a conventional selective metal-glass or a non-selective glazed polymer collector. The largest percent reduction in Csav comes from replacing conventional pressurized solar storage tanks and metal heat exchangers with un-pressurized polymer tanks with immersed polymer heat exchangers, which could be developed with relatively low-risk R&D.

Rate of Legionella pneumophila colonization in hospital hot water network after time flow taps installation.

Science.gov (United States)

Totaro, M; Valentini, P; Costa, A L; Giorgi, S; Casini, B; Baggiani, A

2018-01-01

In hospital water systems legionellae may be resistant to disinfectants in pipework, which is a problem particularly in areas where there is low flow or stagnation of water. We evaluated legionella colonization of a water network of an Italian hospital after time flow taps (TFTs) installation in proximity to dead legs. The water volume flushed was 64 L/day from May 2016, and 192 L/day from December 2016. Before TFTs installation, Legionella pneumophila sg2-14 was detected in all points (4 × 10 4  ± 3.1 × 10 4  cfu/L). All sites remained positive (2.9 × 10 4  ± 1.9 × 10 4  cfu/L) through November 2016. From December 2016 legionella persisted in one point only (2 × 10 2 to 6.8 × 10 3  cfu/L). TFTs with chemical disinfection may reduce legionella colonization associated with dead legs. Copyright © 2017 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic analysis of vapor compression heat pump cycle for tap water heating and development of CO_2 heat pump water heater for residential use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saikawa, Michiyuki; Koyama, Shigeru

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The ideal vapor compression cycle for tap water heating and its COP were defined. • It was verified theoretically that CO_2 achieves the highest COP for tap water heating. • The prototype of CO_2 heat pump water heater for residential use was developed. • Further COP improvement of CO_2 heat pump water heater was estimated. - Abstract: The ideal vapor compression cycle for tap water heating and its coefficient of performance (COP) have been studied theoretically at first. The ideal cycle is defined as the cycle whose high temperature heat source varies temperature with constant specific heat and other processes are same as the reverse Carnot cycle. The COP upper limit of single stage compression heat pump cycle for tap water heating with various refrigerants such as fluorocarbons and natural refrigerants was calculated. The refrigerant which achieves the highest COP for supplying hot water is CO_2. Next, the prototype of CO_2 heat pump water heater for residential use has been developed. Its outline and experimental results are described. Finally its further possibility of COP improvement has been studied. The COP considered a limit from a technical point of view was estimated about 6.0 at the Japanese shoulder season (spring and autumn) test condition of heating water from 17 °C to 65 °C at 16 °C heat source air temperature (dry bulb)/12 °C (wet bulb).

Evaluation of disinfectants in the domestic environment under 'in use' conditions.

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Scott, E.; Bloomfield, S. F.; Barlow, C. G.

1984-01-01

An 'in use' test was developed to investigate effectiveness of disinfectant application and of detergent of hot water cleaning at kitchen, bathroom and toilet sites in the domestic environment. Detergent and hot water cleaning produced no observable reduction in microbial contamination. Single and daily application tests demonstrated that hypochlorite and phenolic disinfectants can be used to produce substantial reductions in bacterial contamination in the home. Results indicate that maximum protection afforded by disinfection is relatively brief; 3-6 h after disinfection, contamination levels were only marginally less than those observed at pretreatment. Some suggestions are made for improvements in home hygiene. PMID:6323576

A computer vision framework for finger-tapping evaluation in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Taha; Nyholm, Dag; Westin, Jerker; Dougherty, Mark

2014-01-01

The rapid finger-tapping test (RFT) is an important method for clinical evaluation of movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD). In clinical practice, the naked-eye evaluation of RFT results in a coarse judgment of symptom scores. We introduce a novel computer-vision (CV) method for quantification of tapping symptoms through motion analysis of index-fingers. The method is unique as it utilizes facial features to calibrate tapping amplitude for normalization of distance variation between the camera and subject. The study involved 387 video footages of RFT recorded from 13 patients diagnosed with advanced PD. Tapping performance in these videos was rated by two clinicians between the symptom severity levels ('0: normal' to '3: severe') using the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale motor examination of finger-tapping (UPDRS-FT). Another set of recordings in this study consisted of 84 videos of RFT recorded from 6 healthy controls. These videos were processed by a CV algorithm that tracks the index-finger motion between the video-frames to produce a tapping time-series. Different features were computed from this time series to estimate speed, amplitude, rhythm and fatigue in tapping. The features were trained in a support vector machine (1) to categorize the patient group between UPDRS-FT symptom severity levels, and (2) to discriminate between PD patients and healthy controls. A new representative feature of tapping rhythm, 'cross-correlation between the normalized peaks' showed strong Guttman correlation (μ2=-0.80) with the clinical ratings. The classification of tapping features using the support vector machine classifier and 10-fold cross validation categorized the patient samples between UPDRS-FT levels with an accuracy of 88%. The same classification scheme discriminated between RFT samples of healthy controls and PD patients with an accuracy of 95%. The work supports the feasibility of the approach, which is presumed suitable for PD monitoring

Ancient and modern DNA reveal dynamics of domestication and cross-continental dispersal of the dromedary

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Almathen, Faisal; Charruau, Pauline; Mohandesan, Elmira; Mwacharo, Joram M.; Orozco-terWengel, Pablo; Pitt, Daniel; Abdussamad, Abdussamad M.; Uerpmann, Margarethe; Uerpmann, Hans-Peter; De Cupere, Bea; Magee, Peter; Alnaqeeb, Majed A.; Salim, Bashir; Raziq, Abdul; Dessie, Tadelle; Abdelhadi, Omer M.; Banabazi, Mohammad H.; Al-Eknah, Marzook; Walzer, Chris; Faye, Bernard; Hofreiter, Michael; Peters, Joris; Hanotte, Olivier

2016-01-01

Dromedaries have been fundamental to the development of human societies in arid landscapes and for long-distance trade across hostile hot terrains for 3,000 y. Today they continue to be an important livestock resource in marginal agro-ecological zones. However, the history of dromedary domestication and the influence of ancient trading networks on their genetic structure have remained elusive. We combined ancient DNA sequences of wild and early-domesticated dromedary samples from arid regions with nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial genotype information from 1,083 extant animals collected across the species’ range. We observe little phylogeographic signal in the modern population, indicative of extensive gene flow and virtually affecting all regions except East Africa, where dromedary populations have remained relatively isolated. In agreement with archaeological findings, we identify wild dromedaries from the southeast Arabian Peninsula among the founders of the domestic dromedary gene pool. Approximate Bayesian computations further support the “restocking from the wild” hypothesis, with an initial domestication followed by introgression from individuals from wild, now-extinct populations. Compared with other livestock, which show a long history of gene flow with their wild ancestors, we find a high initial diversity relative to the native distribution of the wild ancestor on the Arabian Peninsula and to the brief coexistence of early-domesticated and wild individuals. This study also demonstrates the potential to retrieve ancient DNA sequences from osseous remains excavated in hot and dry desert environments. PMID:27162355

A potential candidate for the sustainable and reliable domestic energy generation–Thermoelectric cogeneration system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, X.F.; Yan, Y.Y.; Simpson, K.

2013-01-01

Due to being solid-state, noiseless and maintenance free, thermoelectric devices have found wide applications in different areas since they were discovered over 180 years ago. The applications are concerned with environment-friendly refrigeration and power generation in transportation tools, industrial utilities, military devices, medical services and space applications. It is utilisation of waste heat in varying applications that make the modules particularly attractive. Nevertheless, despite a few academic papers, there has not been extensive use in the domestic sector. A concept of thermoelectric cogeneration system (‘TCS’) is proposed to highlight the direction for enhancing the sustainability by improving the energy efficiency in domestic sector. Compared to the thermoelectric systems used in other areas which only uses the part of converted energy but wastes the unconverted part by dissipating it into the environment, the system presented here maximally recover the available heat by generating electrical power and producing hot water simultaneously. The viability of this system concept is evaluated on a bench-scale experimental prototype. The outputs of electrical power and hot water have been investigated at different temperature difference. The cost saving potential and cost recovery period have been estimated using the available heat sources in domestic sector. The results intend to provide reference for developing the real-scale domestic thermoelectric cogeneration system and show the potential benefits

Vertical Finger Displacement Is Reduced in Index Finger Tapping During Repeated Bout Rate Enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Mora-Jensen, Mark Holten; Madeleine, Pascal; Hansen, Ernst Albin

2017-10-01

The present study analyzed (a) whether a recently reported phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement in finger tapping (i.e., a cumulating increase in freely chosen finger tapping frequency following submaximal muscle activation in the form of externally unloaded voluntary tapping) could be replicated and (b) the hypotheses that the faster tapping was accompanied by changed vertical displacement of the fingertip and changed peak force during tapping. Right-handed, healthy, and recreationally active individuals (n = 24) performed two 3-min index finger tapping bouts at freely chosen tapping frequency, separated by 10-min rest. The recently reported phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement was replicated. The faster tapping (8.8 ± 18.7 taps/min, corresponding to 6.0 ± 11.0%, p = .033) was accompanied by reduced vertical displacement (1.6 ± 2.9 mm, corresponding to 6.3 ± 14.9%, p = .012) of the fingertip. Concurrently, peak force was unchanged. The present study points at separate control mechanisms governing kinematics and kinetics during finger tapping.

Arrhythmokinesis is evident during unimanual not bimanual finger tapping in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Trager, Megan H; Velisar, Anca; Koop, Mandy Miller; Shreve, Lauren; Quinn, Emma; Bronte-Stewart, Helen

2015-01-01

Arrhythmokinesis, the variability in repetitive movements, is a fundamental feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). We hypothesized that unimanual repetitive alternating finger tapping (AFT) would reveal more arrhythmokinesis compared to bimanual single finger alternating hand tapping (SFT), in PD. The variability of inter-strike interval (CVISI) and of amplitude (CVAMP) during AFT and SFT were measured on an engineered, MRI-compatible keyboard in sixteen PD subjects off medication and in twenty-four age-matched controls. The CVISI and CVAMP of the more affected (MA) and less affected (LA) sides in PD subjects were greater during AFT than SFT (P tapping brings out more arrhythmokinesis compared to bimanual, single finger tapping in PDs but not in controls. Arrhythmokinesis during unimanual, alternating finger tapping captured a significant difference between both the MA and LA hands of PD subjects and controls, whereas that during a bimanual, single finger tapping task only distinguished between the MA hand and controls. Arrhythmokinesis underlies freezing of gait and may also underlie the freezing behavior documented in fine motor control if studied using a unimanual alternating finger tapping task.

X-ray microtomography study of the compaction process of rods under tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yang; Xi, Yan; Cao, Yixin; Wang, Yujie

2012-05-01

We present an x-ray microtomography study of the compaction process of cylindrical rods under tapping. The process is monitored by measuring the evolution of the orientational order parameter, local, and overall packing densities as a function of the tapping number for different tapping intensities. The slow relaxation dynamics of the orientational order parameter can be well fitted with a stretched-exponential law with stretching exponents ranging from 0.9 to 1.6. The corresponding relaxation time versus tapping intensity follows an Arrhenius behavior which is reminiscent of the slow dynamics in thermal glassy systems. We also investigated the boundary effect on the ordering process and found that boundary rods order faster than interior ones. In searching for the underlying mechanism of the slow dynamics, we estimated the initial random velocities of the rods under tapping and found that the ordering process is compatible with a diffusion mechanism. The average coordination number as a function of the tapping number at different tapping intensities has also been measured, which spans a range from 6 to 8.

Tap-length optimization of adaptive filters used in stereophonic acoustic echo cancellation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kar, Asutosh; Swamy, M.N.S.

2017-01-01

An adaptive filter with a large number of weights or taps is necessary for stereophonic acoustic echo cancellation (SAEC), depending on the room impulse response and acoustic path where the cancellation is performed. However, a large tap-length results in slow convergence and increases...... the complexity of the tapped delay line structure for FIR adaptive filters. To overcome this problem, there is a need for an optimum tap-length-estimation algorithm that provides better convergence for the adaptive filters used in SAEC. This paper presents a solution to the problem of balancing convergence...... and steady-state performance of long length adaptive filters used for SAEC by proposing a new tap-length-optimization algorithm. The optimum tap length and step size of the adaptive filter are derived considering an impulse response with an exponentially-decaying envelope, which models a wide range...

Tap Testing Hammer using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mason, JaMein DeShon [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ayorinde, Emmanuel Temiloluwa [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Mascarenas, David Dennis [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Moreu, Fernando [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-08-11

This is the final poster for a Student Symposium at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This research describes the development, validation, and testing of a remote concrete tapping mechanism enabled by UAS. The conclusion is the following: The results quantify for the first time concrete tapping data collected remotely with UAS, enabling cost-effective, safer and sustainable upgrade prioritization of railroad bridges inventories.

Role of attractive forces in tapping tip force microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kyhle, Anders; Sørensen, Alexis Hammer; Bohr, Jakob

1997-01-01

We present experimental and numerical results demonstrating the drastic influence of attractive forces on the behaviour of the atomic force microscope when operated in the resonant tapping tip mode in an ambient environment. It is often assumed that tapping is related to repulsive interaction...

HYGIENIC AND HEALTH QUALITY OF HOT BEVERAGES DISTRIBUTED BY VENDING MACHINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Vallone

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The food and beverage vending had in the last 40 years a great development in Italy. From the hygienic and health point of view, the quality of the products distributed by Vending is essentially related to three factors: the quality of raw materials, the quality of tap water and the good working order together with the good cleanliness and hygienic status of equipments. In this work we wanted to test these features. We evaluated microbiological and fungal quality of raw materials (powders, of distributed hot beverages and the used equipments. Despite contamination levels shown by the results of this study, the temperature of the boiler is sufficient to make a significant reduction of bacterial and fungal loads. To obtain satisfactory results on the quality of delivered hot beverages is necessary to apply correct maintenance and cleaning/sanitation procedures of equipments, as well as an appropriate selection of suppliers.

An estimation of finger-tapping rates and load capacities and the effects of various factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekşioğlu, Mahmut; İşeri, Ali

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the finger-tapping rates and finger load capacities of eight fingers (excluding thumbs) for a healthy adult population and investigate the effects of various factors on tapping rate. Finger-tapping rate, the total number of finger taps per unit of time, can be used as a design parameter of various products and also as a psychomotor test for evaluating patients with neurologic problems. A 1-min tapping task was performed by 148 participants with maximum volitional tempo for each of eight fingers. For each of the tapping tasks, the participant with the corresponding finger tapped the associated key in the standard position on the home row of a conventional keyboard for touch typing. The index and middle fingers were the fastest fingers for both hands, and little fingers the slowest. All dominant-hand fingers, except little finger, had higher tapping rates than the fastest finger of the nondominant hand. Tapping rate decreased with age and smokers tapped faster than nonsmokers. Tapping duration and exercise had also significant effect on tapping rate. Normative data of tapping rates and load capacities of eight fingers were estimated for the adult population. In designs of psychomotor tests that require the use of tapping rate or finger load capacity data, the effects of finger, age, smoking, and tapping duration need to be taken into account. The findings can be used for ergonomic designs requiring finger-tapping capacity and also as a reference in psychomotor tests. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Interactional synchrony in chimpanzees: Examination through a finger-tapping experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Lira; Tomonaga, Masaki

2015-05-11

Humans often unconsciously coordinate behaviour with that of others in daily life. This interpersonal coordination, including mimicry and interactional synchrony, has been suggested to play a fundamental role in social interaction. If this coordinative behavior is socially adaptive, it may be shared with other highly social animal species. The current study targeted chimpanzees, which phylogenetically are the closest living relatives of humans and live in complex social groups, and examined whether interactional synchrony would emerge in pairs of chimpanzees when auditory information about a partner's movement was provided. A finger-tapping task was introduced via touch panels to elicit repetitive and rhythmic movement from each chimpanzee. We found that one of four chimpanzees produced significant changes in both tapping tempo and timing of the tapping relative to its partner's tap when auditory sounds were provided. Although the current results may have limitations in generalizing to chimpanzees as a species, we suggest that a finger-tapping task is one potential method to investigate interactional synchrony in chimpanzees under a laboratory setup.

A new test procedure to evaluate the performance of substations for collective heating systems

Science.gov (United States)

Baetens, Robin; Verhaert, Ivan

2017-11-01

The overall heat demand of a single dwelling, existing out of space heating and domestic hot water production, decreases due to higher insulation rates. Because of this, investing in efficient and renewable heat generation becomes less interesting. Therefore, to incorporate renewables or residual heat on a larger scale, district heating or collective heating systems grow in importance. Within this set-up, the substation is responsible for the interaction between local demand for comfort and overall energy performance of the collective heating system. Many different configurations of substations exist, which influence both local comfort and central system performance. Next to that, also hybrids exist with additional local energy input. To evaluate performance of such substations, a new experimental-based test procedure is developed in order to evaluate these different aspects, characterized by the two roles a substation has, namely as heat generator and as heat consumer. The advantage of this approach is that an objective comparison between individual and central systems regarding performance on delivering local comfort can be executed experimentally. The lab set-up consists out of three different subsystems, namely the central system, the domestic hot water consumption and the local space heating. The central system can work with different temperature regimes and control strategies, as these aspects have proven to have the largest influence on actual performance. The domestic hot water system is able to generate similar tap profiles according to eco-design regulation for domestic hot water generation. The space heating system is able to demand a modular heat load.

A new test procedure to evaluate the performance of substations for collective heating systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baetens Robin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The overall heat demand of a single dwelling, existing out of space heating and domestic hot water production, decreases due to higher insulation rates. Because of this, investing in efficient and renewable heat generation becomes less interesting. Therefore, to incorporate renewables or residual heat on a larger scale, district heating or collective heating systems grow in importance. Within this set-up, the substation is responsible for the interaction between local demand for comfort and overall energy performance of the collective heating system. Many different configurations of substations exist, which influence both local comfort and central system performance. Next to that, also hybrids exist with additional local energy input. To evaluate performance of such substations, a new experimental-based test procedure is developed in order to evaluate these different aspects, characterized by the two roles a substation has, namely as heat generator and as heat consumer. The advantage of this approach is that an objective comparison between individual and central systems regarding performance on delivering local comfort can be executed experimentally. The lab set-up consists out of three different subsystems, namely the central system, the domestic hot water consumption and the local space heating. The central system can work with different temperature regimes and control strategies, as these aspects have proven to have the largest influence on actual performance. The domestic hot water system is able to generate similar tap profiles according to eco-design regulation for domestic hot water generation. The space heating system is able to demand a modular heat load.

Energy-Saving RAM-Power Tap

Science.gov (United States)

Bruner, Alan Roy

1987-01-01

Reverse-flow HEXFET(R) minimizes voltage drop and power dissipation. HEXFET(R) scheme reduces voltage drop by approximately 80 percent. Design for power tap for random-access memory (RAM) has potential application in digital systems.

Tapping mode microwave impedance microscopy

KAUST Repository

Lai, K.; Kundhikanjana, W.; Peng, H.; Cui, Y.; Kelly, M. A.; Shen, Z. X.

2009-01-01

We report tapping mode microwave impedance imaging based on atomic force microscope platforms. The shielded cantilever probe is critical to localize the tip-sample interaction near the tip apex. The modulated tip-sample impedance can be accurately

Abstract: Trauma Tapping Technique: Practical First Aid for Stress ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Trauma tapping technique (TTT) is a procedure that uses touch through tapping to relieve anxiety symptoms. TTT is a nonverbal process that can be delivered at minimal cost with the potential for easy dissemination. This technique can be applied in urban or rural communities and in medical or mental health environments.

What is the risk of infecting a cerebrospinal fluid-diverting shunt with percutaneous tapping?

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegelman, Lindsey; Asija, Richa; Da Silva, Stephanie L; Krieger, Mark D; McComb, J Gordon

2014-10-01

Most CSF-diverting shunt systems have an access port that can be percutaneously tapped. Tapping the shunt can yield valuable information as to its function and whether an infection is present. The fear of causing a shunt infection by tapping may limit the physician's willingness to do so. The authors of this study investigate the risk of infecting a shunt secondary to percutaneous tapping. Following institutional review board approval, CSF specimens obtained from tapping an indwelling CSF-diverting shunt during the 2011 and 2012 calendar years were identified and matched with clinical information. A culture-positive CSF sample was defined as an infection. If results were equivocal, such as a broth-only-positive culture, a repeat CSF specimen was examined. The CSF was obtained by tapping the shunt access port with a 25-gauge butterfly needle after prepping the unshaven skin with chlorhexidine. During the study period, 266 children underwent 542 shunt taps. With 541 taps, no clinical evidence of a subsequent shunt infection was found. One child's CSF went from sterile to infected 11 days later; however, this patient had redness along the shunt tract at the time of the initial sterile tap. The risk of infection from tapping a shunt is remote if the procedure is done correctly.

Experimental Validation of a Domestic Stratified Hot Water Tank Model in Modelica for Annual Performance Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carmo, Carolina; Dumont, Olivier; Nielsen, Mads Pagh

2015-01-01

The use of stratified hot water tanks in solar energy systems - including ORC systems - as well as heat pump systems is paramount for a better performance of these systems. However, the availability of effective and reliable models to predict the annual performance of stratified hot water tanks...

Automatic and objective assessment of alternating tapping performance in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Memedi, Mevludin; Khan, Taha; Grenholm, Peter; Nyholm, Dag; Westin, Jerker

2013-12-09

This paper presents the development and evaluation of a method for enabling quantitative and automatic scoring of alternating tapping performance of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Ten healthy elderly subjects and 95 patients in different clinical stages of PD have utilized a touch-pad handheld computer to perform alternate tapping tests in their home environments. First, a neurologist used a web-based system to visually assess impairments in four tapping dimensions ('speed', 'accuracy', 'fatigue' and 'arrhythmia') and a global tapping severity (GTS). Second, tapping signals were processed with time series analysis and statistical methods to derive 24 quantitative parameters. Third, principal component analysis was used to reduce the dimensions of these parameters and to obtain scores for the four dimensions. Finally, a logistic regression classifier was trained using a 10-fold stratified cross-validation to map the reduced parameters to the corresponding visually assessed GTS scores. Results showed that the computed scores correlated well to visually assessed scores and were significantly different across Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores of upper limb motor performance. In addition, they had good internal consistency, had good ability to discriminate between healthy elderly and patients in different disease stages, had good sensitivity to treatment interventions and could reflect the natural disease progression over time. In conclusion, the automatic method can be useful to objectively assess the tapping performance of PD patients and can be included in telemedicine tools for remote monitoring of tapping.

Bottled, filtered, and tap water use in Latino and non-Latino children.

Science.gov (United States)

Hobson, Wendy L; Knochel, Miguel L; Byington, Carrie L; Young, Paul C; Hoff, Charles J; Buchi, Karen F

2007-05-01

To describe bottled, filtered, and tap water consumption and fluoride use among pediatric patients; to analyze differences between ethnic and socioeconomic groups; and to describe the frequency of physician-parent discussions regarding water consumption. Convenience sample survey. An urban public health clinic. Parents attending a public health clinic. The primary outcome measure was the prevalence of tap, filtered, and bottled water use. The secondary outcome measures were supplemental fluoride use and the percentage of patients reporting discussions of water consumption with their physician. A total of 216 parents (80.5% Latino and 19.5% non-Latino) completed the survey. Of the parents, 30.1% never drank tap water and 41.2% never gave it to their children. Latino parents were less likely than non-Latino parents to drink tap water (odds ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.67) and less likely to give tap water to their children (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.70). More Latinos believed that tap water would make them sick (odds ratio, 5.63; 95% confidence interval, 2.17-14.54). Approximately 40% of children who never drank tap water were not receiving fluoride supplements. Of the lowest-income families (water to their children. Of the parents surveyed, 82.5% reported that their child's physician had never discussed the type of water they should use. Many Latino families avoid drinking tap water because they fear it causes illness. Unnecessary use of bottled and filtered water is costly and may result in adverse dental health outcomes. Physicians should provide guidance to families regarding the safety, low cost, and dental health benefits of drinking tap water.

Fluctuation of biological rhythm in finger tapping

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshinaga, H.; Miyazima, S.; Mitake, S.

2000-06-01

By analyzing biological rhythms obtained from finger tapping, we have investigated the differences of two biological rhythms between healthy and handicapped persons caused by Parkinson, brain infraction, car accident and so on. In this study, we have observed the motion of handedness of all subjects and obtained a slope a which characterizes a power-law relation between frequency and amplitude of finger-tapping rhythm. From our results, we have estimated that the slope a=0.06 is a rough criterion in order to distinguish healthy and handicapped persons.

Self-tapping ability of carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone suture anchors.

Science.gov (United States)

Feerick, Emer M; Wilson, Joanne; Jarman-Smith, Marcus; Ó'Brádaigh, Conchur M; McGarry, J Patrick

2014-10-01

An experimental and computational investigation of the self-tapping ability of carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) has been conducted. Six CFR-PEEK suture anchor designs were investigated using PEEK-OPTIMA® Reinforced, a medical grade of CFR-PEEK. Experimental tests were conducted to investigate the maximum axial force and torque required for self-taping insertion of each anchor design. Additional experimental tests were conducted for some anchor designs using pilot holes. Computational simulations were conducted to determine the maximum stress in each anchor design at various stages of insertion. Simulations also were performed to investigate the effect of wall thickness in the anchor head. The maximum axial force required to insert a self-tapping CFR-PEEK suture anchor did not exceed 150 N for any anchor design. The maximum torque required to insert a self-tapping CFR-PEEK suture anchor did not exceed 0.8 Nm. Computational simulations reveal significant stress concentrations in the region of the anchor tip, demonstrating that a re-design of the tip geometry should be performed to avoid fracture during self-tapping, as observed in the experimental component of this study. This study demonstrates the ability of PEEK-OPTIMA Reinforced suture anchors to self-tap polyurethane foam bone analogue. This provides motivation to further investigate the self-tapping ability of CFR-PEEK suture anchors in animal/cadaveric bone. An optimised design for CFR-PEEK suture anchors offers the advantages of radiolucency, and mechanical properties similar to bone with the ability to self-tap. This may have positive implications for reducing surgery times and the associated costs with the procedure. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Inorganic chemical quality of European tap-water: 2. Geographical distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flem, B.; Reimann, C.; Birke, M.; Banks, D.; Filzmoser, P.; Frengstad, B.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • European scale comparison of tap water. • 579 tap water samples have been analyses for more than 60 parameters. • Chemical geographical distribution. • Water treatment processes. • Importance of geology on tap water quality. - Abstract: 579 tap water samples were collected at the European scale and analysed at a single laboratory for more than 60 parameters. This dataset is analysed here in terms of the spatial and national distribution of the analysed inorganic chemical parameters. The distribution of most parameters is controlled by various artificial and natural factors (land use, distribution network, water source and treatment, geographical location and geology). The distribution of nitrate can be interpreted in terms of land use and climate. Water treatment affects the distribution of phosphorus in tap water; especially the policy of adding phosphate to potable water in the UK to suppress plumbosolvency. The distribution of alkalinity, Ca, Mg, Sr and Li appears to reflect both water source (low in surface waters) and the geological contrast between base-poor crystalline rock terrains and carbonate rich sedimentary rock. The Scandinavian nations’ tap water shows the highest concentrations of most of the rare earth elements, probably reflecting their geological availability and mobility in low pH raw water sources. The distribution of fluoride, uranium and arsenic also appear to exhibit geological and source (groundwater versus surface water) controls. Hungary returns several high As results, which may reflect As-rich reducing groundwaters of the Pannonian basin. Much Estonian tap water reflects a very specific hydrochemical environment, namely Palaeozoic near-coastal aquifers, which yield deep, reducing or saline groundwater (possibly influenced by marine intrusion), enriched in Ba, B, Br − , Cl − , Eu, F − , I, Li, K, Mn and Na

System design package for SIMS prototype system 3, solar heating and domestic hot water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-11-01

This report is a collation of documents and drawings that describe a prototype solar heating and hot water system using liquid flat plat collectors and a gas or electric furnace energy subsystem. The system was designed for installation into a single-family dwelling. The description, performance specification, subsystem drawings, verification plan/procedure, and hazard analysis of the system are packaged for evaluation of the system with information sufficient to assemble a similar system. The SIMS Prototype Heating and Hot Water System, Model Number 3 has been installed in a residence at Glendo State Park, Glendo, Wyoming.

Solar heating and hot water system installed at office building, One Solar Place, Dallas, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

A solar heating on cooling system is described which is designed to provide 87 percent of the space heating needs, 100 percent of the potable hot water needs and is sized for future absorption cooling. The collection subsystem consists of 28 solargenics, series 76, flat plate collectors with a total area of 1,596 square feet. The solar loop circulates an ethylene glyco water solution through the collectors into a hot water system exchanger. The water storage subsystem consists of a heat exchanger, two 2,300 gallon concrete hot water storage tanks with built in heat exchangers and a back-up electric boiler. The domestic hot water subsystem sends hot water to the 10,200 square feet floor area office building hot water water fixtures. The building cold water system provides make up to the solar loop, the heating loop, and the hot water concrete storage tanks. The design, construction, cost analysis, operation and maintenance of the solar system are described.

THERMAL STRATIFICATION IN SOLAR DOMESTIC STORAGE TANKS CAUSED BY DRAW-OFFS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jordan, Ulrike; Furbo, Simon

2003-01-01

As shown in many research studies in the past, the thermal stratification of the tank caused by draw-offs has a high impact on the performance of a Solar Domestic Hot Water (SDHW) system. Nevertheless, in most tank models for system simulations the influence of the draw-off pattern on the mixing...... with a component oriented simulation tool for solar thermal systems....

Association between finger tapping, attention, memory, and cognitive diagnosis in elderly patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabinowitz, Israel; Lavner, Yizhar

2014-08-01

This study examined the association between spontaneous finger tapping and cognitive function, with a detailed analysis of the two main phases of finger tapping, the touch-phase and the off-phase. 170 elderly patients (83 men, 87 women; M age = 82.1 yr., SD = 6.2) underwent cognitive assessment including the Mini-Mental State Examination, a forward digit span test, and 15 sec. of finger tapping. Results indicated a significant increase in the length and variability of the finger-touch phase among participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia compared to participants with no cognitive impairment, suggesting a relationship between finger tapping and attention, short-term memory, and cognitive diagnosis. Pattern classification analyses on the finger tapping parameters indicated a specificity of 0.91 and sensitivity of 0.52 for ruling out cognitive impairment.

Washing Habits and Machine with Intake of hot and cold Water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Bente Lis; Nørgaard, Jørgen

1997-01-01

with slightly adapted washing habits, or 17% of normal today. If the heat is supplied from combined heat and power production as in the actual experiment, CO2-emission is reduced by 81%. With hot water from oil or gas heaters the reduction will be slightly lower, while with solar hot water it will be larger.......Domestic washing machines typically spend around 80% of the electricity on heating water. Most of this can be replaced by more appropriate heat sources like district heat from combined heat and power production, or gas heating system. In recent years some washing machine manufacturers have marketed...... machines which can take in both hot and cold water and mix it to the temperature wanted. Such one machine has been tested in daily household use over 5 months, with habits of very few hot water washes. The result is an electricity consumption corresponding to 67 kWh per year for an average household...

Quantifying Parkinson's disease finger-tapping severity by extracting and synthesizing finger motion properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Sano, Yuko; Kandori, Akihiko; Shima, Keisuke; Yamaguchi, Yuki; Tsuji, Toshio; Noda, Masafumi; Higashikawa, Fumiko; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

2016-06-01

We propose a novel index of Parkinson's disease (PD) finger-tapping severity, called "PDFTsi," for quantifying the severity of symptoms related to the finger tapping of PD patients with high accuracy. To validate the efficacy of PDFTsi, the finger-tapping movements of normal controls and PD patients were measured by using magnetic sensors, and 21 characteristics were extracted from the finger-tapping waveforms. To distinguish motor deterioration due to PD from that due to aging, the aging effect on finger tapping was removed from these characteristics. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the age-normalized characteristics, and principal components that represented the motion properties of finger tapping were calculated. Multiple linear regression (MLR) with stepwise variable selection was applied to the principal components, and PDFTsi was calculated. The calculated PDFTsi indicates that PDFTsi has a high estimation ability, namely a mean square error of 0.45. The estimation ability of PDFTsi is higher than that of the alternative method, MLR with stepwise regression selection without PCA, namely a mean square error of 1.30. This result suggests that PDFTsi can quantify PD finger-tapping severity accurately. Furthermore, the result of interpreting a model for calculating PDFTsi indicated that motion wideness and rhythm disorder are important for estimating PD finger-tapping severity.

Effectiveness of Modal Decomposition for Tapping Atomic Force Microscopy Microcantilevers in Liquid Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Il Kwang; Lee, Soo Il

2016-05-01

The modal decomposition of tapping mode atomic force microscopy microcantilevers in liquid environments was studied experimentally. Microcantilevers with different lengths and stiffnesses and two sample surfaces with different elastic moduli were used in the experiment. The response modes of the microcantilevers were extracted as proper orthogonal modes through proper orthogonal decomposition. Smooth orthogonal decomposition was used to estimate the resonance frequency directly. The effects of the tapping setpoint and the elastic modulus of the sample under test were examined in terms of their multi-mode responses with proper orthogonal modes, proper orthogonal values, smooth orthogonal modes and smooth orthogonal values. Regardless of the stiffness of the microcantilever under test, the first mode was dominant in tapping mode atomic force microscopy under normal operating conditions. However, at lower tapping setpoints, the flexible microcantilever showed modal distortion and noise near the tip when tapping on a hard sample. The stiff microcantilever had a higher mode effect on a soft sample at lower tapping setpoints. Modal decomposition for tapping mode atomic force microscopy can thus be used to estimate the characteristics of samples in liquid environments.

Quantitative assessment of finger tapping characteristics in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Roalf, David R; Rupert, Petra; Mechanic-Hamilton, Dawn; Brennan, Laura; Duda, John E; Weintraub, Daniel; Trojanowski, John Q; Wolk, David; Moberg, Paul J

2018-06-01

Fine motor impairments are common in neurodegenerative disorders, yet standardized, quantitative measurements of motor abilities are uncommonly used in neurological practice. Thus, understanding and comparing fine motor abilities across disorders have been limited. The current study compared differences in finger tapping, inter-tap interval, and variability in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy older adults (HOA). Finger tapping was measured using a highly sensitive light-diode finger tapper. Total number of finger taps, inter-tap interval, and intra-individual variability (IIV) of finger tapping was measured and compared in AD (n = 131), PD (n = 63), MCI (n = 46), and HOA (n = 62), controlling for age and sex. All patient groups had fine motor impairments relative to HOA. AD and MCI groups produced fewer taps with longer inter-tap interval and higher IIV compared to HOA. The PD group, however, produced more taps with shorter inter-tap interval and higher IIV compared to HOA. Disease-specific changes in fine motor function occur in the most common neurodegenerative diseases. The findings suggest that alterations in finger tapping patterns are common in AD, MCI, and PD. In addition, the present results underscore the importance of motor dysfunction even in neurodegenerative disorders without primary motor symptoms.

Minimizing temperature instability of heat recovery hot water system utilizing optimized thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Suamir, I. N.; Sukadana, I. B. P.; Arsana, M. E.

2018-01-01

One energy-saving technology that starts gaining attractive for hotel industry application in Indonesia is the utilization of waste heat of a central air conditioning system to heat water for domestic hot water supply system. Implementing the technology for such application at a hotel was found that hot water capacity generated from the heat recovery system could satisfy domestic hot water demand of the hotel. The gas boilers installed in order to back up the system have never been used. The hot water supply, however, was found to be instable with hot water supply temperature fluctuated ranging from 45 °C to 62 °C. The temperature fluctuations reaches 17 °C, which is considered instable and can reduce hot water usage comfort level. This research is aimed to optimize the thermal energy storage in order to minimize the temperature instability of heat recovery hot water supply system. The research is a case study approach based on cooling and hot water demands of a hotel in Jakarta-Indonesia that has applied water cooled chillers with heat recovery systems. The hotel operation with 329 guest rooms and 8 function rooms showed that hot water production in the heat recovery system completed with 5 m3 thermal energy storage (TES) could not hold the hot water supply temperature constantly. The variations of the cooling demand and hot water demands day by day were identified. It was found that there was significant mismatched of available time (hours) between cooling demand which is directly correlated to the hot water production from the heat recovery system and hot water usage. The available TES system could not store heat rejected from the condenser of the chiller during cooling demand peak time between 14.00 and 18.00 hours. The extra heat from the heat recovery system consequently increases the temperature of hot water up to 62 °C. It is about 12 K above 50 °C the requirement hot water temperature of the hotel. In contrast, the TES could not deliver proper

Sequential and Biomechanical Factors Constrain Timing and Motion in Tapping

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loehr, J.D.; Palmer, C.

2009-01-01

The authors examined how timing accuracy in tapping sequences is influenced by sequential effects of preceding finger movements and biomechanical interdependencies among fingers. Skilled pianists tapped Sequences at 3 rates; in each sequence, a finger whose motion was more or less independent of

Tapping into Industry and Academia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markus, Arjan; Rosenkopf, Lori

This paper studies how different boundary-spanning mechanisms concurrently impact firm innovation. We specifically examine how inbound mobility and R&D collaboration interact when firms use these mechanisms to tap into two distinct knowledge domains: industry and academia. To examine the impacts...

Integrated solar water-heater and solar water cooler performance during winter time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaikh, N.U.; Siddiqui, M.A

2012-01-01

Solar powered water heater and water cooler is an important contribution for the reduction of fossil fuel consumptions and harmful emissions to the environment. This study aims to harness the available solar potential of Pakistan and provide an option fulfilling the domestic hot and cold water demands during winter and summer seasons respectively. The system was designed for the tap-water temperature of 65 degree C (149 degree F) and the chilled drinking-water temperature of 14 degree C (57 degree F) that are the recommended temperatures by World Health Organization (WHO). The solar water heater serves one of the facilities of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NED University of Engineering and Technology whereas, the solar water cooler will provide drinking water to approximately 50 people including both faculty and students. A pair of single glazed flat plate solar collector was installed to convert solar radiations to heat. Hot water storage and supply system was carefully designed and fabricated to obtain the designed tap-water temperature. Vapour-absorption refrigeration system was designed to chill drinking water. Intensity of solar radiations falling on the solar collector, water temperatures at the inlet and outlet of the solar collectors and the tap water temperature were measured and analyzed at different hours of the day and at different days of the month. The results show that the installed solar collector system has potential to feed hot water of temperatures ranging from 65 degree C (149 degree F) to 70 Degree C (158 degree F), that is the required hot water temperature to operate a vapour absorption chilled water production system. (author)

TouchGrid: Touchpad pointing by recursively mapping taps to smaller display regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertzum, Morten; Hornbæk, Kasper

2005-01-01

Touchpad devices are widely used but lacking in pointing efficiency. The TouchGrid, an instance of what we term cell cursors, replaces moving the cursor through dragging the finger on a touchpad with tapping in different regions of the touchpad. The touchpad regions are recursively mapped...... to smaller display regions and thereby enable high-precision pointing without requiring high tapping precision. In an experiment, six subjects used the TouchGrid and a standard touchpad across different numbers of targets, distances to targets, and target widths. Whereas standard touchpad operation follows...... Fitts’ law, target selection time with the TouchGrid is a linear function of the required number of taps. The TouchGrid was significantly faster for small targets and for tasks requiring one tap, and marginally faster for two-tap tasks. Error rates tended to be higher with the TouchGrid than...

A Direct-Learning Approach to Acquiring a Bimanual Tapping Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Michaels, Claire F; Gomes, Thábata V B; Benda, Rodolfo N

2017-01-01

The theory of direct learning (D. M. Jacobs & C. F. Michaels, 2007 ) has proven useful in understanding improvement in perception and exploratory action. Here the authors assess its usefulness for understanding the learning of a motor skill, bimanual tapping at a difficult phase relation. Twenty participants attempted to learn to tap with 2 index fingers at 2 Hz with a phase lag of 90° (i.e., with a right-right period of 500 ms and a right-left period of 125 ms). There were 30 trials, each with 50 tapping cycles. Computer-screen feedback informed of errors in both period and phase for each pair of taps. Participants differed dramatically in their success. Learning was assessed by identifying the succession of attractors capturing tapping over the experiment. A few participants' attractors migrated from antiphase to 90° with an appropriate period; others became attracted to a fixed right-left interval, rather than phase, with or without attraction to period. Changes in attractor loci were explained with mixed success by direct learning, inviting elaboration of the theory. The transition to interval attractors was understood as a change in intention, and was remarkable for its indifference to typical bimanual interactions.

Modality-dependent effect of motion information in sensory-motor synchronised tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Kentaro

2018-05-14

Synchronised action is important for everyday life. Generally, the auditory domain is more sensitive for coding temporal information, and previous studies have shown that auditory-motor synchronisation is much more precise than visuo-motor synchronisation. Interestingly, adding motion information improves synchronisation with visual stimuli and the advantage of the auditory modality seems to diminish. However, whether adding motion information also improves auditory-motor synchronisation remains unknown. This study compared tapping accuracy with a stationary or moving stimulus in both auditory and visual modalities. Participants were instructed to tap in synchrony with the onset of a sound or flash in the stationary condition, while these stimuli were perceived as moving from side to side in the motion condition. The results demonstrated that synchronised tapping with a moving visual stimulus was significantly more accurate than tapping with a stationary visual stimulus, as previous studies have shown. However, tapping with a moving auditory stimulus was significantly poorer than tapping with a stationary auditory stimulus. Although motion information impaired audio-motor synchronisation, an advantage of auditory modality compared to visual modality still existed. These findings are likely the result of higher temporal resolution in the auditory domain, which is likely due to the physiological and structural differences in the auditory and visual pathways in the brain. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Local Identification of Voltage Instability from Load Tap Changer Response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weckesser, Johannes Tilman Gabriel; Papangelis, Lampros; Vournas, Costas D.

2017-01-01

. The new method is not bound to assessing system response over a predefined LTC tapping period. This allows handling LTCs with variable delays, as well as events taking place during the tapping sequence impacting the distribution voltages. For that purpose, eLIVES applies recursive least square fitting...

Photonic-Enabled RF Canceller with Tunable Time-Delay Taps

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-05

Photonic -Enabled RF Canceller with Tunable Time-Delay Taps Kenneth E. Kolodziej, Sivasubramaniam Yegnanarayanan, Bradley T. Perry MIT Lincoln...canceller design that uses photonics and a vector modulator architecture to provide a high number of canceller taps with tunable time-delays, which allow...microwave photonics , RF cancellation. I. INTRODUCTION In-Band Full-Duplex (IBFD) technologies are being consid- ered for 5th generation (5G) wireless

An experimental study on the influence of water stagnation and temperature change on water quality in a full-scale domestic drinking water system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zlatanović, Lj; van der Hoek, J P; Vreeburg, J H G

2017-10-15

The drinking water quality changes during the transport through distribution systems. Domestic drinking water systems (DDWSs), which include the plumbing between the water meter and consumer's taps, are the most critical points in which water quality may be affected. In distribution networks, the drinking water temperature and water residence time are regarded as indicators of the drinking water quality. This paper describes an experimental research on the influence of stagnation time and temperature change on drinking water quality in a full-scale DDWS. Two sets of stagnation experiments, during winter and summer months, with various stagnation intervals (up to 168 h of stagnation) were carried out. Water and biofilms were sampled at two different taps, a kitchen and a shower tap. Results from this study indicate that temperature and water stagnation affect both chemical and microbial quality in DDWSs, whereas microbial parameters in stagnant water appear to be driven by the temperature of fresh water. Biofilm formed in the shower pipe contained more total and intact cells than the kitchen pipe biofilm. Alphaproteobacteria were found to dominate in the shower biofilm (78% of all Proteobacteria), while in the kitchen tap biofilm Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were evenly distributed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Oropharyngeal Tularemia Outbreak Associated with Drinking Contaminated Tap Water, Turkey, July-September 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Aktas, Dilber; Celebi, Bekir; Isik, Mehmet Emirhan; Tutus, Celal; Ozturk, Huseyin; Temel, Fehminaz; Kizilaslan, Mecit; Zhu, Bao-Ping

2015-12-01

In 2013, an oropharyngeal tularemia outbreak in Turkey affected 55 persons. Drinking tap water during the likely exposure period was significantly associated with illness (attack rate 27% vs. 11% among non-tap water drinkers). Findings showed the tap water source had been contaminated by surface water, and the chlorination device malfunctioned.

Theoretical model and experimental validation of a direct-expansion solar assisted heat pump for domestic hot water applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno-Rodríguez, A.; González-Gil, A.; Izquierdo, M.; Garcia-Hernando, N.

2012-01-01

This paper has shown the development of a theoretical model to determine the operating parameters and consumption of a domestic hot water (DHW) installation, which uses a direct-expansion solar assisted heat pump (DXSAHP) with refrigerant R-134a, a compressor with a rated capacity of 1.1 kW and collectors with a total area of 5.6 m 2 . The model results have been compared and validated the experimental results obtained with the equipment installed at the University Carlos III, South of Madrid. The analysis was conducted over the course of a year, and the results have been represented depending on the meteorological and process variables of several representative days. Taking into account the thermal losses of the installation and the dependency on the operating conditions, the acquired experimental coefficient of performance is between 1.7 and 2.9, while the DHW tank temperature over the course of the study is 51 °C. -- Highlights: ► The study aims to present a new theoretical model and an experimental validation. ► The experimental COP vary between 1.7 and 2.9 (max. condensation temperature 57 °C). ► The operating parameters respond to the solar radiation. The COP may increase up to 50%. ► The useful surface area varies between 50% and 85% of the total surface. ► The system stops if conditions exceed the maximum value of the absorbed heat.

Extended topologies of tapped-inductor Z-source inverters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Miao; Li, Ding; Gao, Feng

2011-01-01

In this paper, two distinct types of tapped-inductor Z-source impedance networks are proposed for implementing high performance voltage-type inverters topologies with strong voltage boost inversion abilities and less components' stresses. All proposed topologies can in principle be unified...... into a generic network entity, which is termed hybrid-source tapped-inductor impedance network. The resulting novel Z-source inverters would have a higher output voltage gain and other unique advantages that currently have not yet been investigated. Theoretical analysis for explaining these operating features...

Cross-cultural influences on rhythm processing: reproduction, discrimination, and beat tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Daniel J; Bentley, Jocelyn; Grahn, Jessica A

2015-01-01

The structures of musical rhythm differ between cultures, despite the fact that the ability to entrain movement to musical rhythm occurs in virtually all individuals across cultures. To measure the influence of culture on rhythm processing, we tested East African and North American adults on perception, production, and beat tapping for rhythms derived from East African and Western music. To assess rhythm perception, participants identified whether pairs of rhythms were the same or different. To assess rhythm production, participants reproduced rhythms after hearing them. To assess beat tapping, participants tapped the beat along with repeated rhythms. We expected that performance in all three tasks would be influenced by the culture of the participant and the culture of the rhythm. Specifically, we predicted that a participant's ability to discriminate, reproduce, and accurately tap the beat would be better for rhythms from their own culture than for rhythms from another culture. In the rhythm discrimination task, there were no differences in discriminating culturally familiar and unfamiliar rhythms. In the rhythm reproduction task, both groups reproduced East African rhythms more accurately than Western rhythms, but East African participants also showed an effect of cultural familiarity, leading to a significant interaction. In the beat tapping task, participants in both groups tapped the beat more accurately for culturally familiar than for unfamiliar rhythms. Moreover, there were differences between the two participant groups, and between the two types of rhythms, in the metrical level selected for beat tapping. The results demonstrate that culture does influence the processing of musical rhythm. In terms of the function of musical rhythm, our results are consistent with theories that musical rhythm enables synchronization. Musical rhythm may foster musical cultural identity by enabling within-group synchronization to music, perhaps supporting social cohesion.

Innovative sub sea pipeline maintenance in line with emerging offshore trends and maintenance safety standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, George [T.D. Williamson, Inc., Tulsa, OK (United States)

2012-07-01

Sub sea hot tapping of pipelines is performed for a variety of reasons, including tie-ins, pipeline repair, insertion of instrumentation, facilitating chemical injection or providing access for temporary isolation tools. The full hot tap process - that is, installing the hot tap assembly, performing the tap and recovering the hot tap machine - is normally conducted with diver assistance. After bolting the assembly of the machine, isolation valve and fitting to the pipeline (or machine and isolation valve to a pre-installed flanged membrane on the pipeline), the divers then operate the machine to perform the tap, under instructions from - and supervision by - hot tap technicians located on deck of the diving support vessel (DSV). Subsequent unbolting and removal of the hot tap machine is also carried out by the divers. The demands of deep water have necessitated development of a totally diver-less, remote-controlled system. Diver operations are limited to a maximum of 300 meters of water depth, whereas a significant portion of existing sub sea field infrastructure, as well as projected future developments, are in deeper waters in depths up to 3,000 meters. In addition, diver safety concerns in shallow water, as well as impaired diver efficiency in difficult environmental conditions such as wave breaking zones, prompts the call for a reduction of diver exposure or complete elimination of diver assistance. The recent completion of a remote-controlled hot tap machine (the Sub sea 1200RC Tapping Machine) is a first step toward developing a totally diver-less system. The installation of the hot tap assembly and subsequent removal of the machine still require diver assistance, but the performance of the tap itself is remotely controlled by a hot tap technician from the deck of the DSV. The concept is a topside-driven hot tap machine with 'passive Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) interface', which means a stationary ROV with its hydraulics and control system

40 CFR 141.86 - Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... copper in tap water. 141.86 Section 141.86 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... § 141.86 Monitoring requirements for lead and copper in tap water. (a) Sample site location. (1) By the... the water system can collect the number of lead and copper tap samples required in paragraph (c) of...

Persistent suppression of subthalamic beta-band activity during rhythmic finger tapping in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Joundi, Raed A; Brittain, John-Stuart; Green, Alex L; Aziz, Tipu Z; Brown, Peter; Jenkinson, Ned

2013-03-01

The function of synchronous oscillatory activity at beta band (15-30Hz) frequencies within the basal ganglia is unclear. Here we sought support for the hypothesis that beta activity has a global function within the basal ganglia and is not directly involved in the coding of specific biomechanical parameters of movement. We recorded local field potential activity from the subthalamic nuclei of 11 patients with Parkinson's disease during a synchronized tapping task at three different externally cued rates. Beta activity was suppressed during tapping, reaching a minimum that differed little across the different tapping rates despite an increase in velocity of finger movements. Thus beta power suppression was independent of specific motor parameters. Moreover, although beta oscillations remained suppressed during all tapping rates, periods of resynchronization between taps were markedly attenuated during high rate tapping. As such, a beta rebound above baseline between taps at the lower rates was absent at the high rate. Our results demonstrate that beta desynchronization in the region of the subthalamic nucleus is independent of motor parameters and that the beta resynchronization is differentially modulated by rate of finger tapping, These findings implicate consistent beta suppression in the facilitation of continuous movement sequences. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geothermal Energy: Tapping the Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Bill

2008-01-01

Ground source geothermal energy enables one to tap into the earth's stored renewable energy for heating and cooling facilities. Proper application of ground-source geothermal technology can have a dramatic impact on the efficiency and financial performance of building energy utilization (30%+). At the same time, using this alternative energy…

MINERAL WATER FROM SUPERMARKET VS. TAP WATER. SOME CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO INNOCUITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciprian – Nicolae POPA

2015-04-01

Full Text Available 15 Romanian brands of mineral water were purchased from hypermarket. For each of the 15 mineral waters were determined the content of nitrates, nitrites and pH. The data obtained were compared with the content of nitrates, nitrites and pH of the tap water collected in 15 locations in Bucharest, according to data released by the Apa Nova operator. The results showed that the mean of tap water pH in Bucharest, although slightly higher than the tested mineral waters pH, did not differ significantly from the mean of mineral waters pH, being situated in the alkaline domain. The mean content of nitrates in tap water in Bucharest, did not differ significantly from that of the tested mineral waters (t = 0.811. Nitrates content of tap water in Bucharest was significantly distinct less, as the pH was higher (r = 0.68**. Basically, the change in pH by one unit, lowers the amount of nitrate by 46%. Bucharest tap water nitrites content was significantly lower than that of tested mineral waters (0.005 mg/l to 0.0124; t = 2.674*. Basically, Bucharest tap water contained up to 2.5 times less nitrites than the nitrites mean of tested mineral waters.

Combined Active and Passive Solar Space Heating and Solar Hot Water Systems for an Elementary School in Boise, Idaho.

Science.gov (United States)

Smull, Neil A.; Armstrong, Gerald L.

1979-01-01

Amity Elementary School in Boise, Idaho, features a solar space heating and domestic hot water system along with an earth covering to accommodate the passive aspects of energy conservation. (Author/MLF)

Automatic and Objective Assessment of Alternating Tapping Performance in Parkinson’s Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mevludin Memedi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development and evaluation of a method for enabling quantitative and automatic scoring of alternating tapping performance of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD. Ten healthy elderly subjects and 95 patients in different clinical stages of PD have utilized a touch-pad handheld computer to perform alternate tapping tests in their home environments. First, a neurologist used a web-based system to visually assess impairments in four tapping dimensions (‘speed’, ‘accuracy’, ‘fatigue’ and ‘arrhythmia’ and a global tapping severity (GTS. Second, tapping signals were processed with time series analysis and statistical methods to derive 24 quantitative parameters. Third, principal component analysis was used to reduce the dimensions of these parameters and to obtain scores for the four dimensions. Finally, a logistic regression classifier was trained using a 10-fold stratified cross-validation to map the reduced parameters to the corresponding visually assessed GTS scores. Results showed that the computed scores correlated well to visually assessed scores and were significantly different across Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale scores of upper limb motor performance. In addition, they had good internal consistency, had good ability to discriminate between healthy elderly and patients in different disease stages, had good sensitivity to treatment interventions and could reflect the natural disease progression over time. In conclusion, the automatic method can be useful to objectively assess the tapping performance of PD patients and can be included in telemedicine tools for remote monitoring of tapping.

Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 contributes to TAp73 transcriptional activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasim, Vivi, E-mail: vivikasim78@gmail.com [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Huang, Can; Zhang, Jing; Jia, Huizhen; Wang, Yunxia [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Yang, Li [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Miyagishi, Makoto [Molecular Composite Medicine Research Group, Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566 (Japan); Wu, Shourong, E-mail: shourongwu@hotmail.com [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

2014-07-04

Highlights: • MDM2 is a novel positive regulator of TAp73 transcriptional activity. • MDM2 colocalizes together and physically interacts with E2F1. • Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 is crucial for TAp73 transcription. • MDM2 regulates TAp73 transcriptional activity in a p53-independent manner. - Abstract: TAp73, a structural homologue of p53, plays an important role in tumorigenesis. E2F1 had been reported as a transcriptional regulator of TAp73, however, the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here we reported that MDM2-silencing reduced the activities of the TAp73 promoters and the endogenous TAp73 expression level significantly; while MDM2 overexpression upregulated them. We further revealed that the regulation of TAp73 transcriptional activity occurs as a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1, most probably through their physical interaction in the nuclei. Furthermore, we also suggested that MDM2 might be involved in DNA damage-induced TAp73 transcriptional activity. Finally, we elucidated that MDM2-silencing reduced the proliferation rate of colon carcinoma cells regardless of the p53 status. Our data show a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1 on TAp73 transcriptional activity, suggesting a novel regulation pathway of TAp73.

Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 contributes to TAp73 transcriptional activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasim, Vivi; Huang, Can; Zhang, Jing; Jia, Huizhen; Wang, Yunxia; Yang, Li; Miyagishi, Makoto; Wu, Shourong

2014-01-01

Highlights: • MDM2 is a novel positive regulator of TAp73 transcriptional activity. • MDM2 colocalizes together and physically interacts with E2F1. • Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 is crucial for TAp73 transcription. • MDM2 regulates TAp73 transcriptional activity in a p53-independent manner. - Abstract: TAp73, a structural homologue of p53, plays an important role in tumorigenesis. E2F1 had been reported as a transcriptional regulator of TAp73, however, the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here we reported that MDM2-silencing reduced the activities of the TAp73 promoters and the endogenous TAp73 expression level significantly; while MDM2 overexpression upregulated them. We further revealed that the regulation of TAp73 transcriptional activity occurs as a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1, most probably through their physical interaction in the nuclei. Furthermore, we also suggested that MDM2 might be involved in DNA damage-induced TAp73 transcriptional activity. Finally, we elucidated that MDM2-silencing reduced the proliferation rate of colon carcinoma cells regardless of the p53 status. Our data show a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1 on TAp73 transcriptional activity, suggesting a novel regulation pathway of TAp73

Tap Arduino: An Arduino microcontroller for low-latency auditory feedback in sensorimotor synchronization experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Benjamin G; van Vugt, Floris T

2016-12-01

Timing abilities are often measured by having participants tap their finger along with a metronome and presenting tap-triggered auditory feedback. These experiments predominantly use electronic percussion pads combined with software (e.g., FTAP or Max/MSP) that records responses and delivers auditory feedback. However, these setups involve unknown latencies between tap onset and auditory feedback and can sometimes miss responses or record multiple, superfluous responses for a single tap. These issues may distort measurements of tapping performance or affect the performance of the individual. We present an alternative setup using an Arduino microcontroller that addresses these issues and delivers low-latency auditory feedback. We validated our setup by having participants (N = 6) tap on a force-sensitive resistor pad connected to the Arduino and on an electronic percussion pad with various levels of force and tempi. The Arduino delivered auditory feedback through a pulse-width modulation (PWM) pin connected to a headphone jack or a wave shield component. The Arduino's PWM (M = 0.6 ms, SD = 0.3) and wave shield (M = 2.6 ms, SD = 0.3) demonstrated significantly lower auditory feedback latencies than the percussion pad (M = 9.1 ms, SD = 2.0), FTAP (M = 14.6 ms, SD = 2.8), and Max/MSP (M = 15.8 ms, SD = 3.4). The PWM and wave shield latencies were also significantly less variable than those from FTAP and Max/MSP. The Arduino missed significantly fewer taps, and recorded fewer superfluous responses, than the percussion pad. The Arduino captured all responses, whereas at lower tapping forces, the percussion pad missed more taps. Regardless of tapping force, the Arduino outperformed the percussion pad. Overall, the Arduino is a high-precision, low-latency, portable, and affordable tool for auditory experiments.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Lumbar Tapping Utilization for Suspected Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Under-Drainage Malfunctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong-Beom; Ahn, Ho-Young; Lee, Hong-Jae; Yang, Ji-Ho; Yi, Jin-Seok; Lee, Il-Woo

2017-01-01

The diagnosis of shunt malfunction can be challenging since neuroimaging results are not always correlated with clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a simple, minimally invasive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lumbar tapping test that predicts shunt under-drainage in hydrocephalus patients. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological features of 48 patients who underwent routine CSF lumbar tapping after ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) operation using a programmable shunting device. We compared shunt valve opening pressure and CSF lumbar tapping pressure to check under-drainage. The mean pressure difference between valve opening pressure and CSF lumbar tapping pressure of all patients were 2.21±24.57 mmH 2 O. The frequency of CSF lumbar tapping was 2.06±1.26 times. Eighty five times lumbar tapping of 41 patients showed that their VPS function was normal which was consistent with clinical improvement and decreased ventricle size on computed tomography scan. The mean pressure difference in these patients was -3.69±19.20 mmH 2 O. The mean frequency of CSF lumbar tapping was 2.07±1.25 times. Fourteen cases of 10 patients revealed suspected VPS malfunction which were consistent with radiological results and clinical symptoms, defined as changes in ventricle size and no clinical improvement. The mean pressure difference was 38.07±23.58 mmH 2 O. The mean frequency of CSF lumbar tapping was 1.44±1.01 times. Pressure difference greater than 35 mmH 2 O was shown in 2.35% of the normal VPS function group (2 of 85) whereas it was shown in 64.29% of the suspected VPS malfunction group (9 of 14). The difference was statistically significant ( p =0.000001). Among 10 patients with under-drainage, 5 patients underwent shunt revision. The causes of the shunt malfunction included 3 cases of proximal occlusion and 2 cases of distal obstruction and valve malfunction. Under-drainage of CSF should be suspected if CSF lumbar tapping

A predictive model for smart control of a domestic heat pump and thermal storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, Richard Pieter; Gebhardt, I.; de Wit, J.B.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria

The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a predictive model of a thermal storage which is charged by a heat pump and used for domestic hot water supply. The model is used for smart grid control purposes and requires measurement signals of flow and temperature at the inlet and outlet of

Determination of four fluoroquinolone antibiotics in tap water in Guangzhou and Macao

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yiruhan; Wang Qiaojun; Mo Cehui; Li Yanwen; Gao Peng; Tai Yiping; Zhang Yan; Ruan Zhili; Xu Jiawei

2010-01-01

Four fluoroquinolone antibiotics (norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, and enrofloxacin) in tap water in Guangzhou and Macao were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection. The results showed that all target antibiotics were detected in high rate both in Guangzhou (77.5%) and Macao (100%), ranging from 1.0 to 679.7 ng/L (SD ≤ 37.6) in Guangzhou, and from 2.0 to 37.0 ng/L (SD ≤ 2.5) in Macao. The fluoroquinolone antibiotics pollution in tap water widely distributes in Guangzhou and Macao. In addition, the effect of rainfall on concentration of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in south China was also investigated. Our result indicates that the antibiotic concentration in tap water in Guangzhou tends to obviously reduce at the beginning of rainy season, even decreases below the limit of quantification immediately. Thus, it was clarified that the heavy rain in south China has the function of reducing the fluoroquinolone antibiotics concentrations in tap water. - The antibiotics were detected in the tap water in Guangzhou and Macao using our developed method for fluoresence detection with high performance liquid chromatography

Determination of four fluoroquinolone antibiotics in tap water in Guangzhou and Macao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yiruhan; Wang Qiaojun [Department of Environmental Engineering, Jinan University, Huangpudadaoxi 601, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Mo Cehui, E-mail: tchmo@jnu.edu.c [Department of Environmental Engineering, Jinan University, Huangpudadaoxi 601, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Li Yanwen; Gao Peng; Tai Yiping; Zhang Yan; Ruan Zhili; Xu Jiawei [Department of Environmental Engineering, Jinan University, Huangpudadaoxi 601, Guangzhou 510632 (China)

2010-07-15

Four fluoroquinolone antibiotics (norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, and enrofloxacin) in tap water in Guangzhou and Macao were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection. The results showed that all target antibiotics were detected in high rate both in Guangzhou (77.5%) and Macao (100%), ranging from 1.0 to 679.7 ng/L (SD {<=} 37.6) in Guangzhou, and from 2.0 to 37.0 ng/L (SD {<=} 2.5) in Macao. The fluoroquinolone antibiotics pollution in tap water widely distributes in Guangzhou and Macao. In addition, the effect of rainfall on concentration of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in south China was also investigated. Our result indicates that the antibiotic concentration in tap water in Guangzhou tends to obviously reduce at the beginning of rainy season, even decreases below the limit of quantification immediately. Thus, it was clarified that the heavy rain in south China has the function of reducing the fluoroquinolone antibiotics concentrations in tap water. - The antibiotics were detected in the tap water in Guangzhou and Macao using our developed method for fluoresence detection with high performance liquid chromatography

The Ability to Tap to a Beat Relates to Cognitive, Linguistic, and Perceptual Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, Adam T.; Kraus, Nina

2013-01-01

Reading-impaired children have difficulty tapping to a beat. Here we tested whether this relationship between reading ability and synchronized tapping holds in typically-developing adolescents. We also hypothesized that tapping relates to two other abilities. First, since auditory-motor synchronization requires monitoring of the relationship…

Zinc sacrificial anode behavior at elevated temperatures in sodium chloride and tap water environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, Othman Mohsen

2005-01-01

Zinc sacrificial anode coupled to mild steel was tested in sodium chloride and tap water environments at elevated temperatures. The anode failed to protect the mild steel specimens in tap water environment at all temperatures specified for this study. This was partly due to the high resistivity of the medium. The temperature factor did not help to activate the anode in water tap medium. In sodium chloride environment the anode demonstrated good protection for steel cathodes. In tap water environment the anode weight loss was negligible. The zinc anode suffered intergranular corrosion in sodium chloride environment and this was noticed starting at 40 degree centigrade. In tap water environment the zinc anode demonstrated interesting behavior beyond 60 degree centigrade, that could be attributed to the phenomenon of reversal of potential at elevated temperatures. It also showed shallow pitting spots in tap water environment without any sign of intergranular corrosion. Zinc anodes would suffer intergranular corrosion at high temperatures. (author)

Smart solar tanks for small solar domestic hot water systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Furbo, Simon; Andersen, Elsa; Knudsen, Søren

2005-01-01

Investigation of small SDHW systems based on smart solar tanks are presented. The domestic water in a smart solar tank can be heated both by solar collectors and by means of an auxiliary energy supply system. The auxiliary energy supply system – in this study electric heating elements – heats up...... systems, based on differently designed smart solar tanks and a traditional SDHW system were investigated by means of laboratory experiments and theoretical calculations. The investigations showed that the yearly thermal performance of SDHW systems with smart solar tanks is 5-35% higher than the thermal...... performance of traditional SDHW systems. Estimates indicate that the performance/cost ratio can be improved by up to 25% by using a smart solar tank instead of a traditional tank when the backup energy system is electric heating elements. Further, smart solar tanks are suitable for unknown, variable, large...

The Effect of Delayed Visual Feedback on Synchrony Perception in a Tapping Task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirjam Keetels

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Sensory events following a motor action are, within limits, interpreted as a causal consequence of those actions. For example, the clapping of the hands is initiated by the motor system, but subsequently visual, auditory, and tactile information is provided and processed. In the present study we examine the effect of temporal disturbances in this chain of motor-sensory events. Participants are instructed to tap a surface with their finger in synchrony with a chain of 20 sound clicks (ISI 750 ms. We examined the effect of additional visual information on this ‘tap-sound’-synchronization task. During tapping, subjects will see a video of their own tapping hand on a screen in front of them. The video can either be in synchrony with the tap (real-time recording, or can be slightly delayed (∼40–160 ms. In a control condition, no video is provided. We explore whether ‘tap-sound’ synchrony will be shifted as a function of the delayed visual feedback. Results will provide fundamental insights into how the brain preserves a causal interpretation of motor actions and their sensory consequences.

Tapping but not massage enhances vasodilation and improves venous palpation of cutaneous veins.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichimura, Mika; Sasaki, Shinsuke; Mori, Masaharu; Ogino, Tetsuya

2015-01-01

This paper investigated whether tapping on the median cubital vein or massaging the forearm was more effective in obtaining better venous palpation for venipuncture. Forty healthy volunteers in their twenties were subjected to tapping (10 times in 5 sec) or massage (10 strokes in 20 sec from the wrist to the cubital fossa) under tourniquet inflation on the upper arm. Venous palpation was assessed using the venous palpation score (0-6, with 0 being impalpable). Three venous factors-venous depth, cross-sectional area, and elevation-were also measured using ultrasonography. The venous palpation score increased significantly by tapping but not by massage. Moreover, all 3 venous measurements changed significantly by tapping, while only the depth decreased significantly by massage. The three venous measurements correlated significantly with the venous palpation score, indicating that they are useful objective indicators for evaluating vasodilation. We suggest that tapping is an effective vasodilation technique.

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block after robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Torup, H; Bøgeskov, M; Hansen, E G

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is widely used as a part of pain management after various abdominal surgeries. We evaluated the effect of TAP block as an add-on to the routine analgesic regimen in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy. METHODS......: In a prospective blinded study, 70 patients scheduled for elective robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy were randomised to receive either TAP block (ropivacaine 0.5%, 20 ml on each side) or sham block (isotonic saline 0.9%, 20 ml on each side). All patients had patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine...... and Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) treatment, had no effect on morphine consumption, VAS pain scores, or frequency of nausea and vomiting after robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with paracetamol and NSAID alone....

High-resolution stochastic integrated thermal–electrical domestic demand model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenna, Eoghan; Thomson, Murray

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A major new version of CREST’s demand model is presented. • Simulates electrical and thermal domestic demands at high-resolution. • Integrated structure captures appropriate time-coincidence of variables. • Suitable for low-voltage network and urban energy analyses. • Open-source development in Excel VBA freely available for download. - Abstract: This paper describes the extension of CREST’s existing electrical domestic demand model into an integrated thermal–electrical demand model. The principle novelty of the model is its integrated structure such that the timing of thermal and electrical output variables are appropriately correlated. The model has been developed primarily for low-voltage network analysis and the model’s ability to account for demand diversity is of critical importance for this application. The model, however, can also serve as a basis for modelling domestic energy demands within the broader field of urban energy systems analysis. The new model includes the previously published components associated with electrical demand and generation (appliances, lighting, and photovoltaics) and integrates these with an updated occupancy model, a solar thermal collector model, and new thermal models including a low-order building thermal model, domestic hot water consumption, thermostat and timer controls and gas boilers. The paper reviews the state-of-the-art in high-resolution domestic demand modelling, describes the model, and compares its output with three independent validation datasets. The integrated model remains an open-source development in Excel VBA and is freely available to download for users to configure and extend, or to incorporate into other models.

Introducing the TAPS Pyramid Model

Science.gov (United States)

Earle, Sarah

2015-01-01

The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project is a three-year project based at Bath Spa University and funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT). It aims to develop support for a valid, reliable and manageable system of science assessment that will have a positive impact on children's learning. In this article, the author…

Improving tapping mode atomic force microscopy with piezoelectric cantilevers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, B.; Manning, L.; Sulchek, T.; Adams, J.D.

2004-01-01

This article summarizes improvements to the speed, simplicity and versatility of tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). Improvements are enabled by a piezoelectric microcantilever with a sharp silicon tip and a thin, low-stress zinc oxide (ZnO) film to both actuate and sense deflection. First, we demonstrate self-sensing tapping mode without laser detection. Similar previous work has been limited by unoptimized probe tips, cantilever thicknesses, and stress in the piezoelectric films. Tests indicate self-sensing amplitude resolution is as good or better than optical detection, with double the sensitivity, using the same type of cantilever. Second, we demonstrate self-oscillating tapping mode AFM. The cantilever's integrated piezoelectric film serves as the frequency-determining component of an oscillator circuit. The circuit oscillates the cantilever near its resonant frequency by applying positive feedback to the film. We present images and force-distance curves using both self-sensing and self-oscillating techniques. Finally, high-speed tapping mode imaging in liquid, where electric components of the cantilever require insulation, is demonstrated. Three cantilever coating schemes are tested. The insulated microactuator is used to simultaneously vibrate and actuate the cantilever over topographical features. Preliminary images in water and saline are presented, including one taken at 75.5 μm/s - a threefold improvement in bandwidth versus conventional piezotube actuators

Functional analysis of the accessory protein TapA in Bacillus subtilis amyloid fiber assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Diego; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

2014-04-01

Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation relies on the assembly of a fibrous scaffold formed by the protein TasA. TasA polymerizes into highly stable fibers with biochemical and morphological features of functional amyloids. Previously, we showed that assembly of TasA fibers requires the auxiliary protein TapA. In this study, we investigated the roles of TapA sequences from the C-terminal and N-terminal ends and TapA cysteine residues in its ability to promote the assembly of TasA amyloid-like fibers. We found that the cysteine residues are not essential for the formation of TasA fibers, as their replacement by alanine residues resulted in only minor defects in biofilm formation. Mutating sequences in the C-terminal half had no effect on biofilm formation. However, we identified a sequence of 8 amino acids in the N terminus that is key for TasA fiber formation. Strains expressing TapA lacking these 8 residues were completely defective in biofilm formation. In addition, this TapA mutant protein exhibited a dominant negative effect on TasA fiber formation. Even in the presence of wild-type TapA, the mutant protein inhibited fiber assembly in vitro and delayed biofilm formation in vivo. We propose that this 8-residue sequence is crucial for the formation of amyloid-like fibers on the cell surface, perhaps by mediating the interaction between TapA or TapA and TasA molecules.

Antibacterial TAP-mimic electrospun polymer scaffold: effects on P. gingivalis-infected dentin biofilm.

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque, Maria Tereza P; Evans, Joshua D; Gregory, Richard L; Valera, Marcia C; Bottino, Marco C

2016-03-01

This study sought to investigate, in vitro, the effects of a recently developed triple antibiotic paste (TAP)-mimic polymer nanofibrous scaffold against Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected dentin biofilm. Dentin specimens (4 × 4 × 1 mm(3)) were prepared from human canines. The specimens were sterilized, inoculated with P. gingivalis (ATCC 33277), and incubated for 1 week to allow for biofilm formation. Infected dentin specimens were exposed for 3 days to the following treatments: antibiotic-free polydioxanone scaffold (PDS, control), PDS + 25 wt% TAP [25 mg of each antibiotic (metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, and minocycline) per mL of the PDS polymer solution], or a saturated TAP-based solution (50 mg of each antibiotic per mL of saline solution). In order to serve as the negative control, infected dentin specimens were left untreated (bacteria only). To determine the antimicrobial efficacy of the TAP-mimic scaffold, a colony-forming unit (CFU) per milliliter (n = 10/group) measurement was performed. Furthermore, additional specimens (n = 2/group) were prepared to qualitatively study biofilm inhibition via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Statistics were performed, and significance was set at the 5% level. Both the TAP-mimic scaffold and the positive control (TAP solution) led to complete bacterial elimination, differing statistically (p mimic scaffold against an established P. gingivalis-infected dentin biofilm. Collectively, the data suggest that the proposed nanofibrous scaffold might be used as an alternative to the advocated clinical gold standard (i.e., TAP) for intracanal disinfection prior to regenerative endodontics.

BC SEA Solar Hot Water Acceleration project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, N.C. [BC Sustainable Energy Association, Victoria, BC (Canada)

2005-07-01

Although solar hot water heating is an environmentally responsible technology that reduces fossil fuel consumption and helps mitigate global climate change, there are many barriers to its widespread use. Each year, domestic water heating contributes nearly 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide towards Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. The installation of solar water heaters can eliminate up to 2 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per household. The BC SEA Solar Hot Water Acceleration project was launched in an effort to demonstrate that the technology has the potential to be widely used in homes and businesses across British Columbia. One of the main barriers to the widespread use of solar hot water heating is the initial cost of the system. Lack of public awareness and understanding of the technology are other barriers. However, other jurisdictions around the world have demonstrated that the use of renewables are the product of conscious policy decisions, including low-cost financing and other subsidies that have created demand for these technologies. To this end, the BC SEA Solar Hot Water Acceleration project will test the potential for the rapid acceleration of solar water heating in pilot communities where barriers are removed. The objective of the project is to install 100 solar water systems in homes and 25 in businesses and institutions in communities in British Columbia by July 2007. The project will explore the financial barriers to the installation of solar hot water systems and produce an action plan to reduce these barriers. In addition to leading by example, the project will help the solar energy marketplace, mitigate climate change and improve energy efficiency.

Cross-Cultural Influences on Rhythm Processing: Reproduction, Discrimination, and Beat Tapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J Cameron

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The structures of musical rhythm differ between cultures, despite the fact that the ability to synchronize one’s movements to musical rhythms appears to be universal. To measure the influence of culture on rhythm processing, we tested East African and North American adults on the perception, production, and beat tapping of rhythms derived from East African and Western music. To assess rhythm perception, participants identified whether pairs of rhythms were same or different. To assess rhythm production, participants reproduced rhythms after hearing them. To assess beat tapping, participants tapped the beat along with repeated rhythms. We expected that performance in all three tasks would be influenced both by the culture of the participant and by the culture of the rhythm. Specifically, we predicted that a participant’s ability to discriminate, reproduce, and accurately tap the beat would be better for rhythms from their own culture than for rhythms from another culture. In the rhythm discrimination task, there were no differences in discriminating culturally familiar and unfamiliar rhythms. In the rhythm reproduction task, both groups reproduced East African rhythms more accurately than Western rhythms, but East African participants also showed an effect of cultural familiarity, leading to a significant interaction. In the beat tapping task, participants in both groups tapped the beat more accurately for culturally familiar than unfamiliar rhythms. The results demonstrate that culture does influence the processing of musical rhythm. In terms of the function of musical rhythm, our results are consistent with theories that musical rhythm enables synchronization. Musical rhythm may foster musical cultural identity by enabling within-group synchronization to music, perhaps supporting social cohesion.

Water Quality Study on the Hot and Cold Water Supply Systems at Vietnamese Hotels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kanako Toyosada

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted as part of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of the Environment project’s preparation in Vietnam. Samples were taken from hot and cold water supplies from guest rooms’ faucets in 12 hotels in Hanoi city, Vietnam, and 13 hotels in Japan for comparison. A simple water quality measurement and determination of Legionella was carried out. The results showed that residual effective chlorine—which guarantees bactericidal properties—was not detected in tap water supplied in hotel rooms in Vietnam, and nitrite (an indicator of water pollution was detected in 40% of buildings. In the hotels in Japan, the prescribed residual chlorine concentration met the prescribed levels, and nitrite was not detected. Additionally, while there was no Legionella detected in the Japanese cases, it was detected in most of the Vietnamese hotels, which were found to manage the hot water storage tank at low temperatures of 40–50 °C. It was found that there were deficiencies in cold and hot water supply quality, and that there was no effective system in place for building operation maintenance and management.

Primary stability and self-tapping blades: biomechanical assessment of dental implants in medium-density bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yung-Soo; Lim, Young-Jun

2011-10-01

The aim of this biomechanical study was to assess the influence of self-tapping blades in terms of primary implant stability between implants with self-tapping blades and implants without self-tapping blades using five different analytic methods, especially in medium-density bone. Two different types of dental implants (4 × 10 mm) were tested: self-tapping and non-self-tapping. The fixture design including thread profiles was exactly the same between the two groups; the only difference was the presence of cutting blades on one half of the apical portion of the implant body. Solid rigid polyurethane blocks with corresponding densities were selected to simulate medium-density bone. Five mechanical assessments (insertion torque, resonance frequency analysis [RFA], reverse torque, pull-out and push in test) were performed for primary stability. Implants without self-tapping blades showed significantly higher values (P0.05). The outcomes of the present study indicate that the implant body design without self-tapping blades has a good primary stability compared with that with self-tapping blades in medium-density bone. Considering the RFA, a distinct layer of cortical bone on marginal bone will yield implant stability quotient values similar to those in medium-bone density when implants have the same diameter. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Biological mechanisms associated with triazophos (TAP) removal by horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSFCW)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Juan; Feng, Yuqin; Dai, Yanran; Cui, Naxin; Anderson, Bruce; Cheng, Shuiping

2016-01-01

Triazophos (TAP) is a widely used pesticide that is easily accumulated in the environment due to its relatively high stability: this accumulation from agricultural runoff results in potential hazards to aquatic ecosystems. Constructed wetlands are generally considered to be an effective technology for treating TAP polluted surface water. However, knowledge about the biological mechanisms of TAP removal is still lacking. This study investigates the responses of a wetland plant (Canna indica), substrate enzymes and microbial communities in bench-scale horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands (HSCWs) loaded with different TAP concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 5 mg·L"−"1). The results indicate that TAP stimulated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in the roots of C. indica. The highest TAP concentrations significantly inhibited photosynthetic activities, as shown by a reduced effective quantum yield of PS II (Φ_P_S_I_I) and lower electron transport rates (ETR). However, interestingly, the lower TAP loadings exhibited some favorable effects on these two variables, suggesting that C. indica is a suitable species for use in wetlands designed for treatment of low TAP concentrations. Urease and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the wetland substrate were activated by TAP. Two-way ANOVA demonstrated that urease activity was influenced by both the TAP concentrations and season, while acidphosphatase (ACP) only responded to seasonal variations. Analysis of high throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed seasonal variations in the microbial community structure of the wetland substrate at the phylum and family levels. In addition, urease activity had a greater correlation with the relative abundance of some functional microbial groups, such as the Bacillaceae family, and the ALP and ACP may be influenced by the plant more than substrate microbial communities. - Highlights: • Physiological responses of the wetland plant to triazophos loads

Biological mechanisms associated with triazophos (TAP) removal by horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSFCW)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Juan; Feng, Yuqin; Dai, Yanran; Cui, Naxin [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and ResourceReuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Anderson, Bruce [Department of Civil Engineering, Queen' s University, Kingston K7L3N6 (Canada); Cheng, Shuiping, E-mail: shpcheng@tongji.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and ResourceReuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China)

2016-05-15

Triazophos (TAP) is a widely used pesticide that is easily accumulated in the environment due to its relatively high stability: this accumulation from agricultural runoff results in potential hazards to aquatic ecosystems. Constructed wetlands are generally considered to be an effective technology for treating TAP polluted surface water. However, knowledge about the biological mechanisms of TAP removal is still lacking. This study investigates the responses of a wetland plant (Canna indica), substrate enzymes and microbial communities in bench-scale horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands (HSCWs) loaded with different TAP concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 5 mg·L{sup −1}). The results indicate that TAP stimulated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in the roots of C. indica. The highest TAP concentrations significantly inhibited photosynthetic activities, as shown by a reduced effective quantum yield of PS II (Φ{sub PSII}) and lower electron transport rates (ETR). However, interestingly, the lower TAP loadings exhibited some favorable effects on these two variables, suggesting that C. indica is a suitable species for use in wetlands designed for treatment of low TAP concentrations. Urease and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the wetland substrate were activated by TAP. Two-way ANOVA demonstrated that urease activity was influenced by both the TAP concentrations and season, while acidphosphatase (ACP) only responded to seasonal variations. Analysis of high throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA revealed seasonal variations in the microbial community structure of the wetland substrate at the phylum and family levels. In addition, urease activity had a greater correlation with the relative abundance of some functional microbial groups, such as the Bacillaceae family, and the ALP and ACP may be influenced by the plant more than substrate microbial communities. - Highlights: • Physiological responses of the wetland plant to triazophos

A hot air driven thermoacoustic-Stirling engine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tijani, M.E.H.; Spoelstra, S. [ECN Biomass and Energy Efficiency, Petten (Netherlands)

2012-09-15

Significant energy savings can be obtained by implementing a thermally driven heat pump into industrial or domestic applications. Such a thermally driven heat pump uses heat from a high-temperature source to drive the system which upgrades an abundantly available heat source (industrial waste heat, air, water, geothermal). A way to do this is by coupling a thermoacoustic engine with a thermoacoustic heat pump. The engine is driven by a burner and produces acoustic power and heat at the required temperature. The acoustic power is used to pump heat in the heat pump to the required temperature. This system is attractive since it uses a noble gas as working medium and has no moving mechanical parts. This paper deals with the first part of this system: the engine. In this study, hot air is used to simulate the flue gases originating from a gas burner. This is in contrast with a lot of other studies of thermoacoustic engines that use an electrical heater as heat source. Using hot air resembles to a larger extent the real world application. The engine produces about 300W of acoustic power with a performance of 41% of the Carnot efficiency at a hot air temperature of 620C.

Evaluation on the Quality of Bangkok Tap Water with Other Drinking Purpose Water

Science.gov (United States)

Kordach, A.; Chardwattananon, C.; Wongin, K.; Chayaput, B.; Wongpat, N.

2018-02-01

The concern of drinking purposed water quality in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samutprakarn provinces has been a problem for over fifteen years. Metropolitan Water Works Authority (MWA) of Thailand is fully responsible for providing water supply to the mentioned areas. The objective of Drinkable Tap Water Project is to make people realize in quality of tap water. Communities, school, government agencies, hotels, hospitals, department stores, and other organizations are participating in this project. MWA have collected at least 3 samples of water from the corresponding places and the samples have to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines level. This study is to evaluate water quality of tap water, storage water, filtered water, and filtered water dispenser. The water samples from 2,354 attending places are collected and analyzed. From October 2011 to September 2016, MWA analyzed 32,711 samples. The analyzed water parameters are free residual chlorine, appearance color, turbidity, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and pathogenic bacteria; E.coli. The results indicated that a number of tap water samples had the highest number compliance with WHO guidelines levels at 98.40%. The filtered water, filtered water dispenser, and storage water were received 96.71%, 95.63%, and 90.88%, respectively. However, the several samples fail to pass WHO guideline level because they were contaminated by E.coli. The result is that tap water has the highest score among other sources probably because tap water has chlorine for disinfection and always is monitored by professional team round-the-clock services compared to the other water sources with less maintenance or cleaning. Also, water quality reports are continuously sent to customers by mail addresses. Tap water quality data are shown on MWA websites and Facebook. All these steps of work should enhance the confidence of tap water quality.

Evaluation on the Quality of Bangkok Tap Water with Other Drinking Purpose Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kordach A.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The concern of drinking purposed water quality in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samutprakarn provinces has been a problem for over fifteen years. Metropolitan Water Works Authority (MWA of Thailand is fully responsible for providing water supply to the mentioned areas. The objective of Drinkable Tap Water Project is to make people realize in quality of tap water. Communities, school, government agencies, hotels, hospitals, department stores, and other organizations are participating in this project. MWA have collected at least 3 samples of water from the corresponding places and the samples have to meet the World Health Organization (WHO guidelines level. This study is to evaluate water quality of tap water, storage water, filtered water, and filtered water dispenser. The water samples from 2,354 attending places are collected and analyzed. From October 2011 to September 2016, MWA analyzed 32,711 samples. The analyzed water parameters are free residual chlorine, appearance color, turbidity, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS, and pathogenic bacteria; E.coli. The results indicated that a number of tap water samples had the highest number compliance with WHO guidelines levels at 98.40%. The filtered water, filtered water dispenser, and storage water were received 96.71%, 95.63%, and 90.88%, respectively. However, the several samples fail to pass WHO guideline level because they were contaminated by E.coli. The result is that tap water has the highest score among other sources probably because tap water has chlorine for disinfection and always is monitored by professional team round-the-clock services compared to the other water sources with less maintenance or cleaning. Also, water quality reports are continuously sent to customers by mail addresses. Tap water quality data are shown on MWA websites and Facebook. All these steps of work should enhance the confidence of tap water quality.

Phosphate ions as inhibiting agents for copper corrosion in chlorinated tap water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yohai, L.; Schreiner, W.H.; Vázquez, M.; Valcarce, M.B.

2013-01-01

PO 4 3− ions as corrosion inhibitor were investigated on copper in tap water in the presence of NaClO. The inhibitor was evaluated by electrochemical techniques and weight loss tests. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study the passive layer. In inhibited tap water, the passive layer is thick and compact if NaClO is present. Weight-loss tests showed the inhibition of uniform dissolution and no pitting attack. When adding NaClO, Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 is incorporated to the passive film. Thus, phosphate ions are effective as inhibitors for copper in tap water, even when using high dosages of biocides. - Highlights: ► Changes in the copper corrosion after adding phosphate to tap water were analyzed. ► When NaClO and phosphates are present, Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 participates of the surface film. ► In the absence of biocide the surface film contains a mixture of Cu 2 O, CuO and Cu(OH) 2 . ► PO 4 3− is an effective inhibitor for Cu in tap water containing high NaClO dosages

Comparison of bone-conducted vibration for eliciting ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials: forehead versus mastoid tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Chia-Chen; Wang, Shou-Jen; Young, Yi-Ho

2012-02-01

This study compared bone-conducted vibration (BCV) stimuli at forehead (Fz) and mastoid sites for eliciting ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs). Prospective study. University hospital. Twenty healthy subjects underwent oVEMP testing via BCV stimuli at Fz and mastoid sites. Another 50 patients with unilateral Meniere's disease also underwent oVEMP testing. All healthy subjects showed clear oVEMPs via BCV stimulation regardless of the tapping sites. The right oVEMPs stimulated by tapping at the right mastoid had earlier nI and pI latencies and a larger nI-pI amplitude compared with those stimulated by tapping at the Fz and left mastoid. Similar trends were also observed in left oVEMPs. However, the asymmetry ratio did not differ significantly between the ipsilateral mastoid and Fz sites. Clinically, tapping at the Fz revealed absent oVEMPs in 28% of Meniere's ears, which decreased to 16% when tapping at the ipsilesional (hydropic) mastoid site, exhibiting a significant difference. Tapping at the ipsilateral mastoid site elicits earlier oVEMP latencies and larger oVEMP amplitudes when compared with tapping at the Fz site. Thus, tapping at the Fz site is suggested to screen for the otolithic function, whereas tapping at the ipsilesional mastoid site is suitable for evaluating residual otolithic function.

Pengaruh Self Tapping terhadap Penurunan Level Dysmenorhea pada Mahasiswi Program Studi Ilmu Keperawatan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wiwin Lismidiati

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Dysmenorrhea primer adalah nyeri pada perut bagian bawah yang dirasakan pada saat menstruasi tanpa adanya kelainan pada panggul. Banyaknya gejala yang muncul saat dysmenorrhea dapat berpengaruh pada aktivitas kerja dan aktivitas sehari-hari. Ada beberapa manajemen nyeri untuk mengatasi dysmenorrhea primer, salah satunya adalah dengan self tapping. Tujuan penelitian untuk menganalisis efektifitas terapi self tapping dalam menurunkan level nyeri dysmenorrhea primer pada mahasiswi PSIK FK UGM. Penelitian ini adalah jenis penelitian quasi experiment non randomized pretest-postest with control. Pada kelompok intervensi diberikan perlakuan self tapping, sedangkan pada kelompok kontrol diberikan perlakuan nafas dalam. Pengukuran level nyeri dysmenorrhea primer dilakukan menggunakan instrumen Numerical Rating Scale (NRS dengan skala 1−10. Jumlah responden sebanyak 60 orang. Untuk mengetahui perbandingan level nyeri sebelum dan sesudah terapi pada kelompok intervensi dan kelompok kontrol, dilakukan uji statistik Wilcoxon. Sedangkan untuk membandingkan perbedaan level nyeri antara kelompok intervensi dan kelompok kontrol dilakukan uji statistik Mann Whitney. Hasil menunjukkan intervensi self tapping lebih efektif menurunkan level nyeri dysmenorrhea primer pada mahasiswi PSIK FK UGM dengan nilai p = 0,007. Kesimpulannya terdapat pengaruh terapi self tapping terhadap terhadap level nyeri dysmenorrhea primer pada mahasiswi PSIK FK UGM. Terapi self tapping dapat dijadikan pilihan penanganan untuk mengurangi nyeri pada saat mengalami dysmenorrhea primer.

CSF tapping also improves mental imagery of gait in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Bruno; Laidet, Magali; Armand, Stéphane; Assal, Frédéric; Allali, Gilles

2017-11-01

This study aims to compare the changes of Timed Up and Go (TUG) and its imagined version (iTUG) after CSF tapping between patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) and its mimics. TUG and iTUG were performed before and 24 h after CSF tapping in 117 patients (75.8 ± 6.9 years; 35% female) with suspicion of iNPH (68 iNPH and 49 mimics). Mental imagery of locomotion was modified after CSF tapping in iNPH patients, but not in the mimics.

Spontaneous bimanual independence during parallel tapping and sawing

Science.gov (United States)

Baber, Chris

2017-01-01

The performance of complex polyrhythms—rhythms where the left and right hand move at different rates—is usually the province of highly trained individuals. However, studies in which hand movement is guided haptically show that even novices can perform polyrhythms with no or only brief training. In this study, we investigated whether novices are able to tap with one hand by matching different rates of a metronome while sawing with the other hand. This experiment was based on the assumption that saw movement is controlled consistently at a predictable rate without the need for paying primary attention to it. It would follow that consciously matching different stipulated metronome rates with the other hand would result in the spontaneous performance of polyrhythms. Six experimental conditions were randomised: single handed tapping and sawing as well as four bimanual conditions with expected ratios of 1:1 (performed with and without matching a metronome) as well as 3:4 and 4:3 (performed matching a metronome). Results showed that participants executed the saw movement at a consistent cycle duration of 0.44 [0.20] s to 0.51 [0.19] s across single and bimanual conditions, with no significant effect of the condition on the cycle duration (p = 0.315). Similarly, free tapping was executed at a cycle duration of 0.48 [0.22] s. In the bimanual conditions, we found that for a ratio of 4:3 (4 taps against 3 sawing cycles per measure), the observed and predicted ratio of 0.75 were not significantly different (p = 0.369), supporting our hypothesis of the spontaneous adoption of polyrhythms. However, for a ratio of 3:4 (3 taps against 4 sawing cycles per measure), the observed and predicted ratio differed (p = 0.016), with a trend towards synchronisation. Our findings show that bimanual independence when performing complex polyrhythms can in principle be achieved if the movement of one hand can be performed without paying much—if any—attention to it. In this paradigm

Relay self interference minimisation using tapped filter

KAUST Repository

Jazzar, Saleh

2013-05-01

In this paper we introduce a self interference (SI) estimation and minimisation technique for amplify and forward relays. Relays are used to help forward signals between a transmitter and a receiver. This helps increase the signal coverage and reduce the required transmitted signal power. One problem that faces relays communications is the leaked signal from the relay\\'s output to its input. This will cause an SI problem where the new received signal at the relay\\'s input will be added with the unwanted leaked signal from the relay\\'s output. A Solution is proposed in this paper to estimate and minimise this SI which is based upon using a tapped filter at the destination. To get the optimum weights for this tapped filter, some channel parameters must be estimated first. This is performed blindly at the destination without the need of any training. This channel parameter estimation method is named the blind-self-interference-channel-estimation (BSICE) method. The next step in the proposed solution is to estimate the tapped filter\\'s weights. This is performed by minimising the mean squared error (MSE) at the destination. This proposed method is named the MSE-Optimum Weight (MSE-OW) method. Simulation results are provided in this paper to verify the performance of BSICE and MSE-OW methods. © 2013 IEEE.

The 3-Second Rule in Hereditary Pure Cerebellar Ataxia: A Synchronized Tapping Study

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, Shunichi; Matsumoto, Hideyuki; Furubayashi, Toshiaki; Hanajima, Ritsuko; Tsuji, Shoji; Ugawa, Yoshikazu; Terao, Yasuo

2015-01-01

The ‘3-second rule’ has been proposed based on miscellaneous observations that a time period of around 3 seconds constitutes the fundamental unit of time related to the neuro-cognitive machinery in normal humans. The aim of paper was to investigate the temporal processing in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) and SCA31, pure cerebellar types of spinocerebellar degeneration, using a synchronized tapping task. Seventeen SCA patients (11 SCA6, 6 SCA31) and 17 normal age-matched volunteers participated. The task required subjects to tap a keyboard in synchrony with sequences of auditory stimuli presented at fixed interstimulus intervals (ISIs) between 200 and 4800 ms. In this task, the subjects required non-motor components to estimate the time of forthcoming tone in addition to motor components to tap. Normal subjects synchronized their taps to the presented tones at shorter ISIs, whereas as the ISI became longer, the normal subjects displayed greater latency between the tone and the tapping (transition zone). After the transition zone, normal subjects pressed the button delayed relative to the tone. On the other hand, SCA patients could not synchronize their tapping with the tone even at shorter ISIs, although they pressed the button delayed relative to the tone earlier than normal subjects did. The earliest time of delayed tapping appearance after the transition zone was 4800 ms in normal subjects but 1800 ms in SCA patients. The span of temporal integration in SCA patients is shortened compared to that in normal subjects. This could represent non-motor cerebellar dysfunction in SCA patients. PMID:25706752

Sinusitis from Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Tap Water

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Dr. Wellington S. Tichenor. Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College and in private practice in Manhattan, New York, discusses his investigation of sinusitis from nontuberculous mycobacteria in tap water.

The occurrence of legionalla in hot water distribution systems of some Finnish apartment and office buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zacheus, O M; Kuittinen, M H; Martikainen, P J [National Public Health Institute, Dept. Environ. Hyg. and Toxicol., Kuopio (FI)

1991-01-01

A project concerning the effect of water temperature and water quality on the microbiology of hot water distribution systems in Finnish apartment and office buildings was started in 1989. Here we report preliminary results on the occurrence of legionella. Samples were taken from showerpipes and from hot water mains before and after calorifiers of 17 buildings. Water temperature in the showerpipes ranged from 39 to 55 deg. C. Water temperature before calorifiers ranged from 40 to 52 deg. C and after them from 39 to 59 deg. C. Water temperature did not explain well the occurrence of legionalla. Legionalla pneumophila was isolated from six systems. The isolates were serogroups 1, 5 and 6. Legionella concentrations in positive samples ranged from 100 to 350 000 CFU/l. Highest concentrations of legionalla were obtained from showerpipes and hot water mains before calorifiers. Four legionella positive distribution systems were decontaminated by raising the water temperature to 60-70 deg. C and cleaning taps and showerheads, and flushing them twice a day. The numbers of legionellas in the hot water mains fell below detection limit (50 CFU/l) and their numbers also decreased in showerpipes. Decontamination failed in some parts of the distribution systems where water temperature remained below 60 deg. C. (author) 26 refs.

Tapping mode SPM local oxidation nanolithography with sub-10 nm resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimura, S; Ogino, T; Shirakashi, J; Takemura, Y

2008-01-01

Tapping mode SPM local oxidation nanolithography with sub-10 nm resolution is investigated by optimizing the applied bias voltage (V), scanning speed (S) and the oscillation amplitude of the cantilever (A). We fabricated Si oxide wires with an average width of 9.8 nm (V = 17.5 V, S 250 nm/s, A = 292 nm). In SPM local oxidation with tapping mode operation, it is possible to decrease the size of the water meniscus by enhancing the oscillation amplitude of cantilever. Hence, it seems that the water meniscus with sub-10 nm dimensions could be formed by precisely optimizing the oxidation conditions. Moreover, we quantitatively explain the size (width and height) of Si oxide wires with a model based on the oxidation ratio, which is defined as the oxidation time divided by the period of the cantilever oscillation. The model allows us to understand the mechanism of local oxidation in tapping mode operation with amplitude modulation. The results imply that the sub-10 nm resolution could be achieved using tapping mode SPM local oxidation technique with the optimization of the cantilever dynamics

Physics of Beer Tapping

OpenAIRE

Rodríguez-Rodríguez , Javier; Casado-Chacón , Almudena; Fuster , Daniel

2014-01-01

International audience; The popular bar prank known in colloquial English as beer tapping consists in hitting the top of a beer bottle with a solid object, usually another bottle, to trigger the foaming over of the former within a few seconds. Despite the trick being known for long time, to the best of our knowledge, the phenomenon still lacks scientific explanation. Although it seems natural to think that shock-induced cavitation enhances the diffusion of CO2 from the supersaturated bulk liq...

The occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in tap water - a review

Science.gov (United States)

Siedlecka, Agata

2018-02-01

The study presents a review of the occurrence of genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance in tap water. The aim of this study was also to compare the applied methods for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) investigations in tap water. As the concentration of ARGs in treated, drinking water is expected to be very low and may cause problems in a standard isolation procedure, the special emphasis is placed on the applied procedures of DNA extraction and their efficiency. The study presents the first attempts to obtain DNA directly from tap water. Further efforts must be put to determine the final amount of obtained DNA and the presence of chosen ARGs among the molecules.

Long-range correlation in synchronization and syncopation tapping: a linear phase correction model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Didier Delignières

Full Text Available We propose in this paper a model for accounting for the increase in long-range correlations observed in asynchrony series in syncopation tapping, as compared with synchronization tapping. Our model is an extension of the linear phase correction model for synchronization tapping. We suppose that the timekeeper represents a fractal source in the system, and that a process of estimation of the half-period of the metronome, obeying a random-walk dynamics, combines with the linear phase correction process. Comparing experimental and simulated series, we show that our model allows accounting for the experimentally observed pattern of serial dependence. This model complete previous modeling solutions proposed for self-paced and synchronization tapping, for a unifying framework of event-based timing.

Experimental analysis of solar thermal integrated MD system for cogeneration of drinking water and hot water for single family villa in dubai using flat plate and evacuated tube solar collectors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asim, Muhammad; Imran, Muhammad; Leung, Michael K.H.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the experimental analysis performed on solar thermal integrated membrane distillation (MD) system using flat plate and evacuated tube collectors. The system will be utilized for cogeneration of drinking water and domestic hot water for single family in Dubai comprising of four...... to five members. Experiments have been performed in Ras Al Khaimah Research and Innovation Centre (RAKRIC) facility. The experimental setup has been installed to achieve the required production of 15–25 L/d of drinking water and 250 L/d of hot water for domestic purposes. Experiments have been performed...

Tap to Togetherness: An Innovative Family Relationship Program Reaches Ghana, Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Pentz, Julie L.

2017-01-01

Tap to Togetherness is a unique program designed to build and enhance family relationships through tap dance steps. Kansas State University researchers from the School of Music, Theatre and Dance and the College of Human Ecology, led by Julie L. Pentz, Associate Professor of Dance, Director of the K-State Dance Program, developed the program.…

Transversus abdominal plane (TAP block for postoperative pain management: a review [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Jakobsson

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Transversus abdominal plane (TAP block has a long history and there is currently extensive clinical experience around TAP blocks. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of the present evidence on the effects of TAP block and to provide suggestions for further studies. There are several approaches to performing abdominal wall blocks, with the rapid implementation of ultrasound-guided technique facilitating a major difference in TAP block performance. During surgery, an abdominal wall block may also be applied by the surgeon from inside the abdominal cavity. Today, there are more than 11 meta-analyses providing a compiled evidence base around the effects of TAP block. These analyses include different procedures, different techniques of TAP block administration and, importantly, they compare the TAP block with a variety of alternative analgesic regimes. The effects of TAP block during laparoscopic cholecystectomy seem to be equivalent to local infiltration analgesia and also seem to be beneficial during laparoscopic colon resection. The effects of TAP are more pronounced when it is provided prior to surgery and these effects are local anaesthesia dose-dependent. TAP block seems an interesting alternative in patients with, for example, severe obesity where epidural or spinal anaesthesia/analgesia is technically difficult and/or poses a risk. There is an obvious need for further high-quality studies comparing TAP block prior to surgery with local infiltration analgesia, single-shot spinal analgesia, and epidural analgesia. These studies should be procedure-specific and the effects should be evaluated, both regarding short-term pain and analgesic requirement and also including the effects on postoperative nausea and vomiting, recovery of bowel function, ambulation, discharge, and protracted recovery outcomes (assessed by e.g., postoperative quality of recovery scale.

Finger tapping impairments are highly sensitive for evaluating upper motor neuron lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirani, Afsaneh; Newton, Braeden D; Okuda, Darin T

2017-03-21

Identifying highly sensitive and reliable neurological exam components are crucial in recognizing clinical deficiencies. This study aimed to investigate finger tapping performance differences between patients with CNS demyelinating lesions and healthy control subjects. Twenty-three patients with multiple sclerosis or clinically isolated syndrome with infratentorial and/or cervical cord lesions on MRI, and 12 healthy controls were videotaped while tapping the tip of the index finger against the tip and distal crease of the thumb using both the dominant and non-dominant hand. Videos were assessed independently by 10 evaluators (three MS neurologists, four neurology residents, three advanced practice providers). Sensitivity and inter-evaluator reliability of finger tapping interpretations were calculated. A total of 1400 evaluations (four videos per each of the 35 subjects evaluated by 10 independent providers) were obtained. Impairments in finger tapping against the distal thumb crease of the non-dominant hand, identified by neurologists, had the greatest sensitivity (84%, p tapping against the thumb crease was more sensitive than the thumb tip across all categories of providers. The best inter-evaluator reliability was associated with neurologists' evaluations for the thumb crease of the non-dominant hand (kappa = 0.83, p tapping against the distal thumb crease of the non-dominant hand was a more sensitive technique for detecting impairments related to CNS demyelinating lesions. Our findings highlight the importance of precise examinations of the non-dominant side where impaired fine motor control secondary to an upper motor injury might be detectable earlier than the dominant side.

Development of a tapping device: a new needle insertion method for prostate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagerburg, V; Moerland, M A; Konings, M K; Vosse, R E van de; Lagendijk, J J W; Battermann, J J

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a tapping device for needle insertion for prostate brachytherapy. This device will tap the needle into the prostate with a certain, well-defined, amount of momentum, instead of the currently used method of pushing the needle. Because of the high needle insertion velocity, we expect prostate motion and deformation to be less compared to current methods. We measured the momentum that is applied when manually tapping the needle into the prostate and found a mean momentum of 0.50 ± 0.07 N s. The tapping device is pneumatically driven and we found that the delivered momentum increased linearly with the applied air pressure. The efficacy of the tapping device was tested on a piece of beef, placed on a freely moving and rotating platform. A significant correlation was found between the applied pressure and the rotation and displacement of the beef. Displacements and rotations were minimal for the highest pressure (4 bar) and amounted to only 2 mm and 6 deg., respectively. Higher air pressures will further reduce displacements and rotations

Beam polarimetry in the CBELSA/TAPS experiment; Strahlpolarimetrie am CBELSA/TAPS Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kammer, Susanne

2010-02-19

In the identification of nucleon resonances polarization observables play an important role. For the photoproduction experiments of the CBELAS/TAPS assembly at the accelerator facility ELSA in the framework of this thesis linearly and circularly polarized were realized and prepared. Linearly polarized photons were produced on a diamond crystal under usage of the coherent bremsstrahlung. By alignment of the crystal in the bremsstrahlung coherent intensity increasements in form of pronounced edges could be generated. The number of the polarized photons lying in the increasement determines in comparison to the incoherently produced background the degree of polarization. The position of the coherent edge could be tuned by means of control distributions to an arbitrary position in the measured energy spectrum as well as the degree of polarization of the photons optimized. For the production of circularly polarized photons longitudinally polarized electrons on the bremsstrahlung target are required. The polarization transfer of the bremsstrahlung process is uniquely given by the QED, so that the degree of polarization of the photons can be determined via a measurement of the electron-beam polarization. With this goal a for the first time in the CBELSA/TAPS applied momentum-selecting Moeller polarimeter was developed and integrated in the photon-tagging facility. Via a change of the beam helicity the counting-rate asymmetry for parallely and antiparallely beam and target electrons was measured and the degree of polarization of the electrons at beam energies of 2350 MeV determined to typically above 60%. By means of dedicated test measurements and simulations the functionality of the Moeller polarimeter was checked and the relative systematic uncertainty determined to 1%. Since 2007 the Moeller polarimeter essential for the double-polarization experiments is in current operation. Finally a method was sketched, in which via the known cross-section asymmetry of the

Tapping mode imaging and measurements with an inverted atomic force microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Sandra S F; Green, John-Bruce D

2006-07-18

This report demonstrates the successful use of the inverted atomic force microscope (i-AFM) for tapping mode AFM imaging of cantilever-supported samples. i-AFM is a mode of AFM operation in which a sample supported on a tipless cantilever is imaged by one of many tips in a microfabricated tip array. Tapping mode is an intermittent contact mode whereby the cantilever is oscillated at or near its resonance frequency, and the amplitude and/or phase are used to image the sample. In the process of demonstrating that tapping mode images could be obtained in the i-AFM design, it was observed that the amplitude of the cantilever oscillation decreased markedly as the cantilever and tip array were approached. The source of this damping of the cantilever oscillations was identified to be the well-known "squeeze film damping", and the extent of damping was a direct consequence of the relatively shorter tip heights for the tip arrays, as compared to those of commercially available tapping mode cantilevers with integrated tips. The functional form for the distance dependence of the damping coefficient is in excellent agreement with previously published models for squeeze film damping, and the values for the fitting parameters make physical sense. Although the severe damping reduces the cantilever free amplitude substantially, we found that we were still able to access the low-amplitude regime of oscillation necessary for attractive tapping mode imaging of fragile molecules.

Tapped density optimisation for four agricultural wastes - Part II: Performance analysis and Taguchi-Pareto

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ajibade Oluwaseyi Ayodele

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this attempt, which is a second part of discussions on tapped density optimisation for four agricultural wastes (particles of coconut, periwinkle, palm kernel and egg shells, performance analysis for comparative basis is made. This paper pioneers a study direction in which optimisation of process variables are pursued using Taguchi method integrated with the Pareto 80-20 rule. Negative percentage improvements resulted when the optimal tapped density was compared with the average tapped density. However, the performance analysis between optimal tapped density and the peak tapped density values yielded positive percentage improvements for the four filler particles. The performance analysis results validate the effectiveness of using the Taguchi method in improving the tapped density properties of the filler particles. The application of the Pareto 80-20 rule to the table of parameters and levels produced revised tables of parameters and levels which helped to identify the factor-levels position of each parameter that is economical to optimality. The Pareto 80-20 rule also produced revised S/N response tables which were used to know the relevant S/N ratios that are relevant to optimality.

Phosphate ions as inhibiting agents for copper corrosion in chlorinated tap water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yohai, L. [División Electroquímica y Corrosión, INTEMA, CONICET, UNMdP, Juan B. Justo 4302, B7608FDQ Mar del Plata (Argentina); Schreiner, W.H. [Laboratório de Superfícies e Interfases, Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Vázquez, M., E-mail: mvazquez@fi.mdp.edu.ar [División Electroquímica y Corrosión, INTEMA, CONICET, UNMdP, Juan B. Justo 4302, B7608FDQ Mar del Plata (Argentina); Valcarce, M.B. [División Electroquímica y Corrosión, INTEMA, CONICET, UNMdP, Juan B. Justo 4302, B7608FDQ Mar del Plata (Argentina)

2013-05-15

PO{sub 4}{sup 3−} ions as corrosion inhibitor were investigated on copper in tap water in the presence of NaClO. The inhibitor was evaluated by electrochemical techniques and weight loss tests. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study the passive layer. In inhibited tap water, the passive layer is thick and compact if NaClO is present. Weight-loss tests showed the inhibition of uniform dissolution and no pitting attack. When adding NaClO, Cu{sub 3}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2} is incorporated to the passive film. Thus, phosphate ions are effective as inhibitors for copper in tap water, even when using high dosages of biocides. - Highlights: ► Changes in the copper corrosion after adding phosphate to tap water were analyzed. ► When NaClO and phosphates are present, Cu{sub 3}(PO{sub 4}){sub 2} participates of the surface film. ► In the absence of biocide the surface film contains a mixture of Cu{sub 2}O, CuO and Cu(OH){sub 2}. ► PO{sub 4}{sup 3−} is an effective inhibitor for Cu in tap water containing high NaClO dosages.

Tapping insertional torque allows prediction for better pedicle screw fixation and optimal screw size selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Helgeson, Melvin D; Kang, Daniel G; Lehman, Ronald A; Dmitriev, Anton E; Luhmann, Scott J

2013-08-01

There is currently no reliable technique for intraoperative assessment of pedicle screw fixation strength and optimal screw size. Several studies have evaluated pedicle screw insertional torque (IT) and its direct correlation with pullout strength. However, there is limited clinical application with pedicle screw IT as it must be measured during screw placement and rarely causes the spine surgeon to change screw size. To date, no study has evaluated tapping IT, which precedes screw insertion, and its ability to predict pedicle screw pullout strength. The objective of this study was to investigate tapping IT and its ability to predict pedicle screw pullout strength and optimal screw size. In vitro human cadaveric biomechanical analysis. Twenty fresh-frozen human cadaveric thoracic vertebral levels were prepared and dual-energy radiographic absorptiometry scanned for bone mineral density (BMD). All specimens were osteoporotic with a mean BMD of 0.60 ± 0.07 g/cm(2). Five specimens (n=10) were used to perform a pilot study, as there were no previously established values for optimal tapping IT. Each pedicle during the pilot study was measured using a digital caliper as well as computed tomography measurements, and the optimal screw size was determined to be equal to or the first size smaller than the pedicle diameter. The optimal tap size was then selected as the tap diameter 1 mm smaller than the optimal screw size. During optimal tap size insertion, all peak tapping IT values were found to be between 2 in-lbs and 3 in-lbs. Therefore, the threshold tapping IT value for optimal pedicle screw and tap size was determined to be 2.5 in-lbs, and a comparison tapping IT value of 1.5 in-lbs was selected. Next, 15 test specimens (n=30) were measured with digital calipers, probed, tapped, and instrumented using a paired comparison between the two threshold tapping IT values (Group 1: 1.5 in-lbs; Group 2: 2.5 in-lbs), randomly assigned to the left or right pedicle on each

TAPS: an automated tool for identification of skills, knowledges, and abilities using natural language task description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jorgensen, C.C.; Carter, R.J.

1986-01-01

A prototype, computer-based tool (TAPS) has been developed to aid training system developers in identifying skills, knowledges, and abilities (SKAs) during task analysis. TAPS uses concepts of flexible pattern matching to evaluate English descriptions of job behaviors and to recode them as SKA lists. This paper addresses the rationale for TAPS and describes its design including SKA definitions and task analysis logic. It also presents examples of TAPS's application

TAPS - An automated tool for identification of skills, knowledges, and abilities using natural language task description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jorgensen, C.C.; Carter, R.J.

1986-01-01

A prototype, computer-based tool (TAPS) has been developed to aid training system developers in identifying skills, knowledges, and abilities (SKAs) during task analysis. TAPS uses concepts of flexible pattern matching to evaluate English descriptions of job behaviors and to recode them as SKA lists. This paper addresses the rationale for TAPS and describes its design including SKA definitions and task analysis logic. It also presents examples of TAPS's application

Solar heating and hot water system installed at office building, One Solar Place, Dallas, Texas. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-06-01

This document is the Final Report of the Solar Energy System Installed at the First Solar Heated Office Building, One Solar Place, Dallas, Texas. The Solar System was designed to provide 87 percent of the space heating needs, 100 percent of the potable hot water needs and is sized for future absorption cooling. The collection subsystem consists of 28 Solargenics, series 76, flat plate collectors with a total area of 1596 square feet. The solar loop circulates an ethylene glycol-water solution through the collectors into a hot water system heat exchanger. The hot water storage subsystem consists of a heat exchanger, two 2300 gallon concrete hot water storage tanks with built in heat exchangers and a back-up electric boiler. The domestic hot water subsystem sends hot water to the 10,200 square feet floor area office building hot water fixtures. The building cold water system provides make-up to the solar loop, the heating loop, and the hot water concrete storage tanks. The design, construction, cost analysis, operation and maintenance of the solar system are described. The system became operational July 11, 1979.

Primary stability of a hybrid self-tapping implant compared to a cylindrical non-self-tapping implant with respect to drilling protocols in an ex vivo model.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyoshima, Takeshi; Wagner, Wilfried; Klein, Marcus Oliver; Stender, Elmar; Wieland, Marco; Al-Nawas, Bilal

2011-03-01

Modifications of implant design have been intending to improve primary stability. However, little is known about investigation of a hybrid self-tapping implant on primary stability. The aims of this study were to evaluate the primary stability of two hybrid self-tapping implants compared to one cylindrical non-self-tapping implant, and to elucidate the relevance of drilling protocols on primary stability in an ex vivo model. Two types of hybrid self-tapping implants (Straumann® Bone Level implant [BL], Straumann® Tapered Effect implant [TE]) and one type of cylindrical non-self-tapping implant (Straumann® Standard Plus implant [SP]) were investigated in the study. In porcine iliac cancellous bones, 10 implants each were inserted either using standard drilling or under-dimensioned drilling protocol. The evaluation of implant-bone interface stability was carried out by records of maximum insertion torque, the Periotest® (Siemens, Bensheim, Germany), the resonance frequency analysis (RFA), and the push-out test. In each drilling group, the maximum insertion torque values of BL and TE were significantly higher than SP (p=.014 and p=.047, respectively). In each group, the Periotest values of TE were significantly lower than SP (p=.036 and p=.033, respectively). The Periotest values of BL and TE were significantly lower in the group of under-dimensioned drilling than standard drilling (p=.002 and p=.02, respectively). In the RFA, no statistical significances were found in implants between two groups and between implants in each group. In each group, the push-out values of BL and TE were significantly higher than SP (p=.006 and p=.049, respectively). Hybrid self-tapping implants could achieve a high primary stability which predicts them for use in low-density bone. However, there is still a debate to clarify the influence of under-dimensioned drilling on primary stability. © 2009, Copyright the Authors. Journal Compilation © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Online-based energy auditing and incentive mechanisms to reduce domestic energy consumption

OpenAIRE

Lossin, Felix; Staake, Thorsten; Fleisch, Elgar

2014-01-01

Domestic energy consumption accounts for about 20-30% of total energy use in western countries [1], [2]. On the level of single households, however, energy consumption tends to vary greatly. This is particularly due to differences regarding behavior and decisions made by individuals. For example, heating and ventilation behavior, the intensity of the use of electrical appliances and hot water, as well as home insulation and weatherization provisions affect total energy consumption. Therefore,...

PAH emissions from old and new types of domestic hot water boilers.

Science.gov (United States)

Horak, Jiri; Kubonova, Lenka; Krpec, Kamil; Hopan, Frantisek; Kubesa, Petr; Motyka, Oldrich; Laciok, Vendula; Dej, Milan; Ochodek, Tadeas; Placha, Daniela

2017-06-01

Five different domestic heating boilers (automatic, over-fire, with down-draft combustion and gasification) and three types of fuel (lignite, wood and mixed fuel) were examined in 25 combustion tests and correlated with the emissions of particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), total organic carbon (TOC) and 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs with MW = 178-278 g/mol) focusing on particle phase. However, the distribution of 12 PAHs in gas phase was considered as well due to the presence mainly of lighter PAHs in gas phase. The PAHs, as well as the CO and TOC, are the indicators of incomplete combustion, and in this study PAH emission increased significantly with increasing emissions of CO and TOC. The PAHs were mainly detected on PM 2.5 , their contents were increasing linearly with increasing PM 2.5 emissions. The highest emission factors of PAHs were measured for boilers of old construction, such as over-fire boiler (5.8-929 mg/kg) and boiler with down-draft combustion (3.1-54.1 mg/kg). Modern types of boilers produced much lower emissions of PAHs, in particular, automatic boiler (0.3-3.3 mg/kg) and gasification boilers (0.2-6.7 mg/kg). In general, the inefficient combustion at reduced output of boilers generated 1.4-17.7 times more emissions of PAHs than the combustion at nominal output of boilers. It is recommended to operate boilers at nominal output with sufficient air supply and to use the proper fuel to minimise PAHs emissions from domestic heating appliances. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bone scintigraphy, plasma ALP, TAP and PAP in patients with prostatic cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imamura, Akihiko; Hoshi, Hiroaki; Jinnouchi, Seishi; Samejima, Masahiko; Watanabe, Katsushi

1988-01-01

This study assessed the ability of bone scintigraphy, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total acid phosphatase (TAP), and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) to diagnose bone metastasis in a series of 62 patients with histologically proven prostatic cancer. Abnormal uptake was seen on the bone scan in 49 patients (79 %). A final diagnosis of bone metastasis was made in 40 patients (65 %). The sensitivity and specificity were 100 % and 59 %, respectively, for bone scintigraphy; 50 % and 96 % for ALP; 65 % and 82 % for TAP; and 73 % and 77 % for PAP. For 40 patients with bone metastasis, all of the ALP, TAP, and PAP were positive in 17 patients (43 %) and negative in 8 patients (20 %). Higher levels of ALP, TAP, and PAP tended to be associated with more extensive bone metastasis. Although serological examination showed lower sensitivity than bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis of bone metastasis, PAP may be most frequently used as a screening procedure of bone metastasis. (Namekawa, K.)

Gene Pools and the Genetic Architecture of Domesticated Cowpea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bao-Lam Huynh

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Cowpea [ (L. Walp.] is a major tropical legume crop grown in warm to hot areas throughout the world and especially important to the people of sub-Saharan Africa where the crop was domesticated. To date, relatively little is understood about its domestication origins and patterns of genetic variation. In this study, a worldwide collection of cowpea landraces and African ancestral wild cowpea was genotyped with more than 1200 single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Bayesian inference revealed the presence of two major gene pools in cultivated cowpea in Africa. Landraces from gene pool 1 are mostly distributed in western Africa while the majority of gene pool 2 are located in eastern Africa. Each gene pool is most closely related to wild cowpea in the same geographic region, indicating divergent domestication processes leading to the formation of two gene pools. The total genetic variation within landraces from countries outside Africa was slightly greater than within African landraces. Accessions from Asia and Europe were more related to those from western Africa while accessions from the Americas appeared more closely related to those from eastern Africa. This delineation of cowpea germplasm into groups of genetic relatedness will be valuable for guiding introgression efforts in breeding programs and for improving the efficiency of germplasm management.

[The method to remove nitrite from tap water by tea].

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, M; Chen, L; Xian, H

1997-03-01

Drinking water (tap water) is polluted in pipelines by bacteria after long distance transportation. The water contains nitrite (NO2-) which is potentially harmful to human health. The nitrite concentrations range from 0.10 to 2.0 mg/L. Our experiment proved that NO2- could not be removed by boiling, but could be removed by tea. As a natural antioxidant, tea contains several antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid and catechins, which removed NO2- from tap water effectively.

TAPS: an automated tool for identification of skills, knowledges, and abilities using natural language task description

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jorgensen, C.C.; Carter, R.J.

1986-01-01

A prototype, computer-based tool (TAPS) has been developed to aid training system developers in identifying skills, knowledges, and abilities (SKAs) during task analysis. TAPS uses concepts of flexible pattern matching to evaluate English descriptions of job behaviors and to recode them as SKA lists. This paper addresses the rationale for TAPS and describes its design including SKA definitions and task analysis logic. It also presents examples of TAPS's application.

Major inorganic elements in tap water samples in Peninsular Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Azrina, A; Khoo, H E; Idris, M A; Amin, I; Razman, M R

2011-08-01

Quality drinking water should be free from harmful levels of impurities such as heavy metals and other inorganic elements. Samples of tap water collected from 24 locations in Peninsular Malaysia were determined for inorganic element content. Minerals and heavy metals were analysed by spectroscopy methods, while non-metal elements were analysed using test kits. Minerals and heavy metals determined were sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium and lead while the non-metal elements were fluoride, chloride, nitrate and sulphate. Most of the inorganic elements found in the samples were below the maximum permitted levels recommended by inter-national drinking water standard limits, except for iron and manganese. Iron concentration of tap water from one of the locations was higher than the standard limit. In general, tap water from different parts of Peninsular Malaysia had low concentrations of heavy metals and inorganic elements.

76 FR 7546 - Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products From Brazil: Rescission of Countervailing Duty...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-10

..., through December 31, 2009. Since Nucor Corporation (Nucor) was the only party that requested a review of... administrative review. This rescission is based on Nucor's timely withdrawal of its request for review. DATES... 19 CFR 351.213(b), the Department received a timely request from Nucor, a domestic producer of hot...

Domestic hot water use study, multi-family building energy monitoring and analysis for DHW system sizing criteria development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldner, F.S.

1993-01-01

Thirty New York City multifamily building combined steam heating and domestic hot water (DHW) plants were instrumented for monitoring (mostly hourly) apartment, outdoor, boiler and DHW temperatures and burner on-off times. In nine of these buildings, which had been upgraded, additional data collected were: stack temperature, DHW flow in 15-minute increments, oil ampersand boiler make-up water flows, and DHW temperature before and after the mixing (tempering) valve and on the circulating return line. The project's objectives are to develop comprehensive operating data on combined DHW and heating systems to be used in system design and specifications and for improving operating procedures. DHW requirements in multi-family buildings are currently calculated on the basis of questionable standards. These new, more precise DHW flow data result in a better basis for sizing than existed heretofore. There is a critical need for improved specifications and performance in newly constructed and renovated buildings. Better system choices among various instantaneous generation and storage scenarios will result in savings derived from smaller initial equipment investments as well as more energy efficient operations. The data being generated define figures for DHW energy use so that more reliable and accurate predictions of savings can be calculated. This paper presents DHW demand patterns, seasonal variations, weekday vs. weekend consumption, consumption vs. occupancy levels, coincidence of 15- and 60-minute demand periods, and average vs. peak demand levels. This project is sponsored by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The results of this research are being reviewed for inclusion in a revision of DHW guidelines for the next edition of the ASHRAE Handbook

Polyphasic Temporal Behavior of Finger-Tapping Performance: A Measure of Motor Skills and Fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Aydin, Leyla; Kiziltan, Erhan; Gundogan, Nimet Unay

2016-01-01

Successive voluntary motor movement involves a number of physiological mechanisms and may reflect motor skill development and neuromuscular fatigue. In this study, the temporal behavior of finger tapping was investigated in relation to motor skills and fatigue by using a long-term computer-based test. The finger-tapping performances of 29 healthy male volunteers were analyzed using linear and nonlinear regression models established for inter-tapping interval. The results suggest that finger-tapping performance exhibits a polyphasic nature, and has several characteristic time points, which may be directly related to muscle dynamics and energy consumption. In conclusion, we believe that future studies evaluating the polyphasic nature of the maximal voluntary movement will lead to the definition of objective scales that can be used in the follow up of some neuromuscular diseases, as well as, the determination of motor skills, individual ability, and peripheral fatigue through the use of a low cost, easy-to-use computer-based finger-tapping test.

Preheating of tap water with solar collectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granum, H; Raaen, H

1992-05-05

In 1991 SINTEF Architecture and Building Technology won the second prize in 'The Nordic Competition for Low Energy Buildings' with a project proposal named 'LOWe'. The paper gives a description of the energy-saving features of this project, particularly the use of a solar collector for preheating of tap water. Compared with the economic profitability of other saving efforts in the project, such as good thermal insulation and efficient heat recovering system, the system for solar preheating of tap water does not seem very attractive for the time being. Loose estimates indicate a cost of close of NOK 1.00 per kWh for the produced energy in the solar collector, while the present price for electricity in Norway is about NOK 0.50 per kWh. Compared with a heat pump solution however the energy cost is not unreasonable.

Evidence for repetitive load in the trapezius muscle during a tapping task.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomatis, L; Müller, C; Nakaseko, M; Läubli, T

2012-08-01

Many studies describe the trapezius muscle activation pattern during repetitive key-tapping focusing on continuous activation. The objectives of this study were to determine whether the upper trapezius is phasically active during supported key tapping, whether this activity is cross-correlated with forearm muscle activity, and whether trapezius activity depends on key characteristic. Thirteen subjects (29.7 ± 11.4 years) were tested. Surface EMG of the finger's extensor and flexor and of the trapezius muscles, as well as the key on-off signal was recorded while the subject performed a 2-min session of key tapping at 4 Hz. The linear envelopes obtained were cut into single tapping cycles extending from one onset to the next onset signal and subsequently time-normalized. Effect size between mean range and maximal standard deviation was calculated to determine as to whether a burst of trapezius muscle activation was present. Cross-correlation was used to determine the time-lag of the activity bursts between forearm and trapezius muscles. For each person the mean and standard deviation of the cross-correlations coefficient between forearm muscles and trapezius were determined. Results showed a burst of activation in the trapezius muscle during most of the tapping cycles. The calculated effect size was ≥0.5 in 67% of the cases. Cross-correlation factors between forearm and trapezius muscle activity were between 0.75 and 0.98 for both extensor and flexor muscles. The cross-correlated phasic trapezius activity did not depend on key characteristics. Trapezius muscle was dynamically active during key tapping; its activity was clearly correlated with forearm muscles' activity.

Manual asymmetries in bimanual isochronous tapping tasks in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Inês; Diniz, Ana; Barreiros, João

2017-01-01

Tapping tasks have been investigated throughout the years, with variations in features such as the complexity of the task, the use of one or both hands, the employ of auditory or visual stimuli, and the characteristics of the subjects. The evaluation of lateral asymmetries in tapping tasks in children offers an insight into the structure of rhythmic movements and handedness at early stages of development. The current study aims to investigate the ability of children (aged six and seven years-old) to maintain a rhythm, in a bimanual tapping task at two different target frequencies, as well as the manual asymmetries displayed while doing so. The analyzed data in this work are the series of the time intervals between successive taps. We suggest several profiles of behavior, regarding the overall performance of children in both tempo conditions. We also propose a new method of quantifying the variability of the performance and the asymmetry of the hands, based on ellipses placed on scatter plots of the non-dominant-dominant series versus the dominant-non-dominant series. We then use running correlations to identify changes of coordination tendencies over time. The main results show that variability is larger in the task with the longer target interval. Furthermore, most children evidence lateral asymmetries, but in general they show the capacity to maintain the mean of consecutive intertap intervals of both hands close to the target interval. Finally, we try to interpret our findings in the light of existing models and timing modes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hot Deformation Behavior of Hot-Extruded AA7175 Through Hot Torsion Tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Se-Yeon; Jung, Taek-Kyun; Son, Hyeon-Woo; Kim, Sang-Wook; Son, Kwang-Tae; Choi, Ho-Joon; Oh, Sang-Ho; Lee, Ji-Woon; Hyun, Soong-Keun

2018-03-01

The hot deformation behavior of hot-extruded AA7175 was investigated with flow curves and processing maps through hot torsion tests. The flow curves and the deformed microstructures revealed that dynamic recrystallization (DRX) occurred in the hot-extruded AA7175 during hot working. The failure strain was highest at medium temperature. This was mainly influenced by the dynamic precipitation of fine rod-shaped MgZn2. The processing map determined the optimal deformation condition for the alloy during hot working.

Multiplication of Legionella spp. in tap water containing Hartmannella vermiformis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wadowsky, R M; Wilson, T M; Kapp, N J; West, A J; Kuchta, J M; States, S J; Dowling, J N; Yee, R B

1991-07-01

A model was developed to study the multiplication of various Legionella spp. in tap water containing Hartmannella vermiformis. Tap water cultures prepared with the following components were suitable for the multiplication studies: Legionella spp., 10(3) CFU/ml; H. vermiformis, 10(4.4) cysts per ml; and killed Pseudomonas paucimobilis, 10(9) cells per ml. Cocultures were incubated at 37 degrees C for at least 1 week. The following legionellae multiplied in tap water cocultures in each replicate experiment: L. bozemanii (WIGA strain), L. dumoffii (NY-23 and TX-KL strains), L. micdadei (two environmental strains), and L. pneumophila (six environmental strains and one clinical isolate). Growth yield values for these strains were 0.6 to 3.5 log CFU/ml. Legionellae which did not multiply in replicate cocultures included L. anisa (one strain), L. bozemanii (MI-15 strain), L. micdadei (a clinical isolate), L. longbeachae, (one strain), and L. pneumophila (Philadelphia 1 strain). L. gormanii and an environmental isolate of L. pneumophila multiplied in only one of three experiments. None of the legionellae multiplied in tap water containing only killed P. paucimobilis. The mean growth yield (+/- standard deviation) of H. vermiformis in the cocultures was 1.2 +/- 0.1 log units/ml. H. vermiformis supports multiplication of only particular strains of legionellae, some of which are from diverse origins.

System design package for IBM system one: solar heating and domestic hot water

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

This report is a collation of documents and drawings that describe a prototype solar heating and hot water system using air as the collector fluid and a pebble bed for heat storage. The system was designed for installation into a single family dwelling. The description, performance specification, subsystem drawings, verification plan/procedure, and hazard analysis of the system was packaged for evaluation of the system with information sufficient to assemble a similar system.

A comparison of damage profiling of automated tap testers on aircraft CFRP panel

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd Aris, K. D.; Shariff, M. F.; Abd Latif, B. R.; Mohd Haris, M. Y.; Baidzawi, I. J.

2017-12-01

The use of composite materials nevertheless is getting more prominent. The combination of reinforcing fibers and matrices will produce the desired strength orientation, tailorability and not to mention the complex shape that is hard to form on metallic structure. The weight percentage of composite materials used in aerospace, civil, marine etc. has increased tremendously. Since composite are stacked together, the possibility of delamination and/disbond defects are highly present either in the monolithic or sandwich structures. Tap test is the cheapest form of nondestructive test to identify the presence of this damage. However, its inconsistency and wide area of coverage can reduce its effectivity since it is carried out manually. The indigenous automated tap tester known as KETOK was used to detect the damage due to trapped voids and air pockets. The mechanism of detection is through controlling the tapping on the surface automatically at a constant rate. Another manual tap tester RD-3 from Wichitech Industries Inc. was used as reference. The acquired data was translated into damage profiling and both results were compared. The results have shown that the indigenous automated tester can profile the damage better when compared with the existing tap tester. As a conclusion, the indigenous automated tap tester has a potential to be used as an IN-SITU damage detection tool to detect delamination and disbond damage on composite panel. However, more conclusive tests need to be done in order to make the unit available to conventional users.

7 CFR 760.102 - Administration of ELAP, LFP, LIP, SURE, and TAP.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Administration of ELAP, LFP, LIP, SURE, and TAP. 760.102 Section 760.102 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FARM SERVICE... TAP. (a) The programs in subparts C through H of this part will be administered under the general...

Finger tapping analysis in patients with Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism.

Science.gov (United States)

Djurić-Jovičić, Milica; Petrović, Igor; Ječmenica-Lukić, Milica; Radovanović, Saša; Dragašević-Mišković, Nataša; Belić, Minja; Miler-Jerković, Vera; Popović, Mirjana B; Kostić, Vladimir S

2016-08-01

The goal of this study was to investigate repetitive finger tapping patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome (PSP-R), or multiple system atrophy of parkinsonian type (MSA-P). The finger tapping performance was objectively assessed in PD (n=13), PSP-R (n=15), and MSA-P (n=14) patients and matched healthy controls (HC; n=14), using miniature inertial sensors positioned on the thumb and index finger, providing spatio-temporal kinematic parameters. The main finding was the lack or only minimal progressive reduction in amplitude during the finger tapping in PSP-R patients, similar to HC, but significantly different from the sequence effect (progressive decrement) in both PD and MSA-P patients. The mean negative amplitude slope of -0.12°/cycle revealed less progression of amplitude decrement even in comparison to HC (-0.21°/cycle, p=0.032), and particularly from PD (-0.56°/cycle, p=0.001), and MSA-P patients (-1.48°/cycle, p=0.003). No significant differences were found in the average finger separation amplitudes between PD, PSP-R and MSA-P patients (pmsa-pd=0.726, pmsa-psp=0.363, ppsp-pd=0.726). The lack of clinically significant sequence effect during finger tapping differentiated PSP-R from both PD and MSA-P patients, and might be specific for PSP-R. The finger tapping kinematic parameter of amplitude slope may be a neurophysiological marker able to differentiate particular forms of parkinsonism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genome sequence of the hot pepper provides insights into the evolution of pungency in Capsicum species.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seungill; Park, Minkyu; Yeom, Seon-In; Kim, Yong-Min; Lee, Je Min; Lee, Hyun-Ah; Seo, Eunyoung; Choi, Jaeyoung; Cheong, Kyeongchae; Kim, Ki-Tae; Jung, Kyongyong; Lee, Gir-Won; Oh, Sang-Keun; Bae, Chungyun; Kim, Saet-Byul; Lee, Hye-Young; Kim, Shin-Young; Kim, Myung-Shin; Kang, Byoung-Cheorl; Jo, Yeong Deuk; Yang, Hee-Bum; Jeong, Hee-Jin; Kang, Won-Hee; Kwon, Jin-Kyung; Shin, Chanseok; Lim, Jae Yun; Park, June Hyun; Huh, Jin Hoe; Kim, June-Sik; Kim, Byung-Dong; Cohen, Oded; Paran, Ilan; Suh, Mi Chung; Lee, Saet Buyl; Kim, Yeon-Ki; Shin, Younhee; Noh, Seung-Jae; Park, Junhyung; Seo, Young Sam; Kwon, Suk-Yoon; Kim, Hyun A; Park, Jeong Mee; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Choi, Sang-Bong; Bosland, Paul W; Reeves, Gregory; Jo, Sung-Hwan; Lee, Bong-Woo; Cho, Hyung-Taeg; Choi, Hee-Seung; Lee, Min-Soo; Yu, Yeisoo; Do Choi, Yang; Park, Beom-Seok; van Deynze, Allen; Ashrafi, Hamid; Hill, Theresa; Kim, Woo Taek; Pai, Hyun-Sook; Ahn, Hee Kyung; Yeam, Inhwa; Giovannoni, James J; Rose, Jocelyn K C; Sørensen, Iben; Lee, Sang-Jik; Kim, Ryan W; Choi, Ik-Young; Choi, Beom-Soon; Lim, Jong-Sung; Lee, Yong-Hwan; Choi, Doil

2014-03-01

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum), one of the oldest domesticated crops in the Americas, is the most widely grown spice crop in the world. We report whole-genome sequencing and assembly of the hot pepper (Mexican landrace of Capsicum annuum cv. CM334) at 186.6× coverage. We also report resequencing of two cultivated peppers and de novo sequencing of the wild species Capsicum chinense. The genome size of the hot pepper was approximately fourfold larger than that of its close relative tomato, and the genome showed an accumulation of Gypsy and Caulimoviridae family elements. Integrative genomic and transcriptomic analyses suggested that change in gene expression and neofunctionalization of capsaicin synthase have shaped capsaicinoid biosynthesis. We found differential molecular patterns of ripening regulators and ethylene synthesis in hot pepper and tomato. The reference genome will serve as a platform for improving the nutritional and medicinal values of Capsicum species.

Risk characterization of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in tap water.

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, B R; Tardiff, R G

1997-12-01

Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) can enter surface water and groundwater through wet atmospheric deposition or as a result of fuel leaks and spills. About 30% of the U.S. population lives in areas where MTBE is in regular use. Ninety-five percent of this population is unlikely to be exposed to MTBE in tap water at concentrations exceeding 2 ppb, and most will be exposed to concentrations that are much lower and may be zero. About 5% of this population may be exposed to higher levels of MTBE in tap water, resulting from fuel tank leaks and spills into surface or groundwater used for potable water supplies. This paper describes the concentration ranges found and anticipated in surface and groundwater, and estimates the distribution of doses experienced by humans using water containing MTBE to drink, prepare food, and shower/bathe. The toxic properties (including potency) of MTBE when ingested, inhaled, and in contact with the skin are summarized. Using a range of human toxic potency values derived from animal studies, margins of exposure (MOE) associated with alternative chronic exposure scenarios are estimated to range from 1700 to 140,000. Maximum concentrations of MTBE in tap water anticipated not to cause adverse health effects are determined to range from 700 to 14,000 ppb. The results of this analysis demonstrate that no health risks are likely to be associated with chronic and subchronic human exposures to MTBE in tap water. Although some individuals may be exposed to very high concentrations of MTBE in tap water immediately following a localized spill, these exposures are likely to be brief in duration due to large-scale dilution and rapid volatilization of MTBE, the institution of emergency response and remediation measures to minimize human exposures, and the low taste and odor thresholds of MTBE which ensure that its presence in tap water is readily detected at concentrations well below the threshold for human injury.

Summer Indoor Heat Pump Water Heater Evaluation in a Hot-Dry Climate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoeschele, Marc [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Seitzler, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-05-01

Heat pump water heaters offer a significant opportunity to improve water heating performance for the over 40% of U.S. households that heat domestic hot water using electric resistance storage water heaters. Numerous field studies have also been completed documenting performance in a variety of climates and applications. More recent evaluation efforts have focused attention on the performance of May through September 2014, with ongoing winter monitoring being sponsored by California utility partners. Summer results show favorable system performance with extrapolated annual water heating savings of 1,466 to 2,300 kWh per year, based on the observed hot water loads. Additional summer space cooling benefits savings of 121 to 135 kWh per year were projected, further increasing the water energy savings.

Solar hot water system installed at Quality Inn, Key West, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

1980-04-01

The solar energy hot water system installed in the Quality Inn, Key West, Florida, which consists of four buildings is described. Three buildings are low-rise, two-story buildings containing 100 rooms. The fourth is a four-story building with 48 rooms. The solar system was designed to provide approximately 50 percent of the energy required for the domestic hot water system. The solar system consists of approximately 1400 square feet of flat plate collector, two 500 gallon storage tanks, a circulating pump, and a controller. Operation of the system was begun in April 1978, and has continued to date with only three minor interruptions for pump repair. In the first year of operation, it was determined that the use of the solar facility resulted in forty percent fuel savings.

On the TAP Free Energy in the Mixed p-Spin Models

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Kuo; Panchenko, Dmitry

2018-05-01

Thouless et al. (Phys Mag 35(3):593-601, 1977), derived a representation for the free energy of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model, called the TAP free energy, written as the difference of the energy and entropy on the extended configuration space of local magnetizations with an Onsager correction term. In the setting of mixed p-spin models with Ising spins, we prove that the free energy can indeed be written as the supremum of the TAP free energy over the space of local magnetizations whose Edwards-Anderson order parameter (self-overlap) is to the right of the support of the Parisi measure. Furthermore, for generic mixed p-spin models, we prove that the free energy is equal to the TAP free energy evaluated on the local magnetization of any pure state.

Relationship between alpine tourism demand and hot summer air temperatures associated with climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Rebetez, M.; Serquet, G.

2010-09-01

We quantified the impacts of hot summer air temperatures on tourism in the Swiss Alps by analyzing the relationship between temperature and overnight stays in 40 Alpine resorts. Several temperature and insolation thresholds were tested to detect their relationship to summer tourism. Our results reveal significant correlations between the number of nights spent in mountain resorts and hot temperatures at lower elevations. Alpine resorts nearest to cities are most sensitive to hot temperatures. This is probably because reactions to hot episodes take place on a short-term basis as heat waves remain relatively rare. The correlation in June is stronger compared to the other months, probably because school holidays and the peak domestic tourist demand in summer usually takes place in July and August. Our results suggest that alpine tourist resorts could benefit from hotter temperatures at lower elevations under future climates. Tourists already react on a short-term basis to hot days and spend more nights in hotels in mountain resorts. If heat waves become more regular, it seems likely that tourists choose to stay at alpine resorts more frequently and for longer periods.

Tests of some methods to remove I-131 from contaminated tap water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagami, Keiko; Uchida, Shigeo

2011-01-01

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, iodine-131 concentrations in tap water higher than 100 Bq L"-"1 were reported by several local governments in the Kanto Plain in March 2011. To remove iodine-131 from tap water, five methods were tested in this study, that is, (1) boiling, (2) adding charcoals from oak or bamboo, (3) activated charcoals, (4) water purifiers, and (5) reverse osmosis (RO) treatments. Boiling was shown to be not effective in removing iodine-131 from tap water; indeed even higher concentrations may result from the liquid-volume reduction accompanying this process. Adding charcoals and activated charcoal treatment could not remove iodine-131, because no reduction of iodine-131 was observed in tap water samples after these treatments. Only limited effect was found with water purifiers with first several portions; no effect was expected with further water treatment. On the other hand, the RO showed high iodine-131 removal percentage of more than 95%, although the method needs about 5-10 L water to obtain 1 L of RO treated water. (author)

Efficient multichannel acoustic echo cancellation using constrained tap selection schemes in the subband domain

Science.gov (United States)

Desiraju, Naveen Kumar; Doclo, Simon; Wolff, Tobias

2017-12-01

Acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) is a key speech enhancement technology in speech communication and voice-enabled devices. AEC systems employ adaptive filters to estimate the acoustic echo paths between the loudspeakers and the microphone(s). In applications involving surround sound, the computational complexity of an AEC system may become demanding due to the multiple loudspeaker channels and the necessity of using long filters in reverberant environments. In order to reduce the computational complexity, the approach of partially updating the AEC filters is considered in this paper. In particular, we investigate tap selection schemes which exploit the sparsity present in the loudspeaker channels for partially updating subband AEC filters. The potential for exploiting signal sparsity across three dimensions, namely time, frequency, and channels, is analyzed. A thorough analysis of different state-of-the-art tap selection schemes is performed and insights about their limitations are gained. A novel tap selection scheme is proposed which overcomes these limitations by exploiting signal sparsity while not ignoring any filters for update in the different subbands and channels. Extensive simulation results using both artificial as well as real-world multichannel signals show that the proposed tap selection scheme outperforms state-of-the-art tap selection schemes in terms of echo cancellation performance. In addition, it yields almost identical echo cancellation performance as compared to updating all filter taps at a significantly reduced computational cost.

An fMRI study of finger tapping in children and adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Turesky, Ted K; Olulade, Olumide A; Luetje, Megan M; Eden, Guinevere F

2018-04-02

Functional brain imaging studies have characterized the neural bases of voluntary movement for finger tapping in adults, but equivalent information for children is lacking. When contrasted to adults, one would expect children to have relatively greater activation, reflecting compensation for an underdeveloped motor system combined with less experience in the execution of voluntary movement. To test this hypothesis, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data on 17 healthy right-handed children (7.48 ± 0.66 years) and 15 adults (24.9 ± 2.9 years) while they performed an irregularly paced finger-tapping task in response to a visual cue (left- and right-hand examined separately). Whole-brain within-group analyses revealed that finger tapping in either age group and for either hand activated contralateral SM1, SMA, ipsilateral anterior cerebellum, and occipital cortices. We used an ANOVA factorial design to test for main effects of Age Group (children vs adults), Hand (left vs. right), and their interactions. For main effects of Age Group, children showed relatively greater activity in left SM1 (extending into bilateral SMA), and, surprisingly, adults exhibited relatively greater activity in right pre-SMA/SMA (extending into left pre-SMA/SMA), right lateral globus pallidus, left putamen, and right anterior cerebellum. The interaction of Age Group × Hand revealed that while both groups activated right SM1 during left finger tapping and exhibited signal decreases (i.e., below fixation baseline) during right finger tapping, both these responses were attenuated in children relative to adults. These data provide an important foundation by which to study children with motor disorders. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Study of heavy ion collisions with TAPS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Löhner, H.

The photon spectrometer TAPS is a versatile instrument to measure nuclear bremsstrahlung and neutral mesons via their gamma decay. The formation and evolution of compressed nuclear matter is studied in heavy ion collisions at relativistic energies by analyzing the yield and spectral distribution of

Analysis of dynamic cantilever behavior in tapping mode atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Wenqi; Zhang, Guang-Ming; Murphy, Mark F; Lilley, Francis; Harvey, David M; Burton, David R

2015-10-01

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides phase images in addition to height and amplitude images. Although the behavior of tapping mode AFM has been investigated using mathematical modeling, comprehensive understanding of the behavior of tapping mode AFM still poses a significant challenge to the AFM community, involving issues such as the correct interpretation of the phase images. In this paper, the cantilever's dynamic behavior in tapping mode AFM is studied through a three dimensional finite element method. The cantilever's dynamic displacement responses are firstly obtained via simulation under different tip-sample separations, and for different tip-sample interaction forces, such as elastic force, adhesion force, viscosity force, and the van der Waals force, which correspond to the cantilever's action upon various different representative computer-generated test samples. Simulated results show that the dynamic cantilever displacement response can be divided into three zones: a free vibration zone, a transition zone, and a contact vibration zone. Phase trajectory, phase shift, transition time, pseudo stable amplitude, and frequency changes are then analyzed from the dynamic displacement responses that are obtained. Finally, experiments are carried out on a real AFM system to support the findings of the simulations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Predictive rhythmic tapping to isochronous and tempo changing metronomes in the nonhuman primate.

Science.gov (United States)

Gámez, Jorge; Yc, Karyna; Ayala, Yaneri A; Dotov, Dobromir; Prado, Luis; Merchant, Hugo

2018-04-30

Beat entrainment is the ability to entrain one's movements to a perceived periodic stimulus, such as a metronome or a pulse in music. Humans have a capacity to predictively respond to a periodic pulse and to dynamically adjust their movement timing to match the varying music tempos. Previous studies have shown that monkeys share some of the human capabilities for rhythmic entrainment, such as tapping regularly at the period of isochronous stimuli. However, it is still unknown whether monkeys can predictively entrain to dynamic tempo changes like humans. To address this question, we trained monkeys in three tapping tasks and compared their rhythmic entrainment abilities with those of humans. We found that, when immediate feedback about the timing of each movement is provided, monkeys can predictively entrain to an isochronous beat, generating tapping movements in anticipation of the metronome pulse. This ability also generalized to a novel untrained tempo. Notably, macaques can modify their tapping tempo by predicting the beat changes of accelerating and decelerating visual metronomes in a manner similar to humans. Our findings support the notion that nonhuman primates share with humans the ability of temporal anticipation during tapping to isochronous and smoothly changing sequences of stimuli. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in laparoscopic colorectal surgery improves postoperative pain management: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hain, E; Maggiori, L; Prost À la Denise, J; Panis, Y

2018-04-01

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a locoregional anaesthesia technique of growing interest in abdominal surgery. However, its efficacy following laparoscopic colorectal surgery is still debated. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of TAP block after laparoscopic colorectal surgery. All comparative studies focusing on TAP block after laparoscopic colorectal surgery have been systematically identified through the MEDLINE database, reviewed and included. Meta-analysis was performed according to the Mantel-Haenszel method for random effects. End-points included postoperative opioid consumption, morbidity, time to first bowel movement and length of hospital stay. A total of 13 studies, including 7 randomized controlled trials, were included, comprising a total of 600 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery with TAP block, compared with 762 patients without TAP block. Meta-analysis of these studies showed that TAP block was associated with a significantly reduced postoperative opioid consumption on the first day after surgery [weighted mean difference (WMD) -14.54 (-25.14; -3.94); P = 0.007] and a significantly shorter time to first bowel movement [WMD -0.53 (-0.61; -0.44); P plane (TAP) block in laparoscopic colorectal surgery improves postoperative opioid consumption and recovery of postoperative digestive function without any significant drawback. Colorectal Disease © 2018 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Determination of calcium in Mashhad city tap water by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mashhadian, N.V.

2012-01-01

Summary: Calcium in drinking water is one of the sources of calcium that may contribute significantly to the daily calcium intake. In this study, the samples of tap water were randomly taken from five zones of Mashhad city. Calcium concentration was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) technique. The precision of the method was evaluated. The CV% of 6 replicate determinations at 5 macro g/ml Ca was 4.2 in one day and 4.5, among 6 consecutive days. The recovery of spiked samples (98.7%) also showed that the proposed method is reliable for the determination of amounts of calcium in water samples. The mean of calcium in tap water in the city of Mashhad was 52.61+-12.91 (SD) macro g/ml. At present, the amount of calcium in Mashhad tap waters is within the national standard. However, due to the climate and environmental changes, determination of calcium in tap water of Mashhad in different seasons is recommended. (author)

Effect of occlusal contact stability on the jaw closing point during tapping movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishigawa, Keisuke; Suzuki, Yoshitake; Ishikawa, Teruaki; Bando, Eiichi

2012-04-01

We studied the relationship between tapping point reproducibility and stability of occlusal contacts at maximum intercuspation. Tapping movements of 12 adult volunteers who had dentition with natural teeth were recorded, and distances between the tapping point (TP) and the intercuspal position (ICP) at the incisal point were calculated. Occlusal contacts at the ICP of individual subjects were also evaluated with black-colored silicone impression material. The correlation between TP-ICP distance and occlusal contact stability was studied. TP-ICP distance exhibited negative correlations with the total number of teeth showing occlusal contact at the ICP. Standard deviations of TP-ICP distance also negatively correlated with the extension of occlusal contact area over dentition. This finding indicates that occlusal contacts at the ICP affect the kinematic behavior of tapping movements. The results of this study also suggest that jaw movement data may provide useful clinical information for the evaluation of occlusal contact at ICP. Copyright © 2011 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulation of a combined heating, cooling and domestic hot water system based on ground source absorption heat pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Wei; You, Tian; Wang, Baolong; Shi, Wenxing; Li, Xianting

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A combined heating/cooling/DHW system based on GSAHP is proposed in cold regions. • The soil imbalance is effectively reduced and soil temperature can be kept stable. • 20% and 15% of condensation/absorption heat is recovered by GSAHP to produce DHW. • The combined system can improve the primary energy efficiency by 23.6% and 44.4%. - Abstract: The amount of energy used for heating and domestic hot water (DHW) is very high and will keep increasing. The conventional ground source electrical heat pump used in heating-dominated buildings has the problems of thermal imbalance, decrease of soil temperature, and deterioration of heating performance. Ground source absorption heat pump (GSAHP) is advantageous in both imbalance reduction and primary energy efficiency (PEE) improvement; however, the imbalance is still unacceptable in the warmer parts of cold regions. A combined heating/cooling/DHW (HCD) system based on GSAHP is proposed to overcome this problem. The GSAHPs using generator absorber heat exchange (GAX) and single-effect (SE) cycles are simulated to obtain the performance under various working conditions. Different HCD systems in Beijing and Shenyang are simulated comparatively in TRNSYS, based on which the thermal imbalance, soil temperature, heat recovery, and energy efficiency are analyzed. Results show that GSAHP–GAX–HCD is suitable for Beijing and GSAHP–SE–HCD is suitable for Shenyang. The imbalance ratio can be reduced to −14.8% in Beijing and to 6.0% in Shenyang with an annual soil temperature variation of only 0.5 °C and 0.1 °C. Furthermore, about 20% and 15% of the total condensation/absorption heat is recovered to produce DHW, and the PEE can reach 1.516 in Beijing and 1.163 in Shenyang. The combined HCD systems can achieve a PEE improvement of 23.6% and 44.4% compared with the normal heating/cooling systems

Tapping polyrhythms in music activates language areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuust, Peter; Wallentin, Mikkel; Mouridsen, Kim; Ostergaard, Leif; Roepstorff, Andreas

2011-05-02

Music is experienced and understood on the basis of foreground/background relationships and tension created between actual music and the underlying meter. Polyrhythms create tension between a counter meter and the main meter. Previously, we have shown that Brodmann area 47 (BA47), a brain area associated with processing of language, is activated bilaterally when musicians tap the main meter in a polymetric context emphasizing a counter meter, suggesting that processing of metric elements in music relies on brain areas also involved in language processing. In that study, the tension was created entirely by changes in the stimulus while participants were tapping the main meter. Here we find left-hemispheric BA47 activation in response to a self-produced counter meter on top of a main meter provided by an ecological music excerpt. This data indicates that the activation is linked to polyrhythmic tension, regardless of whether it arises from the stimulus or the task. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Domestic violence

Science.gov (United States)

... violence; Spousal abuse; Elder abuse; Child abuse; Sexual abuse - domestic violence ... 2016. National Domestic Violence Hotline website. What is domestic violence? www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/abuse-defined . Accessed July 10, 2016.

TAPS experiments at Ganil: new developments, on-line results and data processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lautridou, P.; Lefevre, F.; Marques, M.; Matulewicz, T.; Ostendorf, R.; Quebert, J.; Schutz, Y.

1993-01-01

The purpose of the present contribution is to show what the status of data analysis is only three months after TAPS has left GANIL. The authors also described briefly the data analysis package, they presently use and which has been specially developped for the TAPS experiments. One should notice that this package can be easily modified to suit any experimental situation. 8 figs

Investigation and optimisation of heat storage tanks for low-flow SDHW systems[Solar Domestic Hot Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knudsen, Soeren

2004-07-01

This thesis, 'Investigation and optimisation of heat storage tanks for low-flow SDHW systems', describes a study of the heat transfer and flow structure in vertical mantle heat exchangers for low-flow Solar Domestic Hot Water (SDHW) systems. The heat storage is a key component in SDHW systems and the vertical mantle heat exchanger is one of the most promising heat storage designs for low-flow SDHW systems. The study was carried out using a combination of experimental and numerical methods. Thermal experiments of mantle heat exchangers with different mantle inlet designs showed that the mantle inlet port with advantage can be located a distance from the top of the mantle. Consequently, the mantle heat exchangers marketed today can be improved by changing the mantle inlet position. The heat transfer and flow structure in mantle heat exchangers are rather complex and the thermal experiments were followed by investigations by means of advanced experimental and numerical techniques such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Using a transparent glass mantle tank, experimental flow visualisation was carried out with a PIV system. The flow structures inside the mantle and inside the tank were visualised and then compared with the flow structures predicted by CFD-models. The investigations showed that the CFD-models were able to model the flow in the mantle and in the tank correctly. The CFD-models were also validated by means of thermal experiments with a steel mantle tank. With the verified CFD-models, a parameter analysis was carried out for differently designed mantle heat exchangers for different typical conditions to reveal how the mantle tank parameters influence the flow structure and heat transfer in mantle heat exchangers. The heat transfer in the mantle near the mantle inlet port showed to be in the mixed convection regime, and as the distance from the inlet increased, natural convection started to dominate. The

An assessment of solar hot water heating in the Washington, D.C. area - Implications for local utilities

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, M. W.

1980-04-01

A survey of residential solar hot water heating in the Washington, D.C. area is presented with estimates of the total solar energy contribution per year. These estimates are examined in relation to a local utility's peak-load curves to determine the impact of a substantial increase in solar domestic hot water use over the next 20 yr in the area of utility management. The results indicate that a 10% market penetration of solar water heaters would have no detrimental effect on the utility's peak-load profile and could save several million dollars in new plant construction costs.

Bi-harmonic cantilever design for improved measurement sensitivity in tapping-mode atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loganathan, Muthukumaran; Bristow, Douglas A., E-mail: dbristow@mst.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri 65401 (United States)

2014-04-15

This paper presents a method and cantilever design for improving the mechanical measurement sensitivity in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tapping mode. The method uses two harmonics in the drive signal to generate a bi-harmonic tapping trajectory. Mathematical analysis demonstrates that the wide-valley bi-harmonic tapping trajectory is as much as 70% more sensitive to changes in the sample topography than the standard single-harmonic trajectory typically used. Although standard AFM cantilevers can be driven in the bi-harmonic tapping trajectory, they require large forcing at the second harmonic. A design is presented for a bi-harmonic cantilever that has a second resonant mode at twice its first resonant mode, thereby capable of generating bi-harmonic trajectories with small forcing signals. Bi-harmonic cantilevers are fabricated by milling a small cantilever on the interior of a standard cantilever probe using a focused ion beam. Bi-harmonic drive signals are derived for standard cantilevers and bi-harmonic cantilevers. Experimental results demonstrate better than 30% improvement in measurement sensitivity using the bi-harmonic cantilever. Images obtained through bi-harmonic tapping exhibit improved sharpness and surface tracking, especially at high scan speeds and low force fields.

Bi-harmonic cantilever design for improved measurement sensitivity in tapping-mode atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Loganathan, Muthukumaran; Bristow, Douglas A

2014-04-01

This paper presents a method and cantilever design for improving the mechanical measurement sensitivity in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tapping mode. The method uses two harmonics in the drive signal to generate a bi-harmonic tapping trajectory. Mathematical analysis demonstrates that the wide-valley bi-harmonic tapping trajectory is as much as 70% more sensitive to changes in the sample topography than the standard single-harmonic trajectory typically used. Although standard AFM cantilevers can be driven in the bi-harmonic tapping trajectory, they require large forcing at the second harmonic. A design is presented for a bi-harmonic cantilever that has a second resonant mode at twice its first resonant mode, thereby capable of generating bi-harmonic trajectories with small forcing signals. Bi-harmonic cantilevers are fabricated by milling a small cantilever on the interior of a standard cantilever probe using a focused ion beam. Bi-harmonic drive signals are derived for standard cantilevers and bi-harmonic cantilevers. Experimental results demonstrate better than 30% improvement in measurement sensitivity using the bi-harmonic cantilever. Images obtained through bi-harmonic tapping exhibit improved sharpness and surface tracking, especially at high scan speeds and low force fields.

Predicting consumer preferences for mineral composition of bottled and tap water.

Science.gov (United States)

Platikanov, Stefan; Hernández, Alejandra; González, Susana; Luis Cortina, Jose; Tauler, Roma; Devesa, Ricard

2017-01-01

The overall liking for taste of water was correlated with the mineral composition of selected bottled and tap waters. Sixty-nine untrained volunteers assessed and rated twenty-five different commercial bottled and tap waters from. Water samples were physicochemical characterised by analysing conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and major anions and cations: HCO 3 - , SO 4 2- , Cl - , NO 3 - , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , and K + . Residual chlorine levels were also analysed in the tap water samples. Globally, volunteers preferred waters rich in calcium bicarbonate and sulfate, rather than in sodium chloride. This study also demonstrated that it was possible to accurately predict the overall liking by a Partial Least Squares regression using either all measured physicochemical parameters or a reduced number of them. These results were in agreement with previously published results using trained panellists. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanical characteristics of connection for GFRP plates using tapping screws

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Yuya; Duong, Nguyen Ngoc; Satake, Chito; Matsumoto, Yukihiro

2017-10-01

FRP material has good characteristics such as light-weight, high-strength and high-corrosion resistance. Light-weight structure possesses some advantages over the rational constructing procedure such as self-building structures. In recent years, mechanical characteristics of FRP joints using bolts and/or rivet are investigated in detail, and they are used in many FRP structures. However, the bolts lack bearing strength compared with material strength and the joint needs the prepared bolt hole. In this paper, an alternative joint system for FRP structures using tapping screw is proposed and mechanical characteristics are investigated through experiment. Tapping screw has some advantages; easy-to-use, light-weight and high bearing strength. Then, the results of double-lapped tensile shear tests having one, four and eight tapping screws along longitudinal direction are shown. Moreover, it is shown that longitudinal stress distribution is approximately corresponding to the theoretical stress distribution of double-lapped adhesively bonded joints. Based on these, it is proposed that joint strength can be estimated by using the present calculation method.

On the Cutting Performance of Coated HSS Taps When Machining of Austenitic Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Sliwkova, Petra; Piska, Miroslav

2014-12-01

The paper deals with a quality of the PVD coated HSS taps when cutting the stainless austenitic chromiumnickel non-stabilized steel DIN 1.4301 (X5CrNi 18-10). The main attention is focused on the analysis of loading (cutting moment, specific energy) of the HSS taps by means of pieso-electrical dynamometer Kistler 9272 and the relation between the quality of duplex and triplex PVD coatings and their effects on the quality of machined thread surfaces and tool life of the taps. The results showed a safe and stabilized cutting with acceptable quality of threads for HSSE with the TiN+TiCN+DLC coating.

Follow You, Follow  Me: Continuous Mutual Prediction and Adaptation in Joint Tapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Konvalinka, Ivana; Vuust, Peter; Roepstorff, Andreas

2010-01-01

both were hearing each other, the pair became a coupled, mutually and continuously adaptive unit of two “hyper-followers”, with their intertap intervals (ITIs) oscillating in opposite directions on a tap-to-tap basis. There was thus no evidence for the emergence of a leader–follower strategy. We also...

Delayed finger tapping and cognitive responses in preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Fei; Mei, Xi; Chen, Andrew C N

2015-02-01

Information on fine motor and basic cognitive functions in spastic diplegia is sparse in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate index finger's tapping speed and cognitive functions in categorization and old/new recognition of pictures in patients with mild spastic diplegia. Fifteen preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia and 15 healthy male teenagers participated in this study. Finger-tapping tests and cognitive tests were performed on all participants. Outcomes were compared between the two groups. In the finger-tapping tests, the tapping speed was significantly slower in patients than in controls. In the tests of tapping one key persistently and tapping two keys alternately, the reaction time gaps between the left and right digits were larger in patients than in controls. In the categorization tests, the accuracies and reaction times for animal/plant and girl face pictures, but not for boy face pictures, were significantly worse in patients than in controls. In the recognition tests, the accuracies for old/new, animal/plant, and boy/girl face pictures were significantly lower in patients than in controls. The reaction times for old/new, animal/plant, and new face pictures, but not for old face pictures, were significantly longer in patients compared with controls. Our results demonstrate delayed finger tapping and cognitive responses in preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia. Our experimental paradigm is sensitive for the study of fine motor and cognitive functions between patients and healthy controls. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Demonstration of low-energy district heating for low-energy buildings in EnergyFlexHouse. Subreport 1; Demonstration af lavenergifjernvarme til lavenergibyggeri i energyflexhouse. Delrapport 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holm Christiansen, C.

2011-05-15

This report concerns demonstration of a new concept for low temperature district heating to low energy buildings with district heating flow temperatures on just above 50 deg. C. The concept was developed in a previous energy research project under the EFP-2007-programme supported by the Danish Energy Agency. New types of prototypes for district heating consumer substations and district heating pipes in very small dimensions were developed and manufactured. Demonstration has been carried out in the Danish Technological Institute test houses 'EnergyFlexHouse' with the objective of analyzing and evaluating the performance of the concept in a real low energy house. The EnergyFlexHouse is actually two houses either each designed to be energy neutral with PV's but also fulfilling the Danish building codes low energy class 2015 requirements without the PV's. The two houses are called 'Lab' and 'Family' and are supplied with district heating from a small local distribution network. The tests are carried out in the 'Lab' house connected with a district heating branch twin pipe with two service pipes of just 10 mm inner diameter/14 mm outer diameter and with outer casing diameter of 110 mm corresponding to series 2 insulation. An accumulator consumer substation with a 175 liter storage tank on the primary side (district heating side) has been subject to tests. Tree different tapping patterns of domestic hot water were performed including tapping patterns based on the European standard PrEN50440. Generally the results show that balancing the primary loading flow in relation to actual tapping patterns and domestic hot water consumption is important in order to keep the district heating return temperature as low as possible. Based on the results different options are proposed in order to optimize the operation of the consumer substation. Recently a new project under the EUDP 2010-II has received grant to continue improving and

Fast, High Resolution, and Wide Modulus Range Nanomechanical Mapping with Bimodal Tapping Mode.

Science.gov (United States)

Kocun, Marta; Labuda, Aleksander; Meinhold, Waiman; Revenko, Irène; Proksch, Roger

2017-10-24

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), also known as amplitude modulated (AM) or AC mode, is a proven, reliable, and gentle imaging mode with widespread applications. Over the several decades that tapping mode has been in use, quantification of tip-sample mechanical properties such as stiffness has remained elusive. Bimodal tapping mode keeps the advantages of single-frequency tapping mode while extending the technique by driving and measuring an additional resonant mode of the cantilever. The simultaneously measured observables of this additional resonance provide the additional information necessary to extract quantitative nanomechanical information about the tip-sample mechanics. Specifically, driving the higher cantilever resonance in a frequency modulated (FM) mode allows direct measurement of the tip-sample interaction stiffness and, with appropriate modeling, the set point-independent local elastic modulus. Here we discuss the advantages of bimodal tapping, coined AM-FM imaging, for modulus mapping. Results are presented for samples over a wide modulus range, from a compliant gel (∼100 MPa) to stiff materials (∼100 GPa), with the same type of cantilever. We also show high-resolution (subnanometer) stiffness mapping of individual molecules in semicrystalline polymers and of DNA in fluid. Combined with the ability to remain quantitative even at line scan rates of nearly 40 Hz, the results demonstrate the versatility of AM-FM imaging for nanomechanical characterization in a wide range of applications.

FY1999 Meeting of The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Engineering of Japan. Hot water supply system; 1999 nendo gakujutsu koenkai gaiyo. Kyuto

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oze, H. [Toyo University, Tokyo (Japan)

1999-12-05

G-5 and 6 measure and investigate actual state of use of hot water supply systems in dormitories used by persons living alone without their families and by unmarried persons to collect fundamental data. G-5 considers how hot water is used, by making a questionnaire survey on the subject houses, and identifies the consumption trend of heat, water and hot water in the hot water supply systems as a whole. G-6 selected eleven houses from among the houses discussed in the previous report to identify the trend of use of hot water by each house. Also, quantity of hot water used in every day of the week is estimated. G-7 discusses methods for estimating water temperatures at faucets of water pipes from the water sources. This is intended to raise the accuracy of tap water temperature conversion coefficient by districts used for calculating estimated heat quantity as a parameter 'hot water supply energy consumption coefficient' to evaluate energy saving performance of a hot water supply facility. G-8 performs numerical simulations changing different parameters in the hot water supply piping system by using a heat loss calculation model for the existing household hot water supply piping. It executes evaluation on energy conservation performance of each model. G-9 estimates efficiency of instantaneous household gas hot water supply devices, not only on thermal efficiency of devices during steady state combustion, but also on non-steady state such as start-up, and discusses methods to derive actual efficiency by using calculations. (translated by NEDO)

Putting in action the 4π γ multidetector TAPS at Ganil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merrouch, R.

1991-04-01

The study of the hard photons production originating in heavy ion collisions from bremstrahlung radiation or from the decay of neutral mesons like π 0 and η, is an original approach towards the understanding of the dynamics of nuclear reactions and of the behaviour of nuclear matter. The 4 π multidetector TAPS has been constructed for that purpose. Many european laboratories joined their efforts to achieve the equipment. It is therefore also foreseen to use it at various accelerators delivering heavy ions between 10 and 2000 MeV/u and electrons of up to 800 MeV. In the first part of this work, the reasons for the choice of TAPS are described. The second part describes the particular mechanical set up used at GANIL together with its electronics and data acquisition system. In the third part the methods for simulating the response of the detectors are explained. The fourth and last part contains the data analysis of an experiment using the reaction 129 Xe + 197 Au at 44 MeV/u. The first results are very stimulating and demonstrate that TAPS is well suited to the detection of photons in an important hadronic noise. It has also been demonstrated that the detection of very rare events like subthreshold pions, is possible thanks to the excellent performances of TAPS [fr

Single quadrature duplication and transparent taps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ajung

2004-01-01

The concept of single quadrature duplication, which is the process of producing two outputs with the same homodyne detecting statistics as an input, is addressed. This device has important potential application to optical communications as a transparent optical tap in a local area network environment. The characteristics of the device are examined, and a realization scheme employing a coupler and phase-sensitive amplifiers is proposed

Rhythmic finger tapping reveals cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor.

Science.gov (United States)

Buijink, A W G; Broersma, M; van der Stouwe, A M M; van Wingen, G A; Groot, P F C; Speelman, J D; Maurits, N M; van Rootselaar, A F

2015-04-01

Cerebellar circuits are hypothesized to play a central role in the pathogenesis of essential tremor. Rhythmic finger tapping is known to strongly engage the cerebellar motor circuitry. We characterize cerebellar and, more specifically, dentate nucleus function, and neural correlates of cerebellar output in essential tremor during rhythmic finger tapping employing functional MRI. Thirty-one propranolol-sensitive essential tremor patients with upper limb tremor and 29 healthy controls were measured. T2*-weighted EPI sequences were acquired. The task consisted of alternating rest and finger tapping blocks. A whole-brain and region-of-interest analysis was performed, the latter focusing on the cerebellar cortex, dentate nucleus and inferior olive nucleus. Activations were also related to tremor severity. In patients, dentate activation correlated positively with tremor severity as measured by the tremor rating scale part A. Patients had reduced activation in widespread cerebellar cortical regions, and additionally in the inferior olive nucleus, and parietal and frontal cortex, compared to controls. The increase in dentate activation with tremor severity supports involvement of the dentate nucleus in essential tremor. Cortical and cerebellar changes during a motor timing task in essential tremor might point to widespread changes in cerebellar output in essential tremor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solar 'hot spots' are still hot

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Taeil

1990-01-01

Longitude distributions of solar flares are not random but show evidence for active zones (or hot spots) where flares are concentrated. According to a previous study, two hot spots in the northern hemisphere, which rotate with a synodic period of about 26.72 days, produced the majority of major flares, during solar cycles 20 and 21. The more prominent of these two hot spots is found to be still active during the rising part of cycle 22, producing the majority of northern hemisphere major flares. The synodic rotation period of this hot spot is 26.727 + or - 0.007 days. There is also evidence for hot spots in the southern hemisphere. Two hot spots separated by 180 deg are found to rotate with a period of 29.407 days, with one of them having persisted in the same locations during cycles 19-22 and the other, during cycles 20-22.

Domestic violence

OpenAIRE

Tačík, Michal

2015-01-01

Domestic violence The present thesis deals with the phenomenon of domestic violence, from the substantive, procedural and criminological aspects. The first part defines the specifics of domestic violence, its signs and forms. It shows a typology of victims and perpetrators. It analyzes in detail the basic facts of the crimes that are the most commonly perpetrated forms of domestic violence. It also describes the sanctions and some of the treatment programs that are available for perpetrators ...

On-load Tap Changer Diagnosis on High-Voltage Power Transformers using Dynamic Resistance Measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erbrink, J.J.

2011-01-01

High-voltage transformers have tap changers to regulate the voltage in the high-voltage network when the load changes. Those tap changers are subject to different degradation mechanisms and need regular maintenance. Various defects, like contact degradation, often remain undetected and the

Surgical strategies to improve fixation in the osteoporotic spine: the effects of tapping, cement augmentation, and screw trajectory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhns, Craig A; Reiter, Michael; Pfeiffer, Ferris; Choma, Theodore J

2014-02-01

Study Design Biomechanical study of pedicle screw fixation in osteoporotic bone. Objective To investigate whether it is better to tap or not tap osteoporotic bone prior to placing a cement-augmented pedicle screw. Methods Initially, we evaluated load to failure of screws placed in cancellous bone blocks with or without prior tapping as well as after varying the depths of tapping prior to screw insertion. Then we evaluated load to failure of screws placed in bone block models with a straight-ahead screw trajectory as well as with screws having a 23-degree cephalad trajectory (toward the end plate). These techniques were tested with nonaugmented (NA) screws as well as with bioactive cement (BioC) augmentation prior to screw insertion. Results In the NA group, pretapping decreased fixation strength in a dose-dependent fashion. In the BioC group, the tapped screws had significantly greater loads to failure (p tapping prior to cement augmentation will substantially improve fixation when compared with not tapping. Angulating screws more cephalad also seems to enhance aging spine fixation.

Tunable complex-valued multi-tap microwave photonic filter based on single silicon-on-insulator microring resonator.

Science.gov (United States)

Lloret, Juan; Sancho, Juan; Pu, Minhao; Gasulla, Ivana; Yvind, Kresten; Sales, Salvador; Capmany, José

2011-06-20

A complex-valued multi-tap tunable microwave photonic filter based on single silicon-on-insulator microring resonator is presented. The degree of tunability of the approach involving two, three and four taps is theoretical and experimentally characterized, respectively. The constraints of exploiting the optical phase transfer function of a microring resonator aiming at implementing complex-valued multi-tap filtering schemes are also reported. The trade-off between the degree of tunability without changing the free spectral range and the number of taps is studied in-depth. Different window based scenarios are evaluated for improving the filter performance in terms of the side-lobe level.

Domestic sludge and fish pond effluents in the municipality of Pentecoste, Ceará State, Brazil - doi: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v34i4.12004

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Vinícius do Carmo e Sá

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The present work aimed to compare the physical and chemical quality of domestic sludge in the city of Pentecoste, State of Ceará, Brazil, to fish pond effluents from the Aquaculture Research Center of the Departamento Nacional de Obras Contras as Secas – DNOCS, located in the same city. The work was carried out in Pentecoste (State of Ceará, Brazil in three sampling campaigns, with 30-day intervals between them. In each campaign, four samples were collected at different points of the following sites: (1 fish pond supply channel from the Aquaculture Research Center (CPAq of the DNOCS; (2 fish pond drainage channel of CPAq/DNOCS; (3 tap water from four homes in Pentecoste; and (4 domestic sludge channel of Pentecoste. In the lab, samples were analyzed for dissolved oxygen, total ammonia, free CO2, nitrite, reactive phosphorus, electric conductivity and chemical oxygen demand (COD, following standard methods. It was concluded that Pentecoste’s domestic sludge has a much stronger eutrophication impact on the receiving water than that caused by the CPAq/DNOCS’s fish pond effluents.

Resistivity of Weyl semimetals NbP and TaP under pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einaga, M.; Shimizu, K.; Hu, J.; Mao, Z.Q.; Politano, A.

2017-01-01

The resistivity of Weyl semimetals NbP and TaP has been investigated as a function of pressure and temperature. The behaviour of the resistivity as a function of pressure and temperature is closely correlated to the location of the Weyl points compared to the Fermi energy. The rapid increase of the resistivity in TaP and NbP under the application of 4.5 and 8.0 GPa is related with the shift of Weyl points, which affords a finite density of states near the Fermi energy. Specifically, we find that under pressure the Weyl points are situated above the Fermi energy. As regards the temperature behaviour, we detect a nonmonotonous behaviour of resistivity in TaP at 8.7 and 9.8 GPa as a function of temperature, whereas in the case of NbP the behaviour is more complicate. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Linearity of amplitude and phase in tapping-mode atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salapaka, M.V.; Chen, D.J.; Cleveland, J.P.

2000-01-01

In this article tapping-mode atomic force microscope dynamics is studied. The existence of a periodic orbit at the forcing frequency is shown under unrestrictive conditions. The dynamics is further analyzed using the impact model for the tip-sample interaction and a spring-mass-damper model of the cantilever. Stability of the periodic orbit is established. Closed-form expressions for various variables important in tapping-mode imaging are obtained. The linear relationship of the amplitude and the sine of the phase of the first harmonic of the periodic orbit with respect to cantilever-sample offset is shown. The study reinforces gentleness of the tapping-mode on the sample. Experimental results are in excellent qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. The linear relationship of the sine of the phase and the amplitude can be used to infer sample properties. The comparison between the theory and the experiments indicates essential features that are needed in a more refined model

Resistivity of Weyl semimetals NbP and TaP under pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Einaga, M.; Shimizu, K. [KYOKUGEN, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka (Japan); Hu, J.; Mao, Z.Q. [Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA (United States); Politano, A. [Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Graphene Labs, Genova (Italy)

2017-08-15

The resistivity of Weyl semimetals NbP and TaP has been investigated as a function of pressure and temperature. The behaviour of the resistivity as a function of pressure and temperature is closely correlated to the location of the Weyl points compared to the Fermi energy. The rapid increase of the resistivity in TaP and NbP under the application of 4.5 and 8.0 GPa is related with the shift of Weyl points, which affords a finite density of states near the Fermi energy. Specifically, we find that under pressure the Weyl points are situated above the Fermi energy. As regards the temperature behaviour, we detect a nonmonotonous behaviour of resistivity in TaP at 8.7 and 9.8 GPa as a function of temperature, whereas in the case of NbP the behaviour is more complicate. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Solar hot spots are still hot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, T.

1990-01-01

Longitude distributions of solar flares are not random but show evidence for active zones (or hot spots) where flares are concentrated. According to a previous study, two hot spots in the northern hemisphere, which rotate with a synodic period of about 26.72 days, produced the majority of major flares, during solar cycles 20 and 21. The more prominent of these two hot spots is found to be still active during the rising part of cycle 22, producing the majority of northern hemisphere major flares. The synodic rotation period of this hot spot is 26.727 + or - 0.007 days. There is also evidence for hot spots in the southern hemisphere. Two hot spots separated by 180 deg are found to rotate with a period of 29.407 days, with one of them having persisted in the same locations during cycles 19-22 and the other, during cycles 20-22. 14 refs

Monitoring chlorination practices during operation at TAPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sriraman, A.K.; Wani, B.N.; Gokhale, A.S.; Yuvaraju, B.

1995-01-01

Chlorination of cooling waters is aimed at the condenser surfaces to minimize the biogrowth, while the residual oxidants in the effluents are negligible. This paper describes the fulfillment of the above criteria, as observed during the monitoring of chlorination practices at Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) during 1990. (author). 4 refs., 2 tabs

Simulation of the solar hot water systems diffusion: the case of Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidiras, D.; Koukios, E.

2004-01-01

The main object of this paper is the documentation and study of the main factors behind the spectacular diffusion of solar energy use for domestic hot water production in Greece. The time pattern of the diffusion of flat-plate solar collectors since its 'out of the blue' first appearance in 1974, shows that the diffusion rate grew exponentially at first, with the annual sales figure reaching 91,000 m 2 by 1980. A rate slow down in the early 1980s was followed by a brief period of explosive growth, with the annual sales figure reaching its peak value of more than 185,000 m 2 in mid-1980s. A rapid decline of the growth rate down to the present annual sales level followed. The installed solar collectors pattern has the characteristic form of an S-shape curve, representing the overall penetration of the flat-plate solar collector use for domestic hot water production in the Greek economy and society. This evolution has gone through an inflection point around 1987, i.e. at a time when about 1,000,000 m 2 of collectors had already been installed. By the year 2000, about 2,070,000 m 2 of collectors had been installed, with a tendency to level off by 2010, unless some the present conditions determining this phenomenon change. (author)

A State of the Art Report on the Case Study of Hot Cell Decontamination and Refurbishment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Won, H. J.; Jung, C. H.; Moon, J. K.; Park, G. I.; Song, K. C

2008-08-15

As the increase of the operation age of the domestic high radiation facilities such as IMEF, PIEF and DFDF, the necessity of decontamination and refurbishment of hot cells in these facilities is also increased. In the near future, the possibilities of refurbishment of hot cells in compliance with the new regulations, the reuse of hot cells for the other purposes and the decommissioning of the facilities also exist. To prepare against the decontamination and refurbishment of hot cells, the reports on the refurbishment, decommissioning and decontamination experiences of hot cells in USA, Japan, France, Belgium and Great Britain were investigated. ANL of USA performed the project on the decontamination of hot cells. The purpose of the project was to practically eliminate the radioactive emissions of Rn-220 to the environment and to restore the hot cells to an empty restricted use condition. The five hot cells were emptied and decontaminated for restricted use. Chemical processing facility in JAEA of Japan was used for the reprocessing study of spent fuels, hot cells in CPF were refurbished from 1995 for the tests of the newly developed reprocessing process. In a first stage, decommissioning and decontamination were fully performed by the remote operation Then, decommissioning and decontamination were performed manually. By the newly developed process, they reported that the radiation exposure of workers were satisfactorily reduced. In the other countries, they also make an effort for the refurbishment and decontamination of hot cells and it is inferred that they accumulate experiences in these fields.

The physics of Beer Tapping

OpenAIRE

Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Javier

2015-01-01

The popular bar prank known in colloquial English as beer tapping consists in hitting the top of a beer bottle with a solid object, usually another bottle, to trigger the foaming over of the former within a few seconds. Despite the trick being nown for a long time, to the best of our knowledge, the phenomenon still lacked scientific explanation. Although it seems natural to think that shock-induced cavitation enhances the diffusion of CO2 from the supersaturated bulk liquid into the bub...

Economic benefits flow from taps | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2010-12-08

Dec 8, 2010 ... Villagers were unhappy about the time that women and children spent hauling ... Sun Qiu believes the end result is a better quality of life. ... tap water show the wisdom of communities managing their natural resources based ...

CORE Organic II - Tapping into Europe's organic Trend

OpenAIRE

Anonymous,

2012-01-01

Organic food production has continued to grow in popularity, partly because it taps into a number ofcontemporary consumer concerns such as animal welfare and healthy eating. A new project aims tocapitalise on this demand by ensuring better research coordination across Europe.

System Design Package for SIMS Prototype System 3, Solar Heating and Domestic Hot Water

Science.gov (United States)

1978-01-01

A collation of documents and drawings are presented that describe a prototype solar heating and hot water system using liquid flat plate collectors and a gas or electric furnace energy subsystem. The system was designed for installation into a single-family dwelling. The description, performance specification, subsystem drawings, verification plan/procedure, and hazard analysis of the system are packaged for evaluation of the system with information sufficient to assemble a similar system.

Solar hot water systems application to the solar building test facility and the Tech House

Science.gov (United States)

Goble, R. L.; Jensen, R. N.; Basford, R. C.

1976-01-01

Projects which relate to the current national thrust toward demonstrating applied solar energy are discussed. The first project has as its primary objective the application of a system comprised of a flat plate collector field, an absorption air conditioning system, and a hot water heating system to satisfy most of the annual cooling and heating requirements of a large commercial office building. The other project addresses the application of solar collector technology to the heating and hot water requirements of a domestic residence. In this case, however, the solar system represents only one of several important technology items, the primary objective for the project being the application of space technology to the American home.

HOT 2015

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hannibal, Sara Stefansen

2016-01-01

HOT samler og formidler 21 literacykyndiges bud på, hvad der er hot, og hvad der bør være hot inden for literacy – og deres begrundelser for disse bud.......HOT samler og formidler 21 literacykyndiges bud på, hvad der er hot, og hvad der bør være hot inden for literacy – og deres begrundelser for disse bud....

Thermodynamic and structural studies of mixed monolayers: Mutual mixing of DPPC and DPPG with DoTAP at the air-water interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panda, Amiya Kumar; Vasilev, Krasimir; Orgeig, Sandra; Prestidge, Clive A.

2010-01-01

Phospholipid monomolecular films at the air-water interface are useful model membranes to understand miscibility among various components. Surface pressure (π)-area (A) isotherms of pure and mixed monolayers of dioleoyltrimethylammonium propane (DoTAP)-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and DoTAP-dipalmitoyphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) were constructed using a surface balance. DPPC and DPPG produced isotherms as expected and reported earlier. DoTAP, an unsaturated lipid, demonstrated a continuous π-A isotherm. Associative interactions were identified in DPPC-DoTAP mixtures compared to the pure components, while DPPG-DoTAP mixtures showed repulsive interaction up to an equimolar ratio. Compression moduli of the monolayers revealed that DPPC-DoTAP mixtures had increasing stability with increasing surface pressure, but addition of DoTAP to DPPG showed instability at low and intermediate concentrations. In both cases increased stability was returned at higher X DoTAP values and surface pressures. Lipid monolayer film thickness values, determined on a gold coated glass substrate by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR), indicated a systematic change in height profile for DPPC-DoTAP mixtures with increasing X DoTAP . However, DPPG-DoTAP mixed monolayer systems demonstrated a biphasic response. The SPR data were in excellent agreement with our interpretation of the structure of solid supported lipid monolayers.

Thermodynamic and structural studies of mixed monolayers: Mutual mixing of DPPC and DPPG with DoTAP at the air-water interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panda, Amiya Kumar, E-mail: akpanda1@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling-734 013, West Bengal (India); Vasilev, Krasimir [Mawson Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, Mawson Lakes, University of South Australia, SA-5095 (Australia); Orgeig, Sandra [Sansom Institute for Health Research and School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000 (Australia); Prestidge, Clive A. [Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia)

2010-05-10

Phospholipid monomolecular films at the air-water interface are useful model membranes to understand miscibility among various components. Surface pressure ({pi})-area (A) isotherms of pure and mixed monolayers of dioleoyltrimethylammonium propane (DoTAP)-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and DoTAP-dipalmitoyphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) were constructed using a surface balance. DPPC and DPPG produced isotherms as expected and reported earlier. DoTAP, an unsaturated lipid, demonstrated a continuous {pi}-A isotherm. Associative interactions were identified in DPPC-DoTAP mixtures compared to the pure components, while DPPG-DoTAP mixtures showed repulsive interaction up to an equimolar ratio. Compression moduli of the monolayers revealed that DPPC-DoTAP mixtures had increasing stability with increasing surface pressure, but addition of DoTAP to DPPG showed instability at low and intermediate concentrations. In both cases increased stability was returned at higher X{sub DoTAP} values and surface pressures. Lipid monolayer film thickness values, determined on a gold coated glass substrate by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR), indicated a systematic change in height profile for DPPC-DoTAP mixtures with increasing X{sub DoTAP}. However, DPPG-DoTAP mixed monolayer systems demonstrated a biphasic response. The SPR data were in excellent agreement with our interpretation of the structure of solid supported lipid monolayers.

Recent Results from the CBELSA/TAPS Experiment at ELSA

Science.gov (United States)

Thiel, A.

To determine the excitation spectrum of the nucleon, measurements of different observables in meson photoproduction are necessary. Many of these observables can be measured with the CBELSA/TAPS experiment, located at the ELSA accelerator in Bonn. The calorimeter system is ideally suited to measure reactions containing photons, giving an opportunity to measure final states comprising neutral mesons like π0 or η. A linearly or circularly polarized photon beam was used in combination with a longitudinally or transversely polarized butanol target. This allows the measurement of different (double) polarization observables like P, T E, G, and H. This contribution reports on the measurement of polarization observables in single or double meson photoproduction off the proton, measured with the CBELSA/TAPS experiment.

Recent results from the CBELSA/TAPS experiment at ELSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiel, A.

2016-01-01

To determine the excitation spectrum of the nucleon, measurements of different observables in meson photoproduction are necessary. Many of these observables can be measured with the CBELSA/TAPS experiment, located at the ELSA accelerator in Bonn. The calorimeter system is ideally suited to measure reactions containing photons, giving an opportunity to measure final states comprising neutral mesons like π"0 or η. A linearly or circularly polarized photon beam was used in combination with a longitudinally or transversely polarized butanol target. This allows the measurement of different (double) polarization observables like P, T E, G, and H. This contribution reports on the measurement of polarization observables in single or double meson photoproduction off the proton, measured with the CBELSA/TAPS experiment. (author)

Functional magnetic resonance imaging study comparing rhythmic finger tapping in children and adults.

Science.gov (United States)

De Guio, François; Jacobson, Sandra W; Molteno, Christopher D; Jacobson, Joseph L; Meintjes, Ernesta M

2012-02-01

This study compared brain activation during unpaced rhythmic finger tapping in 12-year-old children with that of adults. Subjects pressed a button at a pace initially indicated by a metronome (12 consecutive tones), and then continued for 16 seconds of unpaced tapping to provide an assessment of their ability to maintain a steady rhythm. These analyses focused on the superior vermis of the cerebellum, which is known to play a key role in timing. Twelve adults and 12 children performed this rhythmic finger tapping task in a 3 T scanner. Whole-brain analyses were performed in Brain Voyager, with a random-effects analysis of variance using a general linear model. A dedicated cerebellar atlas was used to localize cerebellar activations. As in adults, unpaced rhythmic finger tapping in children demonstrated activations in the primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, and cerebellum. However, overall activation was different, in that adults demonstrated much more deactivation in response to the task, particularly in the occipital and frontal cortices. The other main differences involved the additional recruitment of motor and premotor areas in children compared with adults, and increased activity in the vermal region of the cerebellum. These findings suggest that the timing component of the unpaced rhythmic finger tapping task is less efficient and automatic in children, who need to recruit the superior vermis more intensively to maintain the rhythm, although they performed somewhat more poorly than adults. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Propensity for obtaining alcohol through shoulder tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Toomey, Traci L; Fabian, Lindsey E A; Erickson, Darin J; Lenk, Kathleen M

2007-07-01

Underage youth often obtain alcohol from adults who illegally provide the alcohol. One method for obtaining alcohol from adults is shoulder tapping, where youth approach an adult outside an alcohol establishment and ask the adult to purchase alcohol for them. The goal of this study was to assess what percentage of the general and youth-targeted adult population approached outside of a convenience/liquor store will agree to purchase and then provide alcohol to individuals who appear under age 21. We conducted 2 waves of pseudo-underage shoulder tap request attempts, using requesters who were age 21 or older but appeared 18 to 20 years old. In both waves, requests were conducted at randomly selected liquor and convenience stores, requesters explained that the reason they were asking the adult was because they did not have their identification with them, and requesters asked the adults to purchase a 6-pack of beer. During wave 1, we conducted 102 attempts, with the requester approaching the first adult entering the store alone. During wave 2, we conducted 102 attempts where the requester approached the first casually dressed male entering the store alone who appeared to be 21 to 30 years old. During wave 1, 8% of the general sample of approached adults provided alcohol to the pseudo-underage requesters. The odds of adults providing alcohol in urban areas were 9.4 times greater than in suburban areas. During wave 2, 19% of the approached young men provided alcohol to the requesters. No requester, request attempt, establishment, or community characteristics were associated with request attempt outcomes during wave 2. A small percentage of the general population of adults will agree to provide alcohol to underage youth when approached outside an alcohol establishment. The likelihood of underage youth obtaining alcohol through shoulder tapping increases substantially if the youth approach young men.

The relationship of perceptions of tap water safety with intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and plain water among US adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Onufrak, Stephen J; Park, Sohyun; Sharkey, Joseph R; Sherry, Bettylou

2014-01-01

Research is limited on whether mistrust of tap water discourages plain water intake and leads to a greater intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). The objective of the present study was to examine demographic differences in perceptions of tap water safety and determine if these perceptions are associated with intake of SSB and plain water. The study examined perceptions of tap water safety and their cross-sectional association with intake of SSB and plain water. Racial/ethnic differences in the associations of tap water perceptions with SSB and plain water intake were also examined. Nationally weighted data from the 2010 HealthStyles Survey (n 4184). US adults aged ≥18 years. Overall, 13·0 % of participants disagreed that their local tap water was safe to drink and 26·4 % of participants agreed that bottled water was safer than tap water. Both mistrust of tap water safety and favouring bottled water differed by region, age, race/ethnicity, income and education. The associations of tap water mistrust with intake of SSB and plain water were modified by race/ethnicity (P beverages should recognize the potential impact of tap water perceptions on water and SSB intake among minority populations.

Macro and microelements in bottled and tap waters of Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrović Tanja M.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Comparative analysis between bottled and tap waters as well as its comparison with current Serbian regulations, European Union Directives and World Health Organization standard are shown in this paper. Thirteen bottled waters and fourteen tap waters from the territory of Serbia were analyzed in the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR laboratory in Berlin, for the purpose of the “Geochemistry of European Bottled Water“ project conducted by EuroGeo Survey Geochemistry (EGS. Macrocomponents (main cations and anions of ground waters usually reflect on lithogeochemistry of the aquifer, while microcomponents indicate the circulation of ground water through the different lithological environment. Analyzed bottled waters could be classified as those with low mineral content (M<500 mg/L if HCO3 anion and Ca and Mg cations were the prevailing ones, or mineral (M>500 mg/L with prevailing HCO3 anion and Na cation. Waters with low mineral content were mainly from limestone and dolomite, while mineral waters mainly originated from magmatic and metamorphic rocks. Higher content of Cs, Li, Ge, Rb and F in bottled waters indicates the importance of the magmatic intrusions influence on their chemical composition. In some waters higher content of B, I, NH4, as well as of Tl and W has been observed which can be attributed to water’s circulation through different lithological complexes. Tap water was mostly obtained from groundwater (from Neogen and alluvial aquifers and karst springs with rest being those of rivers and surface accumulations. Tap waters from Central Serbia were with low mineral content, with prevailing HCO3 anion and Ca and Mg cations, while waters from Vojvodina, the northern province of Serbia, were with higher mineralization, HCO3-Na. Chemical analyses of the sampled tap waters showed good quality, with exception of waters from the cities of Senta and Zrenjanin in Vojvodina. High values of B (1170 and 895 g/L, As

Levels of major and trace elements, including rare earth elements, and ²³⁸U in Croatian tap waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiket, Željka; Rožmarić, Martina; Krmpotić, Matea; Benedik, Ljudmila

2015-05-01

Concentrations of 46 elements, including major, trace, and rare earth elements, and (238)U in Croatian tap waters were investigated. Selected sampling locations include tap waters from various hydrogeological regions, i.e., different types of aquifers, providing insight into the range of concentrations of studied elements and (238)U activity concentrations in Croatian tap waters. Obtained concentrations were compared with the Croatian maximum contaminant levels for trace elements in water intended for human consumption, as well as WHO and EPA drinking water standards. Concentrations in all analyzed tap waters were found in accordance with Croatian regulations, except tap water from Šibenik in which manganese in concentration above maximum permissible concentration (MPC) was measured. Furthermore, in tap water from Osijek, levels of arsenic exceeded the WHO guidelines and EPA regulations. In general, investigated tap waters were found to vary considerably in concentrations of studied elements, including (238)U activity concentrations. Causes of variability were further explored using statistical methods. Composition of studied tap waters was found to be predominately influenced by hydrogeological characteristics of the aquifer, at regional and local level, the existing redox conditions, and the household plumbing system. Rare earth element data, including abundances and fractionation patterns, complemented the characterization and facilitated the interpretation of factors affecting the composition of the analyzed tap waters.

Relationship between the incidence infection stones and the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohri, K; Ishikawa, Y; Iguchi, M; Kurita, T; Okada, Y; Yoshida, O

1993-01-01

In a previous study we showed that the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water is negatively correlated with the incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones. In this study we examined the relationship between the incidence of struvite stones, water hardness and the regional geological features on the basis of our previous study and an epidemiological study of urolithiasis performed in Japan. The magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water was found to correlate positively with the incidence of struvite stones. The tap water magnesium-calcium ratio was high in regions of basalt and sedimentary rock and was low in granite and limestone areas. The incidence of struvite stones in the regions of basalt and sedimentary rock was higher than that in the granite and limestone areas. Thus, this study suggested that the incidence of struvite stones is related to the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water and to the regional geology, as is the case for calcium-containing stones.

Potential, Distribution, Ethno-Botany and Tapping Procedures of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Potential, Distribution, Ethno-Botany and Tapping Procedures of Gum Producing Acacia Species in the Somali Region, Southeastern Ethiopia. ... Therefore, promotion of gum extraction in the Somali Region both for economic benefit of the community and sustainable management of the fragile ecosystem is recommended.

De-domestication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gamborg, Christian; Gemmen, Bart; Christiansen, Stine Billeschou

2010-01-01

as wild or non-wild and the effect this has on questions about how they should be treated. It also concerns the value of nature, and the kind and degree of nature management considered appropriate. The paper first describes actual de-domestication practices and considers the character of human duties...... to animals in process of de-domestication. Secondly, the paper explores the implications of de-domestication for nature management, focusing on notions of naturalness and wildness. Finally, because the current division of ethical topics, with its dependence upon whether animals and nature are domesticated...

HotRegion: a database of predicted hot spot clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cukuroglu, Engin; Gursoy, Attila; Keskin, Ozlem

2012-01-01

Hot spots are energetically important residues at protein interfaces and they are not randomly distributed across the interface but rather clustered. These clustered hot spots form hot regions. Hot regions are important for the stability of protein complexes, as well as providing specificity to binding sites. We propose a database called HotRegion, which provides the hot region information of the interfaces by using predicted hot spot residues, and structural properties of these interface residues such as pair potentials of interface residues, accessible surface area (ASA) and relative ASA values of interface residues of both monomer and complex forms of proteins. Also, the 3D visualization of the interface and interactions among hot spot residues are provided. HotRegion is accessible at http://prism.ccbb.ku.edu.tr/hotregion.

Sinusitis from Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Tap Water

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2012-12-21

Dr. Wellington S. Tichenor. Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College and in private practice in Manhattan, New York, discusses his investigation of sinusitis from nontuberculous mycobacteria in tap water.  Created: 12/21/2012 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 12/31/2012.

Timing at peak force may be the hidden target controlled in continuation and synchronization tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yue; Clark, Jane E; Whitall, Jill

2017-05-01

Timing control, such as producing movements at a given rate or synchronizing movements to an external event, has been studied through a finger-tapping task where timing is measured at the initial contact between finger and tapping surface or the point when a key is pressed. However, the point of peak force is after the time registered at the tapping surface and thus is a less obvious but still an important event during finger tapping. Here, we compared the time at initial contact with the time at peak force as participants tapped their finger on a force sensor at a given rate after the metronome was turned off (continuation task) or in synchrony with the metronome (sensorimotor synchronization task). We found that, in the continuation task, timing was comparably accurate between initial contact and peak force. These two timing events also exhibited similar trial-by-trial statistical dependence (i.e., lag-one autocorrelation). However, the central clock variability was lower at the peak force than the initial contact. In the synchronization task, timing control at peak force appeared to be less variable and more accurate than that at initial contact. In addition to lower central clock variability, the mean SE magnitude at peak force (SEP) was around zero while SE at initial contact (SEC) was negative. Although SEC and SEP demonstrated the same trial-by-trial statistical dependence, we found that participants adjusted the time of tapping to correct SEP, but not SEC, toward zero. These results suggest that timing at peak force is a meaningful target of timing control, particularly in synchronization tapping. This result may explain the fact that SE at initial contact is typically negative as widely observed in the preexisting literature.

Hydrogen isotopes identification with the electromagnetic calorimeter TAPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matulewicz, T.; Aphecetche, L.; Charbonnier, Y.; Delagrange, H.; Martinez, G.; Schutz, Y.; Marques, F.M.; Diaz, J.; and others.

1996-01-01

A new method has been developed to identify protons and more generally charged massive particles, like charged pions, hydrogen isotopes and heavier particles reaching the TAPS detector. The method was tested on events from the reaction Ar+Ca at 180 A.MeV. (K.A.)

Simulation study on single family house with solar floor and domestic hot water heating system by EESLISM; EESLISM ni yoru taiyonetsu danbo kyuto jutaku no simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roh, H; Udagawa, M [Kogakuin University, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-11-25

Indoor thermal conditions and energy performance were simulated, by the aid of EESLISM as a common simulation program for indoor thermal conditions and energy systems, for an actual two-storied single family house equipped with solar-heated floors and a domestic hot water (DHW) heating system, in order to investigate applicability of the simulation program. The house, built in Shibuya Ward in Tokyo, has a total floor area of 164m{sup 2}, with a living room, dining room and study heated by the solar system for a total floor area of 35m{sup 2}. A heat-storage tank is provided, dedicated to the DHW system. The solar collector is of flat type, with selectively light-absorbing planes, having a total collector area of 11.46m{sup 2}. The operating conditions of the floor-heating and DHW systems are almost reproduced. It is necessary to take surrounding conditions into consideration; solar radiation in daytime will be overestimated if adjacent buildings are neglected to give higher temperature in the space and on the wall on the south than the observed level. 6 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

A Fire-Retardant Composite Made from Domestic Waste and PVA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neni Surtiyeni

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We report the synthesis of a composite from domestic waste with the strength of wood building materials. We used original domestic waste with only a simple pretreatment to reduce the processing cost. The wastes were composed of organic components (generally originating from foods, paper, plastics, and clothes; the average fraction of each type of waste mirrored the corresponding fractions of wastes in the city of Bandung, Indonesia. An initial survey of ten landfills scattered through Bandung was conducted to determine the average fraction of each component in the waste. The composite was made using a hot press. A large number of synthesis parameters were tested to determine the optimum ones. The measured mechanical strength of the produced composite approached the mechanical properties of wood building materials. A fire-retardant powder was added to retard fire so that the composite could be useful for the construction of residential homes of lower-income people who often have problems with fire. Fire tests showed that the composites were more resistant to fire than widely used wood building materials.

Analysis of transients for NPP with VVER-440 using the code SiTAP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalinenko, V.

1994-06-01

The report contains analysis of transients ''Loop connection'' and ''Steam generator tube rupture'' for nuclear power plants (NPP) with VVER-440. To obtain more detailed information about NPP's dynamic characteristics, various variants of initial and boundary conditions are considerd. Calculation of these transients was performed using the SiTAP code developed at the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Research Centre ''Kurchatov Institute''. SiTAP code is a multifunctional computer tool for fast analysis of transient and accidental processes of VVER type reactors for engineers working in the field of NPP dynamics. SiTAP can be used form comparative analysis of several variants of accident scenarios to find out the conditions leading to most serious consequences from a safety point of view. In such cases, additional analyses using best-estimate codes should be carried out. The results of SiTAP for a faulty loop connection leading to a boron dilution accident are intended to be used as boundary conditions for a more detailed anlaysis with the aid of the three-dimensional reactor core model DYN3D, developed in the Research Centre Rossendorf for the simulation of reactivity initiated accidents. (orig.)

Energy-efficient and cost-effective in-house substations bypass for improving thermal and DHW (domestic hot water) comfort in bathrooms in low-energy buildings supplied by low-temperature district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brand, Marek; Dalla Rosa, Alessandro; Svendsen, Svend

2014-01-01

temperature and additional cooling of bypass water by 3.9 °C, reducing the heat loss from the DH network by 13% and covering 40% of the heat used in the bathroom FH. The use of the bypass flow in bathroom FH is a cost-effective solution exploiting the heat that would otherwise be lost in the DH network......Using a bypass to redirect a small flow through the in-house DH (district heating) substation directly to the return pipe is a commonly used but energy-inefficient solution to keep the DH network “warm” during non-heating seasons. Instead, this water can be redirected to the bathroom FH (floor...... heating) to cool down further and thus reduce the heat lost from bypass operation while tempering the bathroom floor and guaranteeing fast provision of DHW (domestic hot water). We used the commercial software IDA-ICE to model a reference building where we implemented various solutions for controlling...

Tapping into yeast diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Fay, Justin C

2012-11-01

Domesticated organisms demonstrate our capacity to influence wild species but also provide us with the opportunity to understand rapid evolution in the context of substantially altered environments and novel selective pressures. Recent advances in genetics and genomics have brought unprecedented insights into the domestication of many organisms and have opened new avenues for further improvements to be made. Yet, our ability to engineer biological systems is not without limits; genetic manipulation is often quite difficult. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is not only one of the most powerful model organisms, but is also the premier producer of fermented foods and beverages around the globe. As a model system, it entertains a hefty workforce dedicated to deciphering its genome and the function it encodes at a rich mechanistic level. As a producer, it is used to make leavened bread, and dozens of different alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine. Yet, applying the awesome power of yeast genetics to understanding its origins and evolution requires some knowledge of its wild ancestors and the environments from which they were derived. A number of surprisingly diverse lineages of S. cerevisiae from both primeval and secondary forests in China have been discovered by Wang and his colleagues. These lineages substantially expand our knowledge of wild yeast diversity and will be a boon to elucidating the ecology, evolution and domestication of this academic and industrial workhorse.

Comparison of timing and force control of foot tapping between elderly and young subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Takimoto, Koji; Takebayashi, Hideaki; Miyamoto, Kenzo; Takuma, Yutaka; Inoue, Yoshikazu; Miyamoto, Shoko; Okabe, Takao; Okuda, Takahiro; Kaba, Hideto

2016-06-01

[Purpose] To examine the ability of young and elderly individuals to control the timing and force of periodic sequential foot tapping. [Subjects and Methods] Participants were 10 young (age, 22.1 ± 4.3 years) and 10 elderly individuals (74.8 ± 6.7 years) who were healthy and active. The foot tapping task consisted of practice (stimulus-synchronized tapping with visual feedback) and recall trials (self-paced tapping without visual feedback), periodically performed in this order, at 500-, 1,000-, and 2,000-ms target interstimulus-onset intervals, with a target force of 20% maximum voluntary contraction of the ankle plantar-flexor muscle. [Results] The coefficients of variation of force and intertap interval, used for quantifying the steadiness of the trials, were significantly greater in the elderly than in the young individuals. At the 500-ms interstimulus-onset interval, age-related effects were observed on the normalized mean absolute error of force, which was used to quantify the accuracy of the trials. The coefficients of variation of intertap interval for elderly individuals were significantly greater in the practice than in the recall trials at the 500- and 1,000-ms interstimulus-onset intervals. [Conclusion] The elderly individuals exhibited greater force and timing variability than the young individuals and showed impaired visuomotor processing during foot tapping sequences.

Temporal hemodynamic classification of two hands tapping using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Thanh Hai, Nguyen; Cuong, Ngo Q; Dang Khoa, Truong Q; Van Toi, Vo

2013-01-01

In recent decades, a lot of achievements have been obtained in imaging and cognitive neuroscience of human brain. Brain's activities can be shown by a number of different kinds of non-invasive technologies, such as: Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG; Wolpaw et al., 2002; Weiskopf et al., 2004; Blankertz et al., 2006). NIRS has become the convenient technology for experimental brain purposes. The change of oxygenation changes (oxy-Hb) along task period depending on location of channel on the cortex has been studied: sustained activation in the motor cortex, transient activation during the initial segments in the somatosensory cortex, and accumulating activation in the frontal lobe (Gentili et al., 2010). Oxy-Hb concentration at the aforementioned sites in the brain can also be used as a predictive factor allows prediction of subject's investigation behavior with a considerable degree of precision (Shimokawa et al., 2009). In this paper, a study of recognition algorithm will be described for recognition whether one taps the left hand (LH) or the right hand (RH). Data with noises and artifacts collected from a multi-channel system will be pre-processed using a Savitzky-Golay filter for getting more smoothly data. Characteristics of the filtered signals during LH and RH tapping process will be extracted using a polynomial regression (PR) algorithm. Coefficients of the polynomial, which correspond to Oxygen-Hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration, will be applied for the recognition models of hand tapping. Support Vector Machines (SVM) will be applied to validate the obtained coefficient data for hand tapping recognition. In addition, for the objective of comparison, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) was also applied to recognize hand tapping side with the same principle. Experimental results have been done many trials on three subjects to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Temporal hemodynamic classification of two hands tapping using functional near—infrared spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Thanh Hai, Nguyen; Cuong, Ngo Q.; Dang Khoa, Truong Q.; Van Toi, Vo

2013-01-01

In recent decades, a lot of achievements have been obtained in imaging and cognitive neuroscience of human brain. Brain's activities can be shown by a number of different kinds of non-invasive technologies, such as: Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG; Wolpaw et al., 2002; Weiskopf et al., 2004; Blankertz et al., 2006). NIRS has become the convenient technology for experimental brain purposes. The change of oxygenation changes (oxy-Hb) along task period depending on location of channel on the cortex has been studied: sustained activation in the motor cortex, transient activation during the initial segments in the somatosensory cortex, and accumulating activation in the frontal lobe (Gentili et al., 2010). Oxy-Hb concentration at the aforementioned sites in the brain can also be used as a predictive factor allows prediction of subject's investigation behavior with a considerable degree of precision (Shimokawa et al., 2009). In this paper, a study of recognition algorithm will be described for recognition whether one taps the left hand (LH) or the right hand (RH). Data with noises and artifacts collected from a multi-channel system will be pre-processed using a Savitzky–Golay filter for getting more smoothly data. Characteristics of the filtered signals during LH and RH tapping process will be extracted using a polynomial regression (PR) algorithm. Coefficients of the polynomial, which correspond to Oxygen-Hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration, will be applied for the recognition models of hand tapping. Support Vector Machines (SVM) will be applied to validate the obtained coefficient data for hand tapping recognition. In addition, for the objective of comparison, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) was also applied to recognize hand tapping side with the same principle. Experimental results have been done many trials on three subjects to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. PMID:24032008

Radioactivity of tap water in the Republic of Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cesar, D.; Maracic, M.; Franic, Z.; Kovac, J.

1994-01-01

The purpose of the paper was to establish the difference between radioactivity level measured in tap water in relation to maximum permissible concentrations determined by law in the Republic of Croatia. Tables 1 and 2 give percentages of total beta activity in tap water of several cities in Croatia and Table 3 of 137 Cs, 3 H and 90 Sr specific activities, in relation to permissible levels. On basis of these data it could be concluded that total beta activity has exponentially decreased over the past 30 years and radioactivity in tape water of Croatia has never exceeded permissible levels. Taking in account possible hazards to human health that might be caused by the presence of radioactivity in water, this kind of investigation should be continued also in the future

Age-related changes in the bimanual advantage and in brain oscillatory activity during tapping movements suggest a decline in processing sensory reafference.

Science.gov (United States)

Sallard, Etienne; Spierer, Lucas; Ludwig, Catherine; Deiber, Marie-Pierre; Barral, Jérôme

2014-02-01

Deficits in the processing of sensory reafferences have been suggested as accounting for age-related decline in motor coordination. Whether sensory reafferences are accurately processed can be assessed based on the bimanual advantage in tapping: because of tapping with an additional hand increases kinesthetic reafferences, bimanual tapping is characterized by a reduced inter-tap interval variability than unimanual tapping. A suppression of the bimanual advantage would thus indicate a deficit in sensory reafference. We tested whether elderly indeed show a reduced bimanual advantage by measuring unimanual (UM) and bimanual (BM) self-paced tapping performance in groups of young (n = 29) and old (n = 27) healthy adults. Electroencephalogram was recorded to assess the underlying patterns of oscillatory activity, a neurophysiological mechanism advanced to support the integration of sensory reafferences. Behaviorally, there was a significant interaction between the factors tapping condition and age group at the level of the inter-tap interval variability, driven by a lower variability in BM than UM tapping in the young, but not in the elderly group. This result indicates that in self-paced tapping, the bimanual advantage is absent in elderly. Electrophysiological results revealed an interaction between tapping condition and age group on low beta band (14-20 Hz) activity. Beta activity varied depending on the tapping condition in the elderly but not in the young group. Source estimations localized this effect within left superior parietal and left occipital areas. We interpret our results in terms of engagement of different mechanisms in the elderly depending on the tapping mode: a 'kinesthetic' mechanism for UM and a 'visual imagery' mechanism for BM tapping movement.

Tap Water Hydraulic Control Systems - Design and Industrial Applications. Chapter 7 in Advances in Hydraulic Control Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conrad, Finn

Deals with development and design of modern tap water hydraulic components and systems, in particalar the Danfoss Nessie-family of components and systems working with pure tap water without any kind of additives. Typical industrial applications are presented and the perspectives of new industrial...... applications and the environmental benefits are in focus, in particular in the food processing industry and in fire-fighting systems.......Deals with development and design of modern tap water hydraulic components and systems, in particalar the Danfoss Nessie-family of components and systems working with pure tap water without any kind of additives. Typical industrial applications are presented and the perspectives of new industrial...

Capillary forces in tapping mode atomic force microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zitzler, L.; Herminghaus, S.; Mugele, Friedrich Gunther

2002-01-01

We investigated the influence of the relative humidity on amplitude and phase of the cantilever oscillation while operating an atomic force microscope (AFM) in the tapping mode. If the free oscillation amplitude A0 exceeds a certain critical amplitude Ac, the amplitude- and phase-distance curves

Alternative solutions for inhibiting Legionella in domestic hot water systems based on low-temperature district heating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Xiaochen; Li, Hongwei; Svendsen, Svend

2015-01-01

Abstract District heating is a cost-effective way of providing heat to high heat density areas. Low-temperature district heating (LTDH) is a promising way to make district heating more energy-efficient and adaptable to well-insulated buildings with low heating demand in the future. However, one c...... systems. They have the additional benefit of reducing the heat loss of the hot water system. The alternative design solutions both enrich our options for water sanitation and improve the energy efficiency of our energy systems....... concern is the multiplication of Legionella due to insufficient temperature elevation with low-temperature supply. The aim of this study was to find optimal solutions to this dilemma for specific situations. The solutions were of two types: alternative system designs and various methods of sterilization...... methods, thermal treatment, ionization, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ultraviolet light, photocatalysis and filtration are discussed as the most frequently used methods in hot water systems. The characteristics, efficacy and operation methods of LTDH using the solutions investigated are documented...

Determination of the Tapping Part Diameter of the Thread Mill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. E. Dreval'

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, there is a tendency to increase the proportion of thread milling operations, among other ways of tapping, which is associated with increasing number of CNC machines, flexibility and versatility of the process.Developments presently existing in the RF and used in the thread mills deal, mainly, with the thread milling cutter designs, to process internal and external thread with straight flutes made from high-speed steel.The paper presents a technique to calculate and select the initial design parameters, i.e. the external diameter of the tapping part of thread milling cutter, which is chosen as a basic computational design. The analysis of directories of tool companies containing foreign de-signs of solid thread end-milling cutters has shown that most of them rep-resent the thread cutter designs made of solid carbide. There are solid and interlocking side milling cutters, which use a tapping part both as a single-disk and as a multi-disk one; chip flutes are made to be both as direct and as screw; solid designs of cutters are made from carbide with a diameter of up to 20 ... 25 mm; thread cutters can be left- and right-hand cutting; Designs of the combined thread mills are proposed; internal channels are used for coolant supply.It is shown that the purpose of the external diameter of the tapping part of the thread mill should take into account the effect of the thread mill diameter on the milling process performance, precision of thread profile received, taper thread, tool strength, and the volume of flutes.The analysis has shown that when choosing the external diameter of the thread mill it worth taking its maximum diameter to improve the char-acteristics of the process under the restrictions imposed on the accuracy of the formed thread.

Tunable complex-valued multi-tap microwave photonic filter based on single silicon-oninsulator microring resonator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lloret, Juan; Sancho, Juan; Pu, Minhao

2011-01-01

A complex-valued multi-tap tunable microwave photonic filter based on single silicon-on-insulator microring resonator is presented. The degree of tunability of the approach involving two, three and four taps is theoretical and experimentally characterized, respectively. The constraints of exploit...

A tapping device for recording and quantitative characterization of rhythmic/auditory sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Piazza, Caterina; Cesareo, Ambra; Caccia, Martina; Reni, Gianluigi; Lorusso, Maria L

2017-07-01

The processing of auditory stimuli is essential for the correct perception of language and deficits in this ability are often related to the presence or development of language disorders. The motor imitation (e.g. tapping or beating) of rhythmic sequences can be a very sensitive correlate of deficits in auditory processing. Thus, the study of the tapping performance, with the investigation of both temporal and intensity information, might be very useful. The present work is aimed at the development and preliminary testing of a tapping device to be used for the imitation and/or the production of rhythmic sequences, allowing the recording of both tapping duration and intensity. The device is essentially made up of a Force Sensing Resistor and an Arduino UNO board. It was validated using different sampling frequencies (f s ) in a group of 10 young healthy adults investigating its efficacy in terms of touch and intensity detection by means of two testing procedures. Results demonstrated a good performance of the device when programmed with fs equal to 50 and 100Hz. Moreover, both temporal and intensity parameters were extracted, thus supporting the potential use of the device for the analysis of the imitation or production of rhythmic sequences. This work represents a first step for the development of a useful, low cost tool to support the diagnosis, training and rehabilitation of language disorders.

Fabrication of tungsten probe for hard tapping operation in atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Guebum, E-mail: hanguebum@live.co.kr [Department of Physics and Optical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, Indiana 47803 (United States); Department of Mechanical Design and Robot Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743 (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Hyo-Sok, E-mail: hsahn@seoultech.ac.kr [Manufacturing Systems and Design Engineering Programme, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-02-15

We propose a method of producing a tungsten probe with high stiffness for atomic force microscopy (AFM) in order to acquire enhanced phase contrast images and efficiently perform lithography. A tungsten probe with a tip radius between 20 nm and 50 nm was fabricated using electrochemical etching optimized by applying pulse waves at different voltages. The spring constant of the tungsten probe was determined by finite element analysis (FEA), and its applicability as an AFM probe was evaluated by obtaining topography and phase contrast images of a Si wafer sample partly coated with Au. Enhanced hard tapping performance of the tungsten probe compared with a commercial Si probe was confirmed by conducting hard tapping tests at five different oscillation amplitudes on single layer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). To analyze the damaged graphene sample, the test areas were investigated using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). The test results demonstrate that the tungsten probe with high stiffness was capable of inducing sufficient elastic and plastic deformation to enable obtaining enhanced phase contrast images and performing lithography, respectively. - Highlights: • We propose a method of producing highly stiff tungsten probes for hard tapping AFM. • Spring constant of tungsten probe is determined by finite element method. • Enhanced hard tapping performance is confirmed. • Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is used to identify damage to graphene.

Fabrication of tungsten probe for hard tapping operation in atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Guebum; Ahn, Hyo-Sok

2016-01-01

We propose a method of producing a tungsten probe with high stiffness for atomic force microscopy (AFM) in order to acquire enhanced phase contrast images and efficiently perform lithography. A tungsten probe with a tip radius between 20 nm and 50 nm was fabricated using electrochemical etching optimized by applying pulse waves at different voltages. The spring constant of the tungsten probe was determined by finite element analysis (FEA), and its applicability as an AFM probe was evaluated by obtaining topography and phase contrast images of a Si wafer sample partly coated with Au. Enhanced hard tapping performance of the tungsten probe compared with a commercial Si probe was confirmed by conducting hard tapping tests at five different oscillation amplitudes on single layer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). To analyze the damaged graphene sample, the test areas were investigated using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). The test results demonstrate that the tungsten probe with high stiffness was capable of inducing sufficient elastic and plastic deformation to enable obtaining enhanced phase contrast images and performing lithography, respectively. - Highlights: • We propose a method of producing highly stiff tungsten probes for hard tapping AFM. • Spring constant of tungsten probe is determined by finite element method. • Enhanced hard tapping performance is confirmed. • Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is used to identify damage to graphene.

The distribution and tapping tidal energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zygmunt Kowalik

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Tidal power along tidal shores has been used for centuries to run small tidal mills. Generating electricity by tapping tidal power proved to be very successful only in the last century through the tidal power plant constructed in 1967 in La Rance, France. This used a large barrier to generate the sea level head necessary for driving turbines. Construction of such plants evolved very slowly because of prohibitive costs and concerns about the environmental impact. Developments in the construction of small, efficient and inexpensive underwater turbines admit the possibility of small scale operations that will use local tidal currents to bring electricity to remote locations. Since the generation of such electricity is concerned with the tidal energy in local water bodies, it is important to understand the site-specific energy balance, i.e., the energy flowing in through open boundaries, and the energy generated and dissipated within the local domain. The question is how to tap the tidal energy while keeping possible changes in the present tidal regimes to a minimum. The older approach of constructing barrages may still be quite useful in some locations. The basics of such tidal power plants constructed in a small bay are analyzed in order to understand the principal parameter for tidal plant evaluation, i.e., the power produced.     The new approach is to place turbines - devices similar to windmills - in the pathway of tidal currents. Theoretically, the amount of power available by such turbines for electricity generation is proportional to the water density and velocity cubed of the tidal flow. The naturally dissipated tidal power due to bottom friction forces is also proportional to the cube of the velocity. Because of this similarity, the exploitation of tidal energy can be directed to reinvesting the naturally dissipated power into tidal power for the generation of electricity. This approach to tidal power exploitation is better tuned

10BASE5 Ethernet Cable & Vampire Tap

CERN Document Server

1983-01-01

10BASE5 Thick Ethernet Cable, 10Mbit/sec. In the 1980s and early 1990's, Ethernet became more popular and provided a much faster data transmission rate. This cable is one of the first ethernet cables from 1983, a thick, bulky affair. Computers were attached via "Vampire Taps" which were connectors screwed straight through the shielding of the cable.

The TAPS Pyramid: Where, Who and How?

Science.gov (United States)

Hopwood-Stephens, Isabel

2018-01-01

The TAPS pyramid was developed in late 2014 and has been available as a download on the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) website since August 2015. But where has it gone since then? Who is using it? And how is it being used in schools to change primary science assessment practice? This article attempts to answer these questions with data from…

Association of LMP/TAP gene polymorphisms with tuberculosis susceptibility in Li population in China.

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Danmei Wang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB is a contagious disease affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors. Several association studies have suggested that cellular immune response is vital for controlling and preventing of tuberculosis infection. Low molecular weight polypeptides (LMPs and transporters with antigen processing (TAPs are the main molecules in the processing and presentation pathway for intracellular antigens. This study was performed to elucidate whether these antigen-processing genes (LMP/TAP polymorphisms could be associated with the risk of tuberculosis infection in China. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We recruited 205 active pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 217 normal controls from Li population for this study. Four polymorphisms of LMP/TAP genes were determined by PCR-RFLP assay and haplotypes were constructed by software PHASE 1.0. Of the total four polymorphisms, genotype frequencies of LMP7 AA homozygote and CA heterozygote were significantly greater among cases compared to controls, with odds ratio of 3.77 (95% CI: 1.60-8.89; P = 0.002 and 2.97 (95% CI: 1.80-4.90; P<0.0001, respectively. The genotypes of TAP1-2 GG homozygote and AG heterozygote were more frequent in subjects with TB than in controls, with odds ratio of 3.94 (95% CI: 1.82-8.53; P = 0.001 and 2.87 (95% CI: 1.75-4.71; P<0.0001, respectively. Similarly, we found that haplotype B which carried LMP7 and TAP1-2 variations significantly increased the susceptibility to TB (OR = 3.674, 95% CI: 2.254-5.988; P<0.0001. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the homozygote of wild haplotype A (A/A may be a strong protection for TB infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that LMP/TAP gene polymorphisms might be risk factors for TB infection among Li population in China.

Short Communication. Resin tapping activity as a contribution to the management of maritime pine forest

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Amélia Palma

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Aim of the study: In this work potential resin yield in a region of high forest ability where maritime pine is the main species was estimated in order to understand the viability of promoting resin exploitation. Area of study: This study was conducted in Castro Daire County in central region of Portugal. Material and methods: To quantify the resin yield of trees tapped for the first time two plots were installed in a maritime pine stand with average tree age 65 years. Before the beginning of the resin tapping, dendrometric tree variables were measured. Also, in a neighbouring stand, 25 trees were selected to check the relation between tree dbh and resin yield. Gum resin from every tree was weighted during the season. Estimates of potential resin yield in Castro Daire County were made based on data from National Forest Inventory plots, resin tapping legislation and resin yield values obtained in the field. Two scenarios were considered: high and low resin yield. To understand the intentions of forest owners towards restarting resin tapping activity 16 maritime pine forest owners were interviewed. Main results: The results point out a high yield potential capacity for gum resin production in the County: values between 2,025 and 5,873 tons were obtained. Research highlights: Results may highlight the important socio-economical role of the resin tapping activity and can be used to support national forest policies to the resin sector and give forest owners motivation to reactivate resin tapping activity. Keywords: non-wood forest product; resin yield potential; forest owner.

Short Communication. Resin tapping activity as a contribution to the management of maritime pine forest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palma, A.; Pereira, J.M.; Soares, P.

2016-07-01

Aim of the study: In this work potential resin yield in a region of high forest ability where maritime pine is the main species was estimated in order to understand the viability of promoting resin exploitation. Area of study: This study was conducted in Castro Da ire County in central region of Portugal. Material and methods: To quantify the resin yield of trees tapped for the first time two plots were installed in a maritime pine stand with average tree age 65 years. Before the beginning of the resin tapping, dendrometric tree variables were measured. Also, in a neighbouring stand, 25 trees were selected to check the relation between tree dbh and resin yield. Gum resin from every tree was weighted during the season. Estimates of potential resin yield in Castro Daire County were made based on data from National Forest Inventory plots, resin tapping legislation and resin yield values obtained in the field. Two scenarios were considered: high and low resin yield. To understand the intentions of forest owners towards restarting resin tapping activity 16 maritime pine forest owners were interviewed. Main results: The results point out a high yield potential capacity for gum resin production in the County: values between 2,025 and 5,873 tons were obtained. Research highlights: Results may highlight the important socio-economical role of the resin tapping activity and can be used to support national forest policies to the resin sector and give forest owners motivation to reactivate resin tapping activity. (Author)

On the formal equivalence of the TAP and thermodynamic methods in the SK model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavagna, Andrea; Giardina, Irene; Parisi, Giorgio; Mezard, Marc

2003-01-01

We revisit two classic Thouless-Anderson-Palmer (TAP) studies of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model (Bray A J and Moore M A 1980 J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. 13 L469; De Dominicis C and Young A P 1983 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 16 2063). By using the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) supersymmetry, we prove the general equivalence of TAP and replica partition functions, and show that the annealed calculation of the TAP complexity is formally identical to the quenched thermodynamic calculation of the free energy at one step level of replica symmetry breaking. The complexity we obtain by means of the BRST symmetry turns out to be considerably smaller than the previous non-symmetric value

Domestic violence--a comparison of activities in the health care sector in Brazil and Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohff, Brigitte; Voss, Angelika

2004-09-01

During the last decades an, international discussion has started on how to reduce the gender gap in women's and men's health. Feminist activists and public health scientists in Canada, Latin America (foremost Brazil), the States and South Africa issued a declaration of intention to focus on health impacts caused by gender-related domestic violence. In Europe, and particularly in Germany, the topic as an issue of medical care has lately been given increased attention. In this article, we present activities undertaken to overcome the obstacles in integrating the topic of domestic violence as a medical issue. The successful Brazilian strategy served as a model, in particular for implementing a hot-line for victims of domestic violence within the day-to-day clinical setting. The General Medical Council (Arztekammer), the Women's Medical Association of Lower-Saxony, and the Hanover Medical School founded a working committee "domestic violence" in co-operation with the Ministry of Women, Work and Social Affairs. Between 2002 and 2003, this task force worked out several guidelines and hand-outs for physicians to promote gender-sensitive treatment of abused women, gaining increasing acceptance by the German medical care providers in medical education and in-training services for physicians.

Functional Imaging of Human Vestibular Cortex Activity Elicited by Skull Tap and Auditory Tone Burst

Science.gov (United States)

Noohi, Fatemeh; Kinnaird, Catherine; Wood, Scott; Bloomberg, Jacob; Mulavara, Ajitkumar; Seidler, Rachael

2014-01-01

The aim of the current study was to characterize the brain activation in response to two modes of vestibular stimulation: skull tap and auditory tone burst. The auditory tone burst has been used in previous studies to elicit saccular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) (Colebatch & Halmagyi 1992; Colebatch et al. 1994). Some researchers have reported that airconducted skull tap elicits both saccular and utricle VEMPs, while being faster and less irritating for the subjects (Curthoys et al. 2009, Wackym et al., 2012). However, it is not clear whether the skull tap and auditory tone burst elicit the same pattern of cortical activity. Both forms of stimulation target the otolith response, which provides a measurement of vestibular function independent from semicircular canals. This is of high importance for studying the vestibular disorders related to otolith deficits. Previous imaging studies have documented activity in the anterior and posterior insula, superior temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, pre and post central gyri, inferior frontal gyrus, and the anterior cingulate cortex in response to different modes of vestibular stimulation (Bottini et al., 1994; Dieterich et al., 2003; Emri et al., 2003; Schlindwein et al., 2008; Janzen et al., 2008). Here we hypothesized that the skull tap elicits the similar pattern of cortical activity as the auditory tone burst. Subjects put on a set of MR compatible skull tappers and headphones inside the 3T GE scanner, while lying in supine position, with eyes closed. All subjects received both forms of the stimulation, however, the order of stimulation with auditory tone burst and air-conducted skull tap was counterbalanced across subjects. Pneumatically powered skull tappers were placed bilaterally on the cheekbones. The vibration of the cheekbone was transmitted to the vestibular cortex, resulting in vestibular response (Halmagyi et al., 1995). Auditory tone bursts were also delivered for comparison. To validate

Ambulatory circadian monitoring (ACM) based on thermometry, motor activity and body position (TAP): a comparison with polysomnography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz-Tudela, Elisabet; Martinez-Nicolas, Antonio; Albares, Javier; Segarra, Francesc; Campos, Manuel; Estivill, Eduard; Rol, Maria Angeles; Madrid, Juan Antonio

2014-03-14

An integrated variable based on the combination of wrist Temperature, motor Activity and body Position (TAP) was previously developed at our laboratory to evaluate the functioning of the circadian system and sleep-wake rhythm under ambulatory conditions. However, the reliability of TAP needed to be validated with polysomnography (PSG). 22 subjects suffering from sleep disorders were monitored for one night with a temperature sensor (iButton), an actimeter (HOBO) and exploratory PSG. Mean waveforms, sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), agreement rates (AR) and comparisons between TAP and sleep stages were studied. The TAP variable was optimized for SE, SP and AR with respect to each individual variable (SE: 92%; SP: 78%; AR: 86%). These results improved upon estimates previously published for actigraphy. Furthermore, TAP values tended to decrease as sleep depth increased, reaching the lowest point at phase 3. Finally, TAP estimates for sleep latency (SL: 37±9 min), total sleep time (TST: 367±13 min), sleep efficiency (SE: 86.8±1.9%) and number of awakenings (NA>5 min: 3.3±.4) were not significantly different from those obtained with PSG (SL: 29±4 min; SE: 89.9±1.8%; NA>5 min: 2.3±.4), despite the heterogeneity of the sleep pathologies monitored. The TAP variable is a novel measurement for evaluating circadian system status and sleep-wake rhythms with a level of reliability better to that of actigraphy. Furthermore, it allows the evaluation of a patient's sleep-wake rhythm in his/her normal home environment, and at a much lower cost than PSG. Future studies in specific pathologies would verify the relevance of TAP in those conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

External radiation monitoring in TAPS and RAPS environs (1980-81) using TLD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, A.S.; Nambi, K.S.V.; Sunta, C.M.

1983-01-01

Results of environmental external radiation monitoring using quarterly integrated TLD measurements are presented for environments of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) and the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) for the two year monitoring period (1980-81). The data fit into the unimodal log-normal distribution except for locations where gaseous radioactivity escaping from the plant makes a significant contribution. The average natural radiation background in TAPS and RAPS environment is estimated to be 59.6 +- 4.7 mR yr -1 and 65.1 +- 9.8 mR yr -1 respectively. Contribution from the plant superimposed over the natural level leads frequently to bi-normal distribution. The effect of stack-released gaseous radioactivity is seen in locations within 1.6 km of TAPS: for example Ghivoli village registered an excess of 9.3 mR yr -1 over the natural background. The quarterly background values indicate minor temporal and spatial variations which can be attributed to changes in natural as well as stack released radioactivity. (author)

Spatial and statistical methods for correlating the interaction between groundwater contamination and tap water exposure in karst regions

Science.gov (United States)

Padilla, I. Y.; Rivera, V. L.; Macchiavelli, R. E.; Torres Torres, N. I.

2016-12-01

Groundwater systems in karst regions are highly vulnerable to contamination and have an enormous capacity to store and rapidly convey pollutants to potential exposure zones over long periods of time. Contaminants in karst aquifers used for drinking water purposes can, therefore, enter distributions lines and the tap water point of use. This study applies spatial and statistical analytical methods to assess potential correlations between contaminants in a karst groundwater system in northern Puerto Rico and exposure in the tap water. It focuses on chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOC) and phthalates because of their ubiquitous presence in the environment and the potential public health impacts. The work integrates historical data collected from regulatory agencies and current field measurements involving groundwater and tap water sampling and analysis. Contaminant distributions and cluster analysis is performed with Geographic Information System technology. Correlations between detection frequencies and contaminants concentration in source groundwater and tap water point of use are assessed using Pearson's Chi Square and T-Test analysis. Although results indicate that correlations are contaminant-specific, detection frequencies are generally higher for total CVOC in groundwater than tap water samples, but greater for phthalates in tap water than groundwater samples. Spatial analysis shows widespread distribution of CVOC and phthalates in both groundwater and tap water, suggesting that contamination comes from multiple sources. Spatial correlation analysis indicates that association between tap water and groundwater contamination depends on the source and type of contaminants, spatial location, and time. Full description of the correlations may, however, need to take into consideration variable anthropogenic interventions.

Overexpression of the PP2A regulatory subunit Tap46 leads to enhanced plant growth through stimulation of the TOR signalling pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Chang Sook; Ahn, Hee-Kyung; Pai, Hyun-Sook

2015-01-01

Tap46, a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), plays an essential role in plant growth and development through a functional link with the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) signalling pathway. Here, we have characterized the molecular mechanisms behind a gain-of-function phenotype of Tap46 and its relationship with TOR to gain further insights into Tap46 function in plants. Constitutive overexpression of Tap46 in Arabidopsis resulted in overall growth stimulation with enlarged organs, such as leaves and siliques. Kinematic analysis of leaf growth revealed that increased cell size was mainly responsible for the leaf enlargement. Tap46 overexpression also enhanced seed size and viability under accelerated ageing conditions. Enhanced plant growth was also observed in dexamethasone (DEX)-inducible Tap46 overexpression Arabidopsis lines, accompanied by increased cellular activities of nitrate-assimilating enzymes. DEX-induced Tap46 overexpression and Tap46 RNAi resulted in increased and decreased phosphorylation of S6 kinase (S6K), respectively, which is a sensitive indicator of endogenous TOR activity, and Tap46 interacted with S6K in planta based on bimolecular fluorescence complementation and co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, inactivation of TOR by estradiol-inducible RNAi or rapamycin treatment decreased Tap46 protein levels, but increased PP2A catalytic subunit levels. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that Tap46 overexpression induced transcriptional modulation of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, and lignin biosynthesis. These findings suggest that Tap46 modulates plant growth as a positive effector of the TOR signalling pathway and Tap46/PP2Ac protein abundance is regulated by TOR activity. PMID:25399018

Study on countermeasures for effective assessment of domestic system of physical protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong Uk; An, J. S.; Min, G. S.; Yoon, W. K.; Kim, K. J.; Kim, J. K.; Lim, J. H.; Choe, K. K.; Park, S. G.

2004-04-01

Since the threat for nuclear facilities has increased due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the allegations of Iraq and North Korean nuclear programmes, the concern for international regime of physical protection has been a hot issue worldwide. In addition, as the international strengthening trend of physical protection had been speeded up since the September 11th terror, Member States including the IAEA had agreed to revise the CPPNM(INFCIRC/274/rev.1) and prepared a draft amendment of CPPNM to establish their systems of physical protection based on threat assessment. However, Korean government has not yet established the domestic regime of threat assessment as well as national DBT for nuclear facilities, so it is very urgent to prepare the measures for them. As a domestic countermeasure for the international trend, Korean government promulgated a new 'Law for Physical Protection and Radiological Emergency'(LPPRE) on May 2003, which was based on establishing the regime of threat assessment, but it is necessary for us to construct the substantial countermeasures for its implementation as well as to legislate the following regulations of the LPPRE. Therefore, this study suggests the measures for constructing domestic regime of threat assessment in order to establish the legal and institutional framework and provides the efficient countermeasures for its implementation

The PP2A Regulatory Subunit Tap46, a Component of the TOR Signaling Pathway, Modulates Growth and Metabolism in Plants[W

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Chang Sook; Han, Jeong-A; Lee, Ho-Seok; Lee, Semi; Pai, Hyun-Sook

2011-01-01

Tap42/α4, a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A, is a downstream effector of the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein kinase, which regulates cell growth in coordination with nutrient and environmental conditions in yeast and mammals. In this study, we characterized the functions and phosphatase regulation of plant Tap46. Depletion of Tap46 resulted in growth arrest and acute plant death with morphological markers of programmed cell death. Tap46 interacted with PP2A and PP2A-like phosphatases PP4 and PP6. Tap46 silencing modulated cellular PP2A activities in a time-dependent fashion similar to TOR silencing. Immunoprecipitated full-length and deletion forms of Arabidopsis thaliana TOR phosphorylated recombinant Tap46 protein in vitro, supporting a functional link between Tap46 and TOR. Tap46 depletion reproduced the signature phenotypes of TOR inactivation, such as dramatic repression of global translation and activation of autophagy and nitrogen mobilization, indicating that Tap46 may act as a positive effector of TOR signaling in controlling those processes. Additionally, Tap46 silencing in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cells caused chromatin bridge formation at anaphase, indicating its role in sister chromatid segregation. These findings suggest that Tap46, in conjunction with associated phosphatases, plays an essential role in plant growth and development as a component of the TOR signaling pathway. PMID:21216945

Stroking and tapping the skin: behavioral and electrodermal effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Etzi, Roberta; Carta, Carlotta; Gallace, Alberto

2018-02-01

Being caressed represents one of the most typical expressions of affection conveyed by touch. Converging evidence suggests that the pleasant perception of gentle and slow stroking delivered to the hairy skin is mediated by C-Tactile afferents (CTs). While behavioral and neural responses to CT-optimal touch have been moderately explored so far, less is known about the autonomic reaction to different kinds of touch (both CT-optimal and not). Here, we investigated whether physiological arousal varies as a function of the specific tactile stimulation provided. Stroking (slow: 3 cm/s 'CT-optimal'; or fast: 30 cm/s) and tapping (random or fixed spatial order) stimulations were delivered to the participants' forearm with a brush, for durations of 9 or 60 s. Participants' skin conductance response (SCR) and level (SCL), as well as subjective evaluations, were recorded. The results revealed that being stroked (at both the velocities) induced higher SCR and SCL than being tapped. Moreover, while higher SCR was elicited by CT-suboptimal stroking compared to CT-optimal stroking, SCL was not affected differently by CT-optimal touch. No differences were found between the effects of 9 and 60 s stimulations. Slow stroking was evaluated as the most pleasant, relaxing and 'social' type of touch compared to the other tactile stimulations. Taken together, these findings shed light on the psychophysiological responses to stroking (including CT-optimal touch) and tapping, and contribute to elucidate the mechanisms underlying hedonic tactile perception.

Hot water supply in ''Smart Home''. Decentralized supply, decentralized control; Warmwasserversorgung im 'Smart Home'. Dezentral versorgen, dezentral steuern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiechers, Olaf

2013-10-01

The separation of the heating system and domestic hot water is already established in commercial and residential construction. The decentralized hot water supply offers environmental and economic benefits. In this paper it is shown that one can also do this in a detached house. [German] Die Trennung von Heizsystem und Warmwasserbereitung ist im Gewerbe- und Wohnungsbau bereits etabliert. Die dezentrale Warmwasserversorgung bietet oekologische und oekonomische Vorteile. In diesem Beitrag wird gezeigt, dass man dies auch bei einem Einfamilienhaus durchfuehren kann.

Quality of Pinus elliottii sawn timber from tapped forests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Henrique Gonzalez de Cademartori

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to characterize the quality of Pinus elliottii sawn timber extracted from tapped forests and processed in a sawmill in São José do Norte (RS. Four butt logs and four upper logs for each of the three existing diameter grades were selected and sawed. The wood pieces were analyzed after sawing and after kiln drying. The presence of knots, which occurred due to the absence of forest management and influenced the qualitative classification of the wood pieces, was observed mainly in the samples from upper logs. The process of resin tapping contributed to a higher incidence of resin pockets in the samples from butt logs, also influencing the qualitative classification of the samples. The appearance of drying defects did not modify the classification of the wood samples from butt and upper logs.

Lithium in Tap Water and Suicide Mortality in Japan

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Takeshi Terao

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Lithium has been used as a mood-stabilizing drug in people with mood disorders. Previous studies have shown that natural levels of lithium in drinking water may protect against suicide. This study evaluated the association between lithium levels in tap water and the suicide standardized mortality ratio (SMR in 40 municipalities of Aomori prefecture, which has the highest levels of suicide mortality rate in Japan. Lithium levels in the tap water supplies of each municipality were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. After adjusting for confounders, a statistical trend toward significance was found for the relationship between lithium levels and the average SMR among females. These findings indicate that natural levels of lithium in drinking water might have a protective effect on the risk of suicide among females. Future research is warranted to confirm this association.

Fast and controlled fabrication of porous graphene oxide: application of AFM tapping for mechano-chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Liangyong; Korobko, Alexander V.; Bus, Marcel; Boshuizen, Bart; Sudhölter, Ernst J. R.; Besseling, Nicolaas A. M.

2018-05-01

This paper describes a novel method to fabricate porous graphene oxide (PGO) from GO by exposure to oxygen plasma. Compared to other methods to fabricate PGO described so far, e.g. the thermal and steam etching methods, oxygen plasma etching method is much faster. We studied the development of the porosity with exposure time using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that the development of PGO upon oxygen-plasma exposure can be controlled by tapping mode AFM scanning using a Si tip. AFM tapping stalls the growth of pores upon further plasma exposure at a level that coincides with the fraction of sp2 carbons in the GO starting material. We suggest that AFM tapping procedure changes the bond structure of the intermediate PGO structure, and these stabilized PGO structures cannot be further etched by oxygen plasma. This constitutes the first report of tapping AFM as a tool for local mechano-chemistry.

Finger tapping and verbal fluency post-tap test improvement in INPH: its value in differential diagnosis and shunt-treatment outcomes prognosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liouta, Evangelia; Gatzonis, Stylianos; Kalamatianos, Theodosis; Kalyvas, Aristotelis; Koutsarnakis, Christos; Liakos, Faidon; Anagnostopoulos, Christos; Komaitis, Spyridon; Giakoumettis, Dimitris; Stranjalis, George

2017-12-01

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) diagnosis is challenging as it can be mimicked by other neurological conditions, such as neurodegenerative dementia and motor syndromes. Additionally, outcomes after lumbar puncture (LP) tap test and shunt treatment may vary due to the lack of a common protocol in INPH assessment. The present study aimed to assess whether a post-LP test amelioration of frontal cognitive dysfunctions, characterizing this syndrome, can differentiate INPH from similar neurological conditions and whether this improvement can predict INPH post-shunt outcomes. Seventy-one consecutive patients referred for INPH suspicion and LP testing, were enrolled. According to the consensus guidelines criteria, 29 patients were diagnosed as INPH and 42 were assigned an alternative diagnosis (INPH-like group) after reviewing clinical, neuropsychological and imaging data, and before LP results. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment for frontal executive, upper extremity fine motor functions, aphasias, apraxias, agnosias and gait evaluation were administered at baseline. Executive, fine motor functions and gait were re-examined post-LP test in all patients and post-shunt placement in INPH patients. Of the INPH patients, 86.2% showed cognitive amelioration in the post-LP test; in addition, all but one (97%) presented with neurocognitive and gait improvement post-shunt. Verbal phonological fluency and finger tapping task post-LP improvement predicted positive clinical outcome post-shunt. None of the INPH-like group presented with neurocognitive improvement post-LP. Post-LP amelioration of verbal fluency and finger tapping deficits can differentiate INPH from similar disorders and predict positive post-shunt clinical outcome in INPH. This becomes of great importance when gait assessment is difficult to perform in clinical practice.

Development of a hot water tank simulation program with improved prediction of thermal stratification in the tank

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fan, Jianhua; Furbo, Simon; Yue, Hongqiang

2015-01-01

A simulation program SpiralSol was developed in previous investigations to calculate thermal performance of a solar domestic hot water (SDHW) system with a hot water tank with a built-in heat exchanger spiral [1]. The simulation program is improved in the paper in term of prediction of thermal...... stratification in the tank. The transient fluid flow and heat transfer in the hot water tank during cooling caused by standby heat loss are investigated by validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations. Detailed CFD investigations are carried out to determine the influence of thickness and material...... property of the tank wall on thermal stratification in the tank. It is elucidated how thermal stratification in the tank is influenced by the natural convection and how the heat loss from the tank sides will be distributed at different levels of the tank at different thermal conditions. The existing...

Integration of Thermoelectric Generators and Wood Stove to Produce Heat, Hot Water, and Electrical Power

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goudarzi, A.M.; Mazandarani, P.; Panahi, R.

2013-01-01

Traditional fire stoves are characterized by low efficiency. In this experimental study, the combustion chamber of the stove is developed by two devices. An electric fan can increase the air to fuel ratio in order to increase the system’s efficiency and to decrease the air pollution by providing....... The presented prototype is designed to fulfill the basic needs of domestic electricity, hot water and the essential heat for warming the room and cooking....

Combined visual illusion effects on the perceived index of difficulty and movement outcomes in discrete and continuous fitts' tapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Alphonsa, Sushma; Dai, Boyi; Benham-Deal, Tami; Zhu, Qin

2016-01-01

The speed-accuracy trade-off is a fundamental movement problem that has been extensively investigated. It has been established that the speed at which one can move to tap targets depends on how large the targets are and how far they are apart. These spatial properties of the targets can be quantified by the index of difficulty (ID). Two visual illusions are known to affect the perception of target size and movement amplitude: the Ebbinghaus illusion and Muller-Lyer illusion. We created visual images that combined these two visual illusions to manipulate the perceived ID, and then examined people's visual perception of the targets in illusory context as well as their performance in tapping those targets in both discrete and continuous manners. The findings revealed that the combined visual illusions affected the perceived ID similarly in both discrete and continuous judgment conditions. However, the movement outcomes were affected by the combined visual illusions according to the tapping mode. In discrete tapping, the combined visual illusions affected both movement accuracy and movement amplitude such that the effective ID resembled the perceived ID. In continuous tapping, none of the movement outcomes were affected by the combined visual illusions. Participants tapped the targets with higher speed and accuracy in all visual conditions. Based on these findings, we concluded that distinct visual-motor control mechanisms were responsible for execution of discrete and continuous Fitts' tapping. Although discrete tapping relies on allocentric information (object-centered) to plan for action, continuous tapping relies on egocentric information (self-centered) to control for action. The planning-control model for rapid aiming movements is supported.

Overexpression of the PP2A regulatory subunit Tap46 leads to enhanced plant growth through stimulation of the TOR signalling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Chang Sook; Ahn, Hee-Kyung; Pai, Hyun-Sook

2015-02-01

Tap46, a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), plays an essential role in plant growth and development through a functional link with the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) signalling pathway. Here, we have characterized the molecular mechanisms behind a gain-of-function phenotype of Tap46 and its relationship with TOR to gain further insights into Tap46 function in plants. Constitutive overexpression of Tap46 in Arabidopsis resulted in overall growth stimulation with enlarged organs, such as leaves and siliques. Kinematic analysis of leaf growth revealed that increased cell size was mainly responsible for the leaf enlargement. Tap46 overexpression also enhanced seed size and viability under accelerated ageing conditions. Enhanced plant growth was also observed in dexamethasone (DEX)-inducible Tap46 overexpression Arabidopsis lines, accompanied by increased cellular activities of nitrate-assimilating enzymes. DEX-induced Tap46 overexpression and Tap46 RNAi resulted in increased and decreased phosphorylation of S6 kinase (S6K), respectively, which is a sensitive indicator of endogenous TOR activity, and Tap46 interacted with S6K in planta based on bimolecular fluorescence complementation and co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, inactivation of TOR by estradiol-inducible RNAi or rapamycin treatment decreased Tap46 protein levels, but increased PP2A catalytic subunit levels. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that Tap46 overexpression induced transcriptional modulation of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, and lignin biosynthesis. These findings suggest that Tap46 modulates plant growth as a positive effector of the TOR signalling pathway and Tap46/PP2Ac protein abundance is regulated by TOR activity. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Rhythmic finger tapping reveals cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buijink, A. W. G.; Broersma, M.; van der Stouwe, A. M. M.; van Wingen, G. A.; Groot, P. F. C.; Speelman, J. D.; Maurits, N. M.; van Rootselaar, A. F.

Introduction: Cerebellar circuits are hypothesized to play a central role in the pathogenesis of essential tremor. Rhythmic finger tapping is known to strongly engage the cerebellar motor circuitry. We characterize cerebellar and, more specifically, dentate nucleus function, and neural correlates of

Rhythmic finger tapping reveals cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor

NARCIS (Netherlands)