The total lifetime costs of smoking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, S.R.; Prescott, E.; Sørensen, T.I.A.

2004-01-01

Net costs of smoking in a lifetime perspective and, hence, the economic interests in antismoking policies have been questioned. It has been proposed that the health-related costs of smoking are balanced by smaller expenditure due to shorter life expectancy.......Net costs of smoking in a lifetime perspective and, hence, the economic interests in antismoking policies have been questioned. It has been proposed that the health-related costs of smoking are balanced by smaller expenditure due to shorter life expectancy....

Case study: Free product recovery and site remediation using horizontal trenching, soil vapor treatment and groundwater extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanderson, E.P.; Johnston, H.S. Jr.; Farrell, M.; Twedell, D.B.

1993-01-01

Sites with soil and groundwater impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons have been remediated using a variety of traditional techniques. However, when the site impacted lies within a very confined downtown area of an expanding metropolitan city, a more complex array of technologies must be considered. The Law Enforcement Center site is the City of Charlotte's worst known underground storage tank (UST) release to date. A cost effective free product recovery, soil vapor and groundwater extraction system is being piloted here using new horizontal trenching technology and state of the art equipment. On-site low permeability soil required that an alternative to standard recovery wells be developed for groundwater recovery and vapor extraction. Operation and maintenance (O and M) of the large number of recovery wells required would have been extremely costly over the expected lifetime of the project. Although horizontal trenching was the best solution to the O and M costs, many problems were encountered during their installation

Lifetime, money and cost-benefit analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bengtsson, G.

1984-01-01

The paper describes briefly many methods for explicit or implicit valuation of the loss of lifetime expectancy due to radiation exposures or other hazards. The health gain from investment in protection is compared with the health gain from a general increase in wealth. It is concluded that in many instances lifetime is valued at 1 to 10 times the gross national product produced in this time. This seems to be reasonable for rich countries whereas it may be questionable for poorer countries. Here, any investment that raises the level of living of the poorer segment of the population may have a greater effect on life expectancy. (author)

Optimizing design of converters using power cycling lifetime models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rasmus Ørndrup; Munk-Nielsen, Stig

2015-01-01

Converter power cycling lifetime depends heavily on converter operation point. A lifetime model of a single power module switched mode power supply with wide input voltage range is shown. A lifetime model is created using a power loss model, a thermal model and a model for power cycling capability...... with a given mission profile. A method to improve the expected lifetime of the converter is presented, taking into account switching frequency, input voltage and transformer turns ratio....

Gender difference in health expectancy trends in Greenland.

Science.gov (United States)

Mairey, Isabelle; Bjerregaard, Peter; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

2014-12-01

The population of Greenland comprises almost 31,000 Inuit Greenlanders aged 20-65. The purpose of this study was to estimate trends in expected life years between age 20 and 65 in good and poor health, and to compare changes between men and women since the mid-1990s. Partial life expectancy was calculated and combined with prevalence data on self-rated health, longstanding illness and musculoskeletal diseases derived from health surveys carried out in 1993-94, 1999-2001 and 2005-10. Trends for men and women were compared and changes were decomposed into contributions from changes in mortality and disability. Partial life expectancy increased by 2.2 years for men and 0.8 years for women during the entire period. However, expected lifetime in self-rated good health decreased by 3.3 years for men and by 4.6 years for women (pexpectancy without longstanding illness increased by 4.7 years (pExpected lifetime without musculoskeletal diseases increased significantly by 4.5 years for men and by 1.9 years for women. The development of expected lifetime without longstanding illness supports the theory of compression of morbidity, but as the trend direction differs according to which measure for health is used, a definite conclusion cannot be drawn. The different rate of development of partial life expectancy and expected lifetime in good health between men and women is remarkable, and has reduced the gender gap. The results call for special concern about the women's health in Greenland. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Luminosity lifetime in the Tevatron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, G.; Finley, D.; Johnson, R.P.; Kerns, Q.; McCarthy, J.; Siemann, R.; Zhang, P.

1988-01-01

Since the inauguration of colliding proton-antiproton operations in 1987, the Tevatron has exhibited luminosity lifetimes shorter than expected. During a typical colliding beam storage period, called a store, luminosity is calculated periodically by measuring the charge and emittances of each bunch. The growth of the transverse bunch emittances is the dominant cause of luminosity deterioration. Throughout, this period, the position spectrum of the bunches exhibited betatron signals larger than expected from Schottky noise. A model assuming externally driven betatron oscillations explains both the betatron signals and the emittance growth. A program is underway to improve the Tevatron luminosity lifetime. The abort kickers have been identified as sources of emittance growth, and some quadrupole power supplies are further candidates. Because the horizontal dispersion through the RF cavities is nonzero, RF phase noise has been investigated. Noise in the main dipole regulation circuit has also been studied. 13 refs., 4 figs

Lifetimes of charm and beauty hadrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellini, G.; Dornan, P.J.

1997-01-01

Major breakthroughs have been achieved in the determination of the lifetimes of charm and beauty hadrons. Much larger data samples than previously have become available and new experimental devices and techniques have been developed and employed. The lifetimes of all weakly decaying singly charmed hadrons have been measured, some with an accuracy of a few percent. The difference in the shortest lifetime - τ(Ω c ) - and the longest one - τ(D + ) - is given by a factor of close to ten. The experimental status of beauty lifetimes, while less complete, has still reached a new level of quality and is now better than 5% for the commoner states. New theoretical tools, based mainly on heavy quark expansions, have been developed; they incorporate as well as transcend earlier phenomenological descriptions. The observed pattern in the charm lifetime ratios is reproduced in a semi-quantitative manner as well as could be expected; as far as the beauty lifetime ratios are concerned some problems may well be emerging. The maturity level achieved in the measurements bodes quite well for future challenges where reliable and efficient tracking of the decay vertices will be crucial. (orig.)

c, b, and tau lifetime measurements in e+e- interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaros, J.A.

1983-01-01

Experiments at e + e - storage rings have successfully measured the tau and D 0 lifetimes and set interesting limits on the B lifetime. So far, the conventional wisdom has prevailed. The tau lifetime is consistent with prediction; there is no sign (but little sensitivity) of a violation of universality. The charmed particle lifetimes are roughly as expected, but richer in their phenomenology than anticipated. The B lifetime is still unknown. The experimental art is developing rapidly. Several experiments have by now installed vertex detectors. Measurements of charmed particle lifetimes from e + e - experiments will complement the work that has been done at fixed target machines. Measurements of tau and B lifetimes may be the exclusive province of e + e - experiments for the next few years

Heterogeneous inflation expectations and learning

OpenAIRE

Madeira, Carlos; Zafar, Basit

2012-01-01

Using the panel component of the Michigan Survey of Consumers, we estimate a learning model of inflation expectations, allowing for heterogeneous use of both private information and lifetime inflation experience. “Life-experience inflation” has a significant impact on individual expectations, but only for one-year-ahead inflation. Public information is substantially more relevant for longer-horizon expectations. Even controlling for life-experience inflation and public information, idiosyncra...

Impact of smoking on the social gradient in health expectancy in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Juel, Knud

2004-01-01

Health expectancy is arrived at by dividing life expectancy into average lifetime in different states of health. The purpose of the study was to estimate health expectancy among never smokers and smokers in groups at high, medium, and low educational levels in Denmark.......Health expectancy is arrived at by dividing life expectancy into average lifetime in different states of health. The purpose of the study was to estimate health expectancy among never smokers and smokers in groups at high, medium, and low educational levels in Denmark....

Educational inequalities in health expectancy during the financial crisis in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Baadsgaard, Mikkel; Eriksen, Mette Lindholm

2015-01-01

in expected lifetime in self-rated good health increased by 1.3 years for men and 1.2 years for women. CONCLUSIONS: The social inequality in DFLE for men and expected lifetime in self-rated good health for both genders increased slightly during the short period. The financial crisis did not seem to indicate...

Increase in social inequality in health expectancy in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Baadsgaard, Mikkel

2008-01-01

AIMS: Health expectancy represents the average lifetime in various states of health and differs among social groups. The purpose of the study was to determine trends in social inequality in health expectancy since 1994 between groups with high, medium and low educational levels in Denmark. METHODS...... educational level, the increase was 2.7 years for men and 2.2 years for women. The difference between people with low and high educational level in expected lifetime in self-rated good health increased by 2.0 and 1.3 years for 30-year-old men and women, respectively. The social gap also increased for other...... indicators. CONCLUSIONS: During the past 12 years, social inequality in life expectancy and health expectancy has increased in Denmark, but the proportion of the population with a low educational level has decreased....

Lifetime measurements of the strange beauty meson and beauty baryons at LEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, A.

1994-01-01

Last experimental results on the lifetimes of B s 0 mesons and beauty baryons from the LEP experiments ALEPH, DELPHI and OPAL are presented. LEP averages for the lifetimes of B s 0 and Λ b are compared to lifetimes of B d 0 and B + and to the average b hadron lifetime. The precision of these measurements begins to be suitable to test the theoretical predictions of 10-15% differences between the lifetimes of b baryons and mesons, but does not allow a test of the few percent difference expected between B d 0 and B + lifetimes. The data show a significant evidence (3 σ) for lifetime differences between b mesons and b baryons. (author). 4 refs., 9 figs

Projected lifetime risks and hospital care expenditure for traumatic injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, David C; Anderson, Jamie E; Kobayashi, Leslie; Coimbra, Raul; Bickler, Stephen W

2012-08-01

The lifetime risk and expected cost of trauma care would be valuable for health policy planners, but this information is currently unavailable. The cumulative incidence rates methodology, based on a cross-sectional population analysis, offers an alternative approach to prohibitively costly prospective cohort studies. Retrospective analysis of the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) database was performed for 2008. Trauma admissions were identified by ICD-9 primary diagnosis codes 800-959, with certain exclusions. Cumulative incidence rates were calculated as the cumulative summation of incidence risks sequentially across age groups. A total of 2.2 million admissions were identified, with mean age of 63.8 y, 49.6% men, 82.8% Whites, 5.7% Blacks, 11.3% Hispanics, and 3.1% Asians. The cumulative incidence rate for patients older than age 85 y was 1119 per 10,000 people, with the majority of risk in the elderly, compared with 24,325 per 10,000 people for all-cause hospitalizations. The rates were 946 for men, 1079 for women, 999 for non-Hispanic Whites, 568 for Blacks, 577 for Hispanics, and 395 for Asians, per 10,000 population. The cumulative expected hospital charge was $6538, compared with $81,257 for all-cause hospitalizations. The cumulative lifetime risk of trauma/injury requiring hospitalization for a person living to age 85 y in California is 11.2%, accounting for 4.6% of expected lifetime hospitalizations, but accounting for 8.0% of expected lifetime hospital expenditures. Risk of trauma is significant in the elderly. The total expenditure for all trauma hospitalizations in California was $7.62 billion in 2008. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regional monitoring of temporal changes in groundwater quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broers, H.P.; Grift, B. van der

2004-01-01

Changes in agricultural practices are expected to affect groundwater quality by changing the loads of nutrients and salts in recharging groundwater, but regional monitoring networks installed to register the changes often fail to detect them and interpretation of trend analysis results is difficult.

SR-Site - sulphide content in the groundwater at Forsmark

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tullborg, E-L (Terralogica (Sweden)); Smellie, J (Conterra (Sweden)); Nilsson, A-Ch (Geosigma (Sweden)); Gimeno, M J; Auque, LF (Univ. of Zaragoza (Spain)); Bruchert, V (Stockholms Universitet (Sweden)); Molinero, J (Amphos21 (Spain))

2010-12-15

Sulphide concentrations in groundwater play a key role in the long-term reliability of the metal canisters containing the radioactive waste within a disposal facility for nuclear waste. This is because sulphide in the groundwaters circulating in the vicinity of the deposition tunnels can react with copper in the canisters causing corrosion and therefore reducing their expected lifetime; in a worst case scenario erosion of the bentonite buffer material will expose the canister more rapidly to the fracture groundwater.Sulphide in the groundwater is predominantly microbially produced and thereby controlled by the content of oxidised sulphur sources, organics (carbon sources), reductants (mainly Fe(II), DOC, H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}), and also flow and mixing of different groundwater types. In addition, achieved saturation in respect to amorphous Fe-monosulphide will control the possible maximum values and will also limit the Fe2+ and S2- values in the groundwater. The aim of this report is to assess realistic, representative and reliable sulphide groundwater concentrations at present conditions in Forsmark and also to evaluate possible changes during different climatic conditions covering the repository operation period (some tens to hundreds of years), post closure conditions (some thousand of years) and the proceeding temperate period (some tens of thousands of years) which may be extended due to enhanced greenhouse effects etc. It is expected that this period will be followed by the onset of the next glaciation during which periglacial (permafrost), glacial and postglacial conditions may succeed each other. To achieve these aims, an evaluation is performed of all the sulphide-related data reported from the Forsmark site investigations /Laaksoharju et al. 2008/ and later monitoring campaigns, all of which are stored in the Sicada database. This evaluation shows that values from the Complete Chemical Characterisation (CCC) sampling are usually lower than those measured

SR-Site - sulphide content in the groundwater at Forsmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tullborg, E-L; Smellie, J; Nilsson, A-Ch; Gimeno, M J; Auque, LF; Bruchert, V; Molinero, J

2010-12-01

Sulphide concentrations in groundwater play a key role in the long-term reliability of the metal canisters containing the radioactive waste within a disposal facility for nuclear waste. This is because sulphide in the groundwaters circulating in the vicinity of the deposition tunnels can react with copper in the canisters causing corrosion and therefore reducing their expected lifetime; in a worst case scenario erosion of the bentonite buffer material will expose the canister more rapidly to the fracture groundwater.Sulphide in the groundwater is predominantly microbially produced and thereby controlled by the content of oxidised sulphur sources, organics (carbon sources), reductants (mainly Fe(II), DOC, H 2 and CH 4 ), and also flow and mixing of different groundwater types. In addition, achieved saturation in respect to amorphous Fe-monosulphide will control the possible maximum values and will also limit the Fe 2+ and S 2- values in the groundwater. The aim of this report is to assess realistic, representative and reliable sulphide groundwater concentrations at present conditions in Forsmark and also to evaluate possible changes during different climatic conditions covering the repository operation period (some tens to hundreds of years), post closure conditions (some thousand of years) and the proceeding temperate period (some tens of thousands of years) which may be extended due to enhanced greenhouse effects etc. It is expected that this period will be followed by the onset of the next glaciation during which periglacial (permafrost), glacial and postglacial conditions may succeed each other. To achieve these aims, an evaluation is performed of all the sulphide-related data reported from the Forsmark site investigations /Laaksoharju et al. 2008/ and later monitoring campaigns, all of which are stored in the Sicada database. This evaluation shows that values from the Complete Chemical Characterisation (CCC) sampling are usually lower than those measured during

Risk-based decision analysis for the 200-BP-5 groundwater operable unit. Revision 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiaramonte, G.R.

1996-02-01

This document presents data from a risk analysis that was performed on three groundwater contaminant plumes within the 200-BP-5 Operable Unit. Hypothetical exposure scenarios were assessed based on current and future plume conditions. For current conditions, a hypothetical industrial groundwater scenarios were assumed. The industrial ingestion scenario, which is derived from HSRAM, was not used for drinking water and should not be implied by this risk analysis that the DOE is advocating use of this groundwater for direct human ingestion. Risk was calculated at each monitoring well using the observed radionuclide concentrations in groundwater from that well. The calculated values represent total radiological incremental lifetime cancer risk. Computer models were used to show the analytical flow and transport of contaminants of concern

Educational inequalities in health expectancy during the financial crisis in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Baadsgaard, Mikkel; Eriksen, Mette Lindholm; Andersen-Ranberg, Karen; Jeune, Bernard

2015-12-01

To investigate educational differentials in health expectancy among 50-year-old Danes before and during the financial crisis. Nationwide register data on mortality were combined with data from SHARE surveys in 2006/2007 and 2010/2011 to estimate disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and expected lifetime in self-rated good health by educational level. The difference in life expectancy between 50-year-old men and women with high and low educational levels increased by 0.3 and 0.8 years, respectively. The overall educational differentials in DFLE did not change much for women, whereas for men the tendency was that DFLE increased for those with high educational level and decreased for those with less education ascending the difference by almost 2 years (from 5.9 to 7.8 years), although the difference was not statistically significant. The educational disparity in expected lifetime in self-rated good health increased by 1.3 years for men and 1.2 years for women. The social inequality in DFLE for men and expected lifetime in self-rated good health for both genders increased slightly during the short period. The financial crisis did not seem to indicate a change in the persistent trend of the widening social gap.

Measurements of heavy quark and lepton lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaros, J.A.

1985-02-01

The PEP/PETRA energy range has proved to be well-suited for the study of the lifetimes of hadrons containing the b and c quarks and the tau lepton for several reasons. First, these states comprise a large fraction of the total interaction rate in e + e - annihilation and can be cleanly identified. Second, the storage rings have operated at high luminosity and so produced these exotic states copiously. And finally, thanks to the interplay of the Fermi coupling strength, the quark and lepton masses, and the beam energy, the expected decay lengths are in the 1/2 mm range and so are comparatively easy to measure. This pleasant coincidence of cleanly identified and abundant signal with potentially large effects has made possible the first measurements of two fundamental weak couplings, tau → nu/sub tau/W and b → cW. These measurements have provided a sharp test of the standard model and allowed, for the first time, the full determination of the magnitudes of the quark mixing matrix. This paper reviews the lifetime studies made at PEP during the past year. It begins with a brief review of the three detectors, DELCO, MAC and MARK II, which have reported lifetime measurements. Next it discusses two new measurements of the tau lifetime, and briefly reviews a measurement of the D 0 lifetime. Finally, it turns to measurements of the B lifetime, which are discussed in some detail. 18 references, 14 figures, 1 table

Expectancies related to thinness, dietary restriction, eating, and alcohol consumption in women with bulimia nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, Kenneth; Mansour, Sandra; Steiger, Howard

2009-04-01

To investigate behavior-outcome expectancies relating to thinness, dietary restriction, eating, and alcohol consumption in women with bulimia nervosa (BN). Women with BN (N = 29), women with BN and a co-morbid lifetime alcohol use disorder (AUD; N = 18), and control women (N = 24), completed interviews and questionnaires assessing eating- and alcohol-related symptoms, as well as questionnaires measuring expectancies relating to thinness, dietary restriction, eating, and alcohol consumption. Compared with the control group, both bulimic groups reported greater positive expectancies relating to thinness, dietary restriction and eating; expectancy endorsements were also predictive of the severity of eating-related symptoms. Compared with the other groups, the bulimic group with comorbid lifetime AUD had elevated positive alcohol-related expectancies, and alcohol expectancy endorsements predicted severity of alcohol-related symptoms. Women with BN endorsed more positive expectancies relating to thinness, dietary restriction, and eating, whereas women with BN and a lifetime comorbid AUD endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies. The results are consistent with expectancy theory in that positive expectancy endorsements were associated with symptom severity in a syndrome-specific manner. Expectancies related to thinness, dietary restriction, eating, and alcohol consumption in women with BN. (c) 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On the use of mean groundwater age, life expectancy and capture probability for defining aquifer vulnerability and time-of-travel zones for source water protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Molson, J W; Frind, E O

2012-01-01

Protection and sustainability of water supply wells requires the assessment of vulnerability to contamination and the delineation of well capture zones. Capture zones, or more generally, time-of-travel zones corresponding to specific contaminant travel times, are most commonly delineated using advective particle tracking. More recently, the capture probability approach has been used in which a probability of capture of P=1 is assigned to the well and the growth of a probability-of-capture plume is tracked backward in time using an advective-dispersive transport model. This approach accounts for uncertainty due to local-scale heterogeneities through the use of macrodispersion. In this paper, we develop an alternative approach to capture zone delineation by applying the concept of mean life expectancy E (time remaining before being captured by the well), and we show how life expectancy E is related to capture probability P. Either approach can be used to delineate time-of-travel zones corresponding to specific travel times, as well as the ultimate capture zone. The related concept of mean groundwater age A (time since recharge) can also be applied in the context of defining the vulnerability of a pumped aquifer. In the same way as capture probability, mean life expectancy and groundwater age account for local-scale uncertainty or unresolved heterogeneities through macrodispersion, which standard particle tracking neglects. The approach is tested on 2D and 3D idealized systems, as well as on several watershed-scale well fields within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Positron annihilation lifetime and photoluminescence studies on single crystalline ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, A [Department of Physics, Bangabasi Morning College, 19 Rajkumar Chakraborty Sarani, Kolkata 700 009 (India); Chakrabarti, Mahuya [Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92 Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, Kolkata 700009 (India); Ray, S K [Department of Physics and Meteorology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India); Bhowmick, D; Sanyal, D, E-mail: dirtha@vecc.gov.in [Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India)

2011-04-20

The room temperature positron annihilation lifetime for single crystalline ZnO has been measured as 164 {+-} 1 ps. The single component lifetime value is very close to but higher than the theoretically predicted value of {approx} 154 ps. Photoluminescence study (at 10 K) indicates the presence of hydrogen and other defects, mainly acceptor related, in the crystal. Defects related to a lower open volume than zinc vacancies, presumably a complex with two hydrogen atoms, are the major trapping sites in the sample. The bulk positron lifetime in ZnO is expected to be a little less than 164 ps.

Positron annihilation lifetime and photoluminescence studies on single crystalline ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, A.; Chakrabarti, Mahuya; Ray, S. K.; Bhowmick, D.; Sanyal, D.

2011-04-01

The room temperature positron annihilation lifetime for single crystalline ZnO has been measured as 164 ± 1 ps. The single component lifetime value is very close to but higher than the theoretically predicted value of ~ 154 ps. Photoluminescence study (at 10 K) indicates the presence of hydrogen and other defects, mainly acceptor related, in the crystal. Defects related to a lower open volume than zinc vacancies, presumably a complex with two hydrogen atoms, are the major trapping sites in the sample. The bulk positron lifetime in ZnO is expected to be a little less than 164 ps.

Positron annihilation lifetime and photoluminescence studies on single crystalline ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, A; Chakrabarti, Mahuya; Ray, S K; Bhowmick, D; Sanyal, D

2011-01-01

The room temperature positron annihilation lifetime for single crystalline ZnO has been measured as 164 ± 1 ps. The single component lifetime value is very close to but higher than the theoretically predicted value of ∼ 154 ps. Photoluminescence study (at 10 K) indicates the presence of hydrogen and other defects, mainly acceptor related, in the crystal. Defects related to a lower open volume than zinc vacancies, presumably a complex with two hydrogen atoms, are the major trapping sites in the sample. The bulk positron lifetime in ZnO is expected to be a little less than 164 ps.

Lifetime risk of renal replacement therapy in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van den Brand, Jan A J G; Pippias, Maria; Stel, Vianda S

2017-01-01

Background: Upcoming KDIGO guidelines for the evaluation of living kidney donors are expected to move towards a personal risk-based evaluation of potential donors. We present the age and sex-specific lifetime risk of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease in 10 European...

European-scale modelling of groundwater denitrification and associated N2O production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keuskamp, J.A.; Drecht, G. van; Bouwman, A.F.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a spatially explicit model for simulating the fate of nitrogen (N) in soil and groundwater and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) production in groundwater with a 1 km resolution at the European scale. The results show large heterogeneity of nitrate outflow from groundwater to surface water and production of N 2 O. This heterogeneity is the result of variability in agricultural and hydrological systems. Large parts of Europe have no groundwater aquifers and short travel times from soil to surface water. In these regions no groundwater denitrification and N 2 O production is expected. Predicted N leaching (16% of the N inputs) and N 2 O emissions (0.014% of N leaching) are much less than the IPCC default leaching rate and combined emission factor for groundwater and riparian zones, respectively. - Highlights: ► Groundwater denitrification and N 2 O production was modelled at the European scale. ► In large parts of Europe no groundwater denitrification is expected. ► N leaching and N 2 O emission in Europe are much less than the IPCC default values. - European groundwater denitrification is spatially variable, and associated nitrous oxide production is much less than based on the IPCC default estimate.

Decennial trends and inequalities in healthy life expectancy: The HUNT Study, Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Storeng, Siri H; Krokstad, Steinar; Westin, Steinar; Sund, Erik R

2018-02-01

Norway is experiencing a rising life expectancy combined with an increasing dependency ratio - the ratio of those outside over those within the working force. To provide data relevant for future health policy we wanted to study trends in total and healthy life expectancy in a Norwegian population over three decades (1980s, 1990s and 2000s), both overall and across gender and educational groups. Data were obtained from the HUNT Study, and the Norwegian Educational Database. We calculated total life expectancy and used the Sullivan method to calculate healthy life expectancies based on self-rated health and self-reported longstanding limiting illness. The change in health expectancies was decomposed into mortality and disability effects. During three consecutive decades we found an increase in life expectancy for 30-year-olds (~7 years) and expected lifetime in self-rated good health (~6 years), but time without longstanding limiting illness increased less (1.5 years). Women could expect to live longer than men, but the extra life years for females were spent in poor self-rated health and with longstanding limiting illness. Differences in total life expectancy between educational groups decreased, whereas differences in expected lifetime in self-rated good health and lifetime without longstanding limiting illness increased. The increase in total life expectancy was accompanied by an increasing number of years spent in good self-rated health but more years with longstanding limiting illness. This suggests increasing health care needs for people with chronic diseases, given an increasing number of elderly. Socioeconomic health inequalities remain a challenge for increasing pensioning age.

Precision measurement of the $\\Lambda_b^0$ baryon lifetime

CERN Document Server

INSPIRE-00258707; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Adrover, C; Affolder, A; Ajaltouni, Z; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Ali, S; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves Jr, A A; Amato, S; Amerio, S; Amhis, Y; Anderlini, L; Anderson, J; Andreassen, R; Andrews, J E; Appleby, R B; Aquines Gutierrez, O; Archilli, F; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Baalouch, M; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Baesso, C; Balagura, V; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Bauer, Th; Bay, A; Beddow, J; Bedeschi, F; Bediaga, I; Belogurov, S; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Benton, J; Berezhnoy, A; Bernet, R; Bettler, M -O; van Beuzekom, M; Bien, A; Bifani, S; Bird, T; Bizzeti, A; Bjørnstad, P M; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bocci, V; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Borghi, S; Borgia, A; Bowcock, T J V; Bowen, E; Bozzi, C; Brambach, T; van den Brand, J; Bressieux, J; Brett, D; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brook, N H; Brown, H; Burducea, I; Bursche, A; Busetto, G; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Callot, O; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Camboni, A; Campana, P; Campora Perez, D; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carranza-Mejia, H; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Castillo Garcia, L; Cattaneo, M; Cauet, Ch; Cenci, R; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chen, P; Chiapolini, N; Chrzaszcz, M; Ciba, K; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coca, C; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Cogneras, E; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coombes, M; Coquereau, S; Corti, G; Couturier, B; Cowan, G A; Craik, D C; Cunliffe, S; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; David, P; David, P N Y; Davis, A; De Bonis, I; De Bruyn, K; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Miranda, J M; De Paula, L; De Silva, W; De Simone, P; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Del Buono, L; Déléage, N; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Di Canto, A; Dijkstra, H; Dogaru, M; Donleavy, S; Dordei, F; Dosil Suárez, A; Dossett, D; Dovbnya, A; Dupertuis, F; Durante, P; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Dzyuba, A; Easo, S; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; van Eijk, D; Eisenhardt, S; Eitschberger, U; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; El Rifai, I; Elsasser, Ch; Falabella, A; Färber, C; Fardell, G; Farinelli, C; Farry, S; Ferguson, D; Fernandez Albor, V; Ferreira Rodrigues, F; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fiore, M; Fitzpatrick, C; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forty, R; Francisco, O; Frank, M; Frei, C; Frosini, M; Furcas, S; Furfaro, E; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; Garofoli, J; Garosi, P; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Gaspar, C; Gauld, R; Gersabeck, E; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gibson, V; Giubega, L; Gligorov, V V; Göbel, C; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gorbounov, P; Gordon, H; Grabalosa Gándara, M; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Greening, E; Gregson, S; Griffith, P; Grünberg, O; Gui, B; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Hadjivasiliou, C; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hall, S; Hamilton, B; Hampson, T; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harnew, N; Harnew, S T; Harrison, J; Hartmann, T; He, J; Head, T; Heijne, V; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Hernando Morata, J A; van Herwijnen, E; Hicheur, A; Hicks, E; Hill, D; Hoballah, M; Hombach, C; Hopchev, P; Hulsbergen, W; Hunt, P; Huse, T; Hussain, N; Hutchcroft, D; Hynds, D; Iakovenko, V; Idzik, M; Ilten, P; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jans, E; Jaton, P; Jawahery, A; Jing, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Joram, C; Jost, B; Kaballo, M; Kandybei, S; Kanso, W; Karacson, M; Karbach, T M; Kenyon, I R; Ketel, T; Keune, A; Khanji, B; Kochebina, O; Komarov, I; Koopman, R F; Koppenburg, P; Korolev, M; Kozlinskiy, A; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krocker, G; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Kucharczyk, M; Kudryavtsev, V; Kvaratskheliya, T; La Thi, V N; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lambert, D; Lambert, R W; Lanciotti, E; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Lees, J -P; Lefèvre, R; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Leo, S; Leroy, O; Lesiak, T; Leverington, B; Li, Y; Li Gioi, L; Liles, M; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Liu, B; Liu, G; Lohn, S; Longstaff, I; Lopes, J H; Lopez-March, N; Lu, H; Lucchesi, D; Luisier, J; Luo, H; Machefert, F; Machikhiliyan, I V; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Malde, S; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Maratas, J; Marconi, U; Marino, P; Märki, R; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martens, A; Martín Sánchez, A; Martinelli, M; Martinez Santos, D; Martins Tostes, D; Massafferri, A; Matev, R; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Maurice, E; Mazurov, A; Mc Skelly, B; McCarthy, J; McNab, A; McNulty, R; Meadows, B; Meier, F; Meissner, M; Merk, M; Milanes, D A; Minard, M -N; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monteil, S; Moran, D; Morawski, P; Mordà, A; Morello, M J; Mountain, R; Mous, I; Muheim, F; Müller, K; Muresan, R; Muryn, B; Muster, B; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nasteva, I; Needham, M; Neubert, S; Neufeld, N; Nguyen, A D; Nguyen, T D; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nicol, M; Niess, V; Niet, R; Nikitin, N; Nikodem, T; Nomerotski, A; Novoselov, A; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Oggero, S; Ogilvy, S; Okhrimenko, O; Oldeman, R; Orlandea, M; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Owen, P; Oyanguren, A; Pal, B K; Palano, A; Palczewski, T; Palutan, M; Panman, J; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Parkes, C; Parkinson, C J; Passaleva, G; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Patrick, G N; Patrignani, C; Pavel-Nicorescu, C; Pazos Alvarez, A; Pellegrino, A; Penso, G; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perez Trigo, E; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A; Perret, P; Perrin-Terrin, M; Pescatore, L; Pesen, E; Pessina, G; Petridis, K; Petrolini, A; Phan, A; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pietrzyk, B; Pilař, T; Pinci, D; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Polci, F; Polok, G; Poluektov, A; Polycarpo, E; Popov, A; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Potterat, C; Powell, A; Prisciandaro, J; Pritchard, A; Prouve, C; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Punzi, G; Qian, W; Rademacker, J H; Rakotomiaramanana, B; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Rauschmayr, N; Raven, G; Redford, S; Reid, M M; dos Reis, A C; Ricciardi, S; Richards, A; Rinnert, K; Rives Molina, V; Roa Romero, D A; Robbe, P; Roberts, D A; Rodrigues, E; Rodriguez Perez, P; Roiser, S; Romanovsky, V; Romero Vidal, A; Rouvinet, J; Ruf, T; Ruffini, F; Ruiz, H; Ruiz Valls, P; Sabatino, G; Saborido Silva, J J; Sagidova, N; Sail, P; Saitta, B; Salustino Guimaraes, V; Sanmartin Sedes, B; Sannino, M; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santovetti, E; Sapunov, M; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Savrie, M; Savrina, D; Schaack, P; Schiller, M; Schindler, H; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schune, M -H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Seco, M; Semennikov, A; Senderowska, K; Sepp, I; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shatalov, P; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, O; Shevchenko, V; Shires, A; Silva Coutinho, R; Sirendi, M; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, N A; Smith, E; Smith, J; Smith, M; Sokoloff, M D; Soler, F J P; Soomro, F; Souza, D; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Sparkes, A; Spradlin, P; Stagni, F; Stahl, S; Steinkamp, O; Stevenson, S; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Subbiah, V K; Sun, L; Swientek, S; Syropoulos, V; Szczekowski, M; Szczypka, P; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Teklishyn, M; Teodorescu, E; Teubert, F; Thomas, C; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Tolk, S; Tonelli, D; Topp-Joergensen, S; Torr, N; Tournefier, E; Tourneur, S; Tran, M T; Tresch, M; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tsopelas, P; Tuning, N; Ubeda Garcia, M; Ukleja, A; Urner, D; Ustyuzhanin, A; Uwer, U; Vagnoni, V; Valenti, G; Vallier, A; Van Dijk, M; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vázquez Sierra, C; Vecchi, S; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Veneziano, G; Vesterinen, M; Viaud, B; Vieira, D; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Vollhardt, A; Volyanskyy, D; Voong, D; Vorobyev, A; Vorobyev, V; Voß, C; Voss, H; Waldi, R; Wallace, C; Wallace, R; Wandernoth, S; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Watson, N K; Webber, A D; Websdale, D; Whitehead, M; Wicht, J; Wiechczynski, J; Wiedner, D; Wiggers, L; Wilkinson, G; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Wilson, F F; Wimberley, J; Wishahi, J; Wislicki, W; Witek, M; Wotton, S A; Wright, S; Wu, S; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, Z; Yang, Z; Young, R; Yuan, X; Yushchenko, O; Zangoli, M; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, F; Zhang, L; Zhang, W C; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zhokhov, A; Zhong, L; Zvyagin, A

2013-01-01

The ratio of the $\\Lambda_b^0$ baryon lifetime to that of the $\\overline{B}^0$ meson is measured using 1.0 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity in 7 TeV center-of-mass energy $pp$ collisions at the LHC. The $\\Lambda_b^0$ baryon is observed for the first time in the decay mode $\\Lambda_b^0 \\to J/\\psi p K^-$, while the $\\overline{B}^0$ meson decay used is the well known $\\overline{B}^0 \\to J/\\psi \\pi^+ K^-$ mode, where the $\\pi^+K^-$ mass is consistent with that of the $\\bar{K}^{*0}(892)$ meson. The ratio of lifetimes is measured to be $0.976\\pm0.012\\pm0.006$, in agreement with theoretical expectations based on the heavy quark expansion. Using previous determinations of the $\\overline{B}^0$ meson lifetime, the $\\Lambda_b^0$ lifetime is found to be $1.482 \\pm 0.018 \\pm 0.012$ ps. In both cases the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.

Precision measurement of the Λb(0) baryon lifetime.

Science.gov (United States)

Aaij, R; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Adrover, C; Affolder, A; Ajaltouni, Z; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Ali, S; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves, A A; Amato, S; Amerio, S; Amhis, Y; Anderlini, L; Anderson, J; Andreassen, R; Andrews, J E; Appleby, R B; Aquines Gutierrez, O; Archilli, F; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Baalouch, M; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Baesso, C; Balagura, V; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Bauer, Th; Bay, A; Beddow, J; Bedeschi, F; Bediaga, I; Belogurov, S; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Benton, J; Berezhnoy, A; Bernet, R; Bettler, M-O; van Beuzekom, M; Bien, A; Bifani, S; Bird, T; Bizzeti, A; Bjørnstad, P M; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bocci, V; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Borghi, S; Borgia, A; Bowcock, T J V; Bowen, E; Bozzi, C; Brambach, T; van den Brand, J; Bressieux, J; Brett, D; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brook, N H; Brown, H; Burducea, I; Bursche, A; Busetto, G; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Callot, O; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Camboni, A; Campana, P; Campora Perez, D; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carranza-Mejia, H; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Castillo Garcia, L; Cattaneo, M; Cauet, Ch; Cenci, R; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chen, P; Chiapolini, N; Chrzaszcz, M; Ciba, K; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coca, C; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Cogneras, E; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coombes, M; Coquereau, S; Corti, G; Couturier, B; Cowan, G A; Craik, D C; Cunliffe, S; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; David, P; David, P N Y; Davis, A; De Bonis, I; De Bruyn, K; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Miranda, J M; De Paula, L; De Silva, W; De Simone, P; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Del Buono, L; Déléage, N; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Di Canto, A; Dijkstra, H; Dogaru, M; Donleavy, S; Dordei, F; Dosil Suárez, A; Dossett, D; Dovbnya, A; Dupertuis, F; Durante, P; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Dzyuba, A; Easo, S; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; van Eijk, D; Eisenhardt, S; Eitschberger, U; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; El Rifai, I; Elsasser, Ch; Falabella, A; Färber, C; Fardell, G; Farinelli, C; Farry, S; Ferguson, D; Fernandez Albor, V; Ferreira Rodrigues, F; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fiore, M; Fitzpatrick, C; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forty, R; Francisco, O; Frank, M; Frei, C; Frosini, M; Furcas, S; Furfaro, E; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; Garofoli, J; Garosi, P; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Gaspar, C; Gauld, R; Gersabeck, E; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gibson, V; Giubega, L; Gligorov, V V; Göbel, C; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gorbounov, P; Gordon, H; Grabalosa Gándara, M; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Greening, E; Gregson, S; Griffith, P; Grünberg, O; Gui, B; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Hadjivasiliou, C; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hall, S; Hamilton, B; Hampson, T; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harnew, N; Harnew, S T; Harrison, J; Hartmann, T; He, J; Head, T; Heijne, V; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Hernando Morata, J A; van Herwijnen, E; Hicheur, A; Hicks, E; Hill, D; Hoballah, M; Hombach, C; Hopchev, P; Hulsbergen, W; Hunt, P; Huse, T; Hussain, N; Hutchcroft, D; Hynds, D; Iakovenko, V; Idzik, M; Ilten, P; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jans, E; Jaton, P; Jawahery, A; Jing, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Joram, C; Jost, B; Kaballo, M; Kandybei, S; Kanso, W; Karacson, M; Karbach, T M; Kenyon, I R; Ketel, T; Keune, A; Khanji, B; Kochebina, O; Komarov, I; Koopman, R F; Koppenburg, P; Korolev, M; Kozlinskiy, A; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krocker, G; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Kucharczyk, M; Kudryavtsev, V; Kvaratskheliya, T; La Thi, V N; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lambert, D; Lambert, R W; Lanciotti, E; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Lees, J-P; Lefèvre, R; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Leo, S; Leroy, O; Lesiak, T; Leverington, B; Li, Y; Li Gioi, L; Liles, M; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Liu, B; Liu, G; Lohn, S; Longstaff, I; Lopes, J H; Lopez-March, N; Lu, H; Lucchesi, D; Luisier, J; Luo, H; Machefert, F; Machikhiliyan, I V; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Malde, S; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Maratas, J; Marconi, U; Marino, P; Märki, R; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martens, A; Martín Sánchez, A; Martinelli, M; Martinez Santos, D; Martins Tostes, D; Massafferri, A; Matev, R; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Maurice, E; Mazurov, A; Mc Skelly, B; McCarthy, J; McNab, A; McNulty, R; Meadows, B; Meier, F; Meissner, M; Merk, M; Milanes, D A; Minard, M-N; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monteil, S; Moran, D; Morawski, P; Mordà, A; Morello, M J; Mountain, R; Mous, I; Muheim, F; Müller, K; Muresan, R; Muryn, B; Muster, B; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nasteva, I; Needham, M; Neubert, S; Neufeld, N; Nguyen, A D; Nguyen, T D; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nicol, M; Niess, V; Niet, R; Nikitin, N; Nikodem, T; Nomerotski, A; Novoselov, A; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Oggero, S; Ogilvy, S; Okhrimenko, O; Oldeman, R; Orlandea, M; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Owen, P; Oyanguren, A; Pal, B K; Palano, A; Palczewski, T; Palutan, M; Panman, J; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Parkes, C; Parkinson, C J; Passaleva, G; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Patrick, G N; Patrignani, C; Pavel-Nicorescu, C; Pazos Alvarez, A; Pellegrino, A; Penso, G; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perez Trigo, E; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A; Perret, P; Perrin-Terrin, M; Pescatore, L; Pesen, E; Pessina, G; Petridis, K; Petrolini, A; Phan, A; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pietrzyk, B; Pilař, T; Pinci, D; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Polci, F; Polok, G; Poluektov, A; Polycarpo, E; Popov, A; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Potterat, C; Powell, A; Prisciandaro, J; Pritchard, A; Prouve, C; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Punzi, G; Qian, W; Rademacker, J H; Rakotomiaramanana, B; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Rauschmayr, N; Raven, G; Redford, S; Reid, M M; dos Reis, A C; Ricciardi, S; Richards, A; Rinnert, K; Rives Molina, V; Roa Romero, D A; Robbe, P; Roberts, D A; Rodrigues, E; Rodriguez Perez, P; Roiser, S; Romanovsky, V; Romero Vidal, A; Rouvinet, J; Ruf, T; Ruffini, F; Ruiz, H; Ruiz Valls, P; Sabatino, G; Saborido Silva, J J; Sagidova, N; Sail, P; Saitta, B; Salustino Guimaraes, V; Sanmartin Sedes, B; Sannino, M; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santovetti, E; Sapunov, M; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Savrie, M; Savrina, D; Schaack, P; Schiller, M; Schindler, H; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schune, M-H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Seco, M; Semennikov, A; Senderowska, K; Sepp, I; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shatalov, P; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, O; Shevchenko, V; Shires, A; Silva Coutinho, R; Sirendi, M; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, N A; Smith, E; Smith, J; Smith, M; Sokoloff, M D; Soler, F J P; Soomro, F; Souza, D; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Sparkes, A; Spradlin, P; Stagni, F; Stahl, S; Steinkamp, O; Stevenson, S; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Subbiah, V K; Sun, L; Swientek, S; Syropoulos, V; Szczekowski, M; Szczypka, P; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Teklishyn, M; Teodorescu, E; Teubert, F; Thomas, C; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Tolk, S; Tonelli, D; Topp-Joergensen, S; Torr, N; Tournefier, E; Tourneur, S; Tran, M T; Tresch, M; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tsopelas, P; Tuning, N; Ubeda Garcia, M; Ukleja, A; Urner, D; Ustyuzhanin, A; Uwer, U; Vagnoni, V; Valenti, G; Vallier, A; Van Dijk, M; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vázquez Sierra, C; Vecchi, S; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Veneziano, G; Vesterinen, M; Viaud, B; Vieira, D; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Vollhardt, A; Volyanskyy, D; Voong, D; Vorobyev, A; Vorobyev, V; Voß, C; Voss, H; Waldi, R; Wallace, C; Wallace, R; Wandernoth, S; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Watson, N K; Webber, A D; Websdale, D; Whitehead, M; Wicht, J; Wiechczynski, J; Wiedner, D; Wiggers, L; Wilkinson, G; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Wilson, F F; Wimberley, J; Wishahi, J; Wislicki, W; Witek, M; Wotton, S A; Wright, S; Wu, S; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, Z; Yang, Z; Young, R; Yuan, X; Yushchenko, O; Zangoli, M; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, F; Zhang, L; Zhang, W C; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zhokhov, A; Zhong, L; Zvyagin, A

2013-09-06

The ratio of the Λb(0) baryon lifetime to that of the B(0) meson is measured using 1.0  fb(-1) of integrated luminosity in 7 TeV center-of-mass energy pp collisions at the LHC. The Λb(0) baryon is observed for the first time in the decay mode Λb(0)→J/ψpK-, while the B(0) meson decay used is the well known B(0)→J/ψπ+ K- mode, where the π+ K- mass is consistent with that of the K(*0)(892) meson. The ratio of lifetimes is measured to be 0.976±0.012±0.006, in agreement with theoretical expectations based on the heavy quark expansion. Using previous determinations of the B(0) meson lifetime, the Λb(0) lifetime is found to be 1.482±0.018±0.012  ps. In both cases, the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.

Corrosion life-time assessment of carbon steel and stainless alloys for geological disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosaki, Akio; Komada, Hiroya

1993-01-01

The disposal facility for radioactive wastes requires long-term integrity. Metal is being considered for use as the engineered barrier which constructs the outer walls in such a facility, in order to prevent groundwater percolation. Thus, the most important problem for the integrity of the engineered barrier is corrosion by groundwater. There are two ways for using metal as an engineered barrier; one is as a structural material; and the other is as the inner-lining material of a concrete wall. This report discusses the corrosion lifetime assessment of carbon steel used as a structural and lining material, and stainless alloys, Type 304 steel and Titanium alloys used as lining materials. Corrosion potential and crevice corrosion are measured in the environment of neutral and alkalized water

Predicting arsenic concentrations in groundwater of San Luis Valley, Colorado: implications for individual-level lifetime exposure assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Katherine A; Meliker, Jaymie R; Buttenfield, Barbara E; Byers, Tim; Zerbe, Gary O; Hokanson, John E; Marshall, Julie A

2014-08-01

Consumption of inorganic arsenic in drinking water at high levels has been associated with chronic diseases. Risk is less clear at lower levels of arsenic, in part due to difficulties in estimating exposure. Herein we characterize spatial and temporal variability of arsenic concentrations and develop models for predicting aquifer arsenic concentrations in the San Luis Valley, Colorado, an area of moderately elevated arsenic in groundwater. This study included historical water samples with total arsenic concentrations from 595 unique well locations. A longitudinal analysis established temporal stability in arsenic levels in individual wells. The mean arsenic levels for a random sample of 535 wells were incorporated into five kriging models to predict groundwater arsenic concentrations at any point in time. A separate validation dataset (n = 60 wells) was used to identify the model with strongest predictability. Findings indicate that arsenic concentrations are temporally stable (r = 0.88; 95 % CI 0.83-0.92 for samples collected from the same well 15-25 years apart) and the spatial model created using ordinary kriging best predicted arsenic concentrations (ρ = 0.72 between predicted and observed validation data). These findings illustrate the value of geostatistical modeling of arsenic and suggest the San Luis Valley is a good region for conducting epidemiologic studies of groundwater metals because of the ability to accurately predict variation in groundwater arsenic concentrations.

Copper corrosion under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, F.; Ahonen, L.; Taxen, C.; Vuorinen, U.; Werme, L.

2001-12-01

Copper has been the corrosion barrier of choice for the canister in the Swedish and Finnish, nuclear waste disposal programmes for over 20 years. During that time many studies have been carried out on the corrosion behaviour of copper under conditions likely to exist in an underground nuclear disposal repository located in he Fenno-Scandian bedrock. This review is a summary of what has been learnt about the long- term behaviour of the corrosion barrier during this period and what the implications of this knowledge are for the predicted service life of the canisters. The review is based on the existing knowledge from various nuclear waste management programs around the world and from the open literature.Various areas are considered: the expected evolution of the geochemical conditions in the groundwater and of the repository environment, the thermodynamics of copper corrosion, corrosion before and during saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer by groundwater, general and localized corrosion following saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer, stress corrosion cracking, radiation effects, the implications of corrosion on the service life of the canister, and areas for further study. Much has been learnt about the long-term corrosion behaviour of copper canisters over the past 20 years. The majority of the information reviewed here is drawn from the Swedish/Finnish and Canadian programmes. Despite differences in scientific approach, and canister and repository design, the results of these two programmes both suggest that copper provides an excellent corrosion barrier in an underground repository. The conclusion drawn from this review is that the original prediction made in 1978 of canister lifetimes exceeding 100,000 years remains valid

Copper corrosion under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, F. [Integrity Corrosion Consulting Ltd, Calgary, Alberta (Canada); Ahonen, L. [Geological Survey of Finland, Espoo (Finland); Taxen, C. [Swedish Corrosion Inst., Stockholm (Sweden); Vuorinen, U. [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland); Werme, L. [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden)

2001-12-01

Copper has been the corrosion barrier of choice for the canister in the Swedish and Finnish, nuclear waste disposal programmes for over 20 years. During that time many studies have been carried out on the corrosion behaviour of copper under conditions likely to exist in an underground nuclear disposal repository located in he Fenno-Scandian bedrock. This review is a summary of what has been learnt about the long- term behaviour of the corrosion barrier during this period and what the implications of this knowledge are for the predicted service life of the canisters. The review is based on the existing knowledge from various nuclear waste management programs around the world and from the open literature.Various areas are considered: the expected evolution of the geochemical conditions in the groundwater and of the repository environment, the thermodynamics of copper corrosion, corrosion before and during saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer by groundwater, general and localized corrosion following saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer, stress corrosion cracking, radiation effects, the implications of corrosion on the service life of the canister, and areas for further study. Much has been learnt about the long-term corrosion behaviour of copper canisters over the past 20 years. The majority of the information reviewed here is drawn from the Swedish/Finnish and Canadian programmes. Despite differences in scientific approach, and canister and repository design, the results of these two programmes both suggest that copper provides an excellent corrosion barrier in an underground repository. The conclusion drawn from this review is that the original prediction made in 1978 of canister lifetimes exceeding 100,000 years remains valid.

Copper corrosion under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, F.; Ahonen, L.; Taxen, C.; Vuorinen, U.; Werme, L

2002-01-01

Copper has been the corrosion barrier of choice for the canister in the Swedish and Finnish, nuclear waste disposal programmes for over 20 years. During that time many studies have been carried out on the corrosion behaviour of copper under conditions likely to exist in an underground nuclear disposal repository located in the Fenno-Scandian bedrock. This review is a summary of what has been learnt about the long-term behaviour of the corrosion barrier during this period and what the implications of this knowledge are for the predicted service life of the canisters. The review is based on the existing knowledge from various nuclear waste management programs around the world and from the open literature. Various areas are considered: the expected evolution of the geochemical conditions in the groundwater and of the repository environment, the thermodynamics of copper corrosion, corrosion before and during saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer by groundwater, general and localized corrosion following saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer, stress corrosion cracking, radiation effects, the implications of corrosion on the service life of the canister, and areas for further study. Much has been learnt about the long-term corrosion behaviour of copper canisters over the past 20 years. The majority of the information reviewed here is drawn from the Swedish/Finnish and Canadian programmes. Despite differences in scientific approach, and canister and repository design, the results of these two programmes both suggest that copper provides an excellent corrosion barrier in an underground repository. The conclusion drawn from this review is that the original prediction made in 1978 of canister lifetimes exceeding 100,000 years remains valid. (orig.)

Improvement in health expectancy at ages 50 and 65 in Denmark during the period 2004-2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeune, Bernard; Eriksen, Mette Lindholm; Andersen-Ranberg, Karen

2015-01-01

was even longer in both genders and it increased by 1.5-4.0 years depending on age, gender and health indicator. Consequently, expected lifetime in an unhealthy state decreased and the proportions of lifetime in a healthy state increased. The disability effect of the health gain was stronger than......-2011. METHODS: The study was based on nationwide register data on mortality and data on health status from the SHARE surveys carried out in 2004/2005, 2006/2007 and 2010/2011. Expected lifetime in various health states was estimated by Sullivan's method. Changes from 2004 to 2011 were decomposed...... into contributions from changes in mortality and prevalence of activity limitations. RESULTS: During the period 2004-2011 LE increased by about 1 year at both age 50 and age 65. However, the increase in expected lifetime in self-rated good health, without long-term health problems and without activity limitations...

Lifetime of superheated steam components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoklossa, K.H.; Oude-Hengel, H.H.; Kraechter, H.J.

1974-01-01

The current evaluation schemes in use for judging the lifetime expectations of superheated steam components are compared with each other. The influence of pressure and temperature fluctuations, the differences in the strength of the wall, and the spread band of constant-strainrates are critically investigated. The distribution of these contributory effects are demonstrated in the hight of numerous measuring results. As an important supplement to these evaluation schemes a newly developed technique is introduced which is designed to calculate failure probabilities. (orig./RW) [de

Heterogeneus Inflation Expectations Learning and Market Outcomes

OpenAIRE

Carlos Madeira; Basit Zafar

2012-01-01

Using the panel component of the Michigan Survey of Consumers we estimate a learning model of inflation expectations, allowing for heterogeneous use of both private information and lifetime inflation experience. We find that women, ethnic minorities, and less educated agents have a higher degree of heterogeneity in their private information, and are slower to update their expectations. During the 2000s, consumers believe inflation to be more persistent in the short term, but temporary fluctua...

Effect of emplaced nZVI mass and groundwater velocity on PCE dechlorination and hydrogen evolution in water-saturated sand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hye-Jin; Leitch, Megan; Naknakorn, Bhanuphong; Tilton, Robert D.; Lowry, Gregory V.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Reactivity of nZVI increased linearly with nZVI concentration above 10 g/L, but was non-linear below 10 g/L. • nZVI reactivity with PCE is more sensitive to solution redox potential than solution pH. • Mass transfer limits the reactivity of emplaced nZVI under typical groundwater flow velocity. • Lowering pH increases H_2 evolution from nZVI more than reactivity with PCE. • Design of nZVI remediation strategies should consider mass loading and flow velocity on performance and lifetime. - Abstract: The effect of nZVI mass loading and groundwater velocity on the tetrachloroethylene (PCE) dechlorination rate and the hydrogen evolution rate for poly(maleic acid-co-olefin) (MW = 12 K) coated nZVI was examined. In batch reactors, the PCE reaction rate constant (3.7 × 10"−"4 L hr"−"1 m"−"2) and hydrogen evolution rate constant (1.4 nanomol L hr"−"1 m"−"2) were independent of nZVI concentration above 10 g/L, but the PCE dechlorination rate decreased and the hydrogen evolution rate increased for nZVI concentration below 10 g/L. The nonlinearity between nZVI mass loading and PCE dechlorination and H_2 evolution was explained by differences in pH and E_h at each nZVI mass loading; PCE reactivity increased when solution E_h decreased, and the H_2 evolution rate increased with decreasing pH. Thus, nZVI mass loading of <5 g/L yields lower reactivity with PCE and lower efficiency of Fe° utilization than for higher nZVI mass loading. The PCE dechlorination rate increased with increasing pore-water velocity, suggesting that mass transfer limits the reaction at low porewater velocity. Overall, this work suggests that design of nZVI-based reactive barriers for groundwater treatment should consider the non-linear effects of both mass loading and flow velocity on performance and expected reactive lifetime.

Effect of emplaced nZVI mass and groundwater velocity on PCE dechlorination and hydrogen evolution in water-saturated sand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hye-Jin [Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Chemical Research Division, Environmental Health Research Department, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 404-708 (Korea, Republic of); Leitch, Megan [Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Naknakorn, Bhanuphong [Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Tilton, Robert D. [Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Lowry, Gregory V., E-mail: glowry@cmu.edu [Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States); Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 (United States)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • Reactivity of nZVI increased linearly with nZVI concentration above 10 g/L, but was non-linear below 10 g/L. • nZVI reactivity with PCE is more sensitive to solution redox potential than solution pH. • Mass transfer limits the reactivity of emplaced nZVI under typical groundwater flow velocity. • Lowering pH increases H{sub 2} evolution from nZVI more than reactivity with PCE. • Design of nZVI remediation strategies should consider mass loading and flow velocity on performance and lifetime. - Abstract: The effect of nZVI mass loading and groundwater velocity on the tetrachloroethylene (PCE) dechlorination rate and the hydrogen evolution rate for poly(maleic acid-co-olefin) (MW = 12 K) coated nZVI was examined. In batch reactors, the PCE reaction rate constant (3.7 × 10{sup −4} L hr{sup −1} m{sup −2}) and hydrogen evolution rate constant (1.4 nanomol L hr{sup −1} m{sup −2}) were independent of nZVI concentration above 10 g/L, but the PCE dechlorination rate decreased and the hydrogen evolution rate increased for nZVI concentration below 10 g/L. The nonlinearity between nZVI mass loading and PCE dechlorination and H{sub 2} evolution was explained by differences in pH and E{sub h} at each nZVI mass loading; PCE reactivity increased when solution E{sub h} decreased, and the H{sub 2} evolution rate increased with decreasing pH. Thus, nZVI mass loading of <5 g/L yields lower reactivity with PCE and lower efficiency of Fe° utilization than for higher nZVI mass loading. The PCE dechlorination rate increased with increasing pore-water velocity, suggesting that mass transfer limits the reaction at low porewater velocity. Overall, this work suggests that design of nZVI-based reactive barriers for groundwater treatment should consider the non-linear effects of both mass loading and flow velocity on performance and expected reactive lifetime.

Persistent social inequality in life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Eriksen, Mette Lindholm; Andersen-Ranberg, Karen

2017-01-01

AIMS: The state old-age pension in Denmark increases to keep pace with the projected increase in average life expectancy (LE) without any regard to the social gap in LE and expected lifetime in good health. The purpose of this study was to compare changes in LE and disability-free life expectancy...... (DFLE) between groups of Danes with high, medium and low levels of education. METHODS: Nationwide register data on education and mortality were combined with data from the Surveys of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) surveys in 2006-2007, 2010-2011 and 2013-2014 and the DFLE by educational...... level was estimated by Sullivan's method for each of these three time points. RESULTS: Between 2006-2007 and 2013-2014, LE among 65-year-old men and women with a low educational level increased by 1.3 and 1.0 years, respectively, and by 1.4 and 1.3 years for highly educated men and women. The gap in LE...

Shallow bedrock limits groundwater seepage-based headwater climate refugia

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, Martin A.; Lane, John W.; Snyder, Craig D.; White, Eric A.; Johnson, Zachary; Nelms, David L.; Hitt, Nathaniel P.

2018-01-01

Groundwater/surface-water exchanges in streams are inexorably linked to adjacent aquifer dynamics. As surface-water temperatures continue to increase with climate warming, refugia created by groundwater connectivity is expected to enable cold water fish species to survive. The shallow alluvial aquifers that source groundwater seepage to headwater streams, however, may also be sensitive to seasonal and long-term air temperature dynamics. Depth to bedrock can directly influence shallow aquifer flow and thermal sensitivity, but is typically ill-defined along the stream corridor in steep mountain catchments. We employ rapid, cost-effective passive seismic measurements to evaluate the variable thickness of the shallow colluvial and alluvial aquifer sediments along a headwater stream supporting cold water-dependent brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in Shenandoah National Park, VA, USA. Using a mean depth to bedrock of 2.6 m, numerical models predicted strong sensitivity of shallow aquifer temperature to the downward propagation of surface heat. The annual temperature dynamics (annual signal amplitude attenuation and phase shift) of potential seepage sourced from the shallow modeled aquifer were compared to several years of paired observed stream and air temperature records. Annual stream water temperature patterns were found to lag local air temperature by ∼8–19 d along the stream corridor, indicating that thermal exchange between the stream and shallow groundwater is spatially variable. Locations with greater annual signal phase lag were also associated with locally increased amplitude attenuation, further suggestion of year-round buffering of channel water temperature by groundwater seepage. Numerical models of shallow groundwater temperature that incorporate regional expected climate warming trends indicate that the summer cooling capacity of this groundwater seepage will be reduced over time, and lower-elevation stream sections may no longer serve as larger

Loss of life expectancy derived from a standardized mortality ratio in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Skriver, Mette Vinther; Væth, Michael; Støvring, Henrik

2018-01-01

The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) is a widely used measure. A recent methodological study provided an accurate approximate relationship between an SMR and difference in lifetime expectancies. This study examines the usefulness of the theoretical relationship, when comparing historic mortality data in four Scandinavian populations. For Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, data on mortality every fifth year in the period 1950 to 2010 were obtained. Using 1980 as the reference year, SMRs and difference in life expectancy were calculated. The assumptions behind the theoretical relationship were examined graphically. The theoretical relationship predicts a linear association with a slope, [Formula: see text], between log(SMR) and difference in life expectancies, and the theoretical prediction and calculated differences in lifetime expectancies were compared. We examined the linear association both for life expectancy at birth and at age 30. All analyses were done for females, males and the total population. The approximate relationship provided accurate predictions of actual differences in lifetime expectancies. The accuracy of the predictions was better when age was restricted to above 30, and improved if the changes in mortality rate were close to a proportional change. Slopes of the linear relationship were generally around 9 for females and 10 for males. The theoretically derived relationship between SMR and difference in life expectancies provides an accurate prediction for comparing populations with approximately proportional differences in mortality, and was relatively robust. The relationship may provide a useful prediction of differences in lifetime expectancies, which can be more readily communicated and understood.

Nuclear lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caraca, J.M.G.

1976-01-01

The importance of the results obtained in experiments of measurement of lifetimes for a detailed knowledge of nuclear structure is referred. Direct methods of measurement of nuclear lifetimes are described, namely, electronic methods, recoil-distance method, doppler shift atenuation method and blocking-method. A brief reference is made to indirect methods for measurement of life-times

Lifetime Estimation of Electrolytic Capacitors in Fuel Cell Power Converter at Various Confidence Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Dao; Wang, Huai; Blaabjerg, Frede

2016-01-01

DC capacitors in power electronic converters are a major constraint on improvement of the power density and the reliability. In this paper, according to the degradation data of tested capacitors, the lifetime model of the component is analyzed at various confidence levels. Then, the mission profile...... based lifetime expectancy of the individual capacitor and the capacitor bank is estimated in a fuel cell backup power converter operating in both standby mode and operation mode. The lifetime prediction of the capacitor banks at different confidence levels is also obtained....

Groundwater movements around a repository. Phase 1, State of the art and detailed study plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindblom, U.

1977-02-01

The report was prepared as the first phase of a study of the groundwater movements around a repository for spent nuclear fuel in the precambrian bedrock of Sweden. The objectives of these studies are to provide a state of the art review of groundwater slow in the region of a repository in granitic rock, in order to provide a basis for long term containment assessments and to prepare a detailed study plan for the continuation of the project. The different processes affecting the groundwater situation for containment are given. A state of the art review of the fluid flow, geochemical, heat transfer and rock mechanics processes as they relate to containment is presented. A detailed study plan to provide a comprehensive assessment of the hydrogeological regime around the repository during its lifetime is also presented. The groundwater flow fields will provide a basis for subsequent long term containment studies. (L.B.)

Edible Oil Barriers for Treatment of Chlorinated Solvent and Perchlorate-Contaminated Groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-01

The groundwater potentiometric surface beneath SWMU 17 is relatively flat with some tidal influence resulting in fluctuating groundwater flow...after its application, the pH within most of the aquifer would be expected to vary between background (~5) and 9. A titration experiment determined

Gated Detection Measurements of Phosphorescence Lifetimes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yordan Kostov

2004-10-01

Full Text Available A low-cost, gated system for measurements of phosphorescence lifetimes is presented. An extensive description of the system operating principles and metrological characteristics is given. Remarkably, the system operates without optical filtering of the LED excitation source. A description of a practical system is also given and its performance is discussed. Because the device effectively suppresses high-level background fluorescence and scattered light, it is expected to find wide-spread application in bioprocess, environmental and biomedical fields.

Evaluation of Fibre Lifetime in Optical Ground Wire Transmission Lines

Science.gov (United States)

Grunvalds, R.; Ciekurs, A.; Porins, J.; Supe, A.

2017-06-01

In the research, measurements of polarisation mode dispersion of two OPGWs (optical ground wire transmission lines), in total four fibres, have been carried out, and the expected lifetime of the infrastructure has been assessed on the basis of these measurements. The cables under consideration were installed in 1995 and 2011, respectively. Measurements have shown that polarisation mode dispersion values for cable installed in 1995 are four times higher than that for cable installed in 2011, which could mainly be explained by technological differences in fibre production and lower fibre polarisation mode dispersion requirements in 1995 due to lack of high-speed (over 10 Gbit/s) optical transmission systems. The calculation methodology of non-refusal work and refusal probabilities, using the measured polarisation mode dispersion parameters, is proposed in the paper. Based on reliability calculations, the expected lifetime is then predicted, showing that all measured fibres most likely will be operational within minimum theoretical service life of 25 years accepted by the industry.

SR-Site - sulphide content in the groundwater at Laxemar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tullborg, E-L (Terralogica, Graabo (Sweden)); Smellie, J. (Conterra, Uppsala (Sweden)); Nilsson, A-Ch (Geosigma, Uppsala (Sweden)); Gimeno, M.J.; Auque, L.F. (Univ. of Zaragoza (Spain)); Wallin, B. (Geokema, Lidingoe (Sweden)); Bruechert, V. (Stockholm Univ. (Sweden)); Molinero, J. (Amphos21, Barcelona (Spain))

2010-12-15

Sulphide concentrations in groundwater play a key role in the long term reliability of the metal canisters containing the radioactive waste within a disposal facility for nuclear waste. This is because sulphide in the groundwaters circulating in the vicinity of the deposition tunnels can react with copper in the canisters causing corrosion and therefore reducing their expected lifetime; in a worst case scenario erosion of the bentonite buffer material will expose the canister more rapidly to the fracture groundwater. Sulphide in the groundwater is predominantly microbially produced and thereby controlled by the content of oxidised sulphur sources, organics (carbon sources), reductants (mainly Fe(II), DOC, H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}), and also flow. In addition, achieved saturation in respect to amorphous Fe-monosulphide will control the possible maximum values and thus limit the Fe2+ and S2- values in the groundwater. The aim of this report is to assess realistic, representative and reliable sulphide groundwater concentrations at present conditions in Laxemar to be considered for use in (future) safety assessments. To achieve this, an evaluation is performed of all the sulphide related data reported from the Laxemar site investigations /Laaksoharju et al. 2009/ and later monitoring campaigns, all of which are stored in the Sicada database. This evaluation shows that values from the Complete Chemical Characterisation (CCC) (i.e. in situ sampling from one or more borehole sections using mobile equipment) are usually lower than those measured during the monitoring phase (i.e. in situ sampling from one borehole section using permanently installed equipment). An exception is borehole KLX01, where values generally lie within the same range as the monitoring samples. For most of the CCC and monitoring sections the last sample in the time series is suggested as representing the 'best possible' sulphide value. When both initial values from CCC (or samples taken with

SR-Site - sulphide content in the groundwater at Laxemar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tullborg, E-L; Smellie, J.; Nilsson, A-Ch; Gimeno, M.J.; Auque, L.F.; Wallin, B.; Bruechert, V.; Molinero, J.

2010-12-01

Sulphide concentrations in groundwater play a key role in the long term reliability of the metal canisters containing the radioactive waste within a disposal facility for nuclear waste. This is because sulphide in the groundwaters circulating in the vicinity of the deposition tunnels can react with copper in the canisters causing corrosion and therefore reducing their expected lifetime; in a worst case scenario erosion of the bentonite buffer material will expose the canister more rapidly to the fracture groundwater. Sulphide in the groundwater is predominantly microbially produced and thereby controlled by the content of oxidised sulphur sources, organics (carbon sources), reductants (mainly Fe(II), DOC, H 2 and CH 4 ), and also flow. In addition, achieved saturation in respect to amorphous Fe-monosulphide will control the possible maximum values and thus limit the Fe 2+ and S 2- values in the groundwater. The aim of this report is to assess realistic, representative and reliable sulphide groundwater concentrations at present conditions in Laxemar to be considered for use in (future) safety assessments. To achieve this, an evaluation is performed of all the sulphide related data reported from the Laxemar site investigations /Laaksoharju et al. 2009/ and later monitoring campaigns, all of which are stored in the Sicada database. This evaluation shows that values from the Complete Chemical Characterisation (CCC) (i.e. in situ sampling from one or more borehole sections using mobile equipment) are usually lower than those measured during the monitoring phase (i.e. in situ sampling from one borehole section using permanently installed equipment). An exception is borehole KLX01, where values generally lie within the same range as the monitoring samples. For most of the CCC and monitoring sections the last sample in the time series is suggested as representing the 'best possible' sulphide value. When both initial values from CCC (or samples taken with the hydrotest

Changes in groundwater recharge under projected climate in the upper Colorado River basin

Science.gov (United States)

Tillman, Fred; Gangopadhyay, Subhrendu; Pruitt, Tom

2016-01-01

Understanding groundwater-budget components, particularly groundwater recharge, is important to sustainably manage both groundwater and surface water supplies in the Colorado River basin now and in the future. This study quantifies projected changes in upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) groundwater recharge from recent historical (1950–2015) through future (2016–2099) time periods, using a distributed-parameter groundwater recharge model with downscaled climate data from 97 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 climate projections. Simulated future groundwater recharge in the UCRB is generally expected to be greater than the historical average in most decades. Increases in groundwater recharge in the UCRB are a consequence of projected increases in precipitation, offsetting reductions in recharge that would result from projected increased temperatures.

Lifetime measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fossan, D.B.; Warburton, E.K.

1974-01-01

Lifetime measurements are discussed, concentrating on the electronic technique, the recoil distance method (RDM), and the Doppler shift attenuation method (DSAM). A brief review of several indirect timing techniques is given, and their specific advantages and applicability are considered. The relationship between lifetimes of nuclear states and the nuclear structure information obtained from them is examined. A short discussion of channeling and microwave methods of lifetime measurement is presented. (23 figures, 171 references) (U.S.)

Cost-effectiveness of newborn circumcision in reducing lifetime HIV risk among U.S. males.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie L Sansom

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: HIV incidence was substantially lower among circumcised versus uncircumcised heterosexual African men in three clinical trials. Based on those findings, we modeled the potential effect of newborn male circumcision on a U.S. male's lifetime risk of HIV, including associated costs and quality-adjusted life-years saved. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Given published estimates of U.S. males' lifetime HIV risk, we calculated the fraction of lifetime risk attributable to heterosexual behavior from 2005-2006 HIV surveillance data. We assumed 60% efficacy of circumcision in reducing heterosexually-acquired HIV over a lifetime, and varied efficacy in sensitivity analyses. We calculated differences in lifetime HIV risk, expected HIV treatment costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs among circumcised versus uncircumcised males. The main outcome measure was cost per HIV-related QALY saved. Circumcision reduced the lifetime HIV risk among all males by 15.7% in the base case analysis, ranging from 7.9% for white males to 20.9% for black males. Newborn circumcision was a cost-saving HIV prevention intervention for all, black and Hispanic males. The net cost of newborn circumcision per QALY saved was $87,792 for white males. Results were most sensitive to the discount rate, and circumcision efficacy and cost. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Newborn circumcision resulted in lower expected HIV-related treatment costs and a slight increase in QALYs. It reduced the 1.87% lifetime risk of HIV among all males by about 16%. The effect varied substantially by race and ethnicity. Racial and ethnic groups who could benefit the most from circumcision may have least access to it due to insurance coverage and state Medicaid policies, and these financial barriers should be addressed. More data on the long-term protective effect of circumcision on heterosexual males as well as on its efficacy in preventing HIV among MSM would be useful.

Strongest model-independent bound on the lifetime of Dark Matter

CERN Document Server

Audren, Benjamin; Mangano, Gianpiero; Serpico, Pasquale Dario; Tram, Thomas

2014-01-01

Dark Matter is essential for structure formation in the late Universe so it must be stable on cosmological time scales. But how stable exactly? Only assuming decays into relativistic particles, we report an otherwise model independent bound on the lifetime of Dark Matter using current cosmological data. Since these decays affect only the low-$\\ell$ multipoles of the CMB, the Dark Matter lifetime is expected to correlate with the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ as well as curvature $\\Omega_k$. We consider two models, including $r$ and $r+\\Omega_k$ respectively, versus data from Planck, WMAP, WiggleZ and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, with or without the BICEP2 data (if interpreted in terms of primordial gravitational waves). This results in a lower bound on the lifetime of CDM given by 160Gyr (without BICEP2) or 200Gyr (with BICEP2) at 95% confidence level.

Toward a new spacecraft optimal design lifetime? Impact of marginal cost of durability and reduced launch price

Science.gov (United States)

Snelgrove, Kailah B.; Saleh, Joseph Homer

2016-10-01

The average design lifetime of satellites continues to increase, in part due to the expectation that the satellite cost per operational day decreases monotonically with increased design lifetime. In this work, we challenge this expectation by revisiting the durability choice problem for spacecraft in the face of reduced launch price and under various cost of durability models. We first provide a brief overview of the economic thought on durability and highlight its limitations as they pertain to our problem (e.g., the assumption of zero marginal cost of durability). We then investigate the merging influence of spacecraft cost of durability and launch price, and we identify conditions that give rise cost-optimal design lifetimes that are shorter than the longest lifetime technically achievable. For example, we find that high costs of durability favor short design lifetimes, and that under these conditions the optimal choice is relatively robust to reduction in launch prices. By contrast, lower costs of durability favor longer design lifetimes, and the optimal choice is highly sensitive to reduction in launch price. In both cases, reduction in launch prices translates into reduction of the optimal design lifetime. Our results identify a number of situations for which satellite operators would be better served by spacecraft with shorter design lifetimes. Beyond cost issues and repeat purchases, other implications of long design lifetime include the increased risk of technological slowdown given the lower frequency of purchases and technology refresh, and the increased risk for satellite operators that the spacecraft will be technologically obsolete before the end of its life (with the corollary of loss of value and competitive advantage). We conclude with the recommendation that, should pressure to extend spacecraft design lifetime continue, satellite manufacturers should explore opportunities to lease their spacecraft to operators, or to take a stake in the ownership

Assessing the effects of urbanization and climate change on groundwater management in China

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, S.; Zheng, C.

2017-12-01

Groundwater is expected to be more vulnerable in the future due to climate change coupled with rapid urbanization. Thus, protecting future groundwater resources under the impact of urbanization and climate change is necessary towards more sustainable groundwater resource development. This study is intended to shed lights on how water managers may plan for the adverse effects of urbanization and climate change on groundwater quality. A new approach is presented in which the groundwater vulnerability under future climate change scenarios is employed as a constraint to urban expansion. An original form of the Land Transformation Model (LTM) and a revised LTM simulation are applied to model the urbanization. The results indicated that there would be a notable and uneven urban growth between 2010 and 2050. Future groundwater vulnerability is expected to shift significantly under future climate change scenarios. The results of the revised LTM project more urban expansion in the central regions of China, while those of the original LTM project urban expansion in throughout China, although the two projections have the same areas of expansion. The urban expansion simulated by the original LTM follows the historical trend under the drivers of socioeconomic, political and geographic factors. However, the revised LTM drives the urban expansion to the regions with relatively lower groundwater vulnerability, in contrast to the historical trend. This study demonstrates that the integration of LTM and future groundwater vulnerability in the urban planning can better protect the groundwater resource and promote more sustainable socioeconomic development. The methodology developed in this study provides water managers and city planners a useful groundwater management tool for mitigating the risks associated with rapid urbanization and climate change.

Approximating dose and risk for contaminants in groundwater from the underground nuclear test areas of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniels, Jeffrey I. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Chapman, Jenny [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Pohlmann, Karl F. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States)

2015-03-01

does not exist today. These representative activity concentrations are evaluated with respect to conforming collectively to a modern annual committed effective dose (CED) and lifetime excess cancer morbidity risk for a hypothetical reasonably maximally exposed individual (RMEI). This approach goes beyond the SDWA MCL focus of the contaminant boundary because individual COC concentrations may comply with the SDWA MCL but not collectively meet the modern health-protection metrics and the SDWA language, especially if future modeling studies or monitoring activities show multiple radionuclides from different SDWA MCL categories to be COCs. For the drinking water exposure pathway alone, the annual committed effective dose (CED) for the RMEI from all five COCs that are collectively at estimated activity concentrations equal to their SDWA MCL is well below the U.S. Department of Energy health-protective CED limit of 100 millirem (mrem)/yr. This is consistent using both the NNSS unclassified, 1992 decay-corrected radionuclide atom inventory and the atom inventory based on radionuclides measured in groundwater obtained from the ALMENDRO cavity in 2009 to calculate the SDWA MCL activity concentrations in groundwater. The RMEI’s total lifetime excess cancer risk from the drinking water exposure pathway for both atom inventories is within the range of 1 × 10^-4 to ≤ 1 × 10^-6, which is considered health protective according to modern SDWA MCL regulatory language. The biosphere exposure pathways are drinking water, garden produce, animal products, inadvertent soil ingestion, and indoor and outdoor air inhalation. The exposure parameters for communities west and southwest of the NNSS were developed when the Yucca Mountain high-level, nuclear-waste disposal facility was under consideration. For all biosphere exposure pathways, calculations of the annual CED and lifetime excess cancer morbidity risk for the RMEI revealed that: 1) The annual CED is well within

Study on the interaction of U(VI) species with natural organic matters in KURT groundwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Euo Chang; Baik, Min Hoon; Cho, Hye Ryun; Kim, Hee Kyung; Cha, Wansik [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

The interaction of U(VI) (hexavalent uranium) species with natural organic matter (NOM) in KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) groundwater is investigated using a laser spectroscopic technique. The luminescence spectra of the NOM are observed in the ultraviolet and blue wavelength regions by irradiating a laser beam at 266 nm in groundwater. The luminescence spectra of U(VI) species in groundwater containing uranium concentrations of 0.034-0.788 mg·L-1 are measured in the green-colored wavelength region. The luminescence characteristics (peak wavelengths and lifetime) of U(VI) in the groundwater agree well with those of Ca{sub 2}UO{sub 2}(CO{sub 3}){sub 3}(aq) in a standard solution prepared in a laboratory. The luminescence intensities of U(VI) in the groundwater are weaker than those of Ca{sub 2}UO{sub 2}(CO{sub 3}){sub 3}(aq) in the standard solution at the same uranium concentrations. The luminescence intensities of Ca{sub 2}UO{sub 2}(CO{sub 3}){sub 3}(aq) in the standard solution mixed with the groundwater are also weaker than those of Ca{sub 2}UO{sub 2}(CO{sub 3}){sub 3}(aq) in the standard solution at the same uranium concentrations. These results can be ascribed to calcium-U(VI)-carbonate species interacting with NOM and forming non-radiative U(VI) complexes in groundwater.

Particle tracking for unsaturated-zone groundwater travel time analysis at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, B.W.; Skinner, L.H.; Zieman, N.B.

1995-01-01

A particle tracking code developed to link numerical modeling of groundwater flow in the unsaturated zone to the analysis of groundwater travel times was used to produce preliminary estimates of the distribution of groundwater-travel time from a potential repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada to the water table. Compliance with 10CFR960 requires the demonstration that pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time from the disturbed zone to the accessible environment is expected to exceed 1,000 years along any path of likely and significant radionuclide travel. The use of multiple particles and multiple realizations of the geology and parameter distributions in the unsaturated zone allows a probabilistic analysis of groundwater travel times that may be applied for evaluating compliance

Groundwater availability study for Guam; goals, approach, products, and schedule of activities

Science.gov (United States)

Gingerich, Stephen B.; Jenson, John W.

2010-01-01

An expected significant population increase on Guam has raised concern about the sustainability of groundwater resources. In response, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the University of Guam's Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) and with funding from the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), is conducting a 3.5-year study to advance understanding of regional groundwater dynamics in the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, provide a new estimate of groundwater recharge, and develop a numerical groundwater flow and transport model for northern Guam. Results of the study, including two USGS reports and a well database, will provide more reliable evaluations of the potential effects of groundwater production and help guide sustainable management of this critical resource.

European-scale modelling of groundwater denitrification and associated N2O production

KAUST Repository

Keuskamp, J.A.

2012-06-01

This paper presents a spatially explicit model for simulating the fate of nitrogen (N) in soil and groundwater and nitrous oxide (N 2O) production in groundwater with a 1 km resolution at the European scale. The results show large heterogeneity of nitrate outflow from groundwater to surface water and production of N 2O. This heterogeneity is the result of variability in agricultural and hydrological systems. Large parts of Europe have no groundwater aquifers and short travel times from soil to surface water. In these regions no groundwater denitrification and N 2O production is expected. Predicted N leaching (16% of the N inputs) and N 2O emissions (0.014% of N leaching) are much less than the IPCC default leaching rate and combined emission factor for groundwater and riparian zones, respectively. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Sustainable is Groundwater Abstraction? A Global Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

de Graaf, I.; Van Beek, R.; Gleeson, T. P.; Sutanudjaja, E.; Wada, Y.; Bierkens, M. F.

2017-12-01

Groundwater is the world's largest accessible freshwater resource and is of critical importance for irrigation, and thus for global food security. For regions with high demands, groundwater abstractions often exceed recharge and persistent groundwater depletion occurs. The direct effects of depletion are falling groundwater levels, increased pumping costs, land subsidence, and reduced baseflows to rivers. Water demands are expected to increase further due to growing population, economic development, and climate change, posing the urgent question how sustainable current water abstractions are worldwide and where and when these abstractions approach conceivable economic and environmental limits. In this study we estimated trends over 1960-2100 in groundwater levels, resulting from changes in demand and climate. We explored the limits of groundwater abstraction by predicting where and when groundwater levels drop that deep that groundwater gets unattainable for abstraction (economic limit) or, that groundwater baseflows to rivers drop below environmental requirements (environmental limit). We used a global hydrological model coupled to a groundwater model, meaning lateral groundwater flows, river infiltration and drainage, and infiltration and capillary-rise are simulated dynamically. Historical data and projections are used to prescribe water demands and climate forcing to the model. For the near future we used RCP8.5 and applied globally driest, average, and wettest GCM to test climate sensitivity. Results show that in general environmental limits are reached before economic limits, for example starting as early as the 1970s compared to the 1980s for economic limits in the upper Ganges basin. Economic limits are mostly related to regions with depletion, while environmental limits are reached also in regions were groundwater and surface water withdrawals are significant but depletion is not taking place (yet), for example in Spain and Portugal. In the near future

Research on flow characteristics of deep groundwater by environmental isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimada, Jun; Miyaoka, Kunihide [Tsukuba Univ., Ibaraki (Japan); Sakurai, Hideyuki; Senoo, Muneaki; Kumata, Masahiro; Mukai, Masayuki; Watanabe, Kazuo; Ouchi, Misao

1996-01-01

In this research, as the technique for grasping the behavior of groundwater in deep rock bed which is important as the factor of disturbing the natural barrier in the formation disposal of high level radioactive waste, the method of utilizing the environmental isotopes contained in groundwater as natural tracer was taken up, and by setting up the concrete field of investigation, through the forecast of flow by the two or three dimensional groundwater flow analysis using a computer, the planning and execution of water sampling, the analysis of various environmental isotopes, the interpretation based on those results of measurement and so on, the effectiveness of the investigation technique used was verified, and the real state of the behavior of deep groundwater in the district being studied was clarified. In this research, Imaichi alluvial fan located in northern Kanto plain was taken as the object. In fiscal year 1996, three-dimensional steady state groundwater flow simulation was carried out based on the data related to shallow groundwater and surface water systems, and the places where active groundwater flow is expected were selected, and boring will be carried out there. The analysis model and the results are reported. (K.I.)

Ion exchange technology in the remediation of uranium contaminated groundwater at Fernald

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutton, Chris; Glassmeyer, Cathy; Bozich, Steve

2000-01-01

Using pump and treat methodology, uranium contaminated groundwater is being removed from the Great Miami Aquifer at the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) per the FEMP Record of Decision (ROD) that defines groundwater cleanup. Standard extraction wells pump about 3900 gallons-per-minute (gpm) from the aquifer through five ion exchange treatment systems. The largest treatment system k the Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWWT) Expansion System with a capacity of 1800 gpm, which consists of three trains of two vessels. The trains operate in parallel treating 600 gpm each, The two vessels in each train operate in series, one in lead and one in lag. Treated groundwater is either reinfected back into the aquifer to speed up the aquifer cleanup processor discharged to the Great Miami River. The uranium regulatory ROD limit for discharge to the river is 20 parts per billion (ppb), and the FEMP uranium administrative action level for reinfection is 10 ppb. Spent (i.e., a resin that no longer adsorbs uranium) ion exchange resins must either be replaced or regenerated. The regeneration of spent ion exchange resins is considerably more cost effective than their replacement. Therefore, a project was undertaken to learn how best to regenerate the resins in the groundwater vessels. At the outset of this project, considerable uncertainty existed as to whether a spent resin could be regenerated successfully enough so that it performed as well as new resin relative to achieving very low uranium concentrations in the effluent. A second major uncertain y was whether the operational lifetime of a regenerated resin would be similar to that of a new resin with respect to uranium loading capacity and effluent concentration behavior. The project was successful in that a method for regenerating resins has been developed that is operationally efficient, that results in regenerated resins yielding uranium concentrations much lower than regulatory limits, and that results in

Lifetime measurements of highly excited Rydberg states of strontium. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunze, S.; Hohmann, R.; Kluge, H.J.; Lantzsch, J.; Monz, L.; Stenner, J.; Stratmann, K.; Wendt, K.; Zimmer, K.

1993-01-01

Lifetimes of Rydberg states of triplet-series 5s ns 3 S 1 with n=19-23, 35 and 5s nd 3 D 3 with n=18-20, 23-28 in the spectrum of neutral strontium have been determined. Observation of the exponential decay after excitation by a pulsed laser in a fast atomic beam and subsequent state-selective field ionization was employed. The lifetimes of the states of the 3 S 1 -series show the expected n* 3 dependence on the effective principal quantum number, while the 3 D 3 -series is disturbed by configuration mixing. Furthermore, state re-populations induced by black-body radiation have been observed. (orig.)

Nuclear lifetime measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillaume, Georges

Three direct techniques of lifetime measurement are emphasized: electronic methods and two methods based on the Doppler effect (the recoil distance methods or RDM, the Doppler shift attenuation methods or DSAM). Said direct methods are concerned with the direct measurement of the radioactive decay constants of nuclear excited states. They allow lifetimes of nucleus bound states whose deexcitations occur by electromagnetic transitions, to be determined. Other methods for measuring lifetimes are also examined: microwave techniques and those involving the blocking effect in crystals (direct methods) and also various indirect methods of obtaining lifetimes (γ resonance scattering, capture reactions, inelastic electron and nucleus scattering, and Coulomb deexcitation) [fr

Bioremediation in fractured rock: 1. Modeling to inform design, monitoring, and expectations

Science.gov (United States)

Tiedeman, Claire; Shapiro, Allen M.; Hsieh, Paul A.; Imbrigiotta, Thomas; Goode, Daniel J.; Lacombe, Pierre; DeFlaun, Mary F.; Drew, Scott R.; Johnson, Carole D.; Williams, John H.; Curtis, Gary P.

2018-01-01

Field characterization of a trichloroethene (TCE) source area in fractured mudstones produced a detailed understanding of the geology, contaminant distribution in fractures and the rock matrix, and hydraulic and transport properties. Groundwater flow and chemical transport modeling that synthesized the field characterization information proved critical for designing bioremediation of the source area. The planned bioremediation involved injecting emulsified vegetable oil and bacteria to enhance the naturally occurring biodegradation of TCE. The flow and transport modeling showed that injection will spread amendments widely over a zone of lower‐permeability fractures, with long residence times expected because of small velocities after injection and sorption of emulsified vegetable oil onto solids. Amendments transported out of this zone will be diluted by groundwater flux from other areas, limiting bioremediation effectiveness downgradient. At nearby pumping wells, further dilution is expected to make bioremediation effects undetectable in the pumped water. The results emphasize that in fracture‐dominated flow regimes, the extent of injected amendments cannot be conceptualized using simple homogeneous models of groundwater flow commonly adopted to design injections in unconsolidated porous media (e.g., radial diverging or dipole flow regimes). Instead, it is important to synthesize site characterization information using a groundwater flow model that includes discrete features representing high‐ and low‐permeability fractures. This type of model accounts for the highly heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and groundwater fluxes in fractured‐rock aquifers, and facilitates designing injection strategies that target specific volumes of the aquifer and maximize the distribution of amendments over these volumes.

Quantifying shallow and deep groundwater inputs to rivers with groundwater dating in hydrological observatories.

Science.gov (United States)

Aquilina, Luc; Marçais, Jean; Gauvain, Alexandre; Kolbe, Tamara; de Dreuzy, Jean-Raynald; Labasque, Thierry; Abbott, Benjamin W.; Vergnaud, Virginie; Chatton, Eliot; Thomas, Zahra; Ruiz, Laurent; Bour, Olivier; Pinay, Gilles

2017-04-01

River water derives in part from groundwater—water that has spent some time in the subsurface (e.g. soil, unsaturated zone, saturated zone). However, because groundwater residence times vary from months to millennia, determining the proportion of shallow and deep groundwater contribution can be challenging. Groundwater dating with anthropogenic gases and natural geochemical tracers can decipher the origin of groundwater contribution to rivers, particularly when repeat samplings are carried out in different hydrological conditions. Here, we present two different applications of this approach from three hydrological observatories (H+ hydrogeological network; Aghrys and Armorique observatories) in western France, all these observatories belonging to the OZCAR national network. We carried out a regional investigation of mean groundwater ages in hard rock aquifers in Brittany, using long-term chronicles from hydrological observatories and regional monitoring sites. We determined the mean residence-time (RT) and annual renewal rate (RR) of four compartments of these aquifers: the direct contribution of a very young water component (i.e. RT less than 1-2 yr), the upper variably saturated zone (RR 27-33%), the weathered layer (RR 1.8-2.1%) and the fractured zone (RR 0.1%). From these values and a nitrate chronicle, we were able to determine the respective contributions of each compartment to the largest river in Brittany, the Vilaine, which drains 30% of the region. We found that the deep fractured compartment with very slow renewal times contributed to 25-45% of river water in winter and 30-60% in summer. The very young water which includes direct precipitation and soil fluxes constituted 40-65% of the winter river water (Aquilina et al., 2012). To complement these estimates, we investigated the relationship between dissolved silica and groundwater age in the Armorique hydrological observatory in northern Brittany. We computed the silica concentration expected along the

Costs and expected gain in lifetime health from intensive care versus general ward care of 30,712 individual patients: a distribution-weighted cost-effectiveness analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindemark, Frode; Haaland, Øystein A; Kvåle, Reidar; Flaatten, Hans; Norheim, Ole F; Johansson, Kjell A

2017-08-21

Clinicians, hospital managers, policy makers, and researchers are concerned about high costs, increased demand, and variation in priorities in the intensive care unit (ICU). The objectives of this modelling study are to describe the extra costs and expected health gains associated with admission to the ICU versus the general ward for 30,712 patients and the variation in cost-effectiveness estimates among subgroups and individuals, and to perform a distribution-weighted economic evaluation incorporating extra weighting to patients with high severity of disease. We used a decision-analytic model that estimates the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained (ICER) from ICU admission compared with general ward care using Norwegian registry data from 2008 to 2010. We assigned increasing weights to health gains for those with higher severity of disease, defined as less expected lifetime health if not admitted. The study has inherent uncertainty of findings because a randomized clinical trial comparing patients admitted or rejected to the ICU has never been performed. Uncertainty is explored in probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The mean cost-effectiveness of ICU admission versus ward care was €11,600/QALY, with 1.6 QALYs gained and an incremental cost of €18,700 per patient. The probability (p) of cost-effectiveness was 95% at a threshold of €22,000/QALY. The mean ICER for medical admissions was €10,700/QALY (p = 97%), €12,300/QALY (p = 93%) for admissions after acute surgery, and €14,700/QALY (p = 84%) after planned surgery. For individualized ICERs, there was a 50% probability that ICU admission was cost-effective for 85% of the patients at a threshold of €64,000/QALY, leaving 15% of the admissions not cost-effective. In the distributional evaluation, 8% of all patients had distribution-weighted ICERs (higher weights to gains for more severe conditions) above €64,000/QALY. High-severity admissions gained the most, and were more

Estimation of Life-Year Loss and Lifetime Costs for Different Stages of Colon Adenocarcinoma in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Po-Chuan; Lee, Jenq-Chang; Wang, Jung-Der

2015-01-01

Life-expectancy of colon cancer patients cannot be accurately answered due to the lack of both large datasets and long-term follow-ups, which impedes accurate estimation of lifetime cost to treat colon cancer patients. In this study, we applied a method to estimate life-expectancy of colon cancer patients in Taiwan and calculate the lifetime costs by different stages and age groups. A total of 17,526 cases with pathologically verified colon adenocarcinoma between 2002 and 2009 were extracted from Taiwan Cancer Registry database for analysis. All patients were followed-up until the end of 2011. Life-expectancy, expected-years-of-life-lost and lifetime costs were estimated, using a semi-parametric survival extrapolation method and borrowing information from life tables of vital statistics. Patients with more advanced stages of colon cancer were generally younger and less co-morbid with major chronic diseases than those with stages I and II. The LE of stage I was not significantly different from that of the age- and sex-matched general population, whereas those of stages II, III, and IV colon cancer patients after diagnosis were 16.57 ± 0.07, 13.35 ± 0.07, and 4.05 ± 0.05 years, respectively; the corresponding expected-years-of-life-lost were 1.28 ± 0.07, 5.93 ± 0.07 and 16.42 ± 0.06 years, significantly shorter than the general population after accounting for lead time bias. Besides, the lifetime cost of managing stage II colon cancer patients would be US $8,416 ± 1939, 14,334 ± 1,755, and 21,837 ± 1,698, respectively, indicating a big saving for early diagnosis and treatment after stratification for age and sex. Treating colon cancer at younger age and earlier stage saves more life-years and healthcare costs. Future studies are indicated to apply these quantitative results into the cost-effectiveness evaluation of screening program for colon cancers.

Lifetime distributional effects of Social Security retirement benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Karen; Toder, Eric; Iams, Howard

proceeds to buy either of two annuities that provide level payments from age 62 until death: a unisex annuity that is based on the average life expectancy of the birth cohort or an age-adjusted annuity that is based on the worker's own life expectancy. On the permanent income measure, OASI is generally more favorable to people in higher income quintiles. Moreover, it is particularly unfavorable to those in the lowest quintile. Because people in the lowest quintile have a shorter life expectancy, they receive OASI benefits for a shorter period. This group would receive greater benefits in retirement if they invested their payroll taxes in the age-adjusted annuity. OASI is more favorable to them than the unisex annuity, however, OASI is becoming more progressive in that the net benefits it provides drop more rapidly among higher income quintiles than lower ones. This article also examines how OASI affects individuals by educational attainment, race, and sex. On both the lifetime covered earnings and the permanent income measures, OASI is more favorable to workers with less education and more favorable to women. The results by race and ethnicity are mixed. When people are ranked by the present value of their shared lifetime covered earnings, OASI appears more favorable to non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics than to non-Hispanic whites. When people are ranked by shared permanent income in retirement, however, OASI produces negative returns for both non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites in the most recent birth cohorts, with non-Hispanic blacks faring relatively worse. The changes across cohorts occur partly because of changes in tax rates and benefits, but more importantly because of changing demographics and earnings patterns of the workforce. Of particular importance is the increasing share of beneficiaries who receive worker benefits instead of auxiliary benefits as wives or widows. OASI benefits are based on the lifetime covered earnings of current or former married

Hadronization, spin and lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossman, Yuval; Nachshon, Itay

2008-01-01

Measurements of lifetimes can be done in two ways. For very short lived particles, the width can be measured. For long lived ones, the lifetime can be directly measured, for example, using a displaced vertex. Practically, the lifetime cannot be extracted for particles with intermediate lifetimes. We show that for such cases information about the lifetime can be extracted for heavy colored particles that can be produced with known polarization. For example, a t-like particle with intermediate lifetime hadronizes into a superposition of the lowest two hadronic states, T* and T (the equivalent of B* and B). Depolarization effects are governed by time scales that are much longer than the hadronization time scale, Λ QCD -1 . After a time of order 1/Δm, with Δm≡m(T*)-m(T), half of the initial polarization is lost. The polarization is totally lost after a time of order 1/Γ γ , with Γ γ = Γ(T* → Tγ). Thus, by comparing the initial and final polarization, we get information on the particle's lifetime.

Lifetime-management and lifetime-extension at PAKS nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katona, Tamas; Ratkai, Sandor; Janosi, Agnes Biro

2002-01-01

Paks Nuclear Power Plant provides 38-40% of domestic generation at lowest price. It has an important energy-policy role in Hungary. NPP Paks shall be a decisive and perspectively permanent element of the domestic electricity generation during the next two decades, which shall be ensured by plant safe operation, the lifetime extension and power uprating. Paks Nuclear Power Plant investigated the nuclear power plant's lifetime extension possibilities and alternatives, as well as technical and business feasibility of such alternatives. The feasibility study is based on the evaluation of a representative set of systems, structures and components, operational, test, in-service inspection and maintenance practice, experience and findings of the Periodic Safety Review. The most important results of this study showing the feasibility of 20 years lifetime extension is summarised in the paper. It was found that there are no technical or safety issues or limits, which may inhibit the operation of the Nuclear Power Plant Paks up to 50 years. In case of most systems and equipment the recent monitoring, maintenance and regular reconstruction practice of the NPP Paks allows the lifetime extension without outstanding cost. Replacement or reconstruction of a few equipment and systems requires significant investment costs. Material of reactor vessels of VVER/213 incorporated at Paks, compared to vessels of the similar units, is less sensitive to the embrittlement. At units 3-4 reactor vessels do not require any measure, consequently, any additional cost, even in case of a lifetime of 50 years. At unit 2 to extend the lifetime of the reactor vessel, only heating-up of emergency core cooling tanks is needed in order to decrease thermal stress levels caused by pressure thermal shock (PST) transients. For this purpose cost-effective technical solutions are available. At unit 1, beside the heating-up of the emergency core cooling tanks annealing of the welded joint No. 5/6 close to the

Significance and estimations of lifetime of natural fracture mineral buffers in the Olkiluoto bedrock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luukkonen, A.; Pitkaenen, P.; Partamies, S.

2004-03-01

the range 0.1-1 L/h the lifetime of calcite and pyrite buffers are extensive. The amount of dissolved carbon in the infiltrating water has a large significance to the lifetime of calcite buffer. The more water contains initially dissolved carbon the faster calcite is consumed. However, higher dissolved carbon contents in water form a better buffer against elevated pH values. All calculations are simplified, and are merely indicative of how long mineral buffers can stand during the open tunnel conditions, and what kind of breakthrough waters may be expected in the underground facilities. With the current knowledge it is certain that there are plenty of potentially significant pH/redox affecting variables not taken into account in this study. (orig.)

A model for predicting the lifetimes of Grade-2 titanium nuclear waste containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoesmith, D.W.; Ikeda, B.M.; Bailey, M.G.; Quinn, M.J.; LeNeveu, D.M.

1995-08-01

The development of a model to predict the lifetimes of Grade-2 titanium containers for nuclear fuel waste is described. This model assumes that the corrosion processes most likely to lead to container failure are crevice corrosion, hydrogen-induced cracking and general corrosion. Because of the expected evolution of waste vault conditions from initially warm (<∼ 100 deg C) and oxidizing to eventually cool (<30 deg C) and non-oxiding, the period for which crevice corrosion can propagate will be limited by repassivation, and long container lifetimes will be achieved since the rate of general corrosion is extremely low. However, in the model presented, not only is it assumed that crevices will initiate rapidly on all containers, but also that the propagation of these crevices will continue indefinitely since conditions will remain sufficiently oxiding for repassivation to be avoided. The mathematical development of the model is described in detail. A simple ramped distribution is used to describe the failures due to the presence of initial defects. For crevice corrosion the propagation rates are assumed to be normally distributed and to be determined predominantly by temperature. The temperature dependence of the crevice propagation rate is determined from the calculated cooling profiles for the containers and an experimentally determined Arrhenius relationship for crevice propagation rates. The cooling profiles are approximated by double or single step functions, depending on the location of the container within the vault. The experimental data upon which this model is based is extensively reviewed. This review includes descriptions of the available data to describe and quantify the processes of general corrosion, crevice corrosion and hydrogen-induced cracking. For crevice corrosion and hydrogen-induced cracking the results of studies on both Grades-2 and -12 are presented. Also, the effects of impurities in the Grade-2 material are discussed. Special attention is

The toxicity of arsenic(III), chromium(VI) and zinc to groundwater copepods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hose, G C; Symington, K; Lott, M J; Lategan, M J

2016-09-01

Groundwater ecosystems globally are threatened by anthropogenic contamination, yet there are few ecotoxicological data using obligate groundwater biota on which to base risk assessments. Copepods are found inhabiting aquifers of different geologies around the world and so are a useful taxon for use in ecotoxicological studies of groundwater. The aim of this study was to test the sensitivity of obligate groundwater copepods to metal contaminants (arsenic(III), chromium(VI) and zinc) in groundwater in static 96 h, 14 days and 28 days exposure tests. The copepods were variably sensitive to As, Cr and Zn, with Cr being the most toxic across all taxa. No taxon was consistently most sensitive and there was no apparent relationship between the hardness, pH and organic carbon concentration of the diluent water and the sensitivity of biota. As expected, toxicity increased with exposure period and we encourage the use of longer exposure periods in future toxicity tests with groundwater organisms to reflect the greater exposure periods likely to be associated with groundwater contamination.

Relating groundwater to seasonal wetlands in southeastern Wisconsin, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Skalbeck, J.D.; Reed, D.M.; Hunt, R.J.; Lambert, J.D.

2009-01-01

Historically, drier types of wetlands have been difficult to characterize and are not well researched. Nonetheless, they are considered to reflect the precipitation history with little, if any, regard for possible relation to groundwater. Two seasonal coastal wetland types (wet prairie, sedge meadow) were investigated during three growing seasons at three sites in the Lake Michigan Basin, Wisconsin, USA. The six seasonal wetlands were characterized using standard soil and vegetation techniques and groundwater measurements from the shallow and deep systems. They all met wetland hydrology criteria (e.g., water within 30 cm of land surface for 5% of the growing season) during the early portion of the growing season despite the lack of appreciable regional groundwater discharge into the wetland root zones. Although root-zone duration analyses did not fit a lognormal distribution previously noted in groundwater-dominated wetlands, they were able to discriminate between the plant communities and showed that wet prairie communities had shorter durations of continuous soil saturation than sedge meadow communities. These results demonstrate that the relative rates of groundwater outflows can be important for wetland hydrology and resulting wetland type. Thus, regional stresses to the shallow groundwater system such as pumping or low Great Lake levels can be expected to affect even drier wetland types. ?? Springer-Verlag 2008.

Consideration on a limit for lifetime occupational radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kellerer, A.M.

1998-01-01

Annual dose limits in occupational radiation exposure are merely a secondary constraint in addition to the primary rule of dose reduction and justification. The limits may, therefore, be reached only in rare, special cases. However, in principle, there might be cases in which the annual limit is continuously exhausted throughout a working life; a high total dose of 0.8 Sv could then be reached. In view of this possibility, there have been considerations of an added restriction by limiting the lifetime occupational dose to 0.4 Sv. The implications of such lifetime doses are considered, and it is shown that an exposure up to the maximum of 0.8 Sv will lead to the need for compensation, if a leukaemia were to occur in the exposed worker. A lifetime dose of 0.4 Sv equally spread over a working life will not lead to the critical value of the probability of causation in excess of 0.5. Nevertheless, it could cause such critical values when it is accumulated during shorter periods. More decisive than the probabilities of causation are, however, the absolute numbers of excess cases of leukaemia due to the occupational exposure. It is seen that less than one excess case would be expected if a group of 100 workers were all exposed to the maximum of 0.8 Sv. Since lifetime doses of 0.8 or 0.4 Sv will be accumulated in very few cases and only with special justification, there appears to be little need to introduce a further limit of lifetime exposure in addition to the current annual limit. (orig.)

Dissolution rate of alpha-doped UO2 in natural groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ollila, Kaija; Myllykylä, Emmi; Tanhua-Tyrkkö, Merja; Lavonen, Tiina

2013-01-01

The objective of this work is to determine whether the presence of trace elements in natural groundwaters affects the dissolution rate of uranium dioxide in the presence of alpha radiation that causes radiolysis of water. The study is a part of the project Reducing Uncertainty in Performance Prediction (REDUPP) under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). The project aims to reduce uncertainties related to the extrapolation of the results of laboratory experiments to the conditions expected under geologic disposal. Thus far, synthetic groundwater has been normally used in the experiments. The synthetic groundwaters used do not contain all of the chemical elements that occur in natural groundwaters. Three natural groundwaters were chosen for the dissolution experiments with 0%, 5%, and 10% 233 U-doped UO 2 samples. These include a brackish groundwater, a saline groundwater and a low ionic strength groundwater. At the time of writing this paper, the dissolution experiments have been finished in the first groundwater, which was a moderately saline, brackish groundwater. The groundwater samples for the experiments were taken from a borehole in the Olkiluoto site in Finland. The measurements for dissolution rates were conducted under reducing conditions established using metallic iron in solution and an argon atmosphere in the glove box. The isotope dilution method was used to decrease uncertainties due to precipitation and sorption effects. The resulting dissolution rates in OL-KR6 natural groundwater were generally somewhat higher than the rates measured previously in synthetic groundwaters under similar redox conditions. No clear effect of alpha radiolysis could be seen for tests with lower SA/V, while those for higher SA/V indicated that the dissolution rate was higher for the 10% 233 U-doped UO 2 , suggesting the effect of alpha radiolysis under these conditions

PROTOCOLS FOR INCREASING THE LIFETIME OF NODES OF AD HOC WIRELESS NETWORKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.Malarkodi

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Power consumption of nodes in ad hoc networks is a critical issue as they predominantly operate on batteries. In order to improve the lifetime of an ad hoc network, all the nodes must be utilized evenly and the power required for connections must be minimized. Energy management deals with the process of managing energy resources by means of controlling the battery discharge, adjusting the transmission power and scheduling of power sources so as to increase the lifetime of the nodes of an ad hoc wireless network. In this paper, two protocols are proposed to improve the lifetime of the nodes. The first protocol assumes smart battery packages with L cells and uses dynamic programming (DP to optimally select the set of cells used to satisfy a request for power. The second one proposes a MAC layer protocol denoted as Power Aware medium Access Control (PAMAC protocol which enables the network layer to select a route with minimum total power requirement among the possible routes between a source and a destination provided all nodes in the routes have battery capacity above a threshold. The life time of the nodes using the DP based scheduling policy is found through simulation and compared with that obtained using the techniques reported in the literature. It is found that DP based policy increases the lifetime of the mobile nodes by a factor of 1.15 to 1.8. The life expectancy, the average power consumption and throughput of the network using PAMAC protocol are computed through simulation and compared with that of the other MAC layer protocols 802.11, MACA, and CSMA. Besides this, the life expectancy and average power consumption of the network for different values of threshold are also compared. From the simulation results, it is observed that PAMAC consumes the least power and provides the longest lifetime among the various MAC Layer protocols. Moreover, using PAMAC as the MAC layer protocol, the performance obtained using different routing layer

Death Valley regional groundwater flow system, Nevada and California-Hydrogeologic framework and transient groundwater flow model

Science.gov (United States)

Belcher, Wayne R.; Sweetkind, Donald S.

2010-01-01

by acquiring additional data, by reevaluating existing data using current technology and concepts, and by refining earlier interpretations to reflect the current understanding of the regional groundwater flow system. Groundwater flow in the Death Valley region is composed of several interconnected, complex groundwater flow systems. Groundwater flow occurs in three subregions in relatively shallow and localized flow paths that are superimposed on deeper, regional flow paths. Regional groundwater flow is predominantly through a thick Paleozoic carbonate rock sequence affected by complex geologic structures from regional faulting and fracturing that can enhance or impede flow. Spring flow and ET are the dominant natural groundwater discharge processes. Groundwater also is withdrawn for agricultural, commercial, and domestic uses. Groundwater flow in the DVRFS was simulated using MODFLOW-2000, the U.S. Geological Survey 3D finitedifference modular groundwater flow modeling code that incorporates a nonlinear least-squares regression technique to estimate aquifer parameters. The DVRFS model has 16 layers of defined thickness, a finite-difference grid consisting of 194 rows and 160 columns, and uniform cells 1,500 meters (m) on each side. Prepumping conditions (before 1913) were used as the initial conditions for the transient-state calibration. The model uses annual stress periods with discrete recharge and discharge components. Recharge occurs mostly from infiltration of precipitation and runoff on high mountain ranges and from a small amount of underflow from adjacent basins. Discharge occurs primarily through ET and spring discharge (both simulated as drains) and water withdrawal by pumping and, to a lesser amount, by underflow to adjacent basins simulated by constant-head boundaries. All parameter values estimated by the regression are reasonable and within the range of expected values. The simulated hydraulic heads of the final calibrated transient mode

Prospective association of peer influence, school engagement, drinking expectancies, and parent expectations with drinking initiation among sixth graders.

Science.gov (United States)

Simons-Morton, Bruce

2004-02-01

Early initiation of drinking increases the lifetime risk for substance abuse and other serious health and social problems. An understanding of the predictors of early initiation is needed if successful preventive interventions are to be developed. Surveys were completed by 1009 sixth grade students at the beginning (Time 1) and end (Time 2) of the school year in four schools in one suburban school district. At Time 1, 55/1009 (5.5%) reported drinking in the past 30 days. From Time 1 to Time 2, the percentage of drinkers increase to 127/1009 (10.9%) of whom 101 were new drinkers. In multiple logistic regression analyses, school engagement was negatively associated and peer influence and drinking expectancies were positively associated with drinking initiation. A significant interaction was found between drinking expectancies and parental expectations. Among sixth graders with high drinking expectancies, those with low parental expectations for their behavior were 2.6 times more likely to start drinking than those with parents with high expectations for their behavior. Positive drinking expectancies were significantly associated with drinking initiation only among teens who believed their parents did not hold strong expectations for them not to drink. This finding held for boys and girls, Blacks and Whites and was particularly strong for Black youth. This finding provides new information about the moderating effect of parental expectations on drinking expectancies among early adolescents.

In situ precipitation and sorption of arsenic from groundwater: Laboratory and ex situ field tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whang, J.M.; Adu-Wusu, K.; Frampton, W.H.; Staib, J.G.

1997-01-01

Permeable, reactive walls may provide long term, low-maintenance prevention of off-site migration of contaminated groundwater. Laboratory and ex situ field tests conducted on several arsenic-contaminated groundwaters indicate that both precipitation and sorption can remove arsenic to levels of less than 10 ppb. Precipitation has been induced by adjusting pH, adding selected cations, and/or reducing the oxidation-reduction potential. Adjusting pH or adding cations was most effective when there were high levels of other ionic species with which arsenic could coprecipitate. Reducing the oxidation-reduction potential was effective on a variety of groundwaters. Humate was an effective sorbent at low pH; aluminum and iron materials were effective over a large range of conditions. Long term performance of precipitation systems can be limited by formation of precipitate on reactive surfaces. Long term sorption can be reduced by competing ions, such as phosphate. Laboratory and ex situ field tests indicate that reactive walls may have lifetimes of decades or more

Ecohydrology and Its Relation to Integrated Groundwater Management

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Randall J.; Hayashi, Masaki; Batelaan, Okke

2016-01-01

In the twentieth century, groundwater characterization focused primarily on easily measured hydraulic metrics of water storage and flows. Twenty-first century concepts of groundwater availability, however, encompass other factors having societal value, such as ecological well-being. Effective ecohydrological science is a nexus of fundamental understanding derived from two scientific disciplines: (1) ecology, where scale, thresholds, feedbacks and tipping points for societal questions form the basis for the ecologic characterization, and (2) hydrology, where the characteristics, magnitude, and timing of water flows are characterized for a defined system of interest. In addition to ecohydrology itself, integrated groundwater management requires input from resource managers to understand which areas of the vast world of ecohydrology are important for decision making. Expectations of acceptable uncertainty, or even what ecohydrological outputs have utility, are often not well articulated within societal decision making frameworks, or within the science community itself. Similarly, “acceptable levels of impact” are difficult to define. Three examples are given to demonstrate the use of ecohydrological considerations for long-term sustainability of groundwater resources and their related ecosystem function. Such examples illustrate the importance of accommodating ecohydrogeological aspects into integrated groundwater management of the twenty-first century, regardless of society, climate, or setting.

Recent performance, lifetime, and failure modes of the 5045 klystron population at SLAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, R.F.; Lee, T.G.; Pearson, C.; Vlieks, A.E.

1992-08-01

The 65 MW S-Band klystrons (5045) used to power SLC have been in service for over seven years. Currently, 244 of these tubes are in place on the accelerator, operating full power at 120 pulses per second. Enough tubes have now reached end of life, or experienced other failures to allow a good analysis of failure modes, and to project average lifetime for this type of tube. This paper describes the various modes of failure seen in klystrons rammed from SLC service, and provides data on expected lifetime from current production based on accumulated SLC operating experience

Recent performance, lifetime, and failure modes or the 5045 klystron population at SLAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koontz, R.F.; Lee, T.G.; Pearson, C.; Vlieks, A.E.

1992-01-01

The 65 MW S-Band klystrons (5045) used to power SLC have been in service for over seven years. Currently, 244 of these tubes are in place on the accelerator, operating full power at 120 pulses per second. Enough tubes have now reached cathode end of life, or experienced other failures to allow a good analysis of failure modes, and to project average lifetime for this type of tube. This paper describes the various modes of failure seen in klystrons returned from SLC service, and provides data on expected lifetime from current production based on accumulated SLC operating experience. 3 refs., 6 figs

Characterization of atomic spin polarization lifetime of cesium vapor cells with neon buffer gas

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Janet W.; Cranch, Geoffrey A.

2018-02-01

The dephasing time of spin-polarized atoms in an atomic vapor cell plays an important role in determining the stability of vapor-cell clocks as well as the sensitivity of optically-pumped magnetometers. The presence of a buffer gas can extend the lifetime of these atoms. Many vapor cell systems operate at a fixed (often elevated) temperature. For ambient temperature operation with no temperature control, it is necessary to characterize the temperature dependence as well. We present a spin-polarization lifetime study of Cesium vapor cells with different buffer gas pressures, and find good agreement with expectations based on the combined effects of wall collisions, spin exchange, and spin destruction. For our (7.5 mm diameter) vapor cells, the lifetime can be increased by two orders of magnitude by introducing Ne buffer gas up to 100 Torr. Additionally, the dependence of the lifetime on temperature is measured (25 - 47 oC) and simulated for the first time to our knowledge with reasonable agreement.

Lifetime measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poletti, A.R.

1976-01-01

Recent developments in experimental methods of measuring the lifetimes of excited nuclear states is reviewed in three main areas. (a) Doppler Shift Attenuation Measurements (DSAM) Times: 10 -14 - 10 -11 sec.; (b) Recoil Distance Measurements (RDM) Times: 10 -9 - 10 -12 sec.; (c) Direct Electronic Timing Times: down to 10 -10 sec.; A measurement of an excited state lifetime can answer a large number of different questions. Two examples are discussed: (a) The determination of the lifetime of an isomeric transition in 93 Tc and its use in determining an upper limit for the magnitude of the parity non-conserving matrix element - /Hsub(PN)/17/2 + >. (b) The dependence of the strength of M2 transitions on isospin in nuclei in the 1dsub(3/2) -1fsub(7/2) region. (author)

Fine-structure energy levels and radiative lifetime in Mo XIV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaodong; Pei Dong; Jiang Renbin; Wang Wanjue

2002-01-01

Energy levels, radiative lifetime and various transition parameters for allowed transitions among the 1508 fine-structure levels belong to the (1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 6 ) 3d 10 4l, 3d 9 4l 2 , 3d 10 5l, 3d 9 4l4m, 3d 10 6l, 3d 10 7l and so on configurations of the Cu-like ions Mo XIV have been calculated by using the expanded fully relativistic GRASP code. The results are compared with those available in the literature, and the accuracy of the present data is assessed. Energy levels are expected to be accurate to within 0.81%. The authors have found some long lifetime levels

On the Impacts of PV Array Sizing on the Inverter Reliability and Lifetime

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sangwongwanich, Ariya; Yang, Yongheng; Sera, Dezso

2018-01-01

, the total energy yield can be increased under weak solar irradiance conditions. However, oversizing the PV array will increase the loading of PV inverters, which may have undesired influence on the PV inverter reliability and lifetime. In that case, it may result in a negative impact on the overall PV...... energy cost, due to the increased maintenance for the PV inverters. With the above concern, this paper evaluates the reliability and lifetime of PV inverters considering the PV array sizing. The evaluation is based on the mission profile of the installation sites in Denmark and Arizona, where...... the reliability-critical components such as power devices and capacitors are considered. The results reveal that the variation in the PV array sizing can considerably deviate the reliability performance and lifetime expectation of PV inverters, especially for those installed in Denmark, where the average solar...

Do Alcohol Expectancy Outcomes and Valuations Mediate Peer Influences and Lifetime Alcohol Use among Early Adolescents?

Science.gov (United States)

Zamboanga, Byron L.; Schwartz, Seth J.; Ham, Lindsay S.; Jarvis, Lorna Hernandez; Olthuis, Janine V.

2009-01-01

Building on the theory of reasoned action (I. Ajzen & M. Fishbein, 1973, 1980; M. Fishbein & I. Ajzen, 1975) and expectancy theory, the authors examined the mediating role of alcohol expectancies in adolescent drinking behaviors by testing whether alcohol expectancy outcomes and valuations (the extent to which these outcomes are perceived…

The costs of inequality: whole-population modelling study of lifetime inpatient hospital costs in the English National Health Service by level of neighbourhood deprivation

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Tim; Cookson, Richard

2016-01-01

Background There are substantial socioeconomic inequalities in both life expectancy and healthcare use in England. In this study, we describe how these two sets of inequalities interact by estimating the social gradient in hospital costs across the life course. Methods Hospital episode statistics, population and index of multiple deprivation data were combined at lower-layer super output area level to estimate inpatient hospital costs for 2011/2012 by age, sex and deprivation quintile. Survival curves were estimated for each of the deprivation groups and used to estimate expected annual costs and cumulative lifetime costs. Results A steep social gradient was observed in overall inpatient hospital admissions, with rates ranging from 31 298/100 000 population in the most affluent fifth of areas to 43 385 in the most deprived fifth. This gradient was steeper for emergency than for elective admissions. The total cost associated with this inequality in 2011/2012 was £4.8 billion. A social gradient was also observed in the modelled lifetime costs where the lower life expectancy was not sufficient to outweigh the higher average costs in the more deprived populations. Lifetime costs for women were 14% greater than for men, due to higher costs in the reproductive years and greater life expectancy. Conclusions Socioeconomic inequalities result in increased morbidity and decreased life expectancy. Interventions to reduce inequality and improve health in more deprived neighbourhoods have the potential to save money for health systems not only within years but across peoples’ entire lifetimes, despite increased costs due to longer life expectancies. PMID:27189975

Charmed particle lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosner, J.L.

1979-01-01

Conventional estimates are reviewed for charmed particle lifetimes. Free-quark models give values of (a few) x 10 -13 sec to (a few) x 10 -12 sec. The shorter of these values also follows from an extrapolation based on D → Ke/sup nu/. Possible differences among the lifetimes and production rates of D 0 , D + , F + , C 0 + , the heavy lepton tau, and the fifth quark b are discussed. Extreme values of mixing angles in a six-quark model could extend charmed particle lifetimes by a factor of at most three from the above estimates, while shorter lifetimes than those predicted could occur for some species like D 0 or F + if their nonleptonic decays were enhanced. The predictions are discussed in the light of some current experimental results, and it is estimated that sigma(pp → charm) approx. = 10 μb at 400 GeV/c. 95 references

Radon concentration distributions in shallow and deep groundwater around the Tachikawa fault zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunomori, Fumiaki; Shimodate, Tomoya; Ide, Tomoki; Tanaka, Hidemi

2017-06-01

Groundwater radon concentrations around the Tachikawa fault zone were surveyed. The radon concentrations in shallow groundwater samples around the Tachikawa fault segment are comparable to previous studies. The characteristics of the radon concentrations on both sides of the segment are considered to have changed in response to the decrease in groundwater recharge caused by urbanization on the eastern side of the segment. The radon concentrations in deep groundwater samples collected around the Naguri and the Tachikawa fault segments are the same as those of shallow groundwater samples. However, the radon concentrations in deep groundwater samples collected from the bedrock beside the Naguri and Tachikawa fault segments are markedly higher than the radon concentrations expected from the geology on the Kanto plane. This disparity can be explained by the development of fracture zones spreading on both sides of the two segments. The radon concentration distribution for deep groundwater samples from the Naguri and the Tachikawa fault segments suggests that a fault exists even at the southern part of the Tachikawa fault line. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lifetime measurements of highly excited Rydberg states of strontium. Pt. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kunze, S.; Hohmann, R.; Kluge, H.J.; Lantzsch, J.; Monz, L.; Stenner, J.; Stratmann, K.; Wendt, K.; Zimmer, K. (Mainz Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik)

1993-06-01

Lifetimes of Rydberg states of triplet-series 5s ns[sup 3]S[sub 1] with n=19-23, 35 and 5s nd[sup 3]D[sub 3] with n=18-20, 23-28 in the spectrum of neutral strontium have been determined. Observation of the exponential decay after excitation by a pulsed laser in a fast atomic beam and subsequent state-selective field ionization was employed. The lifetimes of the states of the [sup 3]S[sub 1]-series show the expected n*[sup 3] dependence on the effective principal quantum number, while the [sup 3]D[sub 3]-series is disturbed by configuration mixing. Furthermore, state re-populations induced by black-body radiation have been observed. (orig.).

Proceedings of the IAEA specialists meeting on nuclear power plant lifetime assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

The purpose of this Specialists meeting was to provide an international forum for a discussion on recent results in research and utility practice on: * methodologies to predetermine reactor key components lifetime (i.e. those components which are considered not replaceable or are replaceable but are costly in terms of capital expenditure and/or outage time to replace); * to measure parameters for estimating remaining life. The remaining life on each heavy component is determined using available data on: - original design documentation. - relevant degradation mechanisms (fracture, failure, broken structure, corrosion, erosion, etc). - degradation of key component materials. - operational and maintenance history. - present state deriving from inspection, surveillance and monitoring records. - component examination and long term behaviour research. The meeting was expected to provide a vehicle to allow a better understanding of ageing phenomena of key reactor components and the effect of environmental factors. This is, the meeting was expected to improve knowledge of the topic of plant lifetime management and, thusly, to give some directions for further investigations to achieve a higher level of NPP reliability, availability and safety. (au)

Proceedings of the IAEA specialists meeting on nuclear power plant lifetime assurance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-12-15

The purpose of this Specialists meeting was to provide an international forum for a discussion on recent results in research and utility practice on: * methodologies to predetermine reactor key components lifetime (i.e. those components which are considered not replaceable or are replaceable but are costly in terms of capital expenditure and/or outage time to replace); * to measure parameters for estimating remaining life. The remaining life on each heavy component is determined using available data on: - original design documentation. - relevant degradation mechanisms (fracture, failure, broken structure, corrosion, erosion, etc). - degradation of key component materials. - operational and maintenance history. - present state deriving from inspection, surveillance and monitoring records. - component examination and long term behaviour research. The meeting was expected to provide a vehicle to allow a better understanding of ageing phenomena of key reactor components and the effect of environmental factors. This is, the meeting was expected to improve knowledge of the topic of plant lifetime management and, thusly, to give some directions for further investigations to achieve a higher level of NPP reliability, availability and safety. (au).

Precision measurement of the mass and lifetime of the $\\Xi_b^-$ baryon

CERN Document Server

Aaij, Roel; Adinolfi, Marco; Affolder, Anthony; Ajaltouni, Ziad; Akar, Simon; Albrecht, Johannes; Alessio, Federico; Alexander, Michael; Ali, Suvayu; Alkhazov, Georgy; Alvarez Cartelle, Paula; Alves Jr, Antonio Augusto; Amato, Sandra; Amerio, Silvia; Amhis, Yasmine; An, Liupan; Anderlini, Lucio; Anderson, Jonathan; Andreassen, Rolf; Andreotti, Mirco; Andrews, Jason; Appleby, Robert; Aquines Gutierrez, Osvaldo; Archilli, Flavio; Artamonov, Alexander; Artuso, Marina; Aslanides, Elie; Auriemma, Giulio; Baalouch, Marouen; Bachmann, Sebastian; Back, John; Badalov, Alexey; Baesso, Clarissa; Baldini, Wander; Barlow, Roger; Barschel, Colin; Barsuk, Sergey; Barter, William; Batozskaya, Varvara; Battista, Vincenzo; Bay, Aurelio; Beaucourt, Leo; Beddow, John; Bedeschi, Franco; Bediaga, Ignacio; Belogurov, Sergey; Belous, Konstantin; Belyaev, Ivan; Ben-Haim, Eli; Bencivenni, Giovanni; Benson, Sean; Benton, Jack; Berezhnoy, Alexander; Bernet, Roland; Bettler, Marc-Olivier; van Beuzekom, Martinus; Bien, Alexander; Bifani, Simone; Bird, Thomas; Bizzeti, Andrea; Bjørnstad, Pål Marius; Blake, Thomas; Blanc, Frédéric; Blouw, Johan; Blusk, Steven; Bocci, Valerio; Bondar, Alexander; Bondar, Nikolay; Bonivento, Walter; Borghi, Silvia; Borgia, Alessandra; Borsato, Martino; Bowcock, Themistocles; Bowen, Espen Eie; Bozzi, Concezio; Brambach, Tobias; Brett, David; Britsch, Markward; Britton, Thomas; Brodzicka, Jolanta; Brook, Nicholas; Brown, Henry; Bursche, Albert; Buytaert, Jan; Cadeddu, Sandro; Calabrese, Roberto; Calvi, Marta; Calvo Gomez, Miriam; Campana, Pierluigi; Campora Perez, Daniel; Carbone, Angelo; Carboni, Giovanni; Cardinale, Roberta; Cardini, Alessandro; Carson, Laurence; Carvalho Akiba, Kazuyoshi; Casse, Gianluigi; Cassina, Lorenzo; Castillo Garcia, Lucia; Cattaneo, Marco; Cauet, Christophe; Cenci, Riccardo; Charles, Matthew; Charpentier, Philippe; Chefdeville, Maximilien; Chen, Shanzhen; Cheung, Shu-Faye; Chiapolini, Nicola; Chrzaszcz, Marcin; Cid Vidal, Xabier; Ciezarek, Gregory; Clarke, Peter; Clemencic, Marco; Cliff, Harry; Closier, Joel; Coco, Victor; Cogan, Julien; Cogneras, Eric; Cogoni, Violetta; Cojocariu, Lucian; Collazuol, Gianmaria; Collins, Paula; Comerma-Montells, Albert; Contu, Andrea; Cook, Andrew; Coombes, Matthew; Coquereau, Samuel; Corti, Gloria; Corvo, Marco; Counts, Ian; Couturier, Benjamin; Cowan, Greig; Craik, Daniel Charles; Cruz Torres, Melissa Maria; Cunliffe, Samuel; Currie, Robert; D'Ambrosio, Carmelo; Dalseno, Jeremy; David, Pascal; David, Pieter; Davis, Adam; De Bruyn, Kristof; De Capua, Stefano; De Cian, Michel; De Miranda, Jussara; De Paula, Leandro; De Silva, Weeraddana; De Simone, Patrizia; Dean, Cameron Thomas; Decamp, Daniel; Deckenhoff, Mirko; Del Buono, Luigi; Déléage, Nicolas; Derkach, Denis; Deschamps, Olivier; Dettori, Francesco; Di Canto, Angelo; Dijkstra, Hans; Donleavy, Stephanie; Dordei, Francesca; Dorigo, Mirco; Dosil Suárez, Alvaro; Dossett, David; Dovbnya, Anatoliy; Dreimanis, Karlis; Dujany, Giulio; Dupertuis, Frederic; Durante, Paolo; Dzhelyadin, Rustem; Dziurda, Agnieszka; Dzyuba, Alexey; Easo, Sajan; Egede, Ulrik; Egorychev, Victor; Eidelman, Semen; Eisenhardt, Stephan; Eitschberger, Ulrich; Ekelhof, Robert; Eklund, Lars; El Rifai, Ibrahim; Elsasser, Christian; Ely, Scott; Esen, Sevda; Evans, Hannah Mary; Evans, Timothy; Falabella, Antonio; Färber, Christian; Farinelli, Chiara; Farley, Nathanael; Farry, Stephen; Fay, Robert; Ferguson, Dianne; Fernandez Albor, Victor; Ferreira Rodrigues, Fernando; Ferro-Luzzi, Massimiliano; Filippov, Sergey; Fiore, Marco; Fiorini, Massimiliano; Firlej, Miroslaw; Fitzpatrick, Conor; Fiutowski, Tomasz; Fol, Philip; Fontana, Marianna; Fontanelli, Flavio; Forty, Roger; Francisco, Oscar; Frank, Markus; Frei, Christoph; Frosini, Maddalena; Fu, Jinlin; Furfaro, Emiliano; Gallas Torreira, Abraham; Galli, Domenico; Gallorini, Stefano; Gambetta, Silvia; Gandelman, Miriam; Gandini, Paolo; Gao, Yuanning; García Pardiñas, Julián; Garofoli, Justin; Garra Tico, Jordi; Garrido, Lluis; Gascon, David; Gaspar, Clara; Gauld, Rhorry; Gavardi, Laura; Geraci, Angelo; Gersabeck, Evelina; Gersabeck, Marco; Gershon, Timothy; Ghez, Philippe; Gianelle, Alessio; Gianì, Sebastiana; Gibson, Valerie; Giubega, Lavinia-Helena; Gligorov, Vladimir; Göbel, Carla; Golubkov, Dmitry; Golutvin, Andrey; Gomes, Alvaro; Gotti, Claudio; Grabalosa Gándara, Marc; Graciani Diaz, Ricardo; Granado Cardoso, Luis Alberto; Graugés, Eugeni; Graverini, Elena; Graziani, Giacomo; Grecu, Alexandru; Greening, Edward; Gregson, Sam; Griffith, Peter; Grillo, Lucia; Grünberg, Oliver; Gui, Bin; Gushchin, Evgeny; Guz, Yury; Gys, Thierry; Hadjivasiliou, Christos; Haefeli, Guido; Haen, Christophe; Haines, Susan; Hall, Samuel; Hamilton, Brian; Hampson, Thomas; Han, Xiaoxue; Hansmann-Menzemer, Stephanie; Harnew, Neville; Harnew, Samuel; Harrison, Jonathan; He, Jibo; Head, Timothy; Heijne, Veerle; Hennessy, Karol; Henrard, Pierre; Henry, Louis; Hernando Morata, Jose Angel; van Herwijnen, Eric; Heß, Miriam; Hicheur, Adlène; Hill, Donal; Hoballah, Mostafa; Hombach, Christoph; Hulsbergen, Wouter; Hunt, Philip; Hussain, Nazim; Hutchcroft, David; Hynds, Daniel; Idzik, Marek; Ilten, Philip; Jacobsson, Richard; Jaeger, Andreas; Jalocha, Pawel; Jans, Eddy; Jaton, Pierre; Jawahery, Abolhassan; Jing, Fanfan; John, Malcolm; Johnson, Daniel; Jones, Christopher; Joram, Christian; Jost, Beat; Jurik, Nathan; Kandybei, Sergii; Kanso, Walaa; Karacson, Matthias; Karbach, Moritz; Karodia, Sarah; Kelsey, Matthew; Kenyon, Ian; Ketel, Tjeerd; Khanji, Basem; Khurewathanakul, Chitsanu; Klaver, Suzanne; Klimaszewski, Konrad; Kochebina, Olga; Kolpin, Michael; Komarov, Ilya; Koopman, Rose; Koppenburg, Patrick; Korolev, Mikhail; Kozlinskiy, Alexandr; Kravchuk, Leonid; Kreplin, Katharina; Kreps, Michal; Krocker, Georg; Krokovny, Pavel; Kruse, Florian; Kucewicz, Wojciech; Kucharczyk, Marcin; Kudryavtsev, Vasily; Kurek, Krzysztof; Kvaratskheliya, Tengiz; La Thi, Viet Nga; Lacarrere, Daniel; Lafferty, George; Lai, Adriano; Lambert, Dean; Lambert, Robert W; Lanfranchi, Gaia; Langenbruch, Christoph; Langhans, Benedikt; Latham, Thomas; Lazzeroni, Cristina; Le Gac, Renaud; van Leerdam, Jeroen; Lees, Jean-Pierre; Lefèvre, Regis; Leflat, Alexander; Lefrançois, Jacques; Leo, Sabato; Leroy, Olivier; Lesiak, Tadeusz; Leverington, Blake; Li, Yiming; Likhomanenko, Tatiana; Liles, Myfanwy; Lindner, Rolf; Linn, Christian; Lionetto, Federica; Liu, Bo; Lohn, Stefan; Longstaff, Iain; Lopes, Jose; Lopez-March, Neus; Lowdon, Peter; Lucchesi, Donatella; Luo, Haofei; Lupato, Anna; Luppi, Eleonora; Lupton, Oliver; Machefert, Frederic; Machikhiliyan, Irina V; Maciuc, Florin; Maev, Oleg; Malde, Sneha; Malinin, Alexander; Manca, Giulia; Mancinelli, Giampiero; Mapelli, Alessandro; Maratas, Jan; Marchand, Jean François; Marconi, Umberto; Marin Benito, Carla; Marino, Pietro; Märki, Raphael; Marks, Jörg; Martellotti, Giuseppe; Martín Sánchez, Alexandra; Martinelli, Maurizio; Martinez Santos, Diego; Martinez Vidal, Fernando; Martins Tostes, Danielle; Massafferri, André; Matev, Rosen; Mathe, Zoltan; Matteuzzi, Clara; Maurin, Brice; Mazurov, Alexander; McCann, Michael; McCarthy, James; McNab, Andrew; McNulty, Ronan; McSkelly, Ben; Meadows, Brian; Meier, Frank; Meissner, Marco; Merk, Marcel; Milanes, Diego Alejandro; Minard, Marie-Noelle; Moggi, Niccolò; Molina Rodriguez, Josue; Monteil, Stephane; Morandin, Mauro; Morawski, Piotr; Mordà, Alessandro; Morello, Michael Joseph; Moron, Jakub; Morris, Adam Benjamin; Mountain, Raymond; Muheim, Franz; Müller, Katharina; Mussini, Manuel; Muster, Bastien; Naik, Paras; Nakada, Tatsuya; Nandakumar, Raja; Nasteva, Irina; Needham, Matthew; Neri, Nicola; Neubert, Sebastian; Neufeld, Niko; Neuner, Max; Nguyen, Anh Duc; Nguyen, Thi-Dung; Nguyen-Mau, Chung; Nicol, Michelle; Niess, Valentin; Niet, Ramon; Nikitin, Nikolay; Nikodem, Thomas; Novoselov, Alexey; O'Hanlon, Daniel Patrick; Oblakowska-Mucha, Agnieszka; Obraztsov, Vladimir; Oggero, Serena; Ogilvy, Stephen; Okhrimenko, Oleksandr; Oldeman, Rudolf; Onderwater, Gerco; Orlandea, Marius; Otalora Goicochea, Juan Martin; Otto, Adam; Owen, Patrick; Oyanguren, Maria Arantza; Pal, Bilas Kanti; Palano, Antimo; Palombo, Fernando; Palutan, Matteo; Panman, Jacob; Papanestis, Antonios; Pappagallo, Marco; Pappalardo, Luciano; Parkes, Christopher; Parkinson, Christopher John; Passaleva, Giovanni; Patel, Girish; Patel, Mitesh; Patrignani, Claudia; Pearce, Alex; Pellegrino, Antonio; Pepe Altarelli, Monica; Perazzini, Stefano; Perret, Pascal; Perrin-Terrin, Mathieu; Pescatore, Luca; Pesen, Erhan; Petridis, Konstantin; Petrolini, Alessandro; Picatoste Olloqui, Eduardo; Pietrzyk, Boleslaw; Pilař, Tomas; Pinci, Davide; Pistone, Alessandro; Playfer, Stephen; Plo Casasus, Maximo; Polci, Francesco; Poluektov, Anton; Polycarpo, Erica; Popov, Alexander; Popov, Dmitry; Popovici, Bogdan; Potterat, Cédric; Price, Eugenia; Price, Joseph David; Prisciandaro, Jessica; Pritchard, Adrian; Prouve, Claire; Pugatch, Valery; Puig Navarro, Albert; Punzi, Giovanni; Qian, Wenbin; Rachwal, Bartolomiej; Rademacker, Jonas; Rakotomiaramanana, Barinjaka; Rama, Matteo; Rangel, Murilo; Raniuk, Iurii; Rauschmayr, Nathalie; Raven, Gerhard; Redi, Federico; Reichert, Stefanie; Reid, Matthew; dos Reis, Alberto; Ricciardi, Stefania; Richards, Sophie; Rihl, Mariana; Rinnert, Kurt; Rives Molina, Vincente; Robbe, Patrick; Rodrigues, Ana Barbara; Rodrigues, Eduardo; Rodriguez Perez, Pablo; Roiser, Stefan; Romanovsky, Vladimir; Romero Vidal, Antonio; Rotondo, Marcello; Rouvinet, Julien; Ruf, Thomas; Ruiz, Hugo; Ruiz Valls, Pablo; Saborido Silva, Juan Jose; Sagidova, Naylya; Sail, Paul; Saitta, Biagio; Salustino Guimaraes, Valdir; Sanchez Mayordomo, Carlos; Sanmartin Sedes, Brais; Santacesaria, Roberta; Santamarina Rios, Cibran; Santovetti, Emanuele; Sarti, Alessio; Satriano, Celestina; Satta, Alessia; Saunders, Daniel Martin; Savrina, Darya; Schiller, Manuel; Schindler, Heinrich; Schlupp, Maximilian; Schmelling, Michael; Schmidt, Burkhard; Schneider, Olivier; Schopper, Andreas; Schubiger, Maxime; Schune, Marie Helene; Schwemmer, Rainer; Sciascia, Barbara; Sciubba, Adalberto; Semennikov, Alexander; Sepp, Indrek; Serra, Nicola; Serrano, Justine; Sestini, Lorenzo; Seyfert, Paul; Shapkin, Mikhail; Shapoval, Illya; Shcheglov, Yury; Shears, Tara; Shekhtman, Lev; Shevchenko, Vladimir; Shires, Alexander; Silva Coutinho, Rafael; Simi, Gabriele; Sirendi, Marek; Skidmore, Nicola; Skillicorn, Ian; Skwarnicki, Tomasz; Smith, Anthony; Smith, Edmund; Smith, Eluned; Smith, Jackson; Smith, Mark; Snoek, Hella; Sokoloff, Michael; Soler, Paul; Soomro, Fatima; Souza, Daniel; Souza De Paula, Bruno; Spaan, Bernhard; Spradlin, Patrick; Sridharan, Srikanth; Stagni, Federico; Stahl, Marian; Stahl, Sascha; Steinkamp, Olaf; Stenyakin, Oleg; Stevenson, Scott; Stoica, Sabin; Stone, Sheldon; Storaci, Barbara; Stracka, Simone; Straticiuc, Mihai; Straumann, Ulrich; Stroili, Roberto; Subbiah, Vijay Kartik; Sun, Liang; Sutcliffe, William; Swientek, Krzysztof; Swientek, Stefan; Syropoulos, Vasileios; Szczekowski, Marek; Szczypka, Paul; Szumlak, Tomasz; T'Jampens, Stephane; Teklishyn, Maksym; Tellarini, Giulia; Teubert, Frederic; Thomas, Christopher; Thomas, Eric; van Tilburg, Jeroen; Tisserand, Vincent; Tobin, Mark; Todd, Jacob; Tolk, Siim; Tomassetti, Luca; Tonelli, Diego; Topp-Joergensen, Stig; Torr, Nicholas; Tournefier, Edwige; Tourneur, Stephane; Tran, Minh Tâm; Tresch, Marco; Trisovic, Ana; Tsaregorodtsev, Andrei; Tsopelas, Panagiotis; Tuning, Niels; Ubeda Garcia, Mario; Ukleja, Artur; Ustyuzhanin, Andrey; Uwer, Ulrich; Vacca, Claudia; Vagnoni, Vincenzo; Valenti, Giovanni; Vallier, Alexis; Vazquez Gomez, Ricardo; Vazquez Regueiro, Pablo; Vázquez Sierra, Carlos; Vecchi, Stefania; Velthuis, Jaap; Veltri, Michele; Veneziano, Giovanni; Vesterinen, Mika; Viaud, Benoit; Vieira, Daniel; Vieites Diaz, Maria; Vilasis-Cardona, Xavier; Vollhardt, Achim; Volyanskyy, Dmytro; Voong, David; Vorobyev, Alexey; Vorobyev, Vitaly; Voß, Christian; de Vries, Jacco; Waldi, Roland; Wallace, Charlotte; Wallace, Ronan; Walsh, John; Wandernoth, Sebastian; Wang, Jianchun; Ward, David; Watson, Nigel; Websdale, David; Whitehead, Mark; Wicht, Jean; Wiedner, Dirk; Wilkinson, Guy; Williams, Matthew; Williams, Mike; Wilschut, Hans; Wilson, Fergus; Wimberley, Jack; Wishahi, Julian; Wislicki, Wojciech; Witek, Mariusz; Wormser, Guy; Wotton, Stephen; Wright, Simon; Wyllie, Kenneth; Xie, Yuehong; Xing, Zhou; Xu, Zhirui; Yang, Zhenwei; Yuan, Xuhao; Yushchenko, Oleg; Zangoli, Maria; Zavertyaev, Mikhail; Zhang, Liming; Zhang, Wen Chao; Zhang, Yanxi; Zhelezov, Alexey; Zhokhov, Anatoly; Zhong, Liang

2014-01-01

We report on measurements of the mass and lifetime of the $\\Xi_b^-$ baryon using about 1800 $\\Xi_b^-$ decays reconstructed in a proton-proton collision data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. The decays are reconstructed in the $\\Xi_b^-\\to\\Xi_c^0\\pi^-$, $\\Xi_c^0\\to pK^-K^-\\pi^+$ channel and the mass and lifetime are measured using the $\\Lambda_b^0\\to\\Lambda_c^+\\pi^-$ mode as a reference. We measure \\begin{equation} \\ M(\\Xi_b^-)-M(\\Lambda_b^0)=178.36\\pm0.46\\pm0.16~MeV/c^2, \\end{equation} \\begin{equation} \\frac{^\\tau\\Xi_b^-} {^\\tau\\Lambda_b^0}=1.089\\pm0.026\\pm0.011, \\end{equation} where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. These results lead to a factor of two better precision on the $\\Xi_b^-$ mass and lifetime compared to previous best measurements, and are consistent with theoretical expectations.

Plant lifetime management and research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, K.; Nagayama, M.

1993-01-01

The importance of nuclear power generation has been increasing in Japan. Because the lower generation cost and more stable fuel supply, in comparison with the case of fossil plants, are beneficial to Japan which has scarce natural resources. In addition, nuclear power generation is expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emission which causes global warming. In these circumstances, the safe and stable operations of nuclear power plants are of prime importance, and the frequency of unscheduled shutdown has been kept low in Japan as a result of thorough periodic inspections supported by aging management. This paper covers the development process of the aging management program and related research programs in The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO). KEPCO runs 11 nuclear power units (PWR). A Table shows the commencement date of commercial operation and operating hours for each unit. The early plants, such as Mihama-2 Unit, have been operated for more than 100,000 hours and are in the phase of aging management. Accordingly, we have been conducting aging management programs since 1987. in order to identify age-related degradation and work out countermeasures.The aging management programs have ensured safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants. Each result of the lifetime assessment has provided the information which helps establishing maintenance programs. For example, the result of the lifetime assessment has been reflected to the intervals of overhaulings and inspections, and the replacement timing of some components. In the future activities of aging management should be revised and should focus lifetime assessment on components which provoke difficulties in inspections because of high radiation exposure or high inspection cost

Fluoride in groundwater: toxicological exposure and remedies.

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, S K; Singh, R K; Damodaran, T; Mishra, V K; Sharma, D K; Rai, Deepak

2013-01-01

Fluoride is a chemical element that is found most frequently in groundwater and has become one of the most important toxicological environmental hazards globally. The occurrence of fluoride in groundwater is due to weathering and leaching of fluoride-bearing minerals from rocks and sediments. Fluoride when ingested in small quantities (dental health by reducing dental caries, whereas higher concentrations (>1.5 mg/L) may cause fluorosis. It is estimated that about 200 million people, from among 25 nations the world over, may suffer from fluorosis and the causes have been ascribed to fluoride contamination in groundwater including India. High fluoride occurrence in groundwaters is expected from sodium bicarbonate-type water, which is calcium deficient. The alkalinity of water also helps in mobilizing fluoride from fluorite (CaF2). Fluoride exposure in humans is related to (1) fluoride concentration in drinking water, (2) duration of consumption, and (3) climate of the area. In hotter climates where water consumption is greater, exposure doses of fluoride need to be modified based on mean fluoride intake. Various cost-effective and simple procedures for water defluoridation techniques are already known, but the benefits of such techniques have not reached the rural affected population due to limitations. Therefore, there is a need to develop workable strategies to provide fluoride-safe drinking water to rural communities. The study investigated the geochemistry and occurrence of fluoride and its contamination in groundwater, human exposure, various adverse health effects, and possible remedial measures from fluoride toxicity effects.

Is it worth protecting groundwater from diffuse pollution with agri-environmental schemes? A hydro-economic modeling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hérivaux, Cécile; Orban, Philippe; Brouyère, Serge

2013-10-15

In Europe, 30% of groundwater bodies are considered to be at risk of not achieving the Water Framework Directive (WFD) 'good status' objective by 2015, and 45% are in doubt of doing so. Diffuse agricultural pollution is one of the main pressures affecting groundwater bodies. To tackle this problem, the WFD requires Member States to design and implement cost-effective programs of measures to achieve the 'good status' objective by 2027 at the latest. Hitherto, action plans have mainly consisted of promoting the adoption of Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES). This raises a number of questions concerning the effectiveness of such schemes for improving groundwater status, and the economic implications of their implementation. We propose a hydro-economic model that combines a hydrogeological model to simulate groundwater quality evolution with agronomic and economic components to assess the expected costs, effectiveness, and benefits of AES implementation. This hydro-economic model can be used to identify cost-effective AES combinations at groundwater-body scale and to show the benefits to be expected from the resulting improvement in groundwater quality. The model is applied here to a rural area encompassing the Hesbaye aquifer, a large chalk aquifer which supplies about 230,000 inhabitants in the city of Liege (Belgium) and is severely contaminated by agricultural nitrates. We show that the time frame within which improvements in the Hesbaye groundwater quality can be expected may be much longer than that required by the WFD. Current WFD programs based on AES may be inappropriate for achieving the 'good status' objective in the most productive agricultural areas, in particular because these schemes are insufficiently attractive. Achieving 'good status' by 2027 would demand a substantial change in the design of AES, involving costs that may not be offset by benefits in the case of chalk aquifers with long renewal times. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecology and living conditions of groundwater fauna

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thulin, Barbara [Geo Innova AB (Sweden); Hahn, Hans Juergen [Arbeitsgruppe Grundwasseroekologie, Univ. of Koblenz-Landau (Germany)

2008-09-15

probable because both Harpatocoida (Parastenocaris sp.) and Nematoda have been detected in the hyporheic zone in rivers and at shores of the Baltic. In addition, groundwater fauna has been reported from other formerly glaciated areas e.g. Northern Germany, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, North America and Siberia and Alpine regions. Glaciofluvial porous aquifers, especially eskers, and karstic aquifers as well as the hyporheic zone, have proved to offer the greatest chances of successful surveys of groundwater fauna. In Sweden endemic species are not expected to be found, except in karstic aquifers in Gotland and Oeland and some parts of the Swedish Mountains. The upper layers of aquifers in crystalline bedrock have only been surveyed at very few sites. Based on community structures of groundwater fauna, reliable statements on the strength of the surface water impact and the vulnerability of the aquifer are possible. Contacts between different water bodies are displayed by groundwater fauna because groundwater fauna communities mainly reflect the intensity of surface water intrusion at a certain point when compared to hydrochemical data indicating the origin of the water. The information provided by the groundwater assemblages of an aquifer can be used for an ecologically based assessment of groundwater. Ecologically based assessment has provided initial data showing that groundwater fauna is a good marker of mixing between surface water and groundwater at certain depths. Ecologically based assessment has hitherto been used for extraction wells and quality management in drinking water abstraction (standards are still to be established). Groundwater fauna assessments have also proved to be useful in management of wetlands and regulation under nature protection law

Ecology and living conditions of groundwater fauna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thulin, Barbara; Hahn, Hans Juergen

2008-09-01

probable because both Harpatocoida (Parastenocaris sp.) and Nematoda have been detected in the hyporheic zone in rivers and at shores of the Baltic. In addition, groundwater fauna has been reported from other formerly glaciated areas e.g. Northern Germany, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, North America and Siberia and Alpine regions. Glaciofluvial porous aquifers, especially eskers, and karstic aquifers as well as the hyporheic zone, have proved to offer the greatest chances of successful surveys of groundwater fauna. In Sweden endemic species are not expected to be found, except in karstic aquifers in Gotland and Oeland and some parts of the Swedish Mountains. The upper layers of aquifers in crystalline bedrock have only been surveyed at very few sites. Based on community structures of groundwater fauna, reliable statements on the strength of the surface water impact and the vulnerability of the aquifer are possible. Contacts between different water bodies are displayed by groundwater fauna because groundwater fauna communities mainly reflect the intensity of surface water intrusion at a certain point when compared to hydrochemical data indicating the origin of the water. The information provided by the groundwater assemblages of an aquifer can be used for an ecologically based assessment of groundwater. Ecologically based assessment has provided initial data showing that groundwater fauna is a good marker of mixing between surface water and groundwater at certain depths. Ecologically based assessment has hitherto been used for extraction wells and quality management in drinking water abstraction (standards are still to be established). Groundwater fauna assessments have also proved to be useful in management of wetlands and regulation under nature protection law

Gender difference in health expectancy trends in Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mairey, Isabelle; Bjerregaard, Peter; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

2014-01-01

longstanding illness supports the theory of compression of morbidity, but as the trend direction differs according to which measure for health is used, a definite conclusion cannot be drawn. The different rate of development of partial life expectancy and expected lifetime in good health between men and women......Background: The population of Greenland comprises almost 31 000 Inuit Greenlanders aged 20-65. The purpose of this study was to estimate trends in expected life years between age 20 and 65 in good and poor health, and to compare changes between men and women since the mid-1990s. Methods: Partial...... life expectancy was calculated and combined with prevalence data on self-rated health, longstanding illness and musculoskeletal diseases derived from health surveys carried out in 1993-94, 1999-2001 and 2005-10. Trends for men and women were compared and changes were decomposed into contributions from...

Analysis of Lifetime Data for the Linac 201 MHz Power Amplifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCrory, Elliot; Webber, Robert C.

2002-01-01

This document analyzes data on the lifetime of the 201-MHz triode power amplifier (PA) vacuum tube, model number 7835, used in the low-energy half of the Linac. We observe that a 7835 power amplifier vacuum tube has historically provided about one and one-third years service in the Linac. The lifetime of recently re-manufactured tubes is somewhat less, but it is not clear if this is because the manufacturer is ''loosing their touch,'' or because tubes cannot be effectively rebuilt after a certain number of times. Taking into account the expected tube lifetimes, the statistical fluctuations on this number, and the amount of time it takes for the manufacturer to make good tubes, we require about 14 tubes either operating, ready as good spares or being manufactured, in order to have sufficient spares to run the Linac. As a hedge against supplier drop out, we need to increase our inventory of good spare tubes by about three tubes per year for the next few years

Classification of groundwater at the Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, J.B.

1994-08-01

Groundwater occurring at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) has been classified according to the ''Guidelines for Ground-Water Classification Under the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ground-Water Protection Strategy'' (June 1988). All of the groundwater units at the NTS are Class II, groundwater currently (IIA) or potentially (IIB) a source of drinking water. The Classification Review Area (CRA) for the NTS is defined as the standard two-mile distance from the facility boundary recommended by EPA. The possibility of expanding the CRA was evaluated, but the two-mile distance encompasses the area expected to be impacted by contaminant transport during a 10-year period (EPA,s suggested limit), should a release occur. The CRA is very large as a consequence of the large size of the NTS and the decision to classify the entire site, not individual areas of activity. Because most activities are located many miles hydraulically upgradient of the NTS boundary, the CRA generally provides much more than the usual two-mile buffer required by EPA. The CRA is considered sufficiently large to allow confident determination of the use and value of groundwater and identification of potentially affected users. The size and complex hydrogeology of the NTS are inconsistent with the EPA guideline assumption of a high degree of hydrologic interconnection throughout the review area. To more realistically depict the site hydrogeology, the CRA is subdivided into eight groundwater units. Two main aquifer systems are recognized: the lower carbonate aquifer system and the Cenozoic aquifer system (consisting of aquifers in Quaternary valley fill and Tertiary volcanics). These aquifer systems are further divided geographically based on the location of low permeability boundaries

Evaluating Renewable Groundwater Stress with GRACE data in Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Lakshmi, V.; Gemitzi, A.

2016-12-01

Groundwater is a resilient water source and its importance as a fundamental resource is even greater in times of drought where groundwater stress conditions are greatest for areas like Mediterranean and adverse climate change effects are expected. The present study evaluates Renewable Groundwater Stress (RGS) as the ratio of groundwater use to groundwater availability, quantifying use as the trend in GRACE-derived subsurface anomalies (ΔGWtrend) and renewable groundwater availability as mean annual recharge. Estimates for mean annual recharge were used from groundwater studies conducted for the various regions in Greece, mainly in the form of numerical models. Our results highlighted two RGS regimes in Greece out of the four characteristic stress regimes, i.e. Overstressed, Variable Stress, Human-Dominated Stress and Unstressed, defined as a function of the sign of use and the sign of groundwater availability (positive or negative). Variable Stress areas are found in central Greece (Thessaly region), where intense agricultural activities take place, with negative ΔGWtrend values combined with positive mean annual recharge rates. RGS values range from -0.05 - 0, indicating however a low impact area. Within this region, adverse effects of groundwater overexploitation are already evident, based on the negative GRACE anomalies, recharge however still remains positive, amending the adverse over pumping impacts. The rest of Greek aquifers fall within the unstressed category, with RGS values from 0.02 - 0.05, indicating that the rate of use is less than the natural recharge rate. The highest Unstressed RGS values are observed in Crete Island and in Northeastern Greece. However, the case of Crete is highly uncertain, as precipitation and recharge in this area demonstrate exceptionally high variability and the coarse resolution of GRACE results does not allow for reliable estimates.

The impact of water vapor transmission rate on the lifetime of flexible polymer solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Hauch, Jens A.; Schilinsky, Pavel; Choulis, Stelios A.; Rajoelson, Sambatra; Brabec, Christoph J.

2008-09-01

In this paper we perform accelerated lifetime testing on high efficiency flexible poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) solar cells encapsulated with food package quality barrier films with a water vapor transmission rate of 0.2 g/(m2 day) at 65 °C/85% relative humidity. We show that lifetimes exceeding 1250 h, even at high temperature/high humidity conditions, may be reached, proving that organic solar cells are significantly less sensitive against the environmental effects of water and oxygen than previously expected.

Crude mortality and loss of life expectancy of patients diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreassen, Bettina K; Myklebust, Tor Å; Haug, Erik S

2017-02-01

Reports from cancer registries often lack clinically relevant information, which would be useful in estimating the prognosis of individual patients with urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UCB). This article presents estimates of crude probabilities of death due to UCB and the expected loss of lifetime stratified for patient characteristics. In Norway, 10,332 patients were diagnosed with UCB between 2001 and 2010. The crude probabilities of death due to UCB were estimated, stratified by gender, age and T stage, using flexible parametric survival models. Based on these models, the loss in expectation of lifetime due to UCB was also estimated for the different strata. There is large variation in the estimated crude probabilities of death due to UCB (from 0.03 to 0.76 within 10 years since diagnosis) depending on age, gender and T stage. Furthermore, the expected loss of life expectancy is more than a decade for younger patients with muscle-invasive UCB and between a few months and 5 years for nonmuscle-invasive UCB. The suggested framework leads to clinically relevant prognostic risk estimates for individual patients diagnosed with UCB and the consequence in terms of loss of lifetime expectation. The published probability tables can be used in clinical praxis for risk communication.

Groundwater Drought and Recovery: a Case Study from the United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

Peach, D.; McKenzie, A. A.; Bloomfield, J.

2012-12-01

experienced accumulated rainfall deficiencies over 24 months or more. Such rainfall deficiencies could, on aver¬age, only be expected around once every 20 to 30 years. The rainfall deficiencies were disproportionately concentrated in the winter/spring periods leading to significant reductions in groundwater recharge over the winters of 2010-11 and particularly 2011-12. At it's height in March 2012 groundwater levels were at historically low levels with estimated overall storage in the Chalk aquifer, the principal aquifer in the UK, lower than at the same time in 1976, the previous benchmark drought for the UK. Natural base levels had been reached or closely approached at a number of index wells early in the hydrometric year and groundwater recession was expected to continue with the prospect of overall groundwater resources being comparable with, or below, the lowest in the last 100 years by the autumn of 2012. However, a significant change in weather in spring 2012 led to three months (April to June) of exceptional rainfall, mitigating the drought and leading to anomalous groundwater recharge at a time of year when soil moisture deficits are normally significant.

Lifetime costs of cerebral palsy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse, Marie; Michelsen, Susan Ishøy; Flachs, Esben Meulengracht

2009-01-01

This study quantified the lifetime costs of cerebral palsy (CP) in a register-based setting. It was the first study outside the US to assess the lifetime costs of CP. The lifetime costs attributable to CP were divided into three categories: health care costs, productivity costs, and social costs....... social care costs and productivity costs associated with CP point to a potential gain from labour market interventions that benefit individuals with CP.......This study quantified the lifetime costs of cerebral palsy (CP) in a register-based setting. It was the first study outside the US to assess the lifetime costs of CP. The lifetime costs attributable to CP were divided into three categories: health care costs, productivity costs, and social costs...... in 2000. The prevalence of CP in eastern Denmark was approximately 1.7 per 1000. Information on productivity and the use of health care was retrieved from registers. The lifetime cost of CP was about euro860 000 for men and about euro800 000 for women. The largest component was social care costs...

Three-dimensional fluorescence lifetime tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godavarty, Anuradha; Sevick-Muraca, Eva M.; Eppstein, Margaret J.

2005-01-01

Near-infrared fluorescence tomography using molecularly targeted lifetime-sensitive, fluorescent contrast agents have applications for early-stage cancer diagnostics. Yet, although the measurement of fluorescent lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is extensively used in microscopy and spectroscopy applications, demonstration of fluorescence lifetime tomography for medical imaging is limited to two-dimensional studies. Herein, the feasibility of three-dimensional fluorescence-lifetime tomography on clinically relevant phantom volumes is established, using (i) a gain-modulated intensified charge coupled device (CCD) and modulated laser diode imaging system, (ii) two fluorescent contrast agents, e.g., Indocyanine green and 3-3'-Diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide differing in their fluorescence lifetime by 0.62 ns, and (iii) a two stage approximate extended Kalman filter reconstruction algorithm. Fluorescence measurements of phase and amplitude were acquired on the phantom surface under different target to background fluorescence absorption (70:1, 100:1) and fluorescence lifetime (1:1, 2.1:1) contrasts at target depths of 1.4-2 cm. The Bayesian tomography algorithm was employed to obtain three-dimensional images of lifetime and absorption owing to the fluorophores

Effect of seasonal drawdown variations on groundwater quality in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2013-07-24

Jul 24, 2013 ... Igbinosa and Okoh (2009) reported the damaging conse- quences of leachate infiltration into groundwater bodies on life expectancy of such water consumers, while Quinn et al. (2006) enumerated its effect and that of delayed drawdown on moist plant productivity and wetland ecology. Several studies have ...

An update of the state-of-the-art report on the corrosion of copper under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, Fraser; Lilja, Christina; Pedersen, Karsten; Pitkaenen, Petteri; Vaehaenen, Marjut

2010-12-01

Copper has been the corrosion barrier of choice for the canister in the Swedish and Finnish, nuclear waste disposal programmes for over 30 years. During that time many studies have been carried out on the corrosion behaviour of copper under conditions likely to exist in an underground nuclear waste repository located in the Fenno-Scandian bedrock. This review is a summary of what has been learnt about the long-term behaviour of the corrosion barrier during this period and what the implications of this knowledge are for the predicted service life of the canisters. The review is based on the existing knowledge from various nuclear waste management programs around the world and from the open literature. Various areas are considered: the expected evolution of the geochemical and microbiological conditions in the groundwater and of the repository environment, the thermodynamics of copper corrosion, corrosion during the operational phase and in the bentonite prior to saturation of the buffer by groundwater, general and localised corrosion following saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer, stress corrosion cracking, radiation effects, the implications of corrosion on the service life of the canister, and areas for further study. This report is an updated version of that originally published in 2001/2002. The original material has been supplemented by information from studies carried out over the last decade. The conclusion drawn from this review is that the original prediction made in 1978 of canister lifetimes exceeding 100,000 years remains valid

An update of the state-of-the-art report on the corrosion of copper under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, F. [Integrity Corrosion Consulting Limited (Canada); Lilja, C. [Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB, Stockholm (Sweden); Pedersen, K. [Microbial Analytics Sweden AB, Molnlycke (Sweden); Pitkaenen, P.; Vaehaenen, M.

2012-07-15

Copper has been the corrosion barrier of choice for the canister in the Swedish and Finnish, nuclear waste disposal programmes for over 30 years. During that time many studies have been carried out on the corrosion behaviour of copper under conditions likely to exist in an underground nuclear waste repository located in the Fenno-Scandian bedrock. This review is a summary of what has been learnt about the long-term behaviour of the corrosion barrier during this period and what the implications of this knowledge are for the predicted service life of the canisters. The review is based on the existing knowledge from various nuclear waste management programs around the world and from the open literature. Various areas are considered: the expected evolution of the geochemical and microbiological conditions in the groundwater and of the repository environment, the thermodynamics of copper corrosion, corrosion during the operational phase and in the bentonite prior to saturation of the buffer by groundwater, general and localised corrosion following saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer, stress corrosion cracking, radiation effects, the implications of corrosion on the service life of the canister, and areas for further study. This report is an updated version of that originally published in 2001/2002. The original material has been supplemented by information from studies carried out over the last decade. The conclusion drawn from this review is that the original prediction made in 1978 of canister lifetimes exceeding 100,000 years remains valid. (orig.)

An update of the state-of-the-art report on the corrosion of copper under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, Fraser (Integrity Corrosion Consulting Limited (Canada)); Lilja, Christina (Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB (Sweden)); Pedersen, Karsten (Microbial Analytics Sweden AB (Sweden)); Pitkaenen, Petteri; Vaehaenen, Marjut (Posiva Oy (Finland))

2010-12-15

Copper has been the corrosion barrier of choice for the canister in the Swedish and Finnish, nuclear waste disposal programmes for over 30 years. During that time many studies have been carried out on the corrosion behaviour of copper under conditions likely to exist in an underground nuclear waste repository located in the Fenno-Scandian bedrock. This review is a summary of what has been learnt about the long-term behaviour of the corrosion barrier during this period and what the implications of this knowledge are for the predicted service life of the canisters. The review is based on the existing knowledge from various nuclear waste management programs around the world and from the open literature. Various areas are considered: the expected evolution of the geochemical and microbiological conditions in the groundwater and of the repository environment, the thermodynamics of copper corrosion, corrosion during the operational phase and in the bentonite prior to saturation of the buffer by groundwater, general and localised corrosion following saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer, stress corrosion cracking, radiation effects, the implications of corrosion on the service life of the canister, and areas for further study. This report is an updated version of that originally published in 2001/2002. The original material has been supplemented by information from studies carried out over the last decade. The conclusion drawn from this review is that the original prediction made in 1978 of canister lifetimes exceeding 100,000 years remains valid

An update of the state-of-the-art report on the corrosion of copper under expected conditions in a deep geologic repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, F.; Lilja, C.; Pedersen, K.; Pitkaenen, P.; Vaehaenen, M.

2012-07-01

Copper has been the corrosion barrier of choice for the canister in the Swedish and Finnish, nuclear waste disposal programmes for over 30 years. During that time many studies have been carried out on the corrosion behaviour of copper under conditions likely to exist in an underground nuclear waste repository located in the Fenno-Scandian bedrock. This review is a summary of what has been learnt about the long-term behaviour of the corrosion barrier during this period and what the implications of this knowledge are for the predicted service life of the canisters. The review is based on the existing knowledge from various nuclear waste management programs around the world and from the open literature. Various areas are considered: the expected evolution of the geochemical and microbiological conditions in the groundwater and of the repository environment, the thermodynamics of copper corrosion, corrosion during the operational phase and in the bentonite prior to saturation of the buffer by groundwater, general and localised corrosion following saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer, stress corrosion cracking, radiation effects, the implications of corrosion on the service life of the canister, and areas for further study. This report is an updated version of that originally published in 2001/2002. The original material has been supplemented by information from studies carried out over the last decade. The conclusion drawn from this review is that the original prediction made in 1978 of canister lifetimes exceeding 100,000 years remains valid. (orig.)

Lifetime assessment on PWR reactor vessel internals in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Sung-Gyu; Jin, Tae-Eun; Jeong, Ill-Seok

2002-01-01

In order to extend the operating time of the Kori Unit 1 reactor internals, a comprehensive review of the potential ageing problems and a safety assessment have been performed. As the plant ages, reactor internal components which are subject to various ageing mechanism should be identified and evaluated based on the systematic technical procedure. In this respect, technical procedure for lifetime evaluation had been developed and applied to reactor internals. This paper describes a overall assessment and ageing management procedure and evaluation results for reactor internals. Also this paper suggests the optimal ageing management programs to maintain the integrity of reactor internals beyond design life based on the evaluation results. A review of all known potential ageing mechanisms was performed for each of the reactor internal subcomponents. From these results, 8 ageing mechanisms such as void swelling, irradiation and thermal embrittlement, fatigue, stress corrosion cracking, IASCC, stress relaxation, and wear for the reactor internal components were expected to be of major concerns during the current or extended plant life. In this study, 8 ageing mechanisms were identified for lifetime evaluation. For these ageing mechanisms, lifetime assessment was performed. As a result of this evaluation, it is expected that core barrel will exceed the IASCC threshold value during 40 operating years, and baffle/former and baffle former bolts will exceed the threshold value for void swelling, irradiation embrittlement, IASCC, stress relaxation during 40 operating years. However, for all other reactor internals subcomponents, thermal embrittlement, fatigue, SCC, and wear were identified as nonsignificant. As a result of lifetime evaluations, 4 ageing mechanisms were established to be plausible for 3 subcomponents. These results are shown. The existing ageing management programs (AMPs) for Kori Unit 1, such as ISI, water chemistry control, rod drop time testing etc., were

Hydrochemical stability of groundwaters surrounding a spent nuclear fuel repository in a 100,000 year perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puigdomeneck, I.

2001-09-01

This report is focussed on the effects of climate changes on the chemical composition of deep groundwaters. The aim of the work has been to assess the hydrochemical stability at nuclear repository sites in Finland and Sweden. Sites investigated by SKB and POSIVA have been compared. The corresponding features are important in judging how sensitive a site might be to climatic changes. Evidence for climate effects in the past on groundwater compositions has been reviewed, including isotopic and mineralogical data. There is for example evidence that glacial meltwaters are currently present at repository depths in the Fennoscandian Shield. No evidence has been found however that oxidising conditions have ever prevailed at depth, even if glacial meltwaters presumably had a substantial amount of dissolved O 2 . The depth distribution of different calcite types (and other fracture minerals) indicates stability in large-scale groundwater circulation over time. Information on past (and future) groundwater salinities has been sought after in the results of hydrological numerical models for Aespoe in Sweden and Olkiluoto in Finland. It is expected that groundwater salinities will change due to future climatic variations. The main effects will be from shoreline movements, permafrost and continental ice-sheets. In most sites the present reducing redox conditions will remain undisturbed during glacial cycles. The modelling indicated that most of the SKB suitability criteria will be met during the life-span of the repository and the groundwater composition will vary within what is observed in the samples collected today at various depths. The expected changes are therefore not judged to threaten the integrity and functioning of the repository. The major conclusion is that despite long-term hydrodynamic changes hydrochemical stability is expected to dominate at repository depth

Hydrochemical stability of groundwaters surrounding a spent nuclear fuel repository in a 100,000 year perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puigdomeneck, I. (ed.)

2001-09-01

This report is focussed on the effects of climate changes on the chemical composition of deep groundwaters. The aim of the work has been to assess the hydrochemical stability at nuclear repository sites in Finland and Sweden. Sites investigated by SKB and POSIVA have been compared. The corresponding features are important in judging how sensitive a site might be to climatic changes. Evidence for climate effects in the past on groundwater compositions has been reviewed, including isotopic and mineralogical data. There is for example evidence that glacial meltwaters are currently present at repository depths in the Fennoscandian Shield. No evidence has been found however that oxidising conditions have ever prevailed at depth, even if glacial meltwaters presumably had a substantial amount of dissolved O{sub 2}. The depth distribution of different calcite types (and other fracture minerals) indicates stability in large-scale groundwater circulation over time. Information on past (and future) groundwater salinities has been sought after in the results of hydrological numerical models for Aespoe in Sweden and Olkiluoto in Finland. It is expected that groundwater salinities will change due to future climatic variations. The main effects will be from shoreline movements, permafrost and continental ice-sheets. In most sites the present reducing redox conditions will remain undisturbed during glacial cycles. The modelling indicated that most of the SKB suitability criteria will be met during the life-span of the repository and the groundwater composition will vary within what is observed in the samples collected today at various depths. The expected changes are therefore not judged to threaten the integrity and functioning of the repository. The major conclusion is that despite long-term hydrodynamic changes hydrochemical stability is expected to dominate at repository depth.

Hydrochemical stability of groundwaters surrounding a spent nuclear fuel repository in a 100,000 year perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puigdomenech, I. (ed.); Gurban, I.; Laaksoharju, M. [and others

2001-12-01

This report is focused on the effects of climate changes on the chemical composition of deep groundwaters. The aim of the work has been to assess the hydrochemical stability at nuclear repository sites in Finland and Sweden. Sites investigated by SKB and POSIVA have been compared. The corresponding features are important in judging how sensitive a site might be to climatic changes. Evidence for climate effects in the past on groundwater compositions has been reviewed, including isotopic and mineralogical data. There is for example evidence that glacial meltwaters are currently present at repository depths in the Fennoscandian Shield. No evidence has been found however that oxidising conditions have ever prevailed at depth, even if glacial meltwaters presumably had a substantial amount of dissolved 0{sub 2}. The depth distribution of different calcite types (and other fracture minerals) indicates stability in large-scale groundwater circulation over time. Information on past (and future) groundwater salinities has been sought after in the results of hydrological numerical models for Aespoe in Sweden and Olkiluoto in Finland. It is expected that groundwater salinities will change due to future climatic variations. The main effects will be from shoreline movements, permafrost and continental ice-sheets. In most sites the present reducing redox conditions will remain undisturbed during glacial cycles. The modelling indicated that most of the SKB suitability criteria will be met during the life-span of the repository and the groundwater composition will vary within what is observed in the samples collected today at various depths. The expected changes are therefore not judged to threaten the integrity and functioning of the repository. The major conclusion is that despite long-term hydrodynamic changes hydrochemical stability is expected to dominate at repository depth. (orig.)

Groundwater geochemistry of nile delta-desert interface 1.isotope hydrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.F.; Nada, A.A.; Awad, M.A.

1995-01-01

Sustenance and environmental protection of groundwater supply is of major concern in the integral environmental development in the arid to sub-arid regions in the Nile basin. Isotope data ( 18O , 2H and 3H ) of groundwater in the west of the Nile delta indicates the contribution of palaeo groundwater component (in the range 0.1 - 0.8 with means of 0.39 and 0.52 for tahrir and khatatbah, respectively) along with sub recent recharge from the delta aquifer and recent recharge from irrigation conveyance canals in desert. Isotope mixing model (developed as Two-input table using excel TM spreads heat on apple Macintosh TM) is proposed to explain the apparent discrepancies in groundwater isotopic composition of khatatbah and tahrir areas assuming the contribution of two isotopically different palaeo-oples with two isotopically similar maind delta groundwater poles. About 0.30% 1 8 O depletion per 10 Km downstream is detected and low northward groundwater recharge is suggested along 75 Km of the western strip of rosetta Nile. Higher sub-recent recharge from the main delta aquifer is believed to take place in khatatbah than tahrir whereas the last is believed to be replenished at present from the irrigation/ drainage network and irrigated fields with higher pollution risk for groundwater system in tahrir aquifer is exposed to northern marine intrusion. Lowering of the piezo metric level is to be expected in the newly exploited desertic areas under over pumping. 9 figs

Precision lifetime measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanner, C.E.

1994-01-01

Precision measurements of atomic lifetimes provide important information necessary for testing atomic theory. The authors employ resonant laser excitation of a fast atomic beam to measure excited state lifetimes by observing the decay-in-flight of the emitted fluorescence. A similar technique was used by Gaupp, et al., who reported measurements with precisions of less than 0.2%. Their program includes lifetime measurements of the low lying p states in alkali and alkali like systems. Motivation for this work comes from a need to test the atomic many-body-perturbation theory (MBPT) that is necessary for interpretation of parity nonconservation experiments in atomic cesium. The authors have measured the cesium 6p 2 P 1/2 and 6p 2 P 3/2 state lifetimes to be 34.934±0.094 ns and 30.499±0.070 ns respectively. With minor changes to the apparatus, they have extended their measurements to include the lithium 2p 2 P 1/2 and 2p 2 P 3/2 states

Investigating the mysteries of groundwater in the Badain Jaran Desert, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xu-Sheng; Zhou, Yanyi

2018-03-01

The Badain Jaran Desert (BJD) in China is a desert with impressive sand dunes and a groundwater situation that has attracted numerous researchers. This paper gives an overview of the mysteries of groundwater in the BJD that are exhibited as five key problems identified in previous studies. These problems relate to the origin of the groundwater, the hydrological connection between the BJD and the Heihe River Basin (HRB), the infiltration recharge, the lake-groundwater interactions, and the features of stable isotope analyses. The existing controversial analyses and hypotheses have caused debate and have hindered effective water resources management in the region. In recent years, these problems have been partly addressed by additional surveys. It has been revealed that the Quaternary sandy sediments and Neogene-Cretaceous sandstones form a thick aquifer system in the BJD. Groundwater flow at the regional scale is dominated by a significant difference in water levels between the surrounding mountains and lowlands at the western and northern edges. Discharge of groundwater from the BJD to the downstream HRB occurs according to the regional flow. Seasonal fluctuations of the water level in lakes are less than 0.5 m due to the quasi-steady groundwater discharge. The magnitude of infiltration recharge is still highly uncertain because significant limitations existed in previous studies. The evaporation effect may be the key to interpreting the anomalous negative deuterium-excess in the BJD groundwater. Further investigations are expected to reveal the hydrogeological conditions in more detail.

Death Valley regional ground-water flow system, Nevada and California -- hydrogeologic framework and transient ground-water flow model

Science.gov (United States)

Belcher, Wayne R.

2004-01-01

provided by acquiring additional data, by reevaluating existing data using current technology and concepts, and by refining earlier interpretations to reflect the current understanding of the regional ground-water flow system. Ground-water flow in the Death Valley region is composed of several interconnected, complex ground-water flow systems. Ground-water flow occurs in three subregions in relatively shallow and localized flow paths that are superimposed on deeper, regional flow paths. Regional ground-water flow is predominantly through a thick Paleozoic carbonate rock sequence affected by complex geologic structures from regional faulting and fracturing that can enhance or impede flow. Spring flow and evapotranspiration (ET) are the dominant natural ground-water discharge processes. Ground water also is withdrawn for agricultural, commercial, and domestic uses. Ground-water flow in the DVRFS was simulated using MODFLOW-2000, a 3D finite-difference modular ground-water flow modeling code that incorporates a nonlinear least-squares regression technique to estimate aquifer parameters. The DVRFS model has 16 layers of defined thickness, a finite-difference grid consisting of 194 rows and 160 columns, and uniform cells 1,500 m on each side. Prepumping conditions (before 1913) were used as the initial conditions for the transient-state calibration. The model uses annual stress periods with discrete recharge and discharge components. Recharge occurs mostly from infiltration of precipitation and runoff on high mountain ranges and from a small amount of underflow from adjacent basins. Discharge occurs primarily through ET and spring discharge (both simulated as drains) and water withdrawal by pumping and, to a lesser amount, by underflow to adjacent basins, also simulated by drains. All parameter values estimated by the regression are reasonable and within the range of expected values. The simulated hydraulic heads of the final calibrated transient model gener

A Commune-Level Groundwater Potential Map for the Republic of Mali

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Díaz-Alcaide

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Groundwater represents an essential resource in sub-Saharan Africa, where several hundred million people rely on aquifers for domestic supply. This paper presents a method to map groundwater potential in the Republic of Mali based on a spatially-distributed database of 26,040 boreholes. The database includes exhaustive information on key parameters such as borehole location, success rate of borehole production, depth, yield, static groundwater level or water quality. Representative variables were classified and interpreted jointly to develop a groundwater potential index for each of the 703 communes in Mali. This provides a methodological novelty because groundwater potential studies typically rely on indirect indicators such as lineaments, slope, soil moisture and landforms. Also, such large borehole databases have seldom been used to estimate groundwater potential. The highest indexes were obtained for the areas in and around the River Niger’s Inner Delta, including southern Tombouctou and the central parts of the Ségou and Mopti Regions. The lower Precambrian formations, which include the country’s thoroughly populated southern plateau, had moderate scores. The lowest groundwater potential was found in the northern part of the Kayes and Koulikoro Regions, as well as in the entire region of Kidal. By providing results at the commune scale, these outcomes show that groundwater potential across the country’s geological and hydrogeological units can be highly variable, and that local and regional-scale information may be useful for groundwater management purposes. These results are policy-relevant in a context of rapid change and population growth, where groundwater resources can be expected to be increasingly relied upon in the coming years.

Groundwater Sustainability Through Optimal Crop Choice in the Indian Punjab

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, R.; Siegfried, T. U.; B Krishnamurthy, C.; Sobolowski, S.

2010-12-01

total discounted crop revenue being the goal function and non-declining revenue as well as groundwater sustainability constraints. Areas set aside for individual crops in individual seasons and districts are decision variables and levels of support prices determine revenue streams. The SP was solved with a Monte Carlo simulation-based approach by sampling the 100 climate realizations where the expected goal function is approximated by the corresponding sample average function. Results indicate that a climate sensitive crop choice can lead to expected net economic gains while ensuring non-declining groundwater tables at the same time if support prices for water intensive crops are sufficiently low as compared to the prices of climate-sensitive crops. This is promising since it shows that wisely chosen support price signals could incentivize farmers to adopt climate-sensitive crop choice while at the same time stabilize the state fiscal burden from subsidized energy for groundwater pumping. It would, however, imply that India should gradually develop other regions of modern mechanized agricultural so as to ensure sufficient caloric supplies at the national scale.

Groundwater modeling of source terms and contaminant plumes for DOE low-level waste performance assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell-Boyer, L.M.; Wilson, J.E.

1994-01-01

Under US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A, all sites within the DOE complex must analyze the performance of planned radioactive waste disposal facilities before disposal takes place through the radiological performance assessment process. These assessments consider both exposures to the public from radionuclides potentially released from disposal facilities and protection of groundwater resources. Compliance with requirements for groundwater protection is often the most difficult to demonstrate as these requirements are generally more restrictive than those for other pathways. Modeling of subsurface unsaturated and saturated flow and transport was conducted for two such assessments for the Savannah River site. The computer code PORFLOW was used to evaluate release and transport of radionuclides from different types of disposal unit configurations: vault disposal and trench disposal. The effectiveness of engineered barriers was evaluated in terms of compliance with groundwater protection requirements. The findings suggest that, due to the limited lifetime of engineered barriers, overdesign of facilities for long-lived radionuclides is likely to occur if compliance must be realized for thousands of years

Mining the bulk positron lifetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aourag, H.; Guittom, A.

2009-01-01

We introduce a new approach to investigate the bulk positron lifetimes of new systems based on data-mining techniques. Through data mining of bulk positron lifetimes, we demonstrate the ability to predict the positron lifetimes of new semiconductors on the basis of available semiconductor data already studied. Informatics techniques have been applied to bulk positron lifetimes for different tetrahedrally bounded semiconductors in order to discover computational design rules. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AROUND RECLAIMED MUNICIPAL LANDFILL – OTWOCK AREA, POLAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Porowska

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The research was conducted around reclaimed landfill, located on the suburb of Otwock, around 25 km south-west of Warsaw. The objective of this study was to identify the chemical composition of groundwater and to determine the landfill impact on the chemical composition of groundwater downgrading from the landfill. Otwock landfill is located in very permeable area, where leachate quickly seeps into groundwater and plays a key role in controlling redox condition (and chemical composition of groundwater of the downgradient area. High concentrations of HCO3-, Cl-, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Fetot. as well as DOC in groundwater downgradient from the landfill (in comparison to background water likely indicate that groundwater quality is being significantly affected by leachate percolation. Currently, the load of contamination is released from landfill periodically and slowly moves (70 m/y in the aquifer along the flow direction. The effect of distance of the piezometer from the pollution source was also investigated. As expected, water from the nearest piezometer to the landfill showed the highest values of contaminant (water temperature, specific electrical conductivity, sodium, iron, chlorides (except for summer and autumn analysis and calcium (except for winter analysis. Chemical status of groundwater downgradient from the landfill is poor.

Lifetime management research trend of Kori-1 nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. S.; Jeong, I. S.; Hong, S. Y.

1998-01-01

KEPRI launched the Nuclear Power Plant Lifetime Management Study(II) for the management of the latter half life of Kori-1. Main goal of LCM-IV study is the detail evaluation of main equipment life and establishment of aging management based on LCM-IV result. The result of LCM-IV on the kori-1 confirmed the technical and economical feasibility of life extension beyond the design life. Owing to absence of The regulatory policy for the life extension in korea, LCM-IV will focus on the minimum study which is essential for the actual lifetime management for the old nuclear power plant. License renewal study is expected after the establishment of Regulatory policy about the life extension of nuclear power plant. LCM trend in korea and abroad, result of technical and economical feasibility study and summary of LCM-IV is described on this paper

Estimating groundwater 14C ages in the arid Ti-Tree Basin, Central Australia: Use of 87Sr/86Sr to constrain sources of inorganic carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrington, G.A.; Herczeg, A.L.

1999-01-01

The Ti-Tree Basin in the Northern Territory of and Central Australia contains several Tertiary and Quaternary aquifers which yield high-quality groundwater (TDS generally < 1500 mg/l). This resource is vital to the existence of major horticultural developments in the Basin, and provides a reliable supply of water to the township of Ti-Tree (population ∼ 100) and numerous remote Aboriginal communities. To meet increasing demands for water to expand the horticulture industry, it has become necessary to gain a proper understanding of the processes which govern the lifetime of this groundwater resource

Precision measurement of the mass and lifetime of the Ξb⁻ baryon.

Science.gov (United States)

Aaij, R; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Affolder, A; Ajaltouni, Z; Akar, S; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Ali, S; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves, A A; Amato, S; Amerio, S; Amhis, Y; An, L; Anderlini, L; Anderson, J; Andreassen, R; Andreotti, M; Andrews, J E; Appleby, R B; Aquines Gutierrez, O; Archilli, F; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Baalouch, M; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Badalov, A; Baesso, C; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Batozskaya, V; Battista, V; Bay, A; Beaucourt, L; Beddow, J; Bedeschi, F; Bediaga, I; Belogurov, S; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Benton, J; Berezhnoy, A; Bernet, R; Bettler, M-O; van Beuzekom, M; Bien, A; Bifani, S; Bird, T; Bizzeti, A; Bjørnstad, P M; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bocci, V; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Borghi, S; Borgia, A; Borsato, M; Bowcock, T J V; Bowen, E; Bozzi, C; Brambach, T; Brett, D; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brodzicka, J; Brook, N H; Brown, H; Bursche, A; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Calabrese, R; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Campana, P; Campora Perez, D; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Cassina, L; Castillo Garcia, L; Cattaneo, M; Cauet, Ch; Cenci, R; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chefdeville, M; Chen, S; Cheung, S-F; Chiapolini, N; Chrzaszcz, M; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Cogneras, E; Cogoni, V; Cojocariu, L; Collazuol, G; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coombes, M; Coquereau, S; Corti, G; Corvo, M; Counts, I; Couturier, B; Cowan, G A; Craik, D C; Cruz Torres, M; Cunliffe, S; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; Dalseno, J; David, P; David, P N Y; Davis, A; De Bruyn, K; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Miranda, J M; De Paula, L; De Silva, W; De Simone, P; Dean, C-T; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Del Buono, L; Déléage, N; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Di Canto, A; Dijkstra, H; Donleavy, S; Dordei, F; Dorigo, M; Dosil Suárez, A; Dossett, D; Dovbnya, A; Dreimanis, K; Dujany, G; Dupertuis, F; Durante, P; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Dzyuba, A; Easo, S; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; Eisenhardt, S; Eitschberger, U; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; El Rifai, I; Elsasser, Ch; Ely, S; Esen, S; Evans, H-M; Evans, T; Falabella, A; Färber, C; Farinelli, C; Farley, N; Farry, S; Fay, R F; Ferguson, D; Fernandez Albor, V; Ferreira Rodrigues, F; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fiore, M; Fiorini, M; Firlej, M; Fitzpatrick, C; Fiutowski, T; Fol, P; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forty, R; Francisco, O; Frank, M; Frei, C; Frosini, M; Fu, J; Furfaro, E; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gallorini, S; Gambetta, S; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; García Pardiñas, J; Garofoli, J; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Gascon, D; Gaspar, C; Gauld, R; Gavardi, L; Geraci, A; Gersabeck, E; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gianelle, A; Gianì, S; Gibson, V; Giubega, L; Gligorov, V V; Göbel, C; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gotti, C; Grabalosa Gándara, M; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graverini, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Greening, E; Gregson, S; Griffith, P; Grillo, L; Grünberg, O; Gui, B; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Hadjivasiliou, C; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hall, S; Hamilton, B; Hampson, T; Han, X; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harnew, N; Harnew, S T; Harrison, J; He, J; Head, T; Heijne, V; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Henry, L; Hernando Morata, J A; van Herwijnen, E; Heß, M; Hicheur, A; Hill, D; Hoballah, M; Hombach, C; Hulsbergen, W; Hunt, P; Hussain, N; Hutchcroft, D; Hynds, D; Idzik, M; Ilten, P; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jalocha, J; Jans, E; Jaton, P; Jawahery, A; Jing, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Joram, C; Jost, B; Jurik, N; Kandybei, S; Kanso, W; Karacson, M; Karbach, T M; Karodia, S; Kelsey, M; Kenyon, I R; Ketel, T; Khanji, B; Khurewathanakul, C; Klaver, S; Klimaszewski, K; Kochebina, O; Kolpin, M; Komarov, I; Koopman, R F; Koppenburg, P; Korolev, M; Kozlinskiy, A; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krocker, G; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Kucewicz, W; Kucharczyk, M; Kudryavtsev, V; Kurek, K; Kvaratskheliya, T; La Thi, V N; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lambert, D; Lambert, R W; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Langhans, B; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Lees, J-P; Lefèvre, R; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Leo, S; Leroy, O; Lesiak, T; Leverington, B; Li, Y; Likhomanenko, T; Liles, M; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Lionetto, F; Liu, B; Lohn, S; Longstaff, I; Lopes, J H; Lopez-March, N; Lowdon, P; Lucchesi, D; Luo, H; Lupato, A; Luppi, E; Lupton, O; Machefert, F; Machikhiliyan, I V; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Malde, S; Malinin, A; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Mapelli, A; Maratas, J; Marchand, J F; Marconi, U; Marin Benito, C; Marino, P; Märki, R; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martín Sánchez, A; Martinelli, M; Martinez Santos, D; Martinez Vidal, F; Martins Tostes, D; Massafferri, A; Matev, R; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Maurin, B; Mazurov, A; McCann, M; McCarthy, J; McNab, A; McNulty, R; McSkelly, B; Meadows, B; Meier, F; Meissner, M; Merk, M; Milanes, D A; Minard, M-N; Moggi, N; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monteil, S; Morandin, M; Morawski, P; Mordà, A; Morello, M J; Moron, J; Morris, A-B; Mountain, R; Muheim, F; Müller, K; Mussini, M; Muster, B; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nasteva, I; Needham, M; Neri, N; Neubert, S; Neufeld, N; Neuner, M; Nguyen, A D; Nguyen, T D; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nicol, M; Niess, V; Niet, R; Nikitin, N; Nikodem, T; Novoselov, A; O'Hanlon, D P; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Oggero, S; Ogilvy, S; Okhrimenko, O; Oldeman, R; Onderwater, C J G; Orlandea, M; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Otto, A; Owen, P; Oyanguren, A; Pal, B K; Palano, A; Palombo, F; Palutan, M; Panman, J; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Pappalardo, L L; Parkes, C; Parkinson, C J; Passaleva, G; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Patrignani, C; Pearce, A; Pellegrino, A; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perret, P; Perrin-Terrin, M; Pescatore, L; Pesen, E; Petridis, K; Petrolini, A; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pietrzyk, B; Pilař, T; Pinci, D; Pistone, A; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Polci, F; Poluektov, A; Polycarpo, E; Popov, A; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Potterat, C; Price, E; Price, J D; Prisciandaro, J; Pritchard, A; Prouve, C; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Punzi, G; Qian, W; Rachwal, B; Rademacker, J H; Rakotomiaramanana, B; Rama, M; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Rauschmayr, N; Raven, G; Redi, F; Reichert, S; Reid, M M; dos Reis, A C; Ricciardi, S; Richards, S; Rihl, M; Rinnert, K; Rives Molina, V; Robbe, P; Rodrigues, A B; Rodrigues, E; Rodriguez Perez, P; Roiser, S; Romanovsky, V; Romero Vidal, A; Rotondo, M; Rouvinet, J; Ruf, T; Ruiz, H; Ruiz Valls, P; Saborido Silva, J J; Sagidova, N; Sail, P; Saitta, B; Salustino Guimaraes, V; Sanchez Mayordomo, C; Sanmartin Sedes, B; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santovetti, E; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Saunders, D M; Savrina, D; Schiller, M; Schindler, H; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schubiger, M; Schune, M-H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Semennikov, A; Sepp, I; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Sestini, L; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, V; Shires, A; Silva Coutinho, R; Simi, G; Sirendi, M; Skidmore, N; Skillicorn, I; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, N A; Smith, E; Smith, E; Smith, J; Smith, M; Snoek, H; Sokoloff, M D; Soler, F J P; Soomro, F; Souza, D; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Spradlin, P; Sridharan, S; Stagni, F; Stahl, M; Stahl, S; Steinkamp, O; Stenyakin, O; Stevenson, S; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Stracka, S; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Stroili, R; Subbiah, V K; Sun, L; Sutcliffe, W; Swientek, K; Swientek, S; Syropoulos, V; Szczekowski, M; Szczypka, P; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Teklishyn, M; Tellarini, G; Teubert, F; Thomas, C; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Todd, J; Tolk, S; Tomassetti, L; Tonelli, D; Topp-Joergensen, S; Torr, N; Tournefier, E; Tourneur, S; Tran, M T; Tresch, M; Trisovic, A; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tsopelas, P; Tuning, N; Ubeda Garcia, M; Ukleja, A; Ustyuzhanin, A; Uwer, U; Vacca, C; Vagnoni, V; Valenti, G; Vallier, A; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vázquez Sierra, C; Vecchi, S; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Veneziano, G; Vesterinen, M; Viaud, B; Vieira, D; Vieites Diaz, M; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Vollhardt, A; Volyanskyy, D; Voong, D; Vorobyev, A; Vorobyev, V; Voß, C; de Vries, J A; Waldi, R; Wallace, C; Wallace, R; Walsh, J; Wandernoth, S; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Watson, N K; Websdale, D; Whitehead, M; Wicht, J; Wiedner, D; Wilkinson, G; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Wilschut, H W; Wilson, F F; Wimberley, J; Wishahi, J; Wislicki, W; Witek, M; Wormser, G; Wotton, S A; Wright, S; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, Z; Xu, Z; Yang, Z; Yuan, X; Yushchenko, O; Zangoli, M; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, L; Zhang, W C; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zhokhov, A; Zhong, L

2014-12-12

We report on measurements of the mass and lifetime of the Ξ(b)⁻ baryon using about 1800 Ξ(b)⁻ decays reconstructed in a proton-proton collision data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0  fb⁻¹ collected by the LHCb experiment. The decays are reconstructed in the Ξ(b)⁻→Ξ(c)⁰π⁻, Ξ(c)⁰→pK⁻K⁻π⁺ channel and the mass and lifetime are measured using the Λ(b)⁰→Λ(c)⁺π⁻ mode as a reference. We measure M(Ξ(b)⁻)-M(Λ(b)⁰)=178.36±0.46±0.16  MeV/c², (τ(Ξ(b)⁻)/τ(Λ(b)⁰)=1.089±0.026±0.011, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. These results lead to a factor of 2 better precision on the Ξ(b)⁻ mass and lifetime compared to previous best measurements, and are consistent with theoretical expectations.

Accelerated lifetime testing methodology for lifetime estimation of Lithium-ion batteries used in augmented wind power plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stroe, Daniel Ioan; Swierczynski, Maciej Jozef; Stan, Ana-Irina

2013-01-01

The development of lifetime estimation models for Lithium-ion battery cells, which are working under highly variable mission profiles characteristic for wind power plant applications, requires a lot of expenditures and time resources. Therefore, batteries have to be tested under accelerated...... lifetime ageing conditions. This paper presents a three-stage methodology used for accelerated lifetime testing of Lithium-ion batteries. The results obtained at the end of the accelerated ageing process can be used for the parametrization of a performance-degradation lifetime model. In the proposed...... methodology both calendar and cycling lifetime tests are considered since both components are influencing the lifetime of Lithium-ion batteries. The methodology proposes also a lifetime model verification stage, where Lithium-ion battery cells are tested at normal operating conditions using an application...

Effect of TCE concentration and dissolved groundwater solutes on NZVI-promoted TCE dechlorination and H2 evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yueqiang; Phenrat, Tanapon; Lowry, Gregory V

2007-11-15

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) is used to remediate contaminated groundwater plumes and contaminant source zones. The target contaminant concentration and groundwater solutes (NO3-, Cl-, HCO3-, SO4(2-), and HPO4(2-)) should affect the NZVI longevity and reactivity with target contaminants, but these effects are not well understood. This study evaluates the effect of trichloroethylene (TCE) concentration and common dissolved groundwater solutes on the rates of NZVI-promoted TCE dechlorination and H2 evolution in batch reactors. Both model systems and real groundwater are evaluated. The TCE reaction rate constant was unaffected by TCE concentration for [TCE] TCE concentration up to water saturation (8.4 mM). For [TCE] > or = 0.46 mM, acetylene formation increased, and the total amount of H2 evolved at the end of the particle reactive lifetime decreased with increasing [TCE], indicating a higher Fe0 utilization efficiency for TCE dechlorination. Common groundwater anions (5mN) had a minor effect on H2 evolution but inhibited TCE reduction up to 7-fold in increasing order of Cl- TCE reduction but increased acetylene production and decreased H2 evolution. NO3- present at > 3 mM slowed TCE dechlorination due to surface passivation. NO3- present at 5 mM stopped TCE dechlorination and H2 evolution after 3 days. Dissolved solutes accounted for the observed decrease of NZVI reactivity for TCE dechlorination in natural groundwater when the total organic content was small (< 1 mg/L).

Groundwater quota versus tiered groundwater pricing : two cases of groundwater management in north-west China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aarnoudse, Eefje; Qu, Wei; Bluemling, B.; Herzfeld, Thomas

2017-01-01

Difficulties in monitoring groundwater extraction cause groundwater regulations to fail worldwide. In two counties in north-west China local water authorities have installed smart card machines to monitor and regulate farmers’ groundwater use. Data from a household survey and in-depth interviews are

Lifetime risks of kidney donation: a medical decision analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiberd, Bryce A; Tennankore, Karthik K

2017-09-01

This study estimated the potential loss of life and the lifetime cumulative risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) from live kidney donation. Markov medical decision analysis. USA. 40-year-old live kidney donors of both sexes and black/white race. Live donor nephrectomy. Potential remaining life years lost, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost and added lifetime cumulative risk of ESRD from donation. Overall 0.532-0.884 remaining life years were lost from donating a kidney. This was equivalent to 1.20%-2.34% of remaining life years (or 0.76%-1.51% remaining QALYs). The risk was higher in male and black individuals. The study showed that 1%-5% of average-age current live kidney donors might develop ESRD as a result of nephrectomy. The added risk of ESRD resulted in a loss of only 0.126-0.344 remaining life years. Most of the loss of life was predicted to be associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) not ESRD. Most events occurred 25 or more years after donation. Reducing the increased risk of death associated with CKD had a modest overall effect on the per cent loss of remaining life years (0.72%-1.9%) and QALYs (0.58%-1.33%). Smoking and obesity reduced life expectancy and increased overall lifetime risks of ESRD in non-donors. However the percentage loss of remaining life years from donation was not very different in those with or without these risk factors. Live kidney donation may reduce life expectancy by 0.5-1 year in most donors. The development of ESRD in donors may not be the only measure of risk as most of the predicted loss of life predates ESRD. The study identifies the potential importance of following donors and treating risk factors aggressively to prevent ESRD and to improve donor survival. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Comparison of a Conceptual Groundwater Model and Physically Based Groundwater Mode

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, J.; Zammit, C.; Griffiths, J.; Moore, C.; Woods, R. A.

2017-12-01

Groundwater is a vital resource for human activities including agricultural practice and urban water demand. Hydrologic modelling is an important way to study groundwater recharge, movement and discharge, and its response to both human activity and climate change. To understand the groundwater hydrologic processes nationally in New Zealand, we have developed a conceptually based groundwater flow model, which is fully integrated into a national surface-water model (TopNet), and able to simulate groundwater recharge, movement, and interaction with surface water. To demonstrate the capability of this groundwater model (TopNet-GW), we applied the model to an irrigated area with water shortage and pollution problems in the upper Ruamahanga catchment in Great Wellington Region, New Zealand, and compared its performance with a physically-based groundwater model (MODFLOW). The comparison includes river flow at flow gauging sites, and interaction between groundwater and river. Results showed that the TopNet-GW produced similar flow and groundwater interaction patterns as the MODFLOW model, but took less computation time. This shows the conceptually-based groundwater model has the potential to simulate national groundwater process, and could be used as a surrogate for the more physically based model.

Lifetime results from heavy quark systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadimitriou, V.

1997-11-01

We present the latest measurements of weakly decaying b-hadrons from experiments at e + e - and p anti p colliders. These measurements include the average lifetime of b-hadrons, lifetimes of the B - , B 0 and B 0 s mesons, the average lifetime of b-baryons and lifetimes of the Λ b and Ξ b baryons

Measurement of Beauty Particle Lifetimes and Hadroproduction Cross-Section

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

We propose an experimental search for beauty particles produced in fixed target hadronic interactions. The essential feature of the proposed experimental technique is the use of two specially designed pieces of hardware~-~a high precision ``decay detector'' and a fast secondary vertex trigger processor. If these devices perform to our expectations, we should be able to obtain sufficient data sample to address several important physics issues, including measurements of the lifetimes of charged and neutral B~mesons, the B~hadroproduction cross-section, and possibly B$^0$- $ \\bar{B} ^0 $ mixing.

Can the lifetime of the superheater tubes be predicted according to the fuel analyses? Assessment from field and laboratory data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salmenoja, K [Kvaerner Pulping Oy, Tampere (Finland)

1999-12-31

Lifetime of the superheaters in different power boilers is more or less still a mystery. This is especially true in firing biomass based fuels (biofuels), such as bark, forest residues, and straw. Due to the unhomogeneous nature of the biofuels, the lifetime of the superheaters may vary from case to case. Sometimes the lifetime is significantly shorter than originally expected, sometimes no corrosion even in the hottest tubes is observed. This is one of the main reasons why the boiler operators often demand for a better predictability on the corrosion resistance of the materials to avoid unscheduled shutdowns. (orig.) 9 refs.

Can the lifetime of the superheater tubes be predicted according to the fuel analyses? Assessment from field and laboratory data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salmenoja, K. [Kvaerner Pulping Oy, Tampere (Finland)

1998-12-31

Lifetime of the superheaters in different power boilers is more or less still a mystery. This is especially true in firing biomass based fuels (biofuels), such as bark, forest residues, and straw. Due to the unhomogeneous nature of the biofuels, the lifetime of the superheaters may vary from case to case. Sometimes the lifetime is significantly shorter than originally expected, sometimes no corrosion even in the hottest tubes is observed. This is one of the main reasons why the boiler operators often demand for a better predictability on the corrosion resistance of the materials to avoid unscheduled shutdowns. (orig.) 9 refs.

The maximum economic depth of groundwater abstraction for irrigation

Science.gov (United States)

Bierkens, M. F.; Van Beek, L. P.; de Graaf, I. E. M.; Gleeson, T. P.

2017-12-01

Over recent decades, groundwater has become increasingly important for agriculture. Irrigation accounts for 40% of the global food production and its importance is expected to grow further in the near future. Already, about 70% of the globally abstracted water is used for irrigation, and nearly half of that is pumped groundwater. In many irrigated areas where groundwater is the primary source of irrigation water, groundwater abstraction is larger than recharge and we see massive groundwater head decline in these areas. An important question then is: to what maximum depth can groundwater be pumped for it to be still economically recoverable? The objective of this study is therefore to create a global map of the maximum depth of economically recoverable groundwater when used for irrigation. The maximum economic depth is the maximum depth at which revenues are still larger than pumping costs or the maximum depth at which initial investments become too large compared to yearly revenues. To this end we set up a simple economic model where costs of well drilling and the energy costs of pumping, which are a function of well depth and static head depth respectively, are compared with the revenues obtained for the irrigated crops. Parameters for the cost sub-model are obtained from several US-based studies and applied to other countries based on GDP/capita as an index of labour costs. The revenue sub-model is based on gross irrigation water demand calculated with a global hydrological and water resources model, areal coverage of crop types from MIRCA2000 and FAO-based statistics on crop yield and market price. We applied our method to irrigated areas in the world overlying productive aquifers. Estimated maximum economic depths range between 50 and 500 m. Most important factors explaining the maximum economic depth are the dominant crop type in the area and whether or not initial investments in well infrastructure are limiting. In subsequent research, our estimates of

Simulation of Groundwater Flow, Denpasar-Tabanan Groundwater Basin, Bali Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heryadi Tirtomihardjo

2014-06-01

Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v6i3.123Due to the complex structure of the aquifer systems and its hydrogeological units related with the space in which groundwater occurs, groundwater flows were calculated in three-dimensional method (3D Calculation. The geometrical descritization and iteration procedures were based on an integrated finite difference method. In this paper, all figures and graphs represent the results of the calibrated model. Hence, the model results were simulated by using the actual input data which were calibrated during the simulation runs. Groundwater flow simulation of the model area of the Denpasar-Tabanan Groundwater Basin (Denpasar-Tabanan GB comprises steady state run, transient runs using groundwater abstraction in the period of 1989 (Qabs-1989 and period of 2009 (Qabs-2009, and prognosis run as well. Simulation results show, in general, the differences of calculated groundwater heads and observed groundwater heads at steady and transient states (Qabs-1989 and Qabs-2009 are relatively small. So, the groundwater heads situation simulated by the prognosis run (scenario Qabs-2012 are considerably valid and can properly be used for controlling the plan of groundwater utilization in Denpasar-Tabanan GB.

Groundwater geochemistry of nile delta-desert interface 1.isotope hydrology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hussein, M F [Cairo University, Dept., of Soil and water, Giza, Gamma Street, (Egypt); Nada, A A; Awad, M A [Atomic Energy Authority, Nuclear Chemistry Dept., P.o. Box 13759, Cairo, (Egypt)

1995-10-01

Sustenance and environmental protection of groundwater supply is of major concern in the integral environmental development in the arid to sub-arid regions in the Nile basin. Isotope data ({sup 18O}, {sup 2H} and {sup 3H}) of groundwater in the west of the Nile delta indicates the contribution of palaeo groundwater component (in the range 0.1 - 0.8 with means of 0.39 and 0.52 for tahrir and khatatbah, respectively) along with sub recent recharge from the delta aquifer and recent recharge from irrigation conveyance canals in desert. Isotope mixing model (developed as Two-input table using excel{sup TM} spreads heat on apple Macintosh{sup TM)} is proposed to explain the apparent discrepancies in groundwater isotopic composition of khatatbah and tahrir areas assuming the contribution of two isotopically different palaeo-oples with two isotopically similar maind delta groundwater poles. About 0.30% {sup 1}8{sup O} depletion per 10 Km downstream is detected and low northward groundwater recharge is suggested along 75 Km of the western strip of rosetta Nile. Higher sub-recent recharge from the main delta aquifer is believed to take place in khatatbah than tahrir whereas the last is believed to be replenished at present from the irrigation/ drainage network and irrigated fields with higher pollution risk for groundwater system in tahrir aquifer is exposed to northern marine intrusion. Lowering of the piezo metric level is to be expected in the newly exploited desertic areas under over pumping. 9 figs.

Estimating Groundwater Development area in Jianan Plain using Standardized Groundwater Index

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Chang Hsiang; Haw, Lee Cheng

2017-04-01

Taiwan has been facing severe water crises in recent years owing to the effects of extreme weather conditions. Changes in precipitation patterns have also made the drought phenomenon increasingly prominent, which has indirectly affected groundwater recharge. Hence, in the present study, long-term monitoring data were collected from the study area of the Jianan plain. The standardized groundwater index (SGI) and was then used to analyse the region's drought characteristics. To analyse the groundwater level by using SGI, making SGI180 groundwater level be the medium water crises, and SGI360 groundwater level be the extreme water crises. Through the different water crises signal in SGI180 and SGI360, we divide groundwater in Jianan plain into two sections. Thereby the water crises indicators establishing groundwater level standard line in Jianan Plain, then using the groundwater level standard line to find the study area where could be groundwater development area in Jianan plain. Taking into account relatively more water scarcity in dry season, so the study screen out another emergency backup groundwater development area, but the long-term groundwater development area is still as a priority development area. After finding suitable locations, groundwater modeling systems(GMS) software is used to simulate our sites to evaluate development volume. Finally, the result of study will help the government to grasp the water shortage situation immediately and solve the problem of water resources deployment.

Increasing minority carrier lifetime in as-grown multicrystalline silicon by low temperature internal gettering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Amin, M., E-mail: m.al-amin@warwick.ac.uk; Murphy, J. D., E-mail: john.d.murphy@warwick.ac.uk [School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2016-06-21

We report a systematic study into the effects of long low temperature (≤500 °C) annealing on the lifetime and interstitial iron distributions in as-grown multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) from different ingot height positions. Samples are characterised in terms of dislocation density, and lifetime and interstitial iron concentration measurements are made at every stage using a temporary room temperature iodine-ethanol surface passivation scheme. Our measurement procedure allows these properties to be monitored during processing in a pseudo in situ way. Sufficient annealing at 300 °C and 400 °C increases lifetime in all cases studied, and annealing at 500 °C was only found to improve relatively poor wafers from the top and bottom of the block. We demonstrate that lifetime in poor as-grown wafers can be improved substantially by a low cost process in the absence of any bulk passivation which might result from a dielectric surface film. Substantial improvements are found in bottom wafers, for which annealing at 400 °C for 35 h increases lifetime from 5.5 μs to 38.7 μs. The lifetime of top wafers is improved from 12.1 μs to 23.8 μs under the same conditions. A correlation between interstitial iron concentration reduction and lifetime improvement is found in these cases. Surprisingly, although the interstitial iron concentration exceeds the expected solubility values, low temperature annealing seems to result in an initial increase in interstitial iron concentration, and any subsequent decay is a complex process driven not only by diffusion of interstitial iron.

Recoil Distance Method lifetime measurements via gamma-ray and charged-particle spectroscopy at NSCL

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Philip Jonathan

The Recoil Distance Method (RDM) is a well-established technique for measuring lifetimes of electromagnetic transitions. Transition matrix elements derived from the lifetimes provide valuable insight into nuclear structure. Recent RDM investigations at NSCL present a powerful new model-independent tool for the spectroscopy of nuclei with extreme proton-to-neutron ratios that exhibit surprising behavior. Neutron-rich 18C is one such example, where a small B(E2; 2+1 → 0+gs) represented a dramatic shift from the expected inverse relationship between the B(E2) and 2+1 excitation energy. To shed light on the nature of this quadrupole excitation, the RDM lifetime technique was applied with the Koln/NSCL plunger. States in 18C were populated by the one-proton knockout reaction of a 19N secondary beam. De-excitation gamma rays were detected with the Segmented Germanium Array in coincidence with reaction residues at the focal plane of the S800 Magnetic Spectrometer. The deduced B(E2) and excitation energy were both well described by ab initio no-core shell model calculations. In addition, a novel extension of RDM lifetime measurements via charged-particle spectroscopy of exotic proton emitters has been investigated. Substituting the reaction residue degrader of the Koln/NSCL plunger with a thin silicon detector permits the study of short-lived nuclei beyond the proton dripline. A proof of concept measurement of the mean lifetime of the two-proton emitter 19Mg was conducted. The results indicated a sub-picosecond lifetime, one order of magnitude smaller than the published results, and validate this new technique for lifetime measurements of charged-particle emitters.

Extent, perception and mitigation of damage due to high groundwater levels in the city of Dresden, Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Kreibich

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Flood risk analysis and management plans mostly neglect groundwater flooding, i.e. high groundwater levels. However, rising groundwater may cause considerable damage to buildings and infrastructure. To improve the knowledge about groundwater flooding and support risk management, a survey was undertaken in the city of Dresden (Saxony, Germany, resulting in 605 completed interviews with private households endangered by high groundwater levels. The reported relatively low flood impact and damage of groundwater floods in comparison with mixed floods was reflected by its scarce perception: Hardly anybody thinks about the risk of groundwater flooding. The interviewees thought that public authorities and not themselves, should be mainly responsible for preparedness and emergency response. Up to now, people do not include groundwater risk in their decision processes on self protection. The implementation of precautionary measures does not differ between households with groundwater or with mixed flood experience. However, less households undertake emergency measures when expecting a groundwater flood only. The state of preparedness should be further improved via an intensified risk communication about groundwater flooding by the authorities. Conditions to reach the endangered population are good, since 70% of the interviewed people are willing to inform themselves about groundwater floods. Recommendations for an improved risk communication are given.

Lifetime of organic photovoltaics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Corazza, Michael; Krebs, Frederik C; Gevorgyan, Suren A.

2015-01-01

tests. Comparison of the indoor and outdoor lifetimes was performed by means of the o-diagram, which constitutes the initial steps towards establishing a method for predicting the lifetime of an organic photovoltaic device under real operational conditions based on a selection of accelerated indoor...

Depth distribution of carrier lifetime in 65 MeV oxygen ion irradiated silicon wafers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinde, N.S. [Ecotopia Science Institute, Division of Energy Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Dahiwale, S.S. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India); Kanjilal, D. [Nuclear Science Centre, New Delhi (India); Bhoraskar, V.N. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India); Dhole, S.D. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India)]. E-mail: sanjay@physics.unipune.ernet.in

2006-03-15

CZ-grown, n-doped crystalline Si(1 1 1) of resistivity 60 {omega} cm and 140 {omega} cm were irradiated with 65 MeV energy oxygen ions, in the fluence range of 2 x 10{sup 1}-10{sup 14} ions/cm{sup 2}. The depth and spatial profile of excess minority carrier recombination time {tau} (lifetime) was measured using photoconductive decay (PCD) method. Lifetime measurements were carried out before the stopping range of impinging ions. Results show a monotonous decrease in lifetime with fluence, which is attributed to defect creation mechanism by electronic energy loss based on the thermal spike model. Also, surface modification is expected with a small loss in crystalline quality. This surface is considered to be a multi-crystalline surface with large grain boundaries that act as trapping sites for excess holes in n-Si(1 1 1). Annealing of the irradiated samples showed a near complete recovery at 750 deg. C for a period of 1 h.

Assessing groundwater policy with coupled economic-groundwater hydrologic modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Mulligan, Kevin B.; Brown, Casey; Yang, Yi-Chen E.; Ahlfeld, David P.

2014-03-01

This study explores groundwater management policies and the effect of modeling assumptions on the projected performance of those policies. The study compares an optimal economic allocation for groundwater use subject to streamflow constraints, achieved by a central planner with perfect foresight, with a uniform tax on groundwater use and a uniform quota on groundwater use. The policies are compared with two modeling approaches, the Optimal Control Model (OCM) and the Multi-Agent System Simulation (MASS). The economic decision models are coupled with a physically based representation of the aquifer using a calibrated MODFLOW groundwater model. The results indicate that uniformly applied policies perform poorly when simulated with more realistic, heterogeneous, myopic, and self-interested agents. In particular, the effects of the physical heterogeneity of the basin and the agents undercut the perceived benefits of policy instruments assessed with simple, single-cell groundwater modeling. This study demonstrates the results of coupling realistic hydrogeology and human behavior models to assess groundwater management policies. The Republican River Basin, which overlies a portion of the Ogallala aquifer in the High Plains of the United States, is used as a case study for this analysis.

The behavior of U- and Th-series nuclides in groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Porcelli, D.; Swarzenski, P.W.

2003-01-01

Groundwater has long been an active area of research driven by its importance both as a societal resource and as a component in the global hydrological cycle. Key issues in groundwater research include inferring rates of transport of chemical constituents, determining the ages of groundwater, and tracing water masses using chemical fingerprints. While information on the trace elements pertinent to these topics can be obtained from aquifer tests using experimentally introduced tracers, and from laboratory experiments on aquifer materials, these studies are necessarily limited in time and space. Regional studies of aquifers can focus on greater scales and time periods, but must contend with greater complexities and variations. In this regard, the isotopic systematics of the naturally occurring radionuclides in the U- and Th- decay series have been invaluable in investigating aquifer behavior of U, Th, and Ra. These nuclides are present in all groundwaters and are each represented by several isotopes with very different half-lives, so that processes occurring over a range of time-scales can be studied (Table 1⇓). Within the host aquifer minerals, the radionuclides in each decay series are generally expected to be in secular equilibrium and so have equal activities (see Bourdon et al. 2003). In contrast, these nuclides exhibit strong relative fractionations within the surrounding groundwaters that reflect contrasting behavior during release into the water and during interaction with the surrounding host aquifer rocks. Radionuclide data can be used, within the framework of models of the processes involved, to obtain quantitative assessments of radionuclide release from aquifer rocks and groundwater migration rates. The isotopic variations that are generated also have the potential for providing fingerprints for groundwaters from specific aquifer environments, and have even been explored as a means for calculating groundwater ages.

Positron annihilation lifetime study of radiation-damaged natural zircons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberts, J. [Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Gaugliardo, P. [Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, School of Physics, University of Western Australia (Australia); Farnan, I.; Zhang, M. [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom); Vance, E.R.; Davis, J.; Karatchevtseva, I.; Knott, R.B. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Australia); Mudie, S. [The Australian Synchrotron, Victoria (Australia); Buckman, S.J. [Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Institute for Mathematical Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Sullivan, J.P., E-mail: james.sullivan@anu.edu.au [Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)

2016-04-01

Zircons are a well-known candidate waste form for actinides and their radiation damage behaviour has been widely studied by a range of techniques. In this study, well-characterised natural single crystal zircons have been studied using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). In some, but not all, of the crystals that had incurred at least half of the alpha-event damage of ∼10{sup 19} α/g required to render them structurally amorphous, PALS spectra displayed long lifetimes corresponding to voids of ∼0.5 nm in diameter. The long lifetimes corresponded to expectations from published Small-Angle X-ray Scattering data on similar samples. However, the non-observation by PALS of such voids in some of the heavily damaged samples may reflect large size variations among the voids such that no singular size can be distinguished or. Characterisation of a range of samples was also performed using scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy, Raman scattering and X-ray scattering/diffraction, with the degree of alpha damage being inferred mainly from the Raman technique and X-ray diffraction. The observed void diameters and intensities of the long lifetime components were changed somewhat by annealing at 700 °C; annealing at 1200 °C removed the voids entirely. The voids themselves may derive from He gas bubbles or voids created by the inclusion of small quantities of organic and hydrous matter, notwithstanding the observation that no voidage was evidenced by PALS in two samples containing hydrous and organic matter. - Highlights: • Study of a range of naturally occurring zircons damaged by alpha radiation. • Characterised using a range of techniques, including PALS spectroscopy. • Effects on hydrous material appear important, rather than direct radiation damage. • Annealing is shown to remove the observed voids.

Lifetime management of Magnox power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smitton, C.

1998-01-01

Magnox Electric, which is, a subsidiary of BNFL, operates six nuclear power plants that have an average age of about 33 years. The procedures developed to maintain the plants and ensure nuclear safety in longer-term operation are reviewed. The technical limit on station lifetimes is expected to be determined by the effect of ageing on major reactor structures where replacement is impractical. Examination of the effect of ageing confirms that the stations are capable of operating to a life of at least 40 years. The economic factors affecting operation are reviewed, recognising the need to sell electricity in a competitive market. Recently Magnox Electric and BNFL have merged and all plant supporting Magnox operations are now within a single integrated company that will provide further opportunities for improved efficiency. (author)

Monitoring and Assessing Groundwater Impacts on Vegetation Health in Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Rohde, M. M.; Ulrich, C.; Howard, J.; Sweet, S.

2017-12-01

Sustainable groundwater management is important for preserving our economy, society, and environment. Groundwater supports important habitat throughout California, by providing a reliable source of water for these Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs). Groundwater is particularly important in California since it supplies an additional source of water during the dry summer months and periods of drought. The drought and unsustainable pumping practices have, in some areas, lowered groundwater levels causing undesirable results to ecosystems. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requires local agencies to avoid undesirable results in the future, but the location and vulnerabilities of the ecosystems that depend on groundwater and interconnected surface water is often poorly understood. This presentation will feature results from a research study conducted by The Nature Conservancy and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that investigated how changes in groundwater availability along an interconnected surface water body can impact the overall health of GDEs. This study was conducted in California's Central Valley along the Cosumnes River, and situated at the boundary of a high and a medium groundwater basin: South American Basin (Sacramento Hydrologic Region) and Cosumnes Basin (San Joaquin Hydrologic Region). By employing geophysical methodology (electrical resistivity tomography) in this study, spatial changes in groundwater availability were determined under groundwater-dependent vegetation. Vegetation survey data were also applied to this study to develop ecosystem health indicators for groundwater-dependent vegetation. Health indicators for groundwater-dependent vegetation were found to directly correlate with groundwater availability, such that greater availability to groundwater resulted in healthier vegetation. This study provides a case study example on how to use hydrological and biological data for setting appropriate minimum thresholds and

Accelerated Lifetime Testing Methodology for Lifetime Estimation of Lithium-ion Batteries used in Augmented Wind Power Plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stroe, Daniel Ioan; Swierczynski, Maciej Jozef; Stan, Ana-Irina

2014-01-01

The development of lifetime estimation models for Lithium-ion battery cells, which are working under highly variable mission profiles characteristic for wind power plant applications, requires a lot of expenditures and time resources. Therefore, batteries have to be tested under accelerated...... lifetime ageing conditions. This paper presents a three-stage methodology used for accelerated lifetime testing of Lithium ion batteries. The results obtained at the end of the accelerated ageing process were used for the parametrization of a performance-degradation lifetime model, which is able to predict...... both the capacity fade and the power capability decrease of the selected Lithium-ion battery cells. In the proposed methodology both calendar and cycling lifetime tests were considered since both components are influencing the lifetime of Lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, the proposed methodology...

Modelling the distribution of tritium in groundwater across South Africa to assess the vulnerability and sustainability of groundwater resources in response to climate change

Science.gov (United States)

van Rooyen, Jared; Miller, Jodie; Watson, Andrew; Butler, Mike

2017-04-01

Groundwater is critical for sustaining human populations, especially in semi-arid to arid areas, where surface water availability is low. Shallow groundwater is usually abstracted for this purpose because it is the easiest to access and assumed to be renewable and regularly recharged by precipitation. Renewable, regularly recharged groundwater is also called modern groundwater, ie groundwater that has recently been in contact with the atmosphere. Tritium can be used to determine whether or not a groundwater resource is modern because the half-life of tritium is only 12.36 years and tritium is dominantly produced in the upper atmosphere and not in the rock mass. For this reason, groundwater with detectable tritium activities likely has a residence age of less than 50 years. In this study, tritium activities in 277 boreholes distributed across South Africa were used to develop a national model for tritium activity in groundwater in order to establish the extent of modern groundwater across South Africa. The tritium model was combined with modelled depth to water using 3079 measured static water levels obtained from the National Groundwater Archive and validated against a separate set of 40 tritium activities along the west coast of South Africa. The model showed good agreement with the distribution of rainfall which has been previously documented across the globe (Gleeson et al., 2015), although the arid Karoo basin in south west South Africa shows higher than expected tritium levels given the very low regional precipitation levels. To assess the vulnerability of groundwater to degradation in quality and quantity, the tritium model was incorporated into a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) model which incorporated other indicators of groundwater stress including mean annual precipitation, mean annual surface temperature, electrical conductivity (as a proxy for groundwater salinization), potential evaporation, population density and cultivated land usage. The MCE model

Minority carrier lifetime and dark current measurements in mid-wavelength infrared InAs0.91Sb0.09 alloy nBn photodetectors

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, B. V.; Kim, J. K.; Kadlec, E. A.; Klem, J. F.; Hawkins, S. D.; Leonhardt, D.; Coon, W. T.; Fortune, T. R.; Cavaliere, M. A.; Tauke-Pedretti, A.; Shaner, E. A.

2015-11-01

Carrier lifetime and dark current measurements are reported for a mid-wavelength infrared InAs0.91Sb0.09 alloy nBn photodetector. Minority carrier lifetimes are measured using a non-contact time-resolved microwave technique on unprocessed portions of the nBn wafer and the Auger recombination Bloch function parameter is determined to be |F1F2|=0.292 . The measured lifetimes are also used to calculate the expected diffusion dark current of the nBn devices and are compared with the experimental dark current measured in processed photodetector pixels from the same wafer. Excellent agreement is found between the two, highlighting the important relationship between lifetimes and diffusion currents in nBn photodetectors.

Status Report on the Microbial Characterization of Halite and Groundwater Samples from the WIPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swanson, Juliet S.; Reed, Donald T.; Ams, David A.; Norden, Diana; Simmons, Karen A.

2012-01-01

This report summarizes the progress made in the ongoing task of characterizing the microbial community structures within the WIPP repository and in surrounding groundwaters. Through cultivation and DNA-based identification, the potential activity of these organisms is being inferred, thus leading to a better understanding of their impact on WIPP performance. Members of the three biological domains - Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya (in this case, Fungi) - that are associated with WIPP halite have been identified. Thus far, their activity has been limited to aerobic respiration; anaerobic incubations are underway. WIPP halite constitutes the near-field microbial environment. We expect that microbial activity in this setting will proceed from aerobic respiration, through nitrate reduction to focus on sulfate reduction. This is also the current WIPP performance assessment (PA) position. Sulfate reduction can occur at extremely high ionic strengths, and sulfate is available in WIPP brines and in the anhydrite interbeds. The role of methanogenesis in the WIPP remains unclear, due to both energetic constraints imposed by a high-salt environment and substrate selectivity, and it is no longer considered in PA. Archaea identified in WIPP halite thus far fall exclusively within the family Halobacteriaceae. These include Halobacterium noricense, cultivated from both low- and high-salt media, and a Halorubrum-like species. The former has also been detected in other salt mines worldwide; the latter likely constitutes a new species. Little is known of its function, but it was prevalent in experiments investigating the biodegradation of organic complexing agents in WIPP brines. Bacterial signatures associated with WIPP halite include members of the phylum Proteobacteria - Halomonas, Pelomonas, Limnobacter, and Chromohalobacter - but only the latter has been isolated. Also detected and cultivated were Salinicoccus and Nesterenkonia spp. Fungi were also isolated from halite. Although

Status Report on the Microbial Characterization of Halite and Groundwater Samples from the WIPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swanson, Juliet S. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Reed, Donald T. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Ams, David A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Norden, Diana [Ohio State University; Simmons, Karen A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-07-10

This report summarizes the progress made in the ongoing task of characterizing the microbial community structures within the WIPP repository and in surrounding groundwaters. Through cultivation and DNA-based identification, the potential activity of these organisms is being inferred, thus leading to a better understanding of their impact on WIPP performance. Members of the three biological domains - Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya (in this case, Fungi) - that are associated with WIPP halite have been identified. Thus far, their activity has been limited to aerobic respiration; anaerobic incubations are underway. WIPP halite constitutes the near-field microbial environment. We expect that microbial activity in this setting will proceed from aerobic respiration, through nitrate reduction to focus on sulfate reduction. This is also the current WIPP performance assessment (PA) position. Sulfate reduction can occur at extremely high ionic strengths, and sulfate is available in WIPP brines and in the anhydrite interbeds. The role of methanogenesis in the WIPP remains unclear, due to both energetic constraints imposed by a high-salt environment and substrate selectivity, and it is no longer considered in PA. Archaea identified in WIPP halite thus far fall exclusively within the family Halobacteriaceae. These include Halobacterium noricense, cultivated from both low- and high-salt media, and a Halorubrum-like species. The former has also been detected in other salt mines worldwide; the latter likely constitutes a new species. Little is known of its function, but it was prevalent in experiments investigating the biodegradation of organic complexing agents in WIPP brines. Bacterial signatures associated with WIPP halite include members of the phylum Proteobacteria - Halomonas, Pelomonas, Limnobacter, and Chromohalobacter - but only the latter has been isolated. Also detected and cultivated were Salinicoccus and Nesterenkonia spp. Fungi were also isolated from halite. Although

Quantitative analysis of fluorescence lifetime measurements of the macula using the fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscope in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Dysli, Chantal; Quellec, Gwénolé; Abegg, Mathias; Menke, Marcel N; Wolf-Schnurrbusch, Ute; Kowal, Jens; Blatz, Johannes; La Schiazza, Olivier; Leichtle, Alexander B; Wolf, Sebastian; Zinkernagel, Martin S

2014-04-03

Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) cannot only be characterized by the intensity or the emission spectrum, but also by its lifetime. As the lifetime of a fluorescent molecule is sensitive to its local microenvironment, this technique may provide more information than fundus autofluorescence imaging. We report here the characteristics and repeatability of FAF lifetime measurements of the human macula using a new fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscope (FLIO). A total of 31 healthy phakic subjects were included in this study with an age range from 22 to 61 years. For image acquisition, a fluorescence lifetime ophthalmoscope based on a Heidelberg Engineering Spectralis system was used. Fluorescence lifetime maps of the retina were recorded in a short- (498-560 nm) and a long- (560-720 nm) spectral channel. For quantification of fluorescence lifetimes a standard ETDRS grid was used. Mean fluorescence lifetimes were shortest in the fovea, with 208 picoseconds for the short-spectral channel and 239 picoseconds for the long-spectral channel, respectively. Fluorescence lifetimes increased from the central area to the outer ring of the ETDRS grid. The test-retest reliability of FLIO was very high for all ETDRS areas (Spearman's ρ = 0.80 for the short- and 0.97 for the long-spectral channel, P macula in healthy subjects. By using a custom-built software, we were able to quantify fluorescence lifetimes within the ETDRS grid. Establishing a clinically accessible standard against which to measure FAF lifetimes within the retina is a prerequisite for future studies in retinal disease.

A decision tree model to estimate the value of information provided by a groundwater quality monitoring network

Science.gov (United States)

Khader, A. I.; Rosenberg, D. E.; McKee, M.

2013-05-01

Groundwater contaminated with nitrate poses a serious health risk to infants when this contaminated water is used for culinary purposes. To avoid this health risk, people need to know whether their culinary water is contaminated or not. Therefore, there is a need to design an effective groundwater monitoring network, acquire information on groundwater conditions, and use acquired information to inform management options. These actions require time, money, and effort. This paper presents a method to estimate the value of information (VOI) provided by a groundwater quality monitoring network located in an aquifer whose water poses a spatially heterogeneous and uncertain health risk. A decision tree model describes the structure of the decision alternatives facing the decision-maker and the expected outcomes from these alternatives. The alternatives include (i) ignore the health risk of nitrate-contaminated water, (ii) switch to alternative water sources such as bottled water, or (iii) implement a previously designed groundwater quality monitoring network that takes into account uncertainties in aquifer properties, contaminant transport processes, and climate (Khader, 2012). The VOI is estimated as the difference between the expected costs of implementing the monitoring network and the lowest-cost uninformed alternative. We illustrate the method for the Eocene Aquifer, West Bank, Palestine, where methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) is the main health problem associated with the principal contaminant nitrate. The expected cost of each alternative is estimated as the weighted sum of the costs and probabilities (likelihoods) associated with the uncertain outcomes resulting from the alternative. Uncertain outcomes include actual nitrate concentrations in the aquifer, concentrations reported by the monitoring system, whether people abide by manager recommendations to use/not use aquifer water, and whether people get sick from drinking contaminated water. Outcome costs

Energy Savings Lifetimes and Persistence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, Ian M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Schiller, Steven R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Todd, Annika [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Billingsley, Megan A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Goldman, Charles A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Schwartz, Lisa C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-02-01

This technical brief explains the concepts of energy savings lifetimes and savings persistence and discusses how program administrators use these factors to calculate savings for efficiency measures, programs and portfolios. Savings lifetime is the length of time that one or more energy efficiency measures or activities save energy, and savings persistence is the change in savings throughout the functional life of a given efficiency measure or activity. Savings lifetimes are essential for assessing the lifecycle benefits and cost effectiveness of efficiency activities and for forecasting loads in resource planning. The brief also provides estimates of savings lifetimes derived from a national collection of costs and savings for electric efficiency programs and portfolios.

Recharge Net Metering to Incentivize Sustainable Groundwater Management

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, A. T.; Coburn, C.; Kiparsky, M.; Lockwood, B. S.; Bannister, M.; Camara, K.; Lozano, S.

2016-12-01

Stormwater runoff has often been viewed as a nuisance rather than a resource, but with passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (2014), many basins in California are taking a fresh look at options to enhance groundwater supplies with excess winter flows. In some basins, stormwater can be used for managed aquifer recharge (MAR), routing surface water to enhance groundwater resources. As with many public infrastructure programs, financing for stormwater-MAR projects can be a challenge, and there is a need for incentives that will engage stakeholders and offset operation and maintenance costs. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA), in central costal California, recently launched California's first Recharge Net Metering (ReNeM) program. MAR projects that are part of the ReNeM program are intended to generate ≥100 ac-ft/yr of infiltration benefit during a normal water year. A team of university and Resource Conservation District partners will collaborate to identify and assess potential project sites, screening for hydrologic conditions, expected runoff, ease and cost of project construction, and ability to measure benefits to water supply and quality. The team will also collect data and samples to measure the performance of each operating project. Groundwater wells within the PVWMA's service area are metered, and agency customers pay an augmentation fee for each unit of groundwater pumped. ReNeM projects will earn rebates of augmentation fees based on the amount of water infiltrated, with rebates calculated using a formula that accounts for uncertainties in the fate of infiltrated water, and inefficiencies in recovery. The pilot ReNeM program seeks to contribute 1000 ac-ft/yr of infiltration benefit by the end of the initial five-year operating period. ReNeM offers incentives that are distinct from those derived from traditional groundwater banking, and thus offers the potential for an innovative addition to the portfolio of options for

Conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water for irrigated agriculture: Risk aversion

Science.gov (United States)

Bredehoeft, John D.; Young, Richard A.

1983-01-01

In examining the South Platte system in Colorado where surface water and groundwater are used conjunctively for irrigation, we find the actual installed well capacity is approximately sufficient to irrigate the entire area. This would appear to be an overinvestment in well capacity. In this paper we examine to what extent groundwater is being developed as insurance against periods of low streamflow. Using a simulation model which couples the hydrology of a conjunctive stream aquifer system to a behavioral-economic model which incorporates farmer behavior in such a system, we have investigated the economics of an area patterned after a reach of the South Platte Valley in Colorado. The results suggest that under current economic conditions the most reasonable groundwater pumping capacity is a total capacity capable of irrigating the available acreage with groundwater. Installing sufficient well capacity to irrigate all available acreage has two benefits: (1) this capacity maximizes the expected net benefits and (2) this capacity also minimizes the variation in annual income: it reduces the variance to essentially zero. As pumping capacity is installed in a conjunctive use system, the value of flow forecasts is diminished. Poor forecasts are compensated for by pumping groundwater.

Isotopic and Radioactivity Fingerprinting of Groundwater in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murad, A.; Hussein, S. [Department of Geology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain (United Arab Emirates); Aldahan, A. [Department of Geology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain (United Arab Emirates); Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Hou, X. L. [Riso National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde (Denmark); Possnert, G. [Tandem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden)

2013-07-15

A pilot investigation using radioactivity together with chemical features was conducted to characterize groundwater sampled from wells drilled in fractured Paleogen-Neogen carbonate rocks along the foothill of about 1200 m absl high mountain and wells drilled in Quaternary clastic sediments from a nearby alluvial plain in the southeastern part of the UAE. These two water modes are relatively easily separated by their chloride and EC (salt content) contents and provide an ideal case for testing radioactivity fingerprints. The groundwater of the alluvial plain, which is expected to reflect a short distance precipitation recharge source, indicates a concentration of {sup 222}Rn and {sup 226}Ra 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the groundwater of the carbonate rocks. The range of variability for gross alpha is similar, but the gross beta activity indicates only 1 order of magnitude difference between the two water types. The radioactively richer groundwater of the carbonate aquifers compared to the alluvium plane may reflect the signature of deep basinal fluids. These marked differences in radioactivity of the two water modes clearly suggests that radioactive fingerprinting can provide a potential method for the identification groundwater sources in the UAE. (author)

Positron lifetime studies of the hcp to fcc transformation induced by mechanical attrition of elemental titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manna, I.; Chattopadhyay, P.P.; Nandi, P.; Nambissan, P.M.G.

2004-01-01

Nanocrystallisation by planetary ball-milling of high purity elemental titanium (Ti) revealed a polymorphic transformation from its normal hexagonal close packed (hcp) structure to a face-centered cubic (fcc) phase. Positron lifetime measurements were carried out on samples collected after different hours of milling to characterize the defect structures at grain surfaces. With increasing hours of milling, the nanocrystalline grain size decreased and the positron lifetimes--one related to the annihilation at the grain surfaces and the other to that at the intergranular open volume domains--increased significantly due to the increased free volume at the trapping vacancy sites. However, between 5 to 10 hours of milling, the two lifetimes decreased before resuming increasing once again. This marked deviation from an otherwise expected continuous increase of positron lifetime coincided with structural rearrangement within the system bringing in an enhancement in the density of electrons. The repacking of atoms along the [0001] crystallographic direction could be a possibility for this observation. Positron radiation effects on the migration and agglomeration of nanoparticles are also discussed

Groundwater sustainability strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Gleeson, Tom; VanderSteen, Jonathan; Sophocleous, Marios A.; Taniguchi, Makoto; Alley, William M.; Allen, Diana M.; Zhou, Yangxiao

2010-01-01

Groundwater extraction has facilitated significant social development and economic growth, enhanced food security and alleviated drought in many farming regions. But groundwater development has also depressed water tables, degraded ecosystems and led to the deterioration of groundwater quality, as well as to conflict among water users. The effects are not evenly spread. In some areas of India, for example, groundwater depletion has preferentially affected the poor. Importantly, groundwater in some aquifers is renewed slowly, over decades to millennia, and coupled climate–aquifer models predict that the flux and/or timing of recharge to many aquifers will change under future climate scenarios. Here we argue that communities need to set multigenerational goals if groundwater is to be managed sustainably.

Contribution of the multi-attribute value theory to conflict resolution in groundwater management - application to the Mancha Oriental groundwater system, Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Apperl, B.; Pulido-Velazquez, M.; Andreu, J.; Karjalainen, T. P.

2015-03-01

expected reduction in future groundwater resources by climate change increases the conflict potential. The implementation of the method in a very complex case study, with many conflicting objectives and alternatives and uncertain outcomes, including future scenarios under water limiting conditions, illustrates the potential of the method for supporting management decisions.

Contribution of the Multi Attribute Value Theory to conflict resolution in groundwater management. Application to the Mancha Oriental groundwater system, Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Apperl, B.; Andreu, J.; Karjalainen, T. P.; Pulido-Velazquez, M.

2014-09-01

The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive demands participatory water resource management approaches. Decision making in groundwater quantity and quality management is complex because of the existence of many independent actors, heterogeneous stakeholder interests, multiple objectives, different potential policies, and uncertain outcomes. Conflicting stakeholder interests have been often identified as an impediment to the realization and success of water regulations and policies. The management of complex groundwater systems requires clarifying stakeholders' positions (identifying stakeholders preferences and values), improving transparency with respect to outcomes of alternatives, and moving the discussion from the selection of alternatives towards definition of fundamental objectives (value-thinking approach), what facilitates negotiation. The aims of the study are to analyse the potential of the multi attribute value theory for conflict resolution in groundwater management and to evaluate the benefit of stakeholder incorporation in the different stages of the planning process to find an overall satisfying solution for groundwater management. The research was conducted in the Mancha Oriental groundwater system (Spain), subject to an intensive use of groundwater for irrigation. A complex set of objectives and attributes were defined, and the management alternatives were created by a combination of different fundamental actions, considering different implementation stages and future changes in water resources availability. Interviews were conducted with representative stakeholder groups using an interactive platform, showing simultaneously the consequences of changes of preferences to the alternative ranking. Results show that the acceptation of alternatives depends strongly on the combination of measures and the implementation stages. Uncertainties of the results were notable but did not influence heavily on the alternative ranking. The expected

Groundwater-surface water interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, P.A.; Clausen, B.; Hunt, B.; Cameron, S.; Weir, J.J.

2001-01-01

This chapter discusses natural and modified interactions between groundwater and surface water. Theory on recharge to groundwater from rivers is introduced, and the relative importance of groundwater recharge from rivers is illustrated with an example from the Ngaruroro River, Hawke's Bay. Some of the techniques used to identify and measure recharge to groundwater from gravel-bed rivers will be outlined, with examples from the Ngaruroro River, where the recharge reach is relatively well defined, and from the Rakaia River, where it is poorly defined. Groundwater recharged from rivers can have characteristic chemical and isotopic signatures, as shown by Waimakariri River water in the Christchurch-West Melton groundwater system. The incorporation of groundwater-river interaction in a regional groundwater flow model is outlined for the Waimea Plains, and relationships between river scour and groundwater recharge are examined for the Waimakariri River. Springs are the result of natural discharge from groundwater systems and are important water sources. The interactions between groundwater systems, springs, and river flow for the Avon River in New Zealand will be outlined. The theory of depletion of stream flow by groundwater pumpage will be introduced with a case study from Canterbury, and salt-water intrusion into groundwater systems with examples from Nelson and Christchurch. The theory of artificial recharge to groundwater systems is introduced with a case study from Hawke's Bay. Wetlands are important to flora, and the relationship of the wetland environment to groundwater hydrology will be discussed, with an example from the South Taupo wetland. (author). 56 refs., 25 figs., 3 tabs

Assessing the impact of dairy waste lagoons on groundwater quality using a spatial analysis of vadose zone and groundwater information in a coastal phreatic aquifer.

Science.gov (United States)

Baram, S; Kurtzman, D; Ronen, Z; Peeters, A; Dahan, O

2014-01-01

Dairy waste lagoons are considered to be point sources of groundwater contamination by chloride (Cl(-)), different nitrogen-species and pathogens/microorganisms. The objective of this work is to introduce a methodology to assess the past and future impacts of such lagoons on regional groundwater quality. The method is based on a spatial statistical analysis of Cl(-) and total nitrogen (TN) concentration distributions in the saturated and the vadose (unsaturated) zones. The method provides quantitative data on the relation between the locations of dairy lagoons and the spatial variability in Cl(-) and TN concentrations in groundwater. The method was applied to the Beer-Tuvia region, Israel, where intensive dairy farming has been practiced for over 50 years above the local phreatic aquifer. Mass balance calculations accounted for the various groundwater recharge and abstraction sources and sinks in the entire region. The mass balances showed that despite the small surface area covered by the dairy lagoons in this region (0.8%), leachates from lagoons have contributed 6.0% and 12.6% of the total mass of Cl(-) and TN (mainly as NO3(-)-N) added to the aquifer. The chemical composition of the aquifer and vadose zone water suggested that irrigated agricultural activity in the region is the main contributor of Cl(-) and TN to the groundwater. A low spatial correlation between the Cl(-) and NO3(-)-N concentrations in the groundwater and the on-land location of the dairy farms strengthened this assumption, despite the dairy waste lagoon being a point source for groundwater contamination by Cl(-) and NO3(-)-N. Mass balance calculations, for the vadose zone of the entire region, indicated that drying of the lagoons would decrease the regional groundwater salinization process (11% of the total Cl(-) load is stored under lagoons). A more considerable reduction in the groundwater contamination by NO3(-)-N is expected (25% of the NO3(-)-N load is stored under lagoons). Results

Influences of groundwater extraction on flow dynamics and arsenic levels in the western Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhuo; Guo, Huaming; Zhao, Weiguang; Liu, Shuai; Cao, Yongsheng; Jia, Yongfeng

2018-04-01

Data on spatiotemporal variations in groundwater levels are crucial for understanding arsenic (As) behavior and dynamics in groundwater systems. Little is known about the influences of groundwater extraction on the transport and mobilization of As in the Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia (China), so groundwater levels were recorded in five monitoring wells from 2011 to 2016 and in 57 irrigation wells and two multilevel wells in 2016. Results showed that groundwater level in the groundwater irrigation area had two troughs each year, induced by extensive groundwater extraction, while groundwater levels in the river-diverted (Yellow River) water irrigation area had two peaks each year, resulting from surface-water irrigation. From 2011 to 2016, groundwater levels in the groundwater irrigation area presented a decreasing trend due to the overextraction. Groundwater samples were taken for geochemical analysis each year in July from 2011 to 2016. Increasing trends were observed in groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) and As. Owing to the reverse groundwater flow direction, the Shahai Lake acts as a new groundwater recharge source. Lake water had flushed the near-surface sediments, which contain abundant soluble components, and increased groundwater salinity. In addition, groundwater extraction induced strong downward hydraulic gradients, which led to leakage recharge from shallow high-TDS groundwater to the deep semiconfined aquifer. The most plausible explanation for similar variations among As, Fe(II) and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations is the expected dissimilatory reduction of Fe(III) oxyhydroxides.

Validity of LIDAS (LIfetime Depression Assessment Self-report): a self-report online assessment of lifetime major depressive disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Bot, M; Middeldorp, C M; de Geus, E J C; Lau, H M; Sinke, M; van Nieuwenhuizen, B; Smit, J H; Boomsma, D I; Penninx, B W J H

2017-01-01

There is a paucity of valid, brief instruments for the assessment of lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) that can be used in, for example, large-scale genomics, imaging or biomarker studies on depression. We developed the LIfetime Depression Assessment Self-report (LIDAS), which assesses lifetime MDD diagnosis according to DSM criteria, and is largely based on the widely used Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Here, we tested the feasibility and determined the sensitivity and specificity for measuring lifetime MDD with this new questionnaire, with a regular CIDI as reference. Sensitivity and specificity analyses of the online lifetime MDD questionnaire were performed in adults with (n = 177) and without (n = 87) lifetime MDD according to regular index CIDIs, selected from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) and Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). Feasibility was tested in an additional non-selective, population-based sample of NTR participants (n = 245). Of the 753 invited persons, 509 (68%) completed the LIDAS, of which 419 (82%) did this online. User-friendliness of the instrument was rated high. Median completion time was 6.2 min. Sensitivity and specificity for lifetime MDD were 85% [95% confidence interval (CI) 80-91%] and 80% (95% CI 72-89%), respectively. This LIDAS instrument gave a lifetime MDD prevalence of 20.8% in the population-based sample. Measuring lifetime MDD with an online instrument was feasible. Sensitivity and specificity were adequate. The instrument gave a prevalence of lifetime MDD in line with reported population prevalences. LIDAS is a promising tool for rapid determination of lifetime MDD status in large samples, such as needed for genomics studies.

Review of charm and beauty lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, Harry W. K.

1999-01-01

A review of the latest experimental results on charm and beauty particle lifetimes is presented together with a brief summary of measurement methods used for beauty particle lifetime measurements. There have been significant updates to the D s + /D 0 , B + /B d 0 and Λ b 0 /B d 0 lifetime ratios which have some theoretical implications. However more precise measurements are still needed before one can make conclusive statements about the theory used to calculate the particle lifetimes

Long-term economic benefits attributed to IVF-conceived children: a lifetime tax calculation.

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Mark P; Pollard, Michael S; Hoorens, Stijn; Kaplan, Brian R; Oskowitz, Selwyn P; Silber, Sherman J

2008-09-01

To evaluate whether lifetime future net tax revenues from an in vitro fertilization (IVF)-conceived child are substantial enough to warrant public subsidy relative to the mean IVF treatment costs required to obtain 1 live birth. Mathematical generational accounting model. The model estimates direct financial interactions between the IVF-conceived child and the government during the child's projected lifetime. In the model, we accrue IVF costs required to conceive the child to the government, and then we estimate future net tax revenue to the federal and state governments from this individual, offset by direct financial transfers from the government (eg, child allowances, education, Medicare, and Social Security). We discount lifetime costs and gross tax payments at Treasury Department rates to establish the present value of investing in IVF. We applied US Congressional Budget Office projected changes in tax rates over the course of the model. An IVF-conceived child, average in every respect (eg, future earnings, healthcare consumption, and life expectancy), represents a net positive return to the government. Based on an average employed individual born in 2005, the projected net lifetime tax contribution is US $606,200. Taking into consideration IVF costs and all direct financial interactions, the net present value is US $155,870. Lifetime net taxes paid from a child relative to the child's initial IVF investment represent a 700% net return to the government in discounted US dollars from fully employed individuals. This suggests that removing barriers to IVF would have positive tax benefits for the government, notwithstanding its beneficial effect on overall economic growth.

Groundwater recharge in desert playas: current rates and future effects of climate change

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Owen P.; Sala, Osvaldo E.

2018-01-01

Our results from playas, which are topographic low areas situated in closed-catchments in drylands, indicated that projected climate change in Southwestern USA would have a net positive impact over runon and groundwater recharge beneath playas. Expected increased precipitation variability can cause up to a 300% increase in annual groundwater recharge beneath playas. This increase will overshadow the effect of decreased precipitation amount that could cause up to a 50% decrease in recharge beneath playas. These changes could have a significant impact on groundwater and carbon storage. These results are important given that groundwater resources in Southwestern USA continue to decline due to human consumption outpacing natural recharge of aquifers. Here, we report on groundwater recharge rates ranging from less than 1 mm to greater than 25 mm per year beneath desert playas. Playas located in larger and steeper catchments with finer-textured soils had the highest rates of recharge. Vegetation cover had no effect on recharge beneath playas. We modeled catchment runoff generation and found that the amount of runon a playa receives annually strongly correlated to the rate of groundwater recharge beneath that playa. Runon occurred during precipitation events larger than 20 mm and increased linearly with events above that threshold.

The Susquehanna plant lifetime excellence program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNamara, R.W.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses how the Susquehanna plant lifetime excellence program (SPLEX) blends many of the objectives of a new managing for excellence program with plant life extension objectives to achieve excellence in the lifetime operation and availability of the two-unit Susquehanna steam electric station. Investments in lifetime excellence improvements will provide near-term, as well as plant life extension, benefits. A high-quality lifetime experience record, together with extensive, periodic technical assessments and cost-benefit analyses, will provide conclusive justification for future extensions of the unit operating licenses

Application of isotope techniques to investigate groundwater pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-10-01

This publication is a compilation of scientific results from the Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) on the Application of Isotope Techniques to Investigate Groundwater Pollution which was implemented from 1995 to 1997. The conclusions of the CRP were presented by scientists from the following participating Member States: Austria, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Senegal and the United Kingdom. The CRP was implemented in recognition of the importance of protecting groundwater resources, and promoting the role of isotope techniques when integrated to classical hydrological methods to identify the sources and mechanisms of by which pollution takes place. The results of the CRP are expected to find practical applications in tackling hydrological problems encountered in technical co-operation projects of the IAEA. This publication could also provide a contribution toward the continuing efforts of various sectors to investigate, mitigate and control the threat of groundwater pollution. This publication includes the results of 16 investigations dealing with isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur integrated to some extent with the classical hydrological tools of investigation. Each document in this compilation is provided with abstract and index

Measurement of Charm Meson Lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonvicini, G.; Cinabro, D.; Greene, R.; Perera, L.P.; Zhou, G.J.; Chan, S.; Eigen, G.; Lipeles, E.; Schmidtler, M.; Shapiro, A.; Sun, W.M.; Urheim, J.; Weinstein, A.J.; Wuerthwein, F.; Jaffe, D.E.; Masek, G.; Paar, H.P.; Potter, E.M.; Prell, S.; Sharma, V.; Asner, D.M.; Eppich, A.; Gronberg, J.; Hill, T.S.; Korte, C.M.; Lange, D.J.; Morrison, R.J.; Nelson, H.N.; Nelson, T.K.; Roberts, D.; Tajima, H.; Behrens, B.H.; Ford, W.T.; Gritsan, A.; Krieg, H.; Roy, J.; Smith, J.G.; Alexander, J.P.; Baker, R.; Bebek, C.; Berger, B.E.; Berkelman, K.; Boisvert, V.; Cassel, D.G.; Crowcroft, D.S.; Dickson, M.; Dombrowski, S. von; Drell, P.S.; Dumas, D.J.; Ecklund, K.M.; Ehrlich, R.; Foland, A.D.; Gaidarev, P.; Gibbons, L.; Gittelman, B.; Gray, S.W.; Hartill, D.L.; Heltsley, B.K.; Henderson, S.; Hopman, P.I.; Katayama, N.; Kreinick, D.L.; Lee, T.; Liu, Y.; Meyer, T.O.; Mistry, N.B.; Ng, C.R.; Nordberg, E.; Ogg, M.; Patterson, J.R.; Peterson, D.; Riley, D.; Soffer, A.; Thayer, J.G.; Thies, P.G.; Valant-Spaight, B.; Warburton, A.; Ward, C.; Athanas, M.; Avery, P.; Jones, C.D.; Lohner, M.; Prescott, C.; Rubiera, A.I.; Yelton, J.; Zheng, J.; Brandenburg, G.; Briere, R.A.; Ershov, A.; Gao, Y.S.; Kim, D.Y.; Wilson, R.; Browder, T.E.; Li, Y.; Rodriguez, J.L.; Yamamoto, H.; Bergfeld, T.; Eisenstein, B.I.; Ernst, J.; Gladding, G.E.; Gollin, G.D

1999-01-01

We report measurements of the D 0 , D + , and D + s meson lifetimes using 3.7 fb -1 of e + e - annihilation data collected near the Υ(4S) resonance with the CLEO detector. The measured lifetimes of the D 0 , D + , and D + s mesons are 408.5±4.1 +3.5 -3.4 fs , 1033.6±22.1 +9.9 -12.7 fs , and 486.3±15.0 +4.9 -5.1 fs . The precision of these lifetimes are comparable to those of the best previous measurements, and the systematic errors are very different. In a single experiment we find that the ratio of the D + s and D 0 lifetimes is 1.19±0.04 . copyright 1999 The American Physical Society

Positronium Yields in Liquids Determined by Lifetime and Angular Correlation Measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, O. E.; Jacobsen, F. M.

1982-01-01

hydrocarbons), 3.2 (average value for 8 aromatic hydrocarbons), 2.6 (average value for 5 alcohols). Values of this ratio for various other liquids are also given. The results for the mixtures show how I'3 and I'1, vary as the Ps formation is inhibited (CCl4 mixtures) or enhanced C6F6 mixtures). The most......Positron lifetime and angular correlation spectra were measured for 36 pure liquids, CCl4 mixtures with hexane and diethylether, and C6F6 mixtures with hexane. Apparent ortho-Ps yields, I'3, were determined as the intensity of the long-lived component in the lifetime spectra, while the apparent...... para-Ps yields, I'3, were obtained as the intensity of the narrowest gaussian in a three-gaussian fit to the angular correlation spectra. The ratio I'3/I1, expected to be 3, was found to be instead 2.3 (average value for 3 ethers), 2.5 (average value for 10 linear, branched, and cyclic aliphatic...

Hydrothermal evolution of repository groundwaters in basalt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apps, J.A.

1984-01-01

Groundwaters in the near field of a radioactive waste repository in basalt will change their chemical composition in response to reactions with the basalt. These reactions will be promoted by the heat generated by the decaying waste. It is important to predict both the rate and the extent of these reactions, and the secondary minerals produced, because the alteration process controls the chemical environment affecting the corrosion of the canister, the solubility and complexation of migrating radionuclides, the reactivity of the alteration products to radionuclides sorption, and the porosity and permeability of the host rock. A comprehensive review of the literature leads to the preliminary finding that hydrothermally altering basalts in geothermal regions such as Iceland lead to a secondary mineralogy and groundwater composition similar to that expected to surround a repository. Furthermore, laboratory experiments replicating the alteration conditions approximate those observed in the field and expected in a repository. Preliminary estimates were made of the rate of hydration and devitrification of basaltic glass and the zero-order dissolution rate of basaltic materials. The rates were compared with those for rhyolitic glasses and silicate minerals. Preliminary calculations made of mixed process alteration kinetics, involving pore diffusion and surface reaction suggest that at temperatures greater than 150 0 C, alteration proceeds so rapidly as to become pervasive in normally fractured basalt exposed to higher temperatures in the field. 70 references

Impacts of Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility operations on groundwater and surface water: Appendix 9

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D.W.

1986-04-01

The operation of the proposed Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Newport News, Virginia, is expected to result in the activation and subsequent contamination of water resources in the vicinity of the accelerator. Since the proposed site is located in the headwaters of the watershed supplying Big Bethel Reservoir, concern has been expressed about possible contamination of water resources used for consumption. Data characterizing the surface water and groundwater regime in the site area are limited. A preliminary geotechnical investigation of the site has been completed (LAW 1985). This investigation concluded that groundwater flow is generally towards the southeast at an estimated velocity of 2.5 m/y. This conclusion is based on groundwater and soil boring data and is very preliminary in nature. This analysis makes use of the data and conclusions developed during the preliminary geotechnical investigation to provide an upper-bound assessment of radioactive contamination from CEBAF operations. A site water balance was prepared to describe the behavior of the hydrologic environment that is in close agreement with the observed data. The transport of contamination in the groundwater regime is assessed using a one-dimensional model. The groundwater model includes the mechanisms of groundwater flow, groundwater recharge, radioactive decay, and groundwater activation. The model formulation results in a closed-form, exact, analytic solution of the concentration of contamination in the groundwater. The groundwater solution is used to provide a source term for a surface-water analysis. The surface-water and groundwater models are prepared for steady state conditions such that they represent conservative evaluations of CEBAF operations

DOE groundwater protection strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichtman, S.

1988-01-01

EH is developing a DOE-wide Groundwater Quality Protection Strategy to express DOE's commitment to the protection of groundwater quality at or near its facilities. This strategy responds to a September 1986 recommendation of the General Accounting Office. It builds on EPA's August 1984 Ground-Water Protection Strategy, which establishes a classification system designed to protect groundwater according to its value and vulnerability. The purposes of DOE's strategy are to highlight groundwater protection as part of current DOE programs and future Departmental planning, to guide DOE managers in developing site-specific groundwater protection practices where DOE has discretion, and to guide DOE's approach to negotiations with EPA/states where regulatory processes apply to groundwater protection at Departmental facilities. The strategy calls for the prevention of groundwater contamination and the cleanup of groundwater commensurate with its usefulness. It would require long-term groundwater protection with reliance on physical rather than institutional control methods. The strategy provides guidance on providing long-term protection of groundwater resources; standards for new remedial actions;guidance on establishing points of compliance; requirements for establishing classification review area; and general guidance on obtaining variances, where applicable, from regulatory requirements. It also outlines management tools to implement this strategy

Baseline groundwater chemistry characterization in an area of future Marcellus shale gas development

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenhauer, P.; Zegre, N.; Edwards, P. J.; Strager, M.

2012-12-01

The recent increase in development of the Marcellus shale formation for natural gas in the mid-Atlantic can be attributed to advances in unconventional extraction methods, namely hydraulic fracturing, a process that uses water to pressurize and fracture relatively impermeable shale layers to release natural gas. In West Virginia, the Department of Energy estimates 95 to 105 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of expected ultimately recovery (EUR) of natural gas for this formation. With increased development of the Marcellus shale formation comes concerns for the potential of contamination to groundwater resources that serve as primary potable water sources for many rural communities. However, the impacts of this practice on water resources are poorly understood because of the lack of controlled pre versus post-drilling experiments attributed to the rapid development of this resource. To address the knowledge gaps of the potential impacts of Marcellus shale development on groundwater resources, a pre versus post-drilling study has been initiated by the USFS Fernow Experimental Forest in the Monongahela National Forest. Drilling is expected to start at three locations within the next year. Pre-drilling water samples were collected and analyzed from two groundwater wells, a shallow spring, a nearby lake, and river to characterize background water chemistry and identify potential end-members. Geochemical analysis includes major ions, methane, δ13C-CH4, δ2H-CH4, 226Radium, and δ13C-DIC. In addition, a GIS-based conceptual ground water flow model was developed to identify possible interactions between shallow groundwater and natural gas wells given gas well construction failure. This model is used to guide management decisions regarding groundwater resources in an area of increasing shale gas development.

Groundwater recharge in desert playas: current rates and future effects of climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Our results from playas, which are topographic low areas situated in closed-catchments in drylands, indicated that projected climate change in Southwestern USA would have a net positive impact over runon and groundwater recharge beneath playas. Expected increased precipitation variability can cause ...

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of skin cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Patalay, Rakesh; Talbot, Clifford; Munro, Ian; Breunig, Hans Georg; König, Karsten; Alexandrov, Yuri; Warren, Sean; Neil, Mark A. A.; French, Paul M. W.; Chu, Anthony; Stamp, Gordon W.; Dunsby, Chris

2011-03-01

Fluorescence intensity imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) using two photon microscopy (TPM) have been used to study tissue autofluorescence in ex vivo skin cancer samples. A commercially available system (DermaInspect®) was modified to collect fluorescence intensity and lifetimes in two spectral channels using time correlated single photon counting and depth-resolved steady state measurements of the fluorescence emission spectrum. Uniquely, image segmentation has been used to allow fluorescence lifetimes to be calculated for each cell. An analysis of lifetime values obtained from a range of pigmented and non-pigmented lesions will be presented.

Lifetime predictions for the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and San Marco spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, E. A.; Ward, D. T.; Schmitt, M. W.; Phenneger, M. C.; Vaughn, F. J.; Lupisella, M. L.

1989-01-01

Lifetime prediction techniques developed by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) are described. These techniques were developed to predict the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft orbit, which is decaying due to atmospheric drag, with reentry predicted to occur before the end of 1989. Lifetime predictions were also performed for the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), which was deployed on the 1984 SMM repair mission and is scheduled for retrieval on another Space Transportation System (STS) mission later this year. Concepts used in the lifetime predictions were tested on the San Marco spacecraft, which reentered the Earth's atmosphere on December 6, 1988. Ephemerides predicting the orbit evolution of the San Marco spacecraft until reentry were generated over the final 90 days of the mission when the altitude was less than 380 kilometers. The errors in the predicted ephemerides are due to errors in the prediction of atmospheric density variations over the lifetime of the satellite. To model the time dependence of the atmospheric densities, predictions of the solar flux at the 10.7-centimeter wavelength were used in conjunction with Harris-Priester (HP) atmospheric density tables. Orbital state vectors, together with the spacecraft mass and area, are used as input to the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS). Propagations proceed in monthly segments, with the nominal atmospheric drag model scaled for each month according to the predicted monthly average value of F10.7. Calibration propagations are performed over a period of known orbital decay to obtain the effective ballistic coefficient. Progagations using plus or minus 2 sigma solar flux predictions are also generated to estimate the despersion in expected reentry dates. Definitive orbits are compared with these predictions as time expases. As updated vectors are received, these are also propagated to reentryto continually update the lifetime predictions.

Mortality and life expectancy in persons with severe unipolar depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Thomas Munk; Musliner, Katherine L; Benros, Michael E

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common psychiatric disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 10-15% in the Danish population. Although depression is associated with excess mortality, it is not yet understood how this affects life expectancy. Our aim was to examine mortality rates and life expectancy...... in patients with unipolar depression compared to the general population, and to assess the impact of comorbid somatic illness and substance abuse. METHODS: We followed a Danish population-based cohort from 1995-2013 (N=5,103,699). The cohort included all residents in Denmark during the study period. Mortality...... rate ratios (MRRs) and life expectancy in persons with unipolar depression were calculated using survival analysis techniques. RESULTS: The overall MRR was 2.07 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.05-2.09) in people with a previous unipolar depression diagnosis compared to the general Danish population...

Geochemical controls on shale groundwaters: Results of reaction path modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Von Damm, K.L.; VandenBrook, A.J.

1989-03-01

The EQ3NR/EQ6 geochemical modeling code was used to simulate the reaction of several shale mineralogies with different groundwater compositions in order to elucidate changes that may occur in both the groundwater compositions, and rock mineralogies and compositions under conditions which may be encountered in a high-level radioactive waste repository. Shales with primarily illitic or smectitic compositions were the focus of this study. The reactions were run at the ambient temperatures of the groundwaters and to temperatures as high as 250/degree/C, the approximate temperature maximum expected in a repository. All modeling assumed that equilibrium was achieved and treated the rock and water assemblage as a closed system. Graphite was used as a proxy mineral for organic matter in the shales. The results show that the presence of even a very small amount of reducing mineral has a large influence on the redox state of the groundwaters, and that either pyrite or graphite provides essentially the same results, with slight differences in dissolved C, Fe and S concentrations. The thermodynamic data base is inadequate at the present time to fully evaluate the speciation of dissolved carbon, due to the paucity of thermodynamic data for organic compounds. In the illitic cases the groundwaters resulting from interaction at elevated temperatures are acid, while the smectitic cases remain alkaline, although the final equilibrium mineral assemblages are quite similar. 10 refs., 8 figs., 15 tabs

Numerical simulation of groundwater flow in LILW Repository site:I. Groundwater flow modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Koung Woo; Ji, Sung Hoon; Kim, Chun Soo; Kim, Kyoung Su [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ji Yeon [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2008-12-15

Based on the site characterization works in a low and intermediate level waste (LILW) repository site, the numerical simulations for groundwater flow were carried out in order to understand the groundwater flow system of repository site. To accomplish the groundwater flow modeling in the repository site, the discrete fracture network (DFN) model was constructed using the characteristics of fracture zones and background fractures. At result, the total 10 different hydraulic conductivity(K) fields were obtained from DFN model stochastically and K distributions of constructed mesh were inputted into the 10 cases of groundwater flow simulations in FEFLOW. From the total 10 numerical simulation results, the simulated groundwater levels were strongly governed by topography and the groundwater fluxes were governed by locally existed high permeable fracture zones in repository depth. Especially, the groundwater table was predicted to have several tens meters below the groundwater table compared with the undisturbed condition around disposal silo after construction of underground facilities. After closure of disposal facilities, the groundwater level would be almost recovered within 1 year and have a tendency to keep a steady state of groundwater level in 2 year.

Groundwater monitoring plan for the Hanford Site 200 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DB Barnett

2000-01-01

Seven years of groundwater monitoring at the 200 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility (TEDF) have shown that the uppermost aquifer beneath the facility is unaffected by TEDF effluent. Effluent discharges have been well below permitted and expected volumes. Groundwater mounding from TEDF operations predicted by various models has not been observed, and waterlevels in TEDF wells have continued declining with the dissipation of the nearby B Pond System groundwater mound. Analytical results for constituents with enforcement limits indicate that concentrations of all these are below Practical Quantitation Limits, and some have produced no detections. Likewise, other constituents on the permit-required list have produced results that are mostly below sitewide background. Comprehensive geochemical analyses of groundwater from TEDF wells has shown that most constituents are below background levels as calculated by two Hanford Site-wide studies. Additionally, major ion proportions and anomalously low tritium activities suggest that groundwater in the aquifer beneath the TEDF has been sequestered from influences of adjoining portions of the aquifer and any discharge activities. This inference is supported by recent hydrogeologic investigations which indicate an extremely slow rate of groundwater movement beneath the TEDF. Detailed evaluation of TEDF-area hydrogeology and groundwater geochemistry indicate that additional points of compliance for groundwater monitoring would be ineffective for this facility, and would produce ambiguous results. Therefore, the current groundwater monitoring well network is retained for continued monitoring. A quarterly frequency of sampling and analysis is continued for all three TEDF wells. The constituents list is refined to include only those parameters key to discerning subtle changes in groundwater chemistry, those useful in detecting general groundwater quality changes from upgradient sources, or those retained for comparison with end

Groundwater monitoring for deep-well injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chia, Y.; Chiu, J.

1994-01-01

A groundwater monitoring system for detecting waste migration would not only enhance confidence in the long-term containment of injected waste, but would also provide early warnings of contamination for prompt responses to protect underground sources of drinking water (USDWs). Field experiences in Florida have demonstrated monitoring water quality and fluid pressure changes in overlying formations is useful in detecting the upward migration of injected waste. Analytical and numerical solutions indicate changes in these two monitoring parameters can vary on the basis of hydrogeologic characteristics, operation conditions, and the distances from the injection well to the monitoring wells and to the preferential hydrologic conduits. To detect waste migration through defects around the wellbore or the leaky containment interval, groundwater monitoring wells should be placed as close as possible to an injection well. In the vertical direction, a monitoring well completed in a permeable interbed within the containment interval is expected to have the highest potential for detecting upward migration. Another acceptable horizon for groundwater monitoring is the lower portion of the buffer brine aquifer immediately above the containment interval. Monitoring wells in USDWs may be needed when waste has been detected in deeper formations or when leakage out of well casings poses a concern. A monitoring well open to the injection interval is of little value in alleviating the concerns of long-term upward migration. Moreover, the installation of the well could create additional preferential pathways. Complications in groundwater monitoring may arise at existing injection sites, especially with prior releases. It is also important to recognize that monitoring in the vicinity of the wellbore may not be effective for detecting waste migration through unidentified unplugged wells or undetected transmissive fractures

Personalized prediction of lifetime benefits with statin therapy for asymptomatic individuals: a modeling study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bart S Ferket

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Physicians need to inform asymptomatic individuals about personalized outcomes of statin therapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD. However, current prediction models focus on short-term outcomes and ignore the competing risk of death due to other causes. We aimed to predict the potential lifetime benefits with statin therapy, taking into account competing risks. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A microsimulation model based on 5-y follow-up data from the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort of individuals aged 55 y and older living in the Ommoord district of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, was used to estimate lifetime outcomes with and without statin therapy. The model was validated in-sample using 10-y follow-up data. We used baseline variables and model output to construct (1 a web-based calculator for gains in total and CVD-free life expectancy and (2 color charts for comparing these gains to the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE charts. In 2,428 participants (mean age 67.7 y, 35.5% men, statin therapy increased total life expectancy by 0.3 y (SD 0.2 and CVD-free life expectancy by 0.7 y (SD 0.4. Age, sex, smoking, blood pressure, hypertension, lipids, diabetes, glucose, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and creatinine were included in the calculator. Gains in total and CVD-free life expectancy increased with blood pressure, unfavorable lipid levels, and body mass index after multivariable adjustment. Gains decreased considerably with advancing age, while SCORE 10-y CVD mortality risk increased with age. Twenty-five percent of participants with a low SCORE risk achieved equal or larger gains in CVD-free life expectancy than the median gain in participants with a high SCORE risk. CONCLUSIONS: We developed tools to predict personalized increases in total and CVD-free life expectancy with statin therapy. The predicted gains we found are small. If the underlying model is validated in an independent cohort, the

Policy and methodology on NPP lifetime management in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francia, L.

1998-01-01

The objectives for Spanish electricity sector are to extend the life cycle of NPPs beyond 40 years, maintaining safety and efficiency level, and to monitor and control ageing of important components to guarantee the prolonged lifetime. A plan for plant life management including licensing and regulatory aspects is proposed together with the methodology for achieving the proposed goals. The expected results are: life management integrated system for follow-up and monitoring of degradation and ageing mechanisms of important NPP components; modular system which will enable incorporation of additional components, degradation and/or performances; interrelation and support tool for other needs of NPPs (periodic safety reviews, maintenance, optimization, etc.)

Theoretical calculations of positron lifetimes for metal oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuno, Masataka; Araki, Hideki; Shirai, Yasuharu

2004-01-01

Our recent positron lifetime measurements for metal oxides suggest that positron lifetimes of bulk state in metal oxides are shorter than previously reported values. We have performed theoretical calculations of positron lifetimes for bulk and vacancy states in MgO and ZnO using first-principles electronic structure calculations and discuss the validity of positron lifetime calculations for insulators. By comparing the calculated positron lifetimes to the experimental values, it wa found that the semiconductor model well reproduces the experimental positron lifetime. The longer positron lifetime previously reported can be considered to arise from not only the bulk but also from the vacancy induced by impurities. In the case of cation vacancy, the calculated positron lifetime based on semiconductor model is shorter than the experimental value, which suggests that the inward relaxation occurs around the cation vacancy trapping the positron. (author)

Limits to the availability of groundwater in Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Edmunds, W. Mike

2012-06-01

The recent paper on Africa's groundwater by MacDonald et al (2012) has attracted much attention. This is good news, especially since groundwater has been widely ignored, misunderstood or abused, as a fundamental global resource. This important paper goes a long way to raising the profile of groundwater in Africa by providing first-order estimates of the available storage (taking account of saturated aquifer thickness and porosity) as well as mapping expected water yields (aquifer productivity) in that continent. Reliable estimates of groundwater resources can now be set against the far more widely reported surface water availability. The constraints of the methodology used to compile these maps are duly acknowledged, and are well within the hydrogeological state-of-the-art. The paper is backed by carefully reviewed sources of data and a considerable effort has been made to incorporate the extensive grey literature. It is important that this benchmark study is received with the acclaim it deserves. However, the headline—that groundwater storage is some 100 times the annual renewable surface waters—could be misconstrued as implying that groundwater is an abundant new resource, which it is not. Whilst groundwater is key to sustainable development, renewability and accessibility issues need to be addressed. The paper may therefore be seized upon to justify unsustainable groundwater exploitation, or to provide an argument against funding to NGOs and others, for water provision for needy communities. Some constraints that must be taken into account are elaborated here. The conclusions of the paper (MacDonald et al 2012) demonstrate that modest yields of groundwater are quite widely available at accessible depths and sufficient to sustain small communities and their development, but larger yields (>5 l s-1) suitable for urban development or major agricultural schemes are unlikely outside of the sedimentary terrain. The availability and accessibility of groundwater

The Influence of the Sharpe Ratio on Appreciation Savings Intended for the Payment of Lifetime Pensions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Kupčík

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the payment of lifetime pensions paid by pension companies based on the selected mortality table of the Czech Statistical Office. We assume different input values depending on the size of the Sharpe ratio pension companies from selected countries. This paper aims to identify and assess the impact of the Sharpe ratio on the payment of lifetime pensions in postproduction period. We used data of nominal appreciation of pension companies from the Visegrad countries and Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands in the period 2005–2013. In the empirical analysis we additionally distinguished between guaranteed and non-guaranteed pension funds. For the purpose of calculating lifetime pensions, we used the formula early paid pension by the pension company on the Czech market down in its her pension plan with an expected median payment period of r years. We found link between the value of the Sharpe ratio and the size of lifetime pensions. Conclusion of the paper shows the effects of low performance of pension funds on lifetime pension with a focus on the Czech Republic. The scientific paper describes partial results reached within the project no. 54/2014 of the Internal Grant Agency of the Faculty of Business and Economics of the Mendel University in Brno following the aims and methodology of the given project.

Lifetime of Organic Photovoltaics: Status and Predictions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gevorgyan, Suren; Madsen, Morten Vesterager; Roth, Bérenger

2016-01-01

The results of a meta-analysis conducted on organic photovoltaics (OPV) lifetime data reported in the literature is presented through the compilation of an extensive OPV lifetime database based on a large number of articles, followed by analysis of the large body of data. We fully reveal the prog......The results of a meta-analysis conducted on organic photovoltaics (OPV) lifetime data reported in the literature is presented through the compilation of an extensive OPV lifetime database based on a large number of articles, followed by analysis of the large body of data. We fully reveal...... the progress of reported OPV lifetimes. Furthermore, a generic lifetime marker has been defi ned, which helps with gauging and comparing the performance of different architectures and materials from the perspective of device stability. Based on the analysis, conclusions are drawn on the bottlenecks...

SHORT GMC LIFETIMES: AN OBSERVATIONAL ESTIMATE WITH THE PdBI ARCSECOND WHIRLPOOL SURVEY (PAWS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meidt, Sharon E.; Hughes, Annie; Schinnerer, Eva; Colombo, Dario; Querejeta, Miguel [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie / Königstuhl 17 D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Dobbs, Clare L. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Pety, Jérôme [Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique, 300 Rue de la Piscine, F-38406 Saint Martin d’Hères (France); Thompson, Todd A. [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, 140 W. 18th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); García-Burillo, Santiago [Observatorio Astronómico Nacional—OAN, Observatorio de Madrid Alfonso XII, 3, E-28014 Madrid (Spain); Leroy, Adam K. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Kramer, Carsten [Instituto Radioastronomía Milimétrica, Av. Divina Pastora 7, Nucleo Central, E-18012 Granada (Spain); Schuster, Karl F.; Dumas, Gaëlle [Observatoire de Paris, 61 Avenue de l’Observatoire, F-75014 Paris (France)

2015-06-10

We describe and execute a novel approach to observationally estimate the lifetimes of giant molecular clouds (GMCs). We focus on the cloud population between the two main spiral arms in M51 (the inter-arm region) where cloud destruction via shear and star formation feedback dominates over formation processes. By monitoring the change in GMC number densities and properties across the inter-arm, we estimate the lifetime as a fraction of the inter-arm travel time. We find that GMC lifetimes in M51's inter-arm are finite and short, 20–30 Myr. Over most of the region under investigation shear appears to regulate the lifetime. As the shear timescale increases with galactocentric radius, we expect cloud destruction to switch primarily to feedback at larger radii. We identify a transition from shear- to feedback-dominated disruption, finding that shear is more efficient at dispersing clouds, whereas feedback transforms the population, e.g., by fragmenting high-mass clouds into lower mass pieces. Compared to the characteristic timescale for molecular hydrogen in M51, our short lifetimes suggest that gas can remain molecular while clouds disperse and reassemble. We propose that galaxy dynamics regulates the cycling of molecular material from diffuse to bound (and ultimately star-forming) objects, contributing to long observed molecular depletion times in normal disk galaxies. We also speculate that, in extreme environments like elliptical galaxies and concentrated galaxy centers, star formation can be suppressed when the shear timescale is short enough that some clouds will not survive to form stars.

Electricite de France: Lifetime Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combes, Jean-Pierre

1991-01-01

Electricite de France produces almost 80% of its electricity by means of standardized PWR nuclear power stations. Starting in 1986, therefore, a project known as the 'Lifetime Project' was developed, whose aim was initially to ensure that the lifetime defined at design stage (40 years in general) could be attained without major difficulty (follow up of the aging process). It then became apparent that it would be useful to know just how far it would be technically and economically possible to go. As a result, the project is now working towards increasing the lifetime of power stations. (author)

High p-type doping, mobility, and photocarrier lifetime in arsenic-doped CdTe single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaoka, Akira; Kuciauskas, Darius; McCoy, Jedidiah; Scarpulla, Michael A.

2018-05-01

Group-V element doping is promising for simultaneously maximizing the hole concentration and minority carrier lifetime in CdTe for thin film solar cells, but there are roadblocks concerning point defects including the possibility of self-compensation by AX metastability. Herein, we report on doping, lifetime, and mobility of CdTe single crystals doped with As between 1016 and 1020 cm-3 grown from the Cd solvent by the travelling heater method. Evidence consistent with AX instability as a major contributor to compensation in samples doped below 1017 cm-3 is presented, while for higher-doped samples, precipitation of a second phase on planar structural defects is also observed and may explain spatial variation in properties such as lifetime. Rapid cooling after crystal growth increases doping efficiency and mobility for times up to 20-30 days at room temperature with the highest efficiencies observed close to 45% and a hole mobility of 70 cm2/Vs at room temperature. A doping limit in the low 1017/cm3 range is observed for samples quenched at 200-300 °C/h. Bulk minority carrier lifetimes exceeding 20 ns are observed for samples doped near 1016 cm-3 relaxed in the dark and for unintentionally doped samples, while a lifetime of nearly 5 ns is observed for 1018 cm-3 As doping. These results help us to establish limits on properties expected for group-V doped CdTe polycrystalline thin films for use in photovoltaics.

Towards lifetime electronic health record implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gand, Kai; Richter, Peggy; Esswein, Werner

2015-01-01

Integrated care concepts can help to diminish demographic challenges. Hereof, the use of eHealth, esp. overarching electronic health records, is recognized as an efficient approach. The article aims at rigorously defining the concept of lifetime electronic health records (LEHRs) and the identification of core factors that need to be fulfilled in order to implement such. A literature review was conducted. Existing definitions were identified and relevant factors were categorized. The derived assessment categories are demonstrated by a case study on Germany. Seven dimensions to differentiate types of electronic health records were found. The analysis revealed, that culture, regulation, informational self-determination, incentives, compliance, ICT infrastructure and standards are important preconditions to successfully implement LEHRs. The article paves the way for LEHR implementation and therewith for integrated care. Besides the expected benefits of LEHRs, there are a number of ethical, legal and social concerns, which need to be balanced.

Decomposition of groundwater level fluctuations using transfer modelling in an area with shallow to deep unsaturated zones

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, J. C.; van Geer, F. C.; de Vries, J. J.

1994-05-01

Time series analysis of the fluctuations in shallow groundwater levels in the Netherlands lowlands have revealed a large-scale decline in head during recent decades as a result of an increase in land drainage and groundwater withdrawal. The situation is more ambiguous in large groundwater bodies located in the eastern part of the country, where the unsaturated zone increases from near zero along the edges to about 40 m in the centre of the area. As depth of the unsaturated zone increases, groundwater level reacts with an increasing delay to fluctuations in climate and influences of human activities. The aim of the present paper is to model groundwater level fluctuations in these areas using a linear stochastic transfer function model, relating groundwater levels to estimated precipitation excess, and to separate artificial components from the natural groundwater regime. In this way, the impact of groundwater withdrawal and the reclamation of a 1000 km 2 polder area on the groundwater levels in the adjoining higher ground could be assessed. It became evident that the linearity assumption of the transfer functions becomes a serious drawback in areas with the deepest groundwater levels, because of non-linear processes in the deep unsaturated zone and the non-synchronous arrival of recharge in the saturated zone. Comparison of the results from modelling the influence of reclamation with an analytical solution showed that the lowering of groundwater level is partly compensated by reduced discharge and therefore is less than expected.

Features of groundwater pollution and its relation to overexploitation of groundwater in Shijiazhuang city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Yonghai; Wang Zhiming; Liu Shufen; Li Ping

2005-01-01

The groundwater pollution in Shijiazhuang city is characterized by an excess of some components and parameters over permitted values. The main pollutants are originated from the city sewage which is quite typical for groundwater pollution in many cities of China. On the basis of agonizingly features of groundwater pollution, the relationship between the groundwater pollution and the groundwater overexploitation is discussed in this paper, and the mechanism of intensifying the pollution by overexploitation has been revealed. Finally, it is proposed that the overexploitation of groundwater is an important inducing factor leading to the groundwater pollution in cities. (authors)

Determination of Rn concentration in groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takada, Shigeru; Handa, Madoka; Okano, Yasuhiro; Saito, Masaaki; Suzuki, Takashi

1984-01-01

The method of prediction of earthquakes by the change of concentration of Rn in groundwater was developed by U.S.S.R. and People's Republic of China, and was not known clearly. Since 1975, the research works on this subject were commenced by University of Tokyo, Geological Survey of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology and Tokyo Metropolitan Isotopic Research Center. Along with the development of an automatic continuous measuring apparatus with high reliability, the systems for the measurement of the Rn concentration in groundwater were established. At the time of the earthquake off Izu-Oshima on January 14, 1978, clear precursor was found in an artesian flowing well in Nakaizu 0f Izu Peninsula, and the unusual phenomena which seemed be the precursor of an earthquake were recognized in other districts of Izu and Tokai. On August 8, 1983, an earthquake of magnitude 6 occurred in the boundary region of Yamanashi and Kanagawa Prefectures. Preceding the earthquake, the unusual change of the concentration of Rn was recognized at several observation wells in Tokyo, and the unusual change was observed after the earthquake also. The possibility that the unusual change of the Rn concentration in groundwater is the precursor of earthquakes is high, and this phenomenon is expected to make contribution for the prediction of earthquakes, though there remain many problems to be solved. Further works are scheduled to establish the practical method of predicting earthquakes. (Isimitsu, A.)

Power management of remote microgrids considering battery lifetime

Science.gov (United States)

Chalise, Santosh

Currently, 20% (1.3 billion) of the world's population still lacks access to electricity and many live in remote areas where connection to the grid is not economical or practical. Remote microgrids could be the solution to the problem because they are designed to provide power for small communities within clearly defined electrical boundaries. Reducing the cost of electricity for remote microgrids can help to increase access to electricity for populations in remote areas and developing countries. The integration of renewable energy and batteries in diesel based microgrids has shown to be effective in reducing fuel consumption. However, the operational cost remains high due to the low lifetime of batteries, which are heavily used to improve the system's efficiency. In microgrid operation, a battery can act as a source to augment the generator or a load to ensure full load operation. In addition, a battery increases the utilization of PV by storing extra energy. However, the battery has a limited energy throughput. Therefore, it is required to provide balance between fuel consumption and battery lifetime throughput in order to lower the cost of operation. This work presents a two-layer power management system for remote microgrids. First layer is day ahead scheduling, where power set points of dispatchable resources were calculated. Second layer is real time dispatch, where schedule set points from the first layer are accepted and resources are dispatched accordingly. A novel scheduling algorithm is proposed for a dispatch layer, which considers the battery lifetime in optimization and is expected to reduce the operational cost of the microgrid. This method is based on a goal programming approach which has the fuel and the battery wear cost as two objectives to achieve. The effectiveness of this method was evaluated through a simulation study of a PV-diesel hybrid microgrid using deterministic and stochastic approach of optimization.

Groundwater age and chemistry, and future nutrient loads for selected Rotorua Lakes catchments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgenstern, U.; Reevers, R.R.; Daugney, C.J.; Cameron, S.; Gordon, D.

2005-01-01

since catchment development) of less than 80%. Significant fractions of these groundwaters were therefore recharged before land-use intensification, and these water discharges do not yet reflect the full effect of current land-use practices on the groundwater quality. Further deterioration of water quality must therefore be expected. Age dating of the main groundwater-fed streams in the Lake Rotorua catchment revealed mostly mean residence times between 35 and 130 years. The streams with the oldest water are Waingaehe (127 years), Hamurana (110 years), Awahou (61 years), and Utuhina streams (48 years). Only Ngongotaha Stream has younger water of 16 years mean residence time. Total phosphorus increases with groundwater age, concentration in young groundwater is 20 years. Trends for nitrate (NO 3 , potassium (K) and sulphate (SO 4 ) indicate that these are increased in the young groundwaters as result of land-use intensification. The natural background level of groundwater NO 3 -N is determined from old groundwater (pre-land-use intensification) to 0.14 mg/L, and the current level is determined from young groundwater (post-land-use intensification) to 1.6 mg/L. Therefore, 9% of the current level can be attributed to the natural background, and 91% to land-use impacts. This is an increase in NO 3 by a factor 11. Potassium concentrations indicate a natural background level of 0.6 mg/L and a current level of 3.8 mg/L. About 16% of the current K level is therefore natural background, and 84% is land-use impact, an increase by a factor 6. SO 4 shows a trend of elevated values of 3 mg/L in young waters compared to older water of 1.5 mg/L. Nitrogen loading was calculated from a mass budget for the major streams to Lake Rotorua. Only NO 3 -N, the main N component, was considered. Most of the nutrient flux via surface streams (ca. 90%) is contributed by the western catchment - Hamurana, Awahou, Puarenga, Waiteti, Ngongotaha and Utuhina streams. The total load of NO 3 -N is

An estimation of the health impact of groundwater pollution caused by dumping of chlorinated solvents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Lukas Jyuhn-Hsiarn; Chen, Chien-Hung; Chang, Yu-Yin; Liou, Saou-Hsing; Wang, Jung-Der

2010-01-01

Background: Hazardous waste sites are major environmental concerns, but few studies have quantified their expected utility loss on health. Objectives: To evaluate the health impact of groundwater pollution by an electronics manufacturing factory, we conducted a health risk assessment based on expected utility loss from liver cancer. Methods: Based on measurements of major pollutants, we estimated the likelihood of developing liver cancer after exposure to groundwater contamination. All patients with liver cancer between 1990 and 2005 in the Taiwan Cancer Registry were followed through 2007 using the National Mortality Registry to obtain survival function. Quality of life was assessed with two cross-sectional surveys, one employing the standard gamble method, and the other using the EQ-5D instrument. Quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) was estimated by multiplying the utility values with survival function under the unit of quality-adjusted life year (QALY). The difference of QALE between the cancer cohort and the age- and gender-matched reference population was calculated to represent the utility loss due to liver cancer. Results: A total of 94,144 patients with liver cancer were identified. The average utility loss to development of liver cancer was 17.5 QALYs. Based on toxicological approach, we estimated that groundwater pollution caused 1.7 extra cases of liver cancer, with an overall loss of 29.8 QALYs. Based on epidemiological approach, the expected annual excess number of liver cancer would be 3.65, which would have been accumulated through the years, had the pollution not mitigated. Conclusions: We demonstrated a practical approach for comparative health risk assessment using QALY as the common unit. This approach can be used for policy decisions based on possible health risks.

An estimation of the health impact of groundwater pollution caused by dumping of chlorinated solvents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Lukas Jyuhn-Hsiarn [Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chen, Chien-Hung [Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chang, Yu-Yin [Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Liou, Saou-Hsing [Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan (China); Wang, Jung-Der, E-mail: jdwang@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

2010-02-15

Background: Hazardous waste sites are major environmental concerns, but few studies have quantified their expected utility loss on health. Objectives: To evaluate the health impact of groundwater pollution by an electronics manufacturing factory, we conducted a health risk assessment based on expected utility loss from liver cancer. Methods: Based on measurements of major pollutants, we estimated the likelihood of developing liver cancer after exposure to groundwater contamination. All patients with liver cancer between 1990 and 2005 in the Taiwan Cancer Registry were followed through 2007 using the National Mortality Registry to obtain survival function. Quality of life was assessed with two cross-sectional surveys, one employing the standard gamble method, and the other using the EQ-5D instrument. Quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) was estimated by multiplying the utility values with survival function under the unit of quality-adjusted life year (QALY). The difference of QALE between the cancer cohort and the age- and gender-matched reference population was calculated to represent the utility loss due to liver cancer. Results: A total of 94,144 patients with liver cancer were identified. The average utility loss to development of liver cancer was 17.5 QALYs. Based on toxicological approach, we estimated that groundwater pollution caused 1.7 extra cases of liver cancer, with an overall loss of 29.8 QALYs. Based on epidemiological approach, the expected annual excess number of liver cancer would be 3.65, which would have been accumulated through the years, had the pollution not mitigated. Conclusions: We demonstrated a practical approach for comparative health risk assessment using QALY as the common unit. This approach can be used for policy decisions based on possible health risks.

Preliminary study on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in Horonobe groundwater environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniguchi, Naoki; Kogawa, Noritaka; Maeda, Kazuto

2006-08-01

It is necessary to understand the corrosion behavior of candidate overpack materials to plan the in-situ engineered barrier test at underground laboratory constructing at Horonobe and to design the overpacks suitable to Horonobe environment. The preliminary corrosion tests of carbon steel which is a candidate material for overpacks were carried out using artificial groundwater and actual groundwater sampled at Horonobe. As the results of anodic polarization experiments, the anodic polarization curves of carbon steel in buffer material were active dissolution type, and the corrosion type of carbon steel in Horonobe groundwater environment was expected to be general corrosion. The results of immersion test under air equilibrium condition showed that the degrees of corrosion localization were not exceeded the data obtained in previous studies. The trend of corrosion rates in buffer material under anaerobic condition were similar to the data obtained in previous studies. Based on the experimental results, it was confirmed that the corrosion assessment model and assumed corrosion rate in second progress report (H12 report) can be applied to the assessment for Horonobe groundwater condition. (author)

A subagging regression method for estimating the qualitative and quantitative state of groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Jina; Park, Eungyu; Han, Weon Shik; Kim, Kue-Young

2017-08-01

A subsample aggregating (subagging) regression (SBR) method for the analysis of groundwater data pertaining to trend-estimation-associated uncertainty is proposed. The SBR method is validated against synthetic data competitively with other conventional robust and non-robust methods. From the results, it is verified that the estimation accuracies of the SBR method are consistent and superior to those of other methods, and the uncertainties are reasonably estimated; the others have no uncertainty analysis option. To validate further, actual groundwater data are employed and analyzed comparatively with Gaussian process regression (GPR). For all cases, the trend and the associated uncertainties are reasonably estimated by both SBR and GPR regardless of Gaussian or non-Gaussian skewed data. However, it is expected that GPR has a limitation in applications to severely corrupted data by outliers owing to its non-robustness. From the implementations, it is determined that the SBR method has the potential to be further developed as an effective tool of anomaly detection or outlier identification in groundwater state data such as the groundwater level and contaminant concentration.

Measures of Groundwater Drought from the Long-term Monitoring Data in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, E.; Park, J.; Woo, N. C.

2017-12-01

Recently, drought has been increased in its severity and frequency along the climate change in Korea. There are several criteria for alarming drought, for instance, based on the no-rainfall days, the amount of stream discharge, and the water levels of reservoirs. However, farmers depending on groundwater still have been suffered in preparing drought especially in the Spring. No-rainfall days continue, groundwater exploitation increases, water table declines, stream discharge decreases, and then the effects of drought become serious. Thus, the drought index based on the groundwater level is needed for the preparedness of drought disaster. Palmer et al.(1965, USGS) has proposed a method to set the threshold for the decline of the groundwater level in 5 stages based on the daily water-level data over the last 30 years. In this study, according to Peters et al.(2003), the threshold of groundwater level was estimated using the daily water-level data at five sites with significant drought experiences in Korea. Water levels and precipitations data were obtained from the national groundwater monitoring wells and the automatic weather stations, respectively, for 10 years from 2005 to 2014. From the water-level changes, the threshold was calculated when the value of the drought criterion (c), the ratio of the deficit below the threshold to the deficit below the average, is 0.3. As a result, the monthly drought days were high in 2009 and 2011 in Uiryeong, and from 2005 to 2008 in Boeun. The validity of the approach and the threshold can be evaluated by comparing calculated monthly drought days with recorded drought in the past. Through groundwater drought research, it is expected that not only surface water also groundwater resource management should be implemented more efficiently to overcome drought disaster.

Lifetime Improvement by Battery Scheduling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongerden, M.R.; Schmitt, Jens B.; Haverkort, Boudewijn R.H.M.

The use of mobile devices is often limited by the lifetime of their batteries. For devices that have multiple batteries or that have the option to connect an extra battery, battery scheduling, thereby exploiting the recovery properties of the batteries, can help to extend the system lifetime. Due to

FUNDUS AUTOFLUORESCENCE LIFETIMES AND CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY.

Science.gov (United States)

Dysli, Chantal; Berger, Lieselotte; Wolf, Sebastian; Zinkernagel, Martin S

2017-11-01

To quantify retinal fluorescence lifetimes in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and to identify disease specific lifetime characteristics over the course of disease. Forty-seven participants were included in this study. Patients with central serous chorioretinopathy were imaged with fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) and compared with age-matched controls. Retinal autofluorescence was excited using a 473-nm blue laser light and emitted fluorescence light was detected in 2 distinct wavelengths channels (498-560 nm and 560-720 nm). Clinical features, mean retinal autofluorescence lifetimes, autofluorescence intensity, and corresponding optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were further analyzed. Thirty-five central serous chorioretinopathy patients with a mean visual acuity of 78 ETDRS letters (range, 50-90; mean Snellen equivalent: 20/32) and 12 age-matched controls were included. In the acute stage of central serous chorioretinopathy, retinal fluorescence lifetimes were shortened by 15% and 17% in the respective wavelength channels. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that fluorescence lifetimes were significantly influenced by the disease duration (P autofluorescence lifetimes, particularly in eyes with retinal pigment epithelial atrophy, were associated with poor visual acuity. This study establishes that autofluorescence lifetime changes occurring in central serous chorioretinopathy exhibit explicit patterns which can be used to estimate perturbations of the outer retinal layers with a high degree of statistical significance.

Dual wall reverse circulation drilling with multi-level groundwater sampling for groundwater contaminant plume delineation at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smuin, D.R.; Morti, E.E.; Zutman, J.L.; Pickering, D.A.

1995-01-01

Dual wall reverse circulation (DWRC) drilling was used to drill 48 borings during a groundwater contaminant investigation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky. This method was selected as an alternative to conventional hollow stem auger drilling for a number of reasons, including the expectation of minimizing waste, increasing the drilling rate, and reducing the potential for cross contamination of aquifers. Groundwater samples were collected from several water-bearing zones during drilling of each borehole. The samples were analyzed for volatile organic compounds using a field gas chromatograph. This approach allowed the investigation to be directed using near-real-time data. Use of downhole geophysical logging, in conjunction with lithologic descriptions of borehole cuttings, resulted in excellent correlation of the geology in the vicinity of the contaminant plume. The total volume of cuttings generated using the DWRC drilling method was less than half of what would have been produced by hollow stem augering; however, the cuttings were recovered in slurry form and had to be dewatered prior to disposal. The drilling rate was very rapid, often approaching 10 ft/min; however, frequent breaks to perform groundwater sampling resulted in an average drilling rate of < 1 ft/min. The time required for groundwater sampling could be shortened by changing the sampling methodology. Analytical results indicated that the drilling method successfully isolated the various water bearing zones and no cross contamination resulted from the investigation

Work plan for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory groundwater program: Continuous groundwater collection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-08-01

The continuous collection of groundwater data is a basic and necessary part of Lockeheed Martin Energy Systems' ORNL Environmental Restoration Area-Wide Groundwater Program. Continuous groundwater data consist primarily of continually recorded groundwater levels, and in some instances, specific conductivity, pH, and/or temperature measurements. These data will be collected throughout the ORNL site. This Work Plan (WP) addresses technical objectives, equipment requirements, procedures, documentation requirements, and technical instructions for the acquisition of the continuous groundwater data. Intent of this WP is to provide an approved document that meets all the necessary requirements while retaining the flexibility necessary to effectively address ORNL's groundwater problems

Real-time monitoring of luminescent lifetime changes of PtOEP oxygen sensing film with LED/photodiode-based time-domain lifetime device.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Shaomin; Wu, Wanhua; Wu, Yubo; Zhao, Taiyang; Zhou, Fuke; Yang, Yubin; Zhang, Xin; Liang, Xiaofen; Wu, Wenting; Chi, Lina; Wang, Zhonggang; Zhao, Jianzhang

2009-05-01

A cost-effective LED/photodiode(PD)-based time-domain luminescent lifetime measuring device with rugged electronics and simplified algorithms was assembled and successfully used to characterize oxygen sensing films, by continuously monitoring phosphorescence lifetime changes of phosphorescent platinum octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) in cardo poly(aryl ether ketone) polymer (IMPEK-C) vs. variation of the oxygen partial pressure in a gas mixture (O(2)/N(2)). The results determined by both phosphorescence lifetime and intensity monitoring were compared and the lifetime mode gave results which are in good agreement with the intensity mode. The lifetime-based linear Stern-Volmer plot indicates that the PtOEP molecules are nearly homogeneously distributed in the sensing film. The phosphorescent lifetime of the PtOEP film changes from 75 micros in neat N(2) to less than 2 micros in neat O(2). The sensing system (by combination of the PtOEP sensing film with the home-assembled lifetime device) gives a high lifetime-based O(2) sensing resolution, e.g. about 2 micros Torr(-1) for low O(2) concentration (below 3.5% O(2), V/V). This feasible lifetime device configuration is affordable to most sensor laboratories and the device may facilitate the study of O(2) sensing material with the continuous lifetime monitoring method.

Modelling wetland-groundwater interactions in the boreal Kälväsvaara esker, Northern Finland

Science.gov (United States)

Jaros, Anna; Rossi, Pekka; Ronkanen, Anna-Kaisa; Kløve, Bjørn

2016-04-01

Many types of boreal peatland ecosystems such as alkaline fens, aapa mires and Fennoscandia spring fens rely on the presence of groundwater. In these ecosystems groundwater creates unique conditions for flora and fauna by providing water, nutrients and constant water temperature enriching local biodiversity. The groundwater-peatland interactions and their dynamics are not, however, in many cases fully understood and their measurement and quantification is difficult due to highly heterogeneous structure of peatlands and large spatial extend of these ecosystems. Understanding of these interactions and their changes due to anthropogenic impact on groundwater resources would benefit the protection of the groundwater dependent peatlands. The groundwater-peatland interactions were investigated using the fully-integrated physically-based groundwater-surface water code HydroGeoSphere in a case study of the Kälväsvaara esker aquifer, Northern Finland. The Kälväsvaara is a geologically complex esker and it is surrounded by vast aapa mire system including alkaline and springs fens. In addition, numerous small springs occur in the discharge zone of the esker. In order to quantify groundwater-peatland interactions a simple steady-state model was built and results were evaluated using expected trends and field measurements. The employed model reproduced relatively well spatially distributed hydrological variables such as soil water content, water depths and groundwater-surface water exchange fluxes within the wetland and esker areas. The wetlands emerged in simulations as a result of geological and topographical conditions. They could be identified by high saturation levels at ground surface and by presence of shallow ponded water over some areas. The model outputs exhibited also strong surface water-groundwater interactions in some parts of the aapa system. These areas were noted to be regions of substantial diffusive groundwater discharge by the earlier studies. In

Field-induced negative differential spin lifetime in silicon.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Qing, Lan; Dery, Hanan; Appelbaum, Ian

2012-04-13

We show that the electric-field-induced thermal asymmetry between the electron and lattice systems in pure silicon substantially impacts the identity of the dominant spin relaxation mechanism. Comparison of empirical results from long-distance spin transport devices with detailed Monte Carlo simulations confirms a strong spin depolarization beyond what is expected from the standard Elliott-Yafet theory even at low temperatures. The enhanced spin-flip mechanism is attributed to phonon emission processes during which electrons are scattered between conduction band valleys that reside on different crystal axes. This leads to anomalous behavior, where (beyond a critical field) reduction of the transit time between spin-injector and spin-detector is accompanied by a counterintuitive reduction in spin polarization and an apparent negative spin lifetime.

Measurement of the $\\Omega_{c}^{0}$ lifetime

CERN Document Server

Adamovich, M.I.; Alexandrov, Yu.A.; Barberis, D.; Beck, M.; Berat, C.; Beusch, W.; Boss, M.; Brons, S.; Bruckner, W.; Buenerd, M.; Buscher, C.; Charignon, F.; Chauvin, J.; Chudakov, E.A.; Dropmann, F.; Engelfried, J.; Faller, F.; Fournier, A.; Gerasimov, S.; Godbersen, M.; Grafstrom, P.; Haller, T.; Heidrich, M.; Hurst, R.B.; Konigsmann, Kay; Konorov, I.; Martens, K.; Martin, P.; Masciocchi, S.; Michaels, R.; Muller, U.; Newsom, C.; Paul, S.; Povh, B.; Ren, Z.; Rey-Campagnolle, M.; Rosner, G.; Rossi, L.; Rudolph, H.; Schmitt, L.; Siebert, H.W.; Simon, A.; Smith, V.J.; Thilmann, O.; Trombini, A.; Vesin, E.; Volkemer, B.; Vorwalter, K.; Walcher, T.; Walder, G.; Werding, R.; Wittmann, E.; Zavertyaev, M.V.

1995-01-01

We present the measurement of the lifetime of the Omega_c we have performed using three independent data samples from two different decay modes. Using a Sigma- beam of 340 GeV/c we have obtained clean signals for the Omega_c decaying into Xi- K- pi+ pi+ and Omega- pi+ pi- pi+, avoiding topological cuts normally used in charm analysis. The short but measurable lifetime of the Omega_c is demonstrated by a clear enhancement of the signals at short but finite decay lengths. Using a continuous maximum likelihood method we determined the lifetime to be tau(Omega_c) = 55 +13-11(stat) +18-23(syst) fs. This makes the Omega_c the shortest living weakly decaying particle observed so far. The short value of the lifetime confirms the predicted pattern of the charmed baryon lifetimes and demonstrates that the strong interaction plays a vital role in the lifetimes of charmed hadrons.

Lifetime improvement by battery scheduling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongerden, M.R.; Haverkort, Boudewijn R.H.M.

The use of mobile devices is often limited by the lifetime of its battery. For devices that have multiple batteries or that have the option to connect an extra battery, battery scheduling, thereby exploiting the recovery properties of the batteries, can help to extend the system lifetime. Due to the

Can We Really (All Work Longer?Trends in Healthy Life Expectancy According to Social Stratum in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rainer Unger

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Against the background of raising the retirement age to 67 years and the associated lengthening of working lifetimes in higher age groups, this article examines the question of the extent to which this political objective is covered by the health assets of the population. Here, we will first trace trends in “healthy” life expectancy among the total population for different points in time 1989, 1999 and 2009 on the basis of the data from the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP and analyse these against the background of social strata indicators such as income and educational levels. Among others, one significant result is the fact that social differences have a far greater effect on healthy life expectancy than on general life expectancy and that these differences increase further over the course of time. This effect can be found particularly in men. One mandatory uniform working lifetime for all persons would however not do justice to these findings of socially highly unequally distributed life opportunities. Instead, the findings support a flexible arrangement of retirement age limits.

The Monetary Valuation of Lifetime Health Improvement and Life Expectancy Gains in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ara, Shihomi; Tekeşin, Cem

2017-09-29

The main objective of this study is to estimate the monetary value of the gains of healthy days and life expectancy due to the ambient air quality standard that came into effect in 2014 by estimating the country-specific value of a life year (VOLY) and the value of the healthier and longer life (VHLL) for Turkey. Contingent valuation method is adopted to reveal individuals' willingness to pay for an improvement of health condition and the extension of their life expectancy by avoiding respiratory and lung related illnesses. VHLL is composed of two parts, WTP for an extension of one's life years (VOLY) and for an increase in the number of healthy days throughout one's life time (VHLL-VOLY). We found that close to 80% of WTP is allocated to the latter component of VHLL and only 20% is for VOLY mainly due to Islamic beliefs of the respondents. A total of 1314 observations are collected by face-to-face interviews from Afsin-Elbistan, Kutahya-Tavsanli and Ankara. The estimated VHLL and VOLY are [41,750 TL, 10,258 TL] with all the observations, [30,185 TL, 7132 TL] for Afsin-Elbistan, [31,718 TL, 7081 TL] for Kutahya-Tavsanli and [52,334 TL, 14,813 TL] for Ankara. The Inverse-U shaped relationship between Age and WTP is confirmed. The income elasticities of WTP is found to be close to 0.5 for all study areas while an Inverse-U shaped relationship between the household income and Income Elasticity of WTP is observed in the income group based analysis. Age and household income are the two prominent determinants of VHLL.

The Monetary Valuation of Lifetime Health Improvement and Life Expectancy Gains in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Tekeşin, Cem

2017-01-01

The main objective of this study is to estimate the monetary value of the gains of healthy days and life expectancy due to the ambient air quality standard that came into effect in 2014 by estimating the country-specific value of a life year (VOLY) and the value of the healthier and longer life (VHLL) for Turkey. Contingent valuation method is adopted to reveal individuals’ willingness to pay for an improvement of health condition and the extension of their life expectancy by avoiding respiratory and lung related illnesses. VHLL is composed of two parts, WTP for an extension of one’s life years (VOLY) and for an increase in the number of healthy days throughout one’s life time (VHLL-VOLY). We found that close to 80% of WTP is allocated to the latter component of VHLL and only 20% is for VOLY mainly due to Islamic beliefs of the respondents. A total of 1314 observations are collected by face-to-face interviews from Afsin-Elbistan, Kutahya-Tavsanli and Ankara. The estimated VHLL and VOLY are [41,750 TL, 10,258 TL] with all the observations, [30,185 TL, 7132 TL] for Afsin-Elbistan, [31,718 TL, 7081 TL] for Kutahya-Tavsanli and [52,334 TL, 14,813 TL] for Ankara. The Inverse-U shaped relationship between Age and WTP is confirmed. The income elasticities of WTP is found to be close to 0.5 for all study areas while an Inverse-U shaped relationship between the household income and Income Elasticity of WTP is observed in the income group based analysis. Age and household income are the two prominent determinants of VHLL. PMID:28961227

Ground-water heat pumps: an examination of hydrogeologic, environmental, legal, and economic factors affecting their use

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armitage, D M; Bacon, D J; Massey-Norton, J T; Miller, J D

1980-11-12

Groundwater is attractive as a potential low-temperature energy source in residential space-conditioning applications. When used in conjuncton with a heat pump, ground water can serve as both a heat source (for heating) and a heat sink (for cooling). Major hydrogeologic aspects that affect system use include groundwater temperature and availability at shallow depths as these factors influence operational efficiency. Ground-water quality is considered as it affects the performance and life-expectancy of the water-side heat exchanger. Environmental impacts related to groundwater heat pump system use are most influenced by water use and disposal methods. In general, recharge to the subsurface (usually via injection wells) is recommended. Legal restrictions on system use are often stricter at the municipal and county levels than at state and Federal levels. Although Federal regulations currently exist, the agencies are not equipped to regulate individual, domestic installations. Computer smulations indicate that under a variety of climatologic conditions, groundwater heat pumps use less energy than conventional heating and cooling equipment. Life-cycle cost comparisons with conventional equipment depend on alternative system choices and well cost options included in the groundwater heat pump system.

Data verification and evaluation techniques for groundwater monitoring programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercier, T.M.; Turner, R.R.

1990-12-01

To ensure that data resulting from groundwater monitoring programs are of the quality required to fulfill program objectives, it is suggested that a program of data verification and evaluation be implemented. These procedures are meant to supplement and support the existing laboratory quality control/quality assurance programs by identifying aberrant data resulting from a variety of unforeseen circumstances: sampling problems, data transformations in the lab, data input at the lab, data transfer, end-user data input. Using common-sense principles, pattern recognition techniques, and hydrogeological principles, a computer program was written which scans the data for suspected abnormalities and produces a text file stating sample identifiers, the suspect data, and a statement of how the data has departed from the expected. The techniques described in this paper have been developed to support the Y-12 Plant Groundwater Protection Program Management Plan

Groundwater sustainability and groundwater/surface-water interaction in arid Dunhuang Basin, northwest China

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jingjing; Ma, Rui; Hu, Yalu; Sun, Ziyong; Wang, Yanxin; McCarter, Colin P. R.

2018-03-01

The Dunhuang Basin, a typical inland basin in northwestern China, suffers a net loss of groundwater and the occasional disappearance of the Crescent Lake. Within this region, the groundwater/surface-water interactions are important for the sustainability of the groundwater resources. A three-dimensional transient groundwater flow model was established and calibrated using MODFLOW 2000, which was used to predict changes to these interactions once a water diversion project is completed. The simulated results indicate that introducing water from outside of the basin into the Shule and Danghe rivers could reverse the negative groundwater balance in the Basin. River-water/groundwater interactions control the groundwater hydrology, where river leakage to the groundwater in the Basin will increase from 3,114 × 104 m3/year in 2017 to 11,875 × 104 m3/year in 2021, and to 17,039 × 104 m3/year in 2036. In comparison, groundwater discharge to the rivers will decrease from 3277 × 104 m3/year in 2017 to 1857 × 104 m3/year in 2021, and to 510 × 104 m3/year by 2036; thus, the hydrology will switch from groundwater discharge to groundwater recharge after implementing the water diversion project. The simulation indicates that the increased net river infiltration due to the water diversion project will raise the water table and then effectively increasing the water level of the Crescent Lake, as the lake level is contiguous with the water table. However, the regional phreatic evaporation will be enhanced, which may intensify soil salinization in the Dunhuang Basin. These results can guide the water allocation scheme for the water diversion project to alleviate groundwater depletion and mitigate geo-environmental problem.

Use of tree-ring chemistry to document historical ground-water contamination events

Science.gov (United States)

Vroblesky, Don A.; Yanosky, Thomas M.

1990-01-01

The annual growth rings of tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) appear to preserve a chemical record of ground-water contamination at a landfill in Maryland. Zones of elevated iron and chlorine concentrations in growth rings from trees immediately downgradient from the landfill are closely correlated temporally with activities in the landfill expected to generate iron and chloride contamination in the ground water. Successively later iron peaks in trees increasingly distant from the landfill along the general direction of ground-water flow imply movement of iron-contaminated ground water away from the landfill. The historical velocity of iron movement (2 to 9 m/yr) and chloride movement (at least 40 m/yr) in ground water at the site was estimated from element-concentration trends of trees at successive distances from the landfill. The tree-ring-derived chloride-transport velocity approximates the known ground-water velocity (30 to 80 m/yr). A minimum horizontal hydraulic conductivity (0.01 to .02 cm/s) calculated from chloride velocity agrees well with values derived from aquifer tests (about 0.07 cm/s) and from ground-water modeling results (0.009 to 0.04 cm/s).

Suburban heat island effect in groundwater energy utilisation in Nordic climate - case study

Science.gov (United States)

Arola, Teppo

2017-04-01

We present the preliminary results from the initial thermogeological characterization of Finland's first-ever planned large-scale aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) facility. The site is located in the Asko area (Lahti), at a latitude of 60°59'N. In particular, emphasis is put on the results from an aquifer's pumping test performed in July / August 2016 to investigate the potential implication of suburban heat island (SUHI) effect to ATES system on the naturally cold groundwater area. The site has been under geological investigation since July 2015. At a regional scale, the groundwater's natural temperature is about 5.8- 6°C. However, preliminary measurements during the investigations revealed that local groundwater temperature ranged between 7.5 to 8.7 °C in Asko area. The highest temperature was observed underneath buildings, suggesting that higher-than-average temperature is most likely influenced due to anthropogenic heat flux into the ground. The pumping test was performed for 39 days, of which 28 days with groundwater withdrawal and 11 days of heads recovery. The pumped volumes range from 350 to 540 m3/d leading the total volume of 10400 m3 of groundwater. Groundwater temperatures were continuously measured from pumping test well and two observation piezometers during the entire test. The results indicated that aquifer's temperature remained nearly constant being between 7.4 to 7.9 °C during the test period. Heat pulses with temperature variation of 0.1 to 0.3 °C were observed in the pumping well and nearest monitoring well (19 meters from pumping well) during the pumping test and recovery phase. We estimate that the pulses were due to rapidly changed groundwater flowing conditions and pulse indicate "new groundwater" flow to the well. Overall, the preliminary test suggests that groundwater temperature are expected to remain elevated during the ATES system operation. Elevated temperature due the SUHI effect increases groundwater heating potential

Response of the groundwater system in the Guanzhong Basin (central China) to climate change and human activities

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenke; Zhang, Zaiyong; Duan, Lei; Wang, Zhoufeng; Zhao, Yaqian; Zhang, Qian; Dai, Meiling; Liu, Huizhong; Zheng, Xiaoyan; Sun, Yibo

2018-03-01

The Guanzhong Basin in central China features a booming economy and has suffered severe drought, resulting in serious groundwater depletion in the last 30 years. As a major water resource, groundwater plays a significant role in water supply. The combined impact of climate change and intensive human activities has caused a substantial decline in groundwater recharge and groundwater levels, as well as degradation of groundwater quality and associated changes in the ecosystems. Based on observational data, an integrated approach was used to assess the impact of climate change and human activities on the groundwater system and the base flow of the river basin. Methods included: river runoff records and a multivariate statistical analysis of data including historical groundwater levels and climate; hydro-chemical investigation and trend analysis of the historical hydro-chemical data; wavelet analysis of climate data; and the base flow index. The analyses indicate a clear warming trend and a decreasing trend in rainfall since the 1960s, in addition to increased human activities since the 1970s. The reduction of groundwater recharge in the past 30 years has led to a continuous depletion of groundwater levels, complex changes of the hydro-chemical environment, localized salinization, and a strong decline of the base flow to the river. It is expected that the results will contribute to a more comprehensive management plan for groundwater and the related eco-environment in the face of growing pressures from intensive human activities superimposed on climate change in this region.

Quantum lifetime in electron storage rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao, A.W.

1977-02-01

One of the mechanisms which contribute to beam lifetime in electron storage rings is the quantum emission of energetic photons causing particles to be lost from the rf bucket. This quantum lifetime is among other things important in defining the required aperture in a storage ring. An approximate expression of quantum lifetime, predicted by a one-dimensional model which takes into account only the betatron motion, has been used in most storage ring designs. If the beam is aperture-limited at a position with nonzero dispersion, both the betatron and synchrotron motions have to be included and a two-dimensional model must be used. An exact expression of quantum lifetime for the one-dimensional case and an approximate expression for the two-dimensional case are given

Quantum lifetime in electron storage rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chao, A.W.

1977-01-01

One of the mechanisms which contributes to beam lifetime in electron storage rings is the quantum emission of energetic photons causing particles to be lost from the rf bucket. This quantum lifetime is among other things important in defining the required aperture in a storage ring. An approximate expression of quantum lifetime, predicted by a one-dimensional model which takes into account only the betatron motion, has been used in most storage ring designs. If the beam is aperture-limited at a position with nonzero dispersion, both the betatron and synchrotron motions have to be included, and a two-dimensional model must be used. An exact expression of quantum lifetime for the one-dimensional case and an approximate expression for the two-dimensional case are given

The use of lifetime functions in the optimization of interventions on existing bridges considering maintenance and failure costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Seung-Ie [Department of Civil, Enviromental, and Architectural Enginnering, University of Colorado, Campus Box 428, Boulder, CO 80309-0428 (United States)]. E-mail: yangsione@dreamwiz.com; Frangopol, Dan M. [Department of Civil, Enviromental, and Architectural Enginnering, University of Colorado, Campus Box 428, Boulder, CO 80309-0428 (United States)]. E-mail: dan.frangopol@colorado.edu; Kawakami, Yoriko [Hanshin Expressway Public Corporation, Kobe Maintenance Department, 16-1 Shinko-cho Chuo-ku Kobe City, Hyogo, 650-0041 (Japan)]. E-mail: yoriko-kawakami@hepc.go.jp; Neves, Luis C. [Department of Civil, Enviromental, and Architectural Enginnering, University of Colorado, Campus Box 428, Boulder, CO 80309-0428 (United States)]. E-mail: lneves@civil.uminho.pt

2006-06-15

In the last decade, it became clear that life-cycle cost analysis of existing civil infrastructure must be used to optimally manage the growing number of aging and deteriorating structures. The uncertainties associated with deteriorating structures require the use of probabilistic methods to properly evaluate their lifetime performance. In this paper, the deterioration and the effect of maintenance actions are analyzed considering the performance of existing structures characterized by lifetime functions. These functions allow, in a simple manner, the consideration of the effect of aging on the decrease of the probability of survival of a structure, as well as the effect of maintenance actions. Models for the effects of proactive and reactive preventive maintenance, and essential maintenance actions are presented. Since the probability of failure is different from zero during the entire service life of a deteriorating structure and depends strongly on the maintenance strategy, the cost of failure is included in this analysis. The failure of one component in a structure does not usually lead to failure of the structure and, as a result, the safety of existing structures must be analyzed using a system reliability framework. The optimization consists of minimizing the sum of the cumulative maintenance and expected failure cost during the prescribed time horizon. Two examples of application of the proposed methodology are presented. In the first example, the sum of the maintenance and failure costs of a bridge in Colorado is minimized considering essential maintenance only and a fixed minimum acceptable probability of failure. In the second example, the expected lifetime cost, including maintenance and expected failure costs, of a multi-girder bridge is minimized considering reactive preventive maintenance actions.

The use of lifetime functions in the optimization of interventions on existing bridges considering maintenance and failure costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Seung-Ie; Frangopol, Dan M.; Kawakami, Yoriko; Neves, Luis C.

2006-01-01

In the last decade, it became clear that life-cycle cost analysis of existing civil infrastructure must be used to optimally manage the growing number of aging and deteriorating structures. The uncertainties associated with deteriorating structures require the use of probabilistic methods to properly evaluate their lifetime performance. In this paper, the deterioration and the effect of maintenance actions are analyzed considering the performance of existing structures characterized by lifetime functions. These functions allow, in a simple manner, the consideration of the effect of aging on the decrease of the probability of survival of a structure, as well as the effect of maintenance actions. Models for the effects of proactive and reactive preventive maintenance, and essential maintenance actions are presented. Since the probability of failure is different from zero during the entire service life of a deteriorating structure and depends strongly on the maintenance strategy, the cost of failure is included in this analysis. The failure of one component in a structure does not usually lead to failure of the structure and, as a result, the safety of existing structures must be analyzed using a system reliability framework. The optimization consists of minimizing the sum of the cumulative maintenance and expected failure cost during the prescribed time horizon. Two examples of application of the proposed methodology are presented. In the first example, the sum of the maintenance and failure costs of a bridge in Colorado is minimized considering essential maintenance only and a fixed minimum acceptable probability of failure. In the second example, the expected lifetime cost, including maintenance and expected failure costs, of a multi-girder bridge is minimized considering reactive preventive maintenance actions

Effects of hydraulic frac fluids and formation waters on groundwater microbial communities

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Martin; Jimenez, Nuria

2017-04-01

groundwaters. Ongoing work will provide information on potential transformations of frac or geogenic chemicals by groundwater microbiota and their lifetime.

An early warning system for groundwater pollution based on the assessment of groundwater pollution risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weihong.; Zhao, Yongsheng; Hong, Mei; Guo, Xiaodong

2009-04-01

Groundwater pollution usually is complex and concealed, remediation of which is difficult, high cost, time-consuming, and ineffective. An early warning system for groundwater pollution is needed that detects groundwater quality problems and gets the information necessary to make sound decisions before massive groundwater quality degradation occurs. Groundwater pollution early warning were performed by considering comprehensively the current groundwater quality, groundwater quality varying trend and groundwater pollution risk . The map of the basic quality of the groundwater was obtained by fuzzy comprehensive evaluation or BP neural network evaluation. Based on multi-annual groundwater monitoring datasets, Water quality state in sometime of the future was forecasted using time-sequenced analyzing methods. Water quality varying trend was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlative coefficient.The relative risk map of groundwater pollution was estimated through a procedure that identifies, cell by cell,the values of three factors, that is inherent vulnerability, load risk of pollution source and contamination hazard. DRASTIC method was used to assess inherent vulnerability of aquifer. Load risk of pollution source was analyzed based on the potential of contamination and pollution degree. Assessment index of load risk of pollution source which involves the variety of pollution source, quantity of contaminants, releasing potential of pollutants, and distance were determined. The load risks of all sources considered by GIS overlay technology. Early warning model of groundwater pollution combined with ComGIS technology organically, the regional groundwater pollution early-warning information system was developed, and applied it into Qiqiha'er groundwater early warning. It can be used to evaluate current water quality, to forecast water quality changing trend, and to analyze space-time influencing range of groundwater quality by natural process and human activities. Keywords

Assessing regional groundwater stress for nations using multiple data sources with the groundwater footprint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleeson, Tom; Wada, Yoshihide

2013-01-01

Groundwater is a critical resource for agricultural production, ecosystems, drinking water and industry, yet groundwater depletion is accelerating, especially in a number of agriculturally important regions. Assessing the stress of groundwater resources is crucial for science-based policy and management, yet water stress assessments have often neglected groundwater and used single data sources, which may underestimate the uncertainty of the assessment. We consistently analyze and interpret groundwater stress across whole nations using multiple data sources for the first time. We focus on two nations with the highest national groundwater abstraction rates in the world, the United States and India, and use the recently developed groundwater footprint and multiple datasets of groundwater recharge and withdrawal derived from hydrologic models and data synthesis. A minority of aquifers, mostly with known groundwater depletion, show groundwater stress regardless of the input dataset. The majority of aquifers are not stressed with any input data while less than a third are stressed for some input data. In both countries groundwater stress affects agriculturally important regions. In the United States, groundwater stress impacts a lower proportion of the national area and population, and is focused in regions with lower population and water well density compared to India. Importantly, the results indicate that the uncertainty is generally greater between datasets than within datasets and that much of the uncertainty is due to recharge estimates. Assessment of groundwater stress consistently across a nation and assessment of uncertainty using multiple datasets are critical for the development of a science-based rationale for policy and management, especially with regard to where and to what extent to focus limited research and management resources. (letter)

Saline groundwater in crystalline bedrock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lampen, P.

1992-11-01

The State-of-art report describes research made on deep saline groundwaters and brines found in crystalline bedrock, mainly in site studies for nuclear waste disposal. The occurrence, definitions and classifications of saline groundwaters are reviewed with a special emphasis on the different theories concerning the origins of saline groundwaters. Studies of the saline groundwaters in Finland and Sweden have been reviewed more thoroughly. Also the mixing of different bodies of groundwaters, observations of the contact of saline groundwaters and permafrost, and the geochemical modelling of saline groundwaters as well as the future trends of research have been discussed. (orig.)

Underground mining of the lower 163 zone through groundwater drainage at the Eagle Point Mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, D.M.; Bashir, R.; Thomson, J.; Klemmer, S.; Rigden, A.

2010-01-01

The Eagle Point Mine is part of the Cameco Rabbit Lake Operation. The mine produces uranium ore using the long-hole, vertical and horizontal retreat mining method. The majority of the mine workings are under Wollaston Lake and cementitious grouting is used as one of the water control measures. Historical groundwater table in the mining area was close to ground surface. The Lower 163 Zone encompasses an estimated 4.2 million pounds U_3O_8 geological resource that was not considered feasible to mine due to the expected groundwater flows in the area. Cross-hole testing was conducted to better understand the groundwater flow through various geologic units. A local depressurization test was conducted to assess the potential for lowering the water table. Following testing an active depressurization was conducted to lower the groundwater table below the planned mining areas. This resulted in safe and drier mining conditions and allowed for the successful extraction of the ore body. (author)

How to manage future groundwater resource of China under climate change and urbanization: An optimal stage investment design from modern portfolio theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Shanshan; Liang, Jie; Zeng, Guangming; Xu, Min; Zhang, Chang; Yuan, Yujie; Li, Xiaodong; Li, Ping; Liu, Jiayu; Huang, Lu

2015-11-15

Groundwater management in China has been facing challenges from both climate change and urbanization and is considered as a national priority nowadays. However, unprecedented uncertainty exists in future scenarios making it difficult to formulate management planning paradigms. In this paper, we apply modern portfolio theory (MPT) to formulate an optimal stage investment of groundwater contamination remediation in China. This approach generates optimal weights of investment to each stage of the groundwater management and helps maximize expected return while minimizing overall risk in the future. We find that the efficient frontier of investment displays an upward-sloping shape in risk-return space. The expected value of groundwater vulnerability index increases from 0.6118 to 0.6230 following with the risk of uncertainty increased from 0.0118 to 0.0297. If management investment is constrained not to exceed certain total cost until 2050 year, the efficient frontier could help decision makers make the most appropriate choice on the trade-off between risk and return. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Lifetime of a beautiful and charming meson: Bc lifetime measured using the D0 detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welty-Rieger, Leah Christine

2008-01-01

Using approximately 1.3 fb -1 of data collected by the D0 detector between 2002 and 2006, the lifetime of the B c ± meson is studied in the B c ± → J/ψμ ± + X final state. Using an unbinned likelihood simultaneous fit to J/ψ + μ invariant mass and lifetime distributions, a signal of 810 ± 80(stat.) candidates is estimated and a lifetime measurement made of: τ(B c ± ) = 0.448 -0.036 +0.038 (stat) ± 0.032(sys) ps

Adult lifetime reproductive value in fish depends on size and fecundity type

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsoukali, Stavroula; Olsson, Karin H.; Visser, André W.

2016-01-01

In a stable population, the adult lifetime reproductive value must be balanced against early life survival. Although delaying maturity may increase fecundity, it also reduces survival. Larger size at maturity therefore not only allows for higher fecundity, but requires it. Using simple arguments......, the expected proportionality falls off if mortality increases to include fishing. Furthermore, we find that the fecundity type (determinate or indeterminate) affects the predicted adult reproductive value, which is significantly (10-fold) higher for an indeterminate spawner than for a determinate spawner...

Simulation of quitting smoking in the military shows higher lifetime medical spending more than offset by productivity gains.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wenya; Dall, Timothy M; Zhang, Yiduo; Zhang, Shiping; Arday, David R; Dorn, Patricia W; Jain, Anjali

2012-12-01

Despite the documented benefits of quitting smoking, studies have found that smokers who quit may have higher lifetime medical costs, in part because of increased risk for medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, brought on by associated weight gain. Using a simulation model and data on 612,332 adult smokers in the US Department of Defense's TRICARE Prime health plan in 2008, we estimated that cessation accompanied by weight gain would increase average life expectancy by 3.7 years, and that the average lifetime reduction in medical expenditures from improved health ($5,600) would be offset by additional expenditures resulting from prolonged life ($7,300). Results varied by age and sex: For females ages 18-44 at time of cessation, there would be net savings of $1,200 despite additional medical expenditures from prolonged life. Avoidance of weight gain after quitting smoking would increase average life expectancy by four additional months and reduce mean extra spending resulting from prolonged life by $700. Overall, the average net lifetime health care cost increase of $1,700 or less per ex-smoker would be modest and, for employed people, more than offset by even one year's worth of productivity gains. These results boost the case for smoking cessation programs in the military in particular, along with not selling cigarettes in commissaries or at reduced prices.

Lifetime value in business process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Souček

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on lifetime value assessment and its implementation and application in business processes. The lifetime value is closely connected to customer relationship management. The paper presents results of three consecutive researches devoted to issues of customer relationship management. The first two from 2008 and 2010 were conducted as quantitative ones; the one from 2009 had qualitative nature. The respondents were representatives of particular companies. The means for data collection was provided by ReLa system. We will focus on individual attributes of lifetime value of a customer, and relate them to approaches of authors mentioned in introduction. Based on the qualitative research data, the paper focuses on individual customer lifetime value parameters. These parameters include: the cost to the customer relationship acquisition and maintenance, profit generated from a particular customer, customer awareness value, the level of preparedness to adopt new products, the value of references and customer loyalty level. For each of these parameters, the paper provides specific recommendations. Moreover, it is possible to learn about the nature of these parameter assessments in the Czech environment.

Models for Battery Reliability and Lifetime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, K.; Wood, E.; Santhanagopalan, S.; Kim, G. H.; Neubauer, J.; Pesaran, A.

2014-03-01

Models describing battery degradation physics are needed to more accurately understand how battery usage and next-generation battery designs can be optimized for performance and lifetime. Such lifetime models may also reduce the cost of battery aging experiments and shorten the time required to validate battery lifetime. Models for chemical degradation and mechanical stress are reviewed. Experimental analysis of aging data from a commercial iron-phosphate lithium-ion (Li-ion) cell elucidates the relative importance of several mechanical stress-induced degradation mechanisms.

Characterization of control mesoporous glasses (CPGs) using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sayed Ahmed, Essmat Mahmoud Hassan

2008-01-30

This thesis has two main goals. Firstly and for the first time, the positron annihilation lifetime technique (PALS) is used to characterize the control porous glasses (CPGs) media. All the positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) investigations have been interested in the commercial Vycor glass media of pores size {<=} 4 nm. Therefore, the PALS is used to establish basic correlations between the important physical properties of the CPG (pore size, surface area, and porosity) and the orthopositronium (o-Ps) lifetime. The second goal is to use these correlations to verify the validity of some suggested models and theories to discover possible deviations from the expected behaviour and to discuss the physical point of view for these deviations. Chapter 1 presents an overview of positron, positronium and their interaction with solid materials. Chapter 2 of this thesis is concerned with characterization of porous glass materials. This chapter discusses in detail the preparation methods of porous glasses specially control porous glass and Vycor glass. The gas adsorption phenomenon in porous glass and the related definitions are discussed. The most important terms of the porous glass such as pore size, shape, volume, pore size distribution, surface area, and porosity are discussed. Chapter 3 presents in detail the well known models and the derived equations which correlate between the lifetime of the o-Ps long-lived component and the pore size, pore shape and the temperature dependence of the porous media. Chapter 4 presents an overview of the main experimental techniques used in this thesis, namely positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Chapter 5 explains the sample preparation for the measurements. The chapter represents also the experimental data for the correlation between the o-Ps lifetime and pore sizes for a system of CPG media (from 1 nm to 64 nm). I also studied the temperature dependence of the o-Ps long-lived component in different pore sizes. In this

Characterization of control mesoporous glasses (CPGs) using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayed Ahmed, Essmat Mahmoud Hassan

2008-01-01

This thesis has two main goals. Firstly and for the first time, the positron annihilation lifetime technique (PALS) is used to characterize the control porous glasses (CPGs) media. All the positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) investigations have been interested in the commercial Vycor glass media of pores size ≤ 4 nm. Therefore, the PALS is used to establish basic correlations between the important physical properties of the CPG (pore size, surface area, and porosity) and the orthopositronium (o-Ps) lifetime. The second goal is to use these correlations to verify the validity of some suggested models and theories to discover possible deviations from the expected behaviour and to discuss the physical point of view for these deviations. Chapter 1 presents an overview of positron, positronium and their interaction with solid materials. Chapter 2 of this thesis is concerned with characterization of porous glass materials. This chapter discusses in detail the preparation methods of porous glasses specially control porous glass and Vycor glass. The gas adsorption phenomenon in porous glass and the related definitions are discussed. The most important terms of the porous glass such as pore size, shape, volume, pore size distribution, surface area, and porosity are discussed. Chapter 3 presents in detail the well known models and the derived equations which correlate between the lifetime of the o-Ps long-lived component and the pore size, pore shape and the temperature dependence of the porous media. Chapter 4 presents an overview of the main experimental techniques used in this thesis, namely positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Chapter 5 explains the sample preparation for the measurements. The chapter represents also the experimental data for the correlation between the o-Ps lifetime and pore sizes for a system of CPG media (from 1 nm to 64 nm). I also studied the temperature dependence of the o-Ps long-lived component in different pore sizes. In this

Masses of charmed particles, decay modes and lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vajsenberg, A.O.

1982-01-01

Basic characteristics of charmed particles obtained up to the middle of 1981 are discussed in the survey. Stated in brief are main predictions of the theory on charmed particles properties. Experimental data on masses, decay modes and lifetimes of D and F mesons as well as charmed baryons are considered. Basic experiments are described. It is pointed out that in the experiments single and pair production events as well as charmed particle decay have been observed. The charmed particles lifetime lies within the limits of 10 -12 - 10 -13 C. The lifetime of D +- mesons is approximately three times longer than the D 0 mesons lifetime. The lifetime of F mesons and Λsub(e) baryons is close to D 0 mesons lifetime [ru

High p-Type Doping, Mobility, and Photocarrier Lifetime in Arsenic-Doped CdTe Single Crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuciauskas, Darius [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nagaoka, Akira [Kyoto University; University of Utah; McCoy, Jedidiah [Washington State University; Scarpulla, Michael A. [University of Utah

2018-05-08

Group-V element doping is promising for simultaneously maximizing the hole concentration and minority carrier lifetime in CdTe for thin film solar cells, but there are roadblocks concerning point defects including the possibility of self-compensation by AX metastability. Herein, we report on doping, lifetime, and mobility of CdTe single crystals doped with As between 10^16 and 10^20 cm-3 grown from the Cd solvent by the travelling heater method. Evidence consistent with AX instability as a major contributor to compensation in samples doped below 10^17 cm-3 is presented, while for higher-doped samples, precipitation of a second phase on planar structural defects is also observed and may explain spatial variation in properties such as lifetime. Rapid cooling after crystal growth increases doping efficiency and mobility for times up to 20-30 days at room temperature with the highest efficiencies observed close to 45% and a hole mobility of 70 cm2/Vs at room temperature. A doping limit in the low 10^17/cm3 range is observed for samples quenched at 200-300 degrees C/h. Bulk minority carrier lifetimes exceeding 20 ns are observed for samples doped near 10^16 cm-3 relaxed in the dark and for unintentionally doped samples, while a lifetime of nearly 5 ns is observed for 10^18 cm-3 As doping. These results help us to establish limits on properties expected for group-V doped CdTe polycrystalline thin films for use in photovoltaics.

Reactor pressure vessel embrittlement of NPP borssele: Design lifetime and lifetime extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blom, F.J.

2007-01-01

Embrittlement of the reactor pressure vessel of the Borssele nuclear power plant has been investigated taking account of the design lifetime of 40 years and considering 20 years subsequent lifetime extension. The paper presents the current licensing status based on considerations of material test data and of US nuclear regulatory standards. Embrittlement status is also evaluated against German and French nuclear safety standards. Results from previous fracture toughness and Charpy tests are investigated by means of the Master curve toughness transition approach. Finally, state of the art insights are investigated by means of literature research. Regarding the embrittlement status of the reactor pressure vessel of Borssele nuclear power plant it is concluded that there is a profound basis for the current license up to the original end of the design life in 2013. The embrittlement temperature changes only slightly with respect to the acceptance criterion adopted postulating further operation up to 2033. Continued safe operation and further lifetime extension are therefore not restricted by reactor pressure vessel embrittlement

Occupational risk and lifetime exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapp, R.E.

1991-01-01

Any lowering of annual radiation limits for occupational exposure should be based on industry experience with lifetime doses and not on a worst case career exposure of 47 years. Two decades of experience show a lifetime accumulation of less than 1.5 rem for workers with measurable exposure. This is 5% of the normal lifetime exposure of Americans to natural and medical radiation. Any epidemiology of the US nuclear power workforce's two decade long exposure would have to focus on excess leukemia. Application of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki cancer mortality shows that too few leukemias would be expressed to permit a feasible epidemiology. Ionizing radiation appears to be a mild carcinogen as compared to physical and chemical agents presented in the occupational environment. A realistic factor in determining any change in occupational exposure limits for ionizing radiation should take into account the past performance of the licensee and potential health effects applicable to the workplace. Specifically, the lifetime exposure data for workers at nuclear power plants and naval shipyards should be considered. The nuclear industry and the US Navy have detailed data on the annual exposure of workers with a combined collective exposure approaching 1 million worker-rem. The lifetime dose for naval personnel and shipyard workers averages 1.1 rem J 1990. Shipyard workers have an annual dose of 0.28 rem per work-year and a mean exposure time of 4.4 years. The data apply to workers with measurable dose

The association of lifetime insight and cognition in psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Torres, Ana M; Zarzuela, Amalia; Peralta, Victor; Cuesta, Manuel J

2015-03-01

Poor insight has been related to poor course in psychosis. However, the role of cognition in insight remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of cognition and lifetime psychopathological dimensions on insight in psychosis. We followed up 42 patients with psychotic disorders over 10years. Lifetime psychopathological dimensions and cognitive performance were assessed. Patients were divided into two groups by lifetime patterns of insight and compared with 42 healthy volunteers. Lower IQ and poorer social cognition were associated with higher risks of poorer lifetime insight of feeling ill and global insight respectively. Lifetime negative symptoms were associated with a higher risk of poorer lifetime insight into symptoms. Lifetime lack of insight is independent of cognitive impairment in specific domains, except for social cognition. Higher IQ may contribute to better lifetime awareness of illness, while better ability to manage emotions is involved in lifetime global insight. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

''LIFETIME'': a computer program for analyzing Doppler-shift recoil-distance nuclear lifetime data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, J.C.; Fewell, M.P.; Johnson, N.R.

1985-10-01

The program LIFETIME is designed to extract lifetimes of nuclear levels from Doppler-shift recoil-distance experiments by performing a least-square fit to the experimental data (shifted and unshifted photopeak intensities and branching ratios). Initial populations of levels and transition rates between levels are treated as variable parameters. In terms of these parameters the population of each level as a function of time is determined by the Bateman equations, and the shifted and unshifted intensities are calculated. 19 refs., 5 figs

Integrating geophysics and hydrology for reducing the uncertainty of groundwater model predictions and improved prediction performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Nikolaj Kruse; Christensen, Steen; Ferre, Ty

the integration of geophysical data in the construction of a groundwater model increases the prediction performance. We suggest that modelers should perform a hydrogeophysical “test-bench” analysis of the likely value of geophysics data for improving groundwater model prediction performance before actually...... and the resulting predictions can be compared with predictions from the ‘true’ model. By performing this analysis we expect to give the modeler insight into how the uncertainty of model-based prediction can be reduced.......A major purpose of groundwater modeling is to help decision-makers in efforts to manage the natural environment. Increasingly, it is recognized that both the predictions of interest and their associated uncertainties should be quantified to support robust decision making. In particular, decision...

Mapping groundwater level and aquifer storage variations from InSAR measurements in the Madrid aquifer, Central Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Béjar-Pizarro, Marta; Ezquerro, Pablo; Herrera, Gerardo; Tomás, Roberto; Guardiola-Albert, Carolina; Ruiz Hernández, José M.; Fernández Merodo, José A.; Marchamalo, Miguel; Martínez, Rubén

2017-04-01

Groundwater resources are under stress in many regions of the world and the future water supply for many populations, particularly in the driest places on Earth, is threatened. Future climatic conditions and population growth are expected to intensify the problem. Understanding the factors that control groundwater storage variation is crucial to mitigate its adverse consequences. In this work, we apply satellite-based measurements of ground deformation over the Tertiary detritic aquifer of Madrid (TDAM), Central Spain, to infer the spatio-temporal evolution of water levels and estimate groundwater storage variations. Specifically, we use Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) data during the period 1992-2010 and piezometric time series on 19 well sites covering the period 1997-2010 to build groundwater level maps and quantify groundwater storage variations. Our results reveal that groundwater storage loss occurred in two different periods, 1992-1999 and 2005-2010 and was mainly concentrated in a region of ∼200 km2. The presence of more compressible materials in that region combined with a long continuous water extraction can explain this volumetric deficit. This study illustrates how the combination of PSI and piezometric data can be used to detect small aquifers affected by groundwater storage loss helping to improve their sustainable management.

Global depletion of groundwater resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wada, Y.; Beek, L.P.H. van; van Kempen, C.M.; Reckman, J.W.T.M.; Vasak, S.; Bierkens, M.F.P.

2010-01-01

In regions with frequent water stress and large aquifer systems groundwater is often used as an additional water source. If groundwater abstraction exceeds the natural groundwater recharge for extensive areas and long times, overexploitation or persistent groundwater depletion occurs. Here we

Applying a System Dynamics Approach for Modeling Groundwater Dynamics to Depletion under Different Economical and Climate Change Scenarios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Balali

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In the recent decades, due to many different factors, including climate change effects towards be warming and lower precipitation, as well as some structural policies such as more intensive harvesting of groundwater and low price of irrigation water, the level of groundwater has decreased in most plains of Iran. The objective of this study is to model groundwater dynamics to depletion under different economic policies and climate change by using a system dynamics approach. For this purpose a dynamic hydro-economic model which simultaneously simulates the farmer’s economic behavior, groundwater aquifer dynamics, studied area climatology factors and government economical policies related to groundwater, is developed using STELLA 10.0.6. The vulnerability of groundwater balance is forecasted under three scenarios of climate including the Dry, Nor and Wet and also, different scenarios of irrigation water and energy pricing policies. Results show that implementation of some economic policies on irrigation water and energy pricing can significantly affect on groundwater exploitation and its volume balance. By increasing of irrigation water price along with energy price, exploitation of groundwater will improve, in so far as in scenarios S15 and S16, studied area’s aquifer groundwater balance is positive at the end of planning horizon, even in Dry condition of precipitation. Also, results indicate that climate change can affect groundwater recharge. It can generally be expected that increases in precipitation would produce greater aquifer recharge rates.

Re-thinking the unimpeded tube-well growth under the depleting groundwater resources in the Punjab, Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Watto, Muhammad Arif; Mugera, Amin W.; Kingwell, Ross; Saqab, Muhammad Mudasar

2018-04-01

Groundwater resources are crucial in sustaining agro-ecosystems and ensuring food security in many parts of the world, including Pakistan. However, the sustainability of groundwater resources is subject to a number of challenges, including over-extraction, deterioration in quality, and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and population growth. Given the current state of groundwater resources in Pakistan, policymakers seek to manage groundwater resources by limiting groundwater extraction. To achieve this goal on a national scale, it is important to understand the determinants of the decisions made by local farmers in respect of tube-well adoption. This study investigates smallholder farmers' decisions to adopt tube-well technology in the face of dwindling groundwater resources and falling water tables. Analysis is based on a cross-sectional survey of 200 rural households from the arid to semi-arid predominantly groundwater-irrigated plains of the Punjab province, Pakistan. It is found that farmers will adopt tube-well technology in pursuit of reliable irrigation water supplies to hedge against production risks but not against the risk associated with unfavourable extreme events (downside risk) such as total crop failure. This suggests that the adoption decision is influenced by the expected long-term rather than the short-term benefits. This paper draws attention to the need to regulate groundwater resource exploitation by requiring the use of tube-well technology to be accompanied by irrigation water-efficient techniques and technologies.

The EPDS-Lifetime: assessment of lifetime prevalence and risk factors for perinatal depression in a large cohort of depressed women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meltzer-Brody, S.; Boschloo, L.; Jones, I.; Sullivan, P.F.; Penninx, B.W.J.H.

2013-01-01

Perinatal depression (PND) is a common complication of pregnancy and postpartum associated with significant morbidity. We had three goals: (1) to explore the performance of a new lifetime version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-Lifetime) to assess lifetime prevalence of PND; (2) to

The EPDS-Lifetime : assessment of lifetime prevalence and risk factors for perinatal depression in a large cohort of depressed women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meltzer-Brody, Samantha; Boschloo, Lynn; Jones, Ian; Sullivan, Patrick F.; Penninx, Brenda W.

2013-01-01

Perinatal depression (PND) is a common complication of pregnancy and postpartum associated with significant morbidity. We had three goals: (1) to explore the performance of a new lifetime version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-Lifetime) to assess lifetime prevalence of PND; (2) to

Chronic groundwater decline: A multi-decadal analysis of groundwater trends under extreme climate cycles

Science.gov (United States)

Le Brocque, Andrew F.; Kath, Jarrod; Reardon-Smith, Kathryn

2018-06-01

Chronic groundwater decline is a concern in many of the world's major agricultural areas. However, a general lack of accurate long-term in situ measurement of groundwater depth and analysis of trends prevents understanding of the dynamics of these systems at landscape scales. This is particularly worrying in the context of future climate uncertainties. This study examines long-term groundwater responses to climate variability in a major agricultural production landscape in southern Queensland, Australia. Based on records for 381 groundwater bores, we used a modified Mann-Kendall non-parametric test and Sen's slope estimator to determine groundwater trends across a 26-year period (1989-2015) and in distinct wet and dry climatic phases. Comparison of trends between climatic phases showed groundwater level recovery during wet phases was insufficient to offset the decline in groundwater level from the previous dry phase. Across the entire 26-year sampling period, groundwater bore levels (all bores) showed an overall significant declining trend (p 0.05). Spatially, both declining and rising bores were highly clustered. We conclude that over 1989-2015 there is a significant net decline in groundwater levels driven by a smaller subset of highly responsive bores in high irrigation areas within the catchment. Despite a number of targeted policy interventions, chronic groundwater decline remains evident in the catchment. We argue that this is likely to continue and to occur more widely under potential climate change and that policy makers, groundwater users and managers need to engage in planning to ensure the sustainability of this vital resource.

Effects of lifetime ingestion of 90Sr in beagle dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Book, S.A.; Spangler, W.L.; Swartz, L.A.

1982-01-01

To investigate the effects of lifetime 90 Sr ingestion, fifteen beagle dogs were fed the equivalent of 1.3, 4.0, and 12.0 μCi 90 Sr. Exposures prior to weaning were made by maternal administration of one of the same 90 Sr levels, begining at 21 days of gestation. Median survival was 12.5 years for the 1.3 μCi/day group, 6.5 years for the 4 μCi/day group, and 5.2 years of the 12 μCi/day group, compared to unirradiated control values of 14.5 to 15 years. The normal life span of more than half of the 1.3 μCi/day group is remarkable, considering they ingested 5900 to 7500 μCi 90 Sr during their lifetimes. One of seven 1.3 μCi/day dogs died of mycloproliferative syndrome (MPS), while one of four 4 μCi/day and one of four 12 μCi/day dogs died from MPS. In addition, another 12 μCi/day dog died of osteosarcoma and two others in the same group showed skeletal changes related to 90 Sr exposure. Other deaths were as could be expected in normal canine populations. Lifetime skeletal doses, determined by periodic whole-body counting, were 1990-3750, 1880-9230, and 6360-14,680 rad for the 1.3, 4, and 12 μCi/day groups, respectively. Comparison of these values with those from the large 90 Sr toxicity study at Davis in which 90 Sr feeding ended at 18 months of age indicates similar average skeletal doses from the two types of feeding regimens. The similarity of the skeletal doses may relate to the inability of 90 Sr to be incorporated to any great extent into a mature skeleton that no longer has the high calcium turnover associated with early life. As a result, deaths from lifetime 90 Sr ingestion appeared no earlier than when 90 Sr ingestion ended in early adulthood

Long Lifetime DC-Link Voltage Stabilization Module for Smart Grid Application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Huai; Chung, Henry; Liu, Wenchao

2012-01-01

Power converters enable efficient and flexible control and conversion of electric energy among different smart grid players (i.e. producers, energy storage systems, and loads). One of the expected features of smart grid is that it will be more reliable compared to conventional grid. However, power...... converters are one kind of the lifetime limiting components applied in smart grid. One of the major causes is the malfunction of electrolytic capacitors (E-Caps) which are widely used for stabilizing the dc-link voltage in various types of power converters applied in smart grid. A dc-link module is therefore...

Lifetime of B hadrons from CDF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miao, Ting.

1996-08-01

A review of the lifetimes of B hadrons measured by the CDF collaboration at Fermilab is presented. The data corresponds to 110 pb -1 of p anti p collisions at √s = 1.8 TeV. The inclusive B hadron lifetime is measured using a high statistics sample of B → J/ΨΧ decays. Species specific lifetimes of the B + , B 0 , B 0 s , and Λ 0 b are determined using both fully reconstructed decays and partially reconstructed decays consisting of a lepton associated with a charm hadron

Maintenance engineering of lifetime management programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hervia Ruperez, F.

1997-01-01

The complexity of nuclear power plants obliges to stablish the adecuated management of its lifetime. This article describes the methodologies and the improvement the evaluation of lifetime programs and specially in Garona and Vandellos II Nuclear Power Plants. (Author)

The effect of smoking on the healthy life expectancy of Palestinian men in the West Bank: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Jonassen, Marie; Shaheen, Amira; Duraidi, Mohammed; Qalalwa, Khaled; Jeune, Bernard

2018-02-21

The high prevalence of smoking (40%) in men living in the West Bank of the occupied Palestinian territory is a major challenge for the Palestinian health authorities. The aim of this study was to estimate life expectancy and the average lifetime with and without chronic disease in men living in the West Bank who had never smoked, were ex-smokers, or were smokers. We used a life table for the male population in the West Bank and Danish relative risk estimates for death for smokers and ex-smokers versus never smokers and data from the 2010 Palestinian Family Survey. We estimated expected life time with and without chronic disease, and the contributions from the mortality and morbidity effects to smoking-related differences in average lifetime with and without chronic disease were assessed by decomposition. The life expectancy of a Palestinian man aged 15 years who would never start smoking was 59·5 years, of which 41·1 years (95% CI 40·3-41·9) were expected to be without chronic disease. Ex-smokers could expect 57·9 years of remaining life time, 37·7 years (35·9-39·4) of which would be without chronic disease. For life-long heavy smokers, the expected lifetime was 52·6 years, of which 38·5 years (37·3-39·7) would be without chronic disease. Of the total loss of 6·9 years of life expectancy in heavy smokers, the mortality effect accounted for 2·5 years without disease and 4·4 years with disease, whereas the morbidity effect was negligible. The morbidity component of the decomposition accounted for 1·7 years with disease for moderate smokers and 2·9 years without disease for ex-smokers. The high prevalence of smoking causes a considerable loss of life-years and life time without chronic disease. We recommend that the Palestinian health authorities enforce an anti-smoking law. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of groundwater potentiality using geophysical techniques in Wadi Allaqi basin, Eastern Desert, Egypt - Case study

Science.gov (United States)

Helaly, Ahmad Sobhy

2017-12-01

Electrical resistivity surveying has been carried out for the determination of the thickness and resistivity of layered media in Wadi Allaqi, Eastern Desert, Egypt. That is widely used geophysical tool for the purpose of assessing the groundwater potential and siting the best locations for boreholes in the unconfined Nubian Sandstone aquifers within the study area. This has been done using thirteen 1D Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) surveys. 1D-VES surveys provide only layered model structures for the subsurface and do not provide comprehensive information for interpreting the structure and extent of subsurface hydro-geological features. The integration of two-dimensional (2D) geophysical techniques for groundwater prospecting has been done to provide a more detailed identification for the subsurface hydro-geological features from which potential sites for successful borehole locations are recognized. In addition, five magnetic profiles were measured for basement depth determination, expected geological structures and thickness of sedimentary succession that could include some basins suitable for groundwater accumulation as groundwater aquifers.

Simulating groundwater-induced sewer flooding

Science.gov (United States)

Mijic, A.; Mansour, M.; Stanic, M.; Jackson, C. R.

2016-12-01

During the last decade, Chalk catchments of southern England experienced severe groundwater flooding. High groundwater levels resulted in the groundwater ingress into the sewer network that led to restricted toilet use and the overflow of diluted, but untreated sewage to road surfaces, rivers and water courses. In response to these events the water and sewerage company Thames Water Utilities Ltd (TWUL) had to allocate significant funds to mitigate the impacts. It was estimated that approximately £19m was spent responding to the extreme wet weather of 2013-14, along with the use of a fleet of over 100 tankers. However, the magnitude of the event was so large that these efforts could not stop the discharge of sewage to the environment. This work presents the analysis of the risk of groundwater-induced sewer flooding within the Chalk catchment of the River Lambourn, Berkshire. A spatially distributed groundwater model was used to assess historic groundwater flood risk and the potential impacts of changes in future climate. We then linked this model to an urban groundwater model to enable us to simulate groundwater-sewer interaction in detail. The modelling setup was used to identify relationships between infiltration into sewers and groundwater levels at specific points on TWUL's sewer network, and to estimate historic and future groundwater flood risk, and how this varies across the catchment. The study showed the significance of understanding the impact of groundwater on the urban water systems, and producing information that can inform a water company's response to groundwater flood risk, their decision making process and their asset management planning. However, the knowledge gained through integrated modelling of groundwater-sewer interactions has highlighted limitations of existing approaches for the simulation of these coupled systems. We conclude this work with number of recommendations about how to improve such hydrological/sewer analysis.

Heritability of lifetime ecstasy use.

Science.gov (United States)

Verweij, Karin J H; Treur, Jorien L; Vreeker, Annabel; Brunt, Tibor M; Willemsen, Gonneke; Boomsma, Dorret I; Vink, Jacqueline M

2017-09-01

Ecstasy is a widely used psychoactive drug that users often take because they experience positive effects such as increased euphoria, sociability, elevated mood, and heightened sensations. Ecstasy use is not harmless and several immediate and long term side effects have been identified. Lifetime ecstasy use is likely to be partly influenced by genetic factors, but no twin study has determined the heritability. Here, we apply a classical twin design to a large sample of twins and siblings to estimate the heritability of lifetime ecstasy use. The sample comprised 8500 twins and siblings aged between 18 and 45 years from 5402 families registered at the Netherlands Twin Registry. In 2013-2014 participants filled out a questionnaire including a question whether they had ever used ecstasy. We used the classical twin design to partition the individual differences in liability to ecstasy use into that due to genetic, shared environmental, and residual components. Overall, 10.4% of the sample had used ecstasy during their lifetime, with a somewhat higher prevalence in males than females. Twin modelling indicated that individual differences in liability to lifetime ecstasy use are for 74% due to genetic differences between individuals, whereas shared environmental and residual factors explain a small proportion of its liability (5% and 21%, respectively). Although heritability estimates appeared to be higher for females than males, this difference was not significant. Lifetime ecstasy use is a highly heritable trait, which indicates that some people are genetically more vulnerable to start using ecstasy than others. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Health expectancy in the occupied Palestinian territory: estimates from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank: based on surveys from 2006 and 2010

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qlalweh, Khaled; Duraidi, Mohammed; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

2012-01-01

Strip and the West Bank. Participants: 17 034 and 38 071 adults aged 20 or over participating the Palestinian Family Health Surveys of 2006 and 2010. Death rates for 2007 and 2010 covered the entire population. Outcome measures: Life expectancy and expected lifetime with and without chronic disease were...

Projected life expectancy of people with HIV according to timing of diagnosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nakagawa, Fumiyo; Lodwick, Rebecca K; Smith, Colette J

2012-01-01

positive in 2010. The effect of altering the diagnosis rate was investigated. Results: Assuming a high rate of HIV diagnosis (median CD4 cell count at diagnosis, 432¿cells/µl), projected median age at death (life expectancy) was 75.0 years. This implies 7.0 years of life were lost on average due to HIV......Background and objectives: Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) has contributed greatly toward survival for people with HIV, yet many remain undiagnosed until very late. Our aims were to estimate the life expectancy of an HIV-infected MSM living in a developed country with extensive access to ART...... and healthcare, and to assess the effect of late diagnosis on life expectancy. Methods: A stochastic computer simulation model of HIV infection and the effect of ART was used to estimate life expectancy and determine the distribution of potential lifetime outcomes of an MSM, aged 30 years, who becomes HIV...

Nuclear Power Plant Lifetime Management Study (I)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Sung Yull; Jeong, Ill Seok; Jang, Chang Heui; Song, Taek Ho; Song, Woo Young [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Tae Eun [Korea Power Engineering Company Consulting and Architecture Engineers, (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Woo Chul [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-31

As the operation-year of nuclear power plant increases and finding sites for new nuclear power plant becomes harder, a comprehensive and systematic nuclear plant lifetime management(PLIM) program including life extension has to be established for stable and safe supply of electricity. A feasibility study was conducted to systematically evaluate technical, economic and regulatory aspect of plant lifetime managements and plant life extension for Kori-1 nuclear power plant. For technical evaluation of nuclear power plant, 13 major components were selected for lifetime evaluation by screening system. structure, and components(SSCs) of the plant. It was found that except reactor pressure vessel, which needs detailed integrity analysis, and low pressure turbine, which is scheduled to be replaced, 11 out of 13 major components have sufficient service life, for more than 40 years. Because domestic rules and regulations related to license renewal has not yet been written, review on the regulatory aspect of life extensions was conducted using US NRC rules and regulations. A cooperative effort with nuclear regulatory body is needed for early completion of license renewal rules and regulations. For economic evaluation of plant lifetime extension, a computer program was developed and used. It was found that 10 to 20 year of extension operation of Kori-1 nuclear power plant was proved. Based on the results, next phase of plant lifetime management program for detailed lifetime evaluation and presenting detailed implementation schedule for plant refurbishment for lifetime extension should be followed. (author). 74 refs., figs.

Nuclear Power Plant Lifetime Management Study (I)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Sung Yull; Jeong, Ill Seok; Jang, Chang Heui; Song, Taek Ho; Song, Woo Young [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Tae Eun [Korea Power Engineering Company Consulting and Architecture Engineers, (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Woo Chul [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1996-12-31

As the operation-year of nuclear power plant increases and finding sites for new nuclear power plant becomes harder, a comprehensive and systematic nuclear plant lifetime management(PLIM) program including life extension has to be established for stable and safe supply of electricity. A feasibility study was conducted to systematically evaluate technical, economic and regulatory aspect of plant lifetime managements and plant life extension for Kori-1 nuclear power plant. For technical evaluation of nuclear power plant, 13 major components were selected for lifetime evaluation by screening system. structure, and components(SSCs) of the plant. It was found that except reactor pressure vessel, which needs detailed integrity analysis, and low pressure turbine, which is scheduled to be replaced, 11 out of 13 major components have sufficient service life, for more than 40 years. Because domestic rules and regulations related to license renewal has not yet been written, review on the regulatory aspect of life extensions was conducted using US NRC rules and regulations. A cooperative effort with nuclear regulatory body is needed for early completion of license renewal rules and regulations. For economic evaluation of plant lifetime extension, a computer program was developed and used. It was found that 10 to 20 year of extension operation of Kori-1 nuclear power plant was proved. Based on the results, next phase of plant lifetime management program for detailed lifetime evaluation and presenting detailed implementation schedule for plant refurbishment for lifetime extension should be followed. (author). 74 refs., figs.

Vibrational lifetimes of protein amide modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, K.A.; Rella, C.A.

1995-01-01

Measurement of the lifetimes of vibrational modes in proteins has been achieved with a single frequency infrared pump-probe technique using the Stanford Picosecond Free-electron Laser, These are the first direct measurements of vibrational dynamics in the polyamide structure of proteins. In this study, modes associated with the protein backbone are investigated. Results for the amide I band, which consists mainly of the stretching motion of the carbonyl unit of the amide linkage, show that relaxation from the first vibrational excited level (v=1) to the vibrational ground state (v=0) occurs within 1.5 picoseconds with apparent first order kinetics. Comparison of lifetimes for myoglobin and azurin, which have differing secondary structures, show a small but significant difference. The lifetime for the amide I band of myoglobin is 300 femtoseconds shorter than for azurin. Further measurements are in progress on other backbone vibrational modes and on the temperature dependence of the lifetimes. Comparison of vibrational dynamics for proteins with differing secondary structure and for different vibrational modes within a protein will lead to a greater understanding of energy transfer and dissipation in biological systems. In addition, these results have relevance to tissue ablation studies which have been conducted with pulsed infrared lasers. Vibrational lifetimes are necessary for calculating the rate at which the energy from absorbed infrared photons is converted to equilibrium thermal energy within the irradiated volume. The very fast vibrational lifetimes measured here indicate that mechanisms which involve direct vibrational up-pumping of the amide modes with consecutive laser pulses, leading to bond breakage or weakening, are not valid

Groundwater Managment Districts

Data.gov (United States)

Kansas Data Access and Support Center — This dataset outlines the location of the five Groundwater Management Districts in Kansas. GMDs are locally formed and elected boards for regional groundwater...

Calculation of collective effects and beam lifetimes for the LBL [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory] 1-2 GeV synchrotron radiation source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattopadhyay, S.; Zisman, M.S.

1987-03-01

In designing a third-generation high brightness synchrotron radiation source, attention must be paid to the various collective effects that can influence beam performance. We report on calculations, performed with the code ZAP, of the bunch length, the transverse emittance and the beam lifetime (from both Touschek and gas scattering) for our 1-2 GeV storage ring. In addition, we estimate the growth times for both longitudinal and transverse coupled bunch instabilities. Bunch lengths of about 20 ps should be obtainable and intrabeam scattering emittance growth is small. For a limiting undulator gap of 1 cm and residual gas pressure of 1n Torr, the beam lifetime is about 5 hours in the single-bunch mode; in the multibunch mode, lifetimes in excess of 6 hours are expected. These results indicate that all performance goals for the facility should be achievable

Heterogeneous hyporheic zone dechlorination of a TCE groundwater plume discharging to an urban river reach.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Juliana G; Rivett, Michael O; Roche, Rachel S; Durrant Neé Cleverly, Megan; Walker, Caroline; Tellam, John H

2015-02-01

The typically elevated natural attenuation capacity of riverbed-hyporheic zones is expected to decrease chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) groundwater plume discharges to river receptors through dechlorination reactions. The aim of this study was to assess physico-chemical processes controlling field-scale variation in riverbed-hyporheic zone dechlorination of a TCE groundwater plume discharge to an urban river reach. The 50-m long pool-riffle-glide reach of the River Tame in Birmingham (UK) studied is a heterogeneous high energy river environment. The shallow riverbed was instrumented with a detailed network of multilevel samplers. Freeze coring revealed a geologically heterogeneous and poorly sorted riverbed. A chlorine number reduction approach provided a quantitative indicator of CHC dechlorination. Three sub-reaches of contrasting behaviour were identified. Greatest dechlorination occurred in the riffle sub-reach that was characterised by hyporheic zone flows, moderate sulphate concentrations and pH, anaerobic conditions, low iron, but elevated manganese concentrations with evidence of sulphate reduction. Transient hyporheic zone flows allowing input to varying riverbed depths of organic matter are anticipated to be a key control. The glide sub-reach displayed negligible dechlorination attributed to the predominant groundwater baseflow discharge condition, absence of hyporheic zone, transition to more oxic conditions and elevated sulphate concentrations expected to locally inhibit dechlorination. The tail-of-pool-riffle sub-reach exhibited patchy dechlorination that was attributed to sub-reach complexities including significant flow bypass of a low permeability, high organic matter, silty unit of high dechlorination potential. A process-based conceptual model of reach-scale dechlorination variability was developed. Key findings of practitioner relevance were: riverbed-hyporheic zone CHC dechlorination may provide only a partial, somewhat patchy barrier to CHC

Parameterisation of Expected Residual Lifetime after ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... however, necessarily remain unsubstantiated until further data become available and the ability to generalise these findings to other contexts remains a subject worthy of further study. KEYWORDS: AIDS/HIV modelling; HIV-1 mortality; doubly censored data; African AIDS mortality patterns. South African Actuarial Journal: ...

Long-term fiscal implications of subsidizing in-vitro fertilization in Sweden: a lifetime tax perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, Anders; Connolly, Mark; Gallo, Federico; Hägglund, Leif

2008-11-01

In Sweden approximately 3% of annual births are conceived using assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In light of increasing use of ART in Sweden we estimate the lifetime future tax revenues of a child conceived by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to establish whether public subsidy of IVF represents sound fiscal policy. A modified generational accounting model was developed to calculate the net present value (NPV) of average investment costs required to achieve an IVF-conceived child. The model simulates direct lifetime financial interactions between the child and the Swedish government. Within the model we assume average direct financial transfers are made to the individual (eg, child allowance, education, health care, pension, etc). In return, the individual transfers resources to the government through taxation based on anticipated average earnings. The difference between direct transfers and gross taxes paid equals the net-tax contribution. Individual tax contributions were held constant in the model. Based on average life-expectancy an individual born in 2005 will pay an undiscounted 32.5 million SEK in taxes to the Swedish government and receive 20.9 million SEK in direct financial transfers over their lifetime. When these figures are discounted and IVF costs are included in the analysis we obtain a lifetime NPV of 254,000 SEK with a break-even point at age 41 (the age of achieving a positive NPV) for an individual conceived through IVF. Based on results presented here we conclude that State-funded IVF in Sweden does not negatively impact the long run fiscal budget. Conversely, over an average lifetime an IVF offspring returns a positive net value to the State.

Data-Driven Approach for Analyzing Hydrogeology and Groundwater Quality Across Multiple Scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Zachary K; Li, Shu-Guang; Liao, Hua-Sheng; Lusch, David

2017-08-29

Recent trends of assimilating water well records into statewide databases provide a new opportunity for evaluating spatial dynamics of groundwater quality and quantity. However, these datasets are scarcely rigorously analyzed to address larger scientific problems because they are of lower quality and massive. We develop an approach for utilizing well databases to analyze physical and geochemical aspects of groundwater systems, and apply it to a multiscale investigation of the sources and dynamics of chloride (Cl - ) in the near-surface groundwater of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Nearly 500,000 static water levels (SWLs) were critically evaluated, extracted, and analyzed to delineate long-term, average groundwater flow patterns using a nonstationary kriging technique at the basin-scale (i.e., across the entire peninsula). Two regions identified as major basin-scale discharge zones-the Michigan and Saginaw Lowlands-were further analyzed with regional- and local-scale SWL models. Groundwater valleys ("discharge" zones) and mounds ("recharge" zones) were identified for all models, and the proportions of wells with elevated Cl - concentrations in each zone were calculated, visualized, and compared. Concentrations in discharge zones, where groundwater is expected to flow primarily upwards, are consistently and significantly higher than those in recharge zones. A synoptic sampling campaign in the Michigan Lowlands revealed concentrations generally increase with depth, a trend noted in previous studies of the Saginaw Lowlands. These strong, consistent SWL and Cl - distribution patterns across multiple scales suggest that a deep source (i.e., Michigan brines) is the primary cause for the elevated chloride concentrations observed in discharge areas across the peninsula. © 2017, National Ground Water Association.

Improved b lifetime measurement from MAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, W.T.

1984-03-01

Two recent publications, from the MAC and Mark II collaborations, have reported the somewhat surprising result that the lifetime of particles made up of b quarks is in the 1 to 2 picosecond range, or somewhat longer than the lifetimes of charm particles. Although the charm decays are favored transitions while those of b particles depend upon off-diagonal elements of the weak flavor mixing matrix, the smallness of the b decay rates in face of the large available phase space indicates that the off-diagonal elements are indeed very small. The possibility for complete determination of the mixing matrix was brought significantly nearer by the availability of the lifetime information; what is needed now is to reduce the uncertainty of the measurements, which was about 33% for both experiments. We describe here an extension of the b lifetime study with the MAC detector, incorporating some new data and improvements in the analysis. 12 references

Cosmological constraints on the neutron lifetime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salvati, L.; Pagano, L.; Melchiorri, A. [Physics Department, Università di Roma ' ' La Sapienza' ' , Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185, Rome (Italy); Consiglio, R., E-mail: laura.salvati@roma1.infn.it, E-mail: luca.pagano@roma1.infn.it, E-mail: rconsiglio@na.infn.it, E-mail: alessandro.melchiorri@roma1.infn.it [Physics Department, Università di Napoli ' ' Federico II' ' , Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Via Cintia, I-80126 Napoli (Italy)

2016-03-01

We derive new constraints on the neutron lifetime based on the recent Planck 2015 observations of temperature and polarization anisotropies of the CMB. Under the assumption of standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, we show that Planck data constrains the neutron lifetime to τ{sub n} = (907±69) [s] at 68% c.l.. Moreover, by including the direct measurements of primordial Helium abundance of Aver et al. (2015) and Izotov et al. (2014), we show that cosmological data provide the stringent constraints τ{sub n} = (875±19) [s] and τ{sub n} = (921±11) [s] respectively. The latter appears to be in tension with neutron lifetime value quoted by the Particle Data Group (τ{sub n} = (880.3±1.1) [s]). Future CMB surveys as COrE+, in combination with a weak lensing survey as EUCLID, could constrain the neutron lifetime up to a ∼ 6 [s] precision.

Considering groundwater use to improve the assessment of groundwater pumping for irrigation in North Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Massuel, Sylvain; Amichi, Farida; Ameur, Fatah; Calvez, Roger; Jenhaoui, Zakia; Bouarfa, Sami; Kuper, Marcel; Habaieb, Hamadi; Hartani, Tarik; Hammani, Ali

2017-09-01

Groundwater resources in semi-arid areas and especially in the Mediterranean face a growing demand for irrigated agriculture and, to a lesser extent, for domestic uses. Consequently, groundwater reserves are affected and water-table drops are widely observed. This leads to strong constraints on groundwater access for farmers, while managers worry about the future evolution of the water resources. A common problem for building proper groundwater management plans is the difficulty in assessing individual groundwater withdrawals at regional scale. Predicting future trends of these groundwater withdrawals is even more challenging. The basic question is how to assess the water budget variables and their evolution when they are deeply linked to human activities, themselves driven by countless factors (access to natural resources, public policies, market, etc.). This study provides some possible answers by focusing on the assessment of groundwater withdrawals for irrigated agriculture at three sites in North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria). Efforts were made to understand the different features that influence irrigation practices, and an adaptive user-oriented methodology was used to monitor groundwater withdrawals. For each site, different key factors affecting the regional groundwater abstraction and its past evolution were identified by involving farmers' knowledge. Factors such as farmer access to land and groundwater or development of public infrastructures (electrical distribution network) are crucial to decode the results of well inventories and assess the regional groundwater abstraction and its future trend. This leads one to look with caution at the number of wells cited in the literature, which could be oversimplified.

Prospects for Groundwater Drought Termination in the UK in 2017-18

Science.gov (United States)

Parry, S.; McKenzie, A.; Prudhomme, C.; Wilby, R.; Wood, P.

2017-12-01

The recovery of groundwater levels towards the end of a drought can lag behind surface water stores such as reservoirs or snowpack - as was the case for California in 2016/17. Groundwater replenishment is an important precursor to the ending of water restrictions, and an improved understanding of the range of plausible groundwater recovery scenarios would be useful for a range of stakeholders, including water managers, farmers and businesses. A method for characterising drought termination in hydrological data is applied systematically here to long time series of groundwater levels (some from the mid-1800s) for the UK. This analysis capitalises on the comprehensive perspective of post-drought recovery in the historical record to provide various outlooks of recovery in groundwater levels over seasonal to multi-year timeframes and to better understand how present conditions are likely to evolve. Rainfall deficiencies in the UK since summer 2016 limited replenishment during the 2016/17 winter recharge season. As a consequence, groundwater levels in south-east England were notably below normal in summer 2017. The possibility of an abrupt termination as occurred in 2012 can already be excluded, and extrapolating recent patterns suggests that very gradual recoveries may be underway. At many sites, normal conditions are not expected to return during 2017, and later still for sites in less responsive aquifers. This is supported by the multi-year drought durations typically found in the historical record, much more prolonged than those observed during the currently developing event. The rainfall rates that have driven historical drought termination events are also assessed for their likelihood across a range of timeframes and start months. Overall results underline the importance of the typical recharge season during the wetter winter half-year in averting multi-year groundwater drought events that would threaten water resources in the populous south-east of the UK. The

Groundwater management based on monitoring of land subsidence and groundwater levels in the Kanto Groundwater Basin, Central Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Furuno, K.; Kagawa, A.; Kazaoka, O.; Kusuda, T.; Nirei, H.

2015-11-01

Over 40 million people live on and exploit the groundwater resources of the Kanto Plain. The Plain encompasses metropolitan Tokyo and much of Chiba Prefecture. Useable groundwater extends to the base of the Kanto Plain, some 2500 to 3000 m below sea level. Much of the Kanto Plain surface is at sea level. By the early 1970s, with increasing urbanization and industrial expansion, local overdraft of groundwater resources caused major ground subsidence and damage to commercial and residential structures as well as to local and regional infrastructure. Parts of the lowlands around Tokyo subsided to 4.0 m below sea level; particularly affected were the suburbs of Funabashi and Gyotoku in western Chiba. In the southern Kanto Plain, regulations, mainly by local government and later by regional agencies, led to installation of about 500 monitoring wells and almost 5000 bench marks by the 1990's. Many of them are still working with new monitoring system. Long-term monitoring is important. The monitoring systems are costly, but the resulting data provide continuous measurement of the "health" of the Kanto Groundwater Basin, and thus permit sustainable use of the groundwater resource.

Regional Variability of Agriculturally-Derived Nitrate-Nitrogen in Shallow Groundwater in China, 2004–2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Li

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Increasing diffuse nitrate loading of groundwater has long been a major environmental and health concern in China, but little is known about the spatial and temporal variability of nitrate concentrations in groundwater at regional scales. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial distribution and variation of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N concentrations in groundwater. We used groundwater quality monitoring data and soil physical characteristics from 21 agro-ecosystems in China for years 2004 to 2014. The results indicated that NO3−-N concentrations were highly variable in shallow groundwater across the landscape. Over the study period, most of the NO3−-N concentrations were below the World Health Organization permissible limit for drinking water (<10 mg N·L. NO3−-N concentrations in groundwater neither significantly increased nor decreased in most agro-ecosystems, but fluctuated with seasons. In addition, groundwater NO3−-N under purple soil (6.81 mg·L−1 and Aeolian sandy soil (6.02 mg·L−1 were significantly higher (p < 0.05 than that under other soil types, and it was medium-high (4.49 mg·L−1 under aquic cinnamon soil. Elevated nitrate concentrations occurred mainly in oasis agricultural areas of northwestern China, where farmlands with coarse-textured soils use flood irrigation. Therefore, arid and semi-arid areas are expected to sustain high NO3−-N concentrations in groundwater. Mitigation strategies can prevent this problem, and include control of N fertilizer input, balanced fertilization, proper rotation system, adoption of improved irrigation methods, and establishment of environmental policies.

SITE 94. Modelling of groundwater chemistry at Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emren, A.T. [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Nuclear Chemistry

1999-02-01

In this report a model is described, which has been able to give agreement between observed and modelled values for more than ten element concentrations (including pH and pE values). The model makes use of a number of steady state waters which are mixed naturally after which the mixtures react with minerals in the fractures. The end member waters are supposed to have been present in the fracture system during a time interval which is long enough for the rock groundwater system to have reached a steady state. Some elements, e.g. chlorine, is modelled as conservative (inert with respect to the rock). Most element concentrations cannot be explained from mixing alone. Rather reactions with the fracture walls have to be taken into account. The situation is complicated by the fact that a system comprised of groundwater and a number of fracture minerals may violate Gibb`s phase rule. In such a system, no global equilibrium state exists, and thus the water can never reach equilibrium with respect to all the fracture minerals. The end member waters eventually formed can be expected to be in a steady state condition rather than equilibrium with respect to the fracture minerals. It should be noted that such a steady state is not an equilibrium state. Rather, the water chemistry has to fluctuate as a result of spatial variability in the local mineral set. In most cases when an end member water is sampled, a large number of local waters are mixed causing the fluctuations to cancel out. The CRACKER is a program which has been developed to handle this complicated chemical situation. It couples chemistry and transport, using elaborate chemical modelling in combination with a simplified transport model. The program simulates chemical reactions of groundwater flowing through a plane fracture. The simulation results show that although the end member waters are far from equilibrium with respect to most of the minerals, they are in a steady state with respect to the rock. The chemistry

SITE 94. Modelling of groundwater chemistry at Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emren, A.T.

1999-02-01

In this report a model is described, which has been able to give agreement between observed and modelled values for more than ten element concentrations (including pH and pE values). The model makes use of a number of steady state waters which are mixed naturally after which the mixtures react with minerals in the fractures. The end member waters are supposed to have been present in the fracture system during a time interval which is long enough for the rock groundwater system to have reached a steady state. Some elements, e.g. chlorine, is modelled as conservative (inert with respect to the rock). Most element concentrations cannot be explained from mixing alone. Rather reactions with the fracture walls have to be taken into account. The situation is complicated by the fact that a system comprised of groundwater and a number of fracture minerals may violate Gibb's phase rule. In such a system, no global equilibrium state exists, and thus the water can never reach equilibrium with respect to all the fracture minerals. The end member waters eventually formed can be expected to be in a steady state condition rather than equilibrium with respect to the fracture minerals. It should be noted that such a steady state is not an equilibrium state. Rather, the water chemistry has to fluctuate as a result of spatial variability in the local mineral set. In most cases when an end member water is sampled, a large number of local waters are mixed causing the fluctuations to cancel out. The CRACKER is a program which has been developed to handle this complicated chemical situation. It couples chemistry and transport, using elaborate chemical modelling in combination with a simplified transport model. The program simulates chemical reactions of groundwater flowing through a plane fracture. The simulation results show that although the end member waters are far from equilibrium with respect to most of the minerals, they are in a steady state with respect to the rock. The chemistry

Groundwater contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon due to diesel spill from a telecom base station in a Nigerian City: assessment of human health risk exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugochukwu, Uzochukwu Cornelius; Ochonogor, Alfred

2018-03-26

Diesel pollution of groundwater poses great threat to public health, mainly as a result of the constituent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, the human health risk exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in diesel contaminated groundwater used by several families at Ring Road, Jos, Nigeria (as caused by diesel spill from a telecom base station) was assessed. Prior to the groundwater being treated, the residents were using the water after scooping off the visible diesel sheen for purposes of cooking, washing, and bathing. Until this study, it is not clear whether the groundwater contamination had resulted in sub-chronic exposure of the residents using the water to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the extent of the PAHs posing a health risk. The diesel contaminated groundwater and uncontaminated nearby groundwater (control) were collected and analyzed for PAHs using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The dosage of the dermal and oral ingestion entry routes of PAHs was determined. The estimation of the non-carcinogenic health risk was via hazard quotients (HQ) and the associated hazard index (HI), while the estimation of the carcinogenic health risk was via lifetime cancer risks (LCR) and the associated risk index (RI). Obtained results indicate that the exposure of the residents to the PAHs may have made them susceptible to the risk of non-carcinogenic health effects of benzo(a)pyrene and the carcinogenic health effects of benzo(a)anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene.

Geochemical investigation of groundwater in the Tono area, Japan. Chemical characteristics and groundwater evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwatsuki, Teruki; Hama, Katsuhiro; Yoshida, Hidekazu

1997-01-01

Geochemical investigations form an important part of the R and D program at the Tono study site, central Japan. Detailed geological structure and groundwater chemistry have been studied to understand the geochemical environment in the sedimentary and crystalline rocks distributed in this area. The chemical evolution of the groundwater in the sedimentary rocks is characterized with the variation in Na + , Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - concentrations, and ion exchange and dissolution of calcite are dominant reactions in the evolution of groundwater. Geological investigation shows that a fracture system of crystalline rock can be classified into:intact zone, moderately fractured zone and intensely fractured zone, according to the frequency and the width of fractures and fractured zones. The groundwater in the intact and fractured zones of crystalline rock are characterized by Na + -Ca 2+ -HCO 3 - or Na + -HCO 3 - dominated water, and Na + -Ca 2+ -Fe 2+ -HCO 3 - dominated water. The chemical evolution of groundwater is, generally, controlled by water-rock interaction between plagioclase, iron minerals and groundwater. The groundwater at depth of G.L.-186m in the crystalline rock at the Tono area is characterized by the mixture between the oxidized surface water and the reduced groundwater. The investigation based on correlation between geological structures and groundwater chemistry can be applied to understand the geochemical environment in deep crystalline rock, and will support the development of a realistic hydrogeochemical model. (author)

Lifetime measurement of ATF damping ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okugi, T.; Hayano, H.; Kubo, K.; Naito, T.; Terunuma, N.; Urakawa, J.; Zimmermann, F.

1998-06-01

The purpose of the ATF damping ring is the development of technologies for producing a low emittance beam required in future linear colliders such as JLC. The lifetime of the damping ring is very short (typically a few minutes). It is limited by elastic beam-gas scattering along with a small dynamic aperture, and by single intra-beam scattering (Touschek effect). The Touschek lifetime strongly depends upon the charge density of the beam, especially, the size of the vertical emittance. In this paper, the authors report the results of beam lifetime measurements in the ATF damping ring and the estimation of the vertical emittance from these measurements

A groundwater mass flux model for screening the groundwater-to-indoor-air exposure pathway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McHugh, T.; Blanc, P.C. de; Connor, J. [Groundwater Services Inc, Houston, TX (United States)

2003-07-01

The potential for human exposure via volatilisation of groundwater contaminants into indoor air has been a focus of increasing concern in recent years. At a small number of sites, elevated indoor vapour concentrations have been measured within buildings overlying shallow groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents, causing public concern over the potential for similar problems at other corrective action sites. In addition, use of the screening-levelmodel developed by Johnson and Ettinger (1991) for the groundwater-to-indoor-air exposure pathway has suggested that low microgram per litre (ug/L)-range concentrations of either chlorinated or non-chlorinated volatile organic compounds dissolved in groundwater could result in indoor vapour concentrations in excess of applicable risk-based exposure limits. As an alternative screening tool, this paper presents a groundwater mass flux model for evaluation of transport to indoor air. The mass flux model is intended to serve as a highly conservative screening tool that over-predicts groundwater-to-indoor-air mass flux, yet still provides sufficient sensitivity to identify sites for which the groundwater-to-indoor air exposure pathway is not a concern. (orig.)

Atmospheric Muon Lifetime, Standard Model of Particles and the Lead Stopping Power for Muons

Science.gov (United States)

Gutarra-Leon, Angel; Barazandeh, Cioli; Majewski, Walerian

2017-01-01

The muon is a fundamental particles of matter. It decays into three other leptons through an exchange of the weak vector bosons W +/W-. Muons are present in the atmosphere from cosmic ray showers. By detecting the time delay between arrival of the muon and an appearance of the decay electron in our detector, we'll measure muon's lifetime at rest. From the lifetime we should be able to find the ratio gw /MW of the weak coupling constant gw (a weak analog of the electric charge) to the mass of the W-boson MW. Vacuum expectation value v of the Higg's field, which determines the masses of all particles of the Standard Model (SM), could be then calculated from our muon experiment as v =2MWc2/gw =(τ m μc2/6 π3ĥ)1/4m μc2 in terms of muon mass mµand muon lifetime τ only. Using known experimental value for MWc2 = 80.4 GeV we'll find the weak coupling constant gw. Using the SM relation e =gwsin θ√ hc ɛ0 with the experimental value of the Z0-photon weak mixing angle θ = 29o we could find from our muon lifetime the value of the elementary electric charge e. We'll determine the sea-level fluxes of low-energy and high-energy cosmic muons, then we'll shield the detector with varying thicknesses of lead plates and find the energy-dependent muon stopping power in lead.

Lifetime measurements of hadrons containing heavy quarks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forden, G.E.

1985-01-01

Recent lifetime measurements of heavy particles at PETRA and PEP are reviewed. A comparison of the methods used is given. The world averages for the lifetimes of the D 0 and D +- mesons are found to be (tau/dub D/ 0 ) - 3.97 +/- 0.3 x 10 -13 sec and (tau/dub D +-/) = 8.6 +/- 0.7 x 10 -13 sec. This difference in lifetimes is discussed in light of recent information about exclusive decays. The world average for the lifetime of bottom hadrons is determined to be (tau/sub b/) = 11.0 +/- 1.5 x 10 -13 sec and new estimates for the b quark mixing elements, absolute value V/sub bu/ and absolute value V/sub bc/, are given

Maximizing System Lifetime by Battery Scheduling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongerden, M.R.; Haverkort, Boudewijn R.H.M.; Bohnenkamp, H.C.; Katoen, Joost P.

2009-01-01

The use of mobile devices is limited by the battery lifetime. Some devices have the option to connect an extra battery, or to use smart battery-packs with multiple cells to extend the lifetime. In these cases, scheduling the batteries over the load to exploit recovery properties usually extends the

Origin of hexavalent chromium in groundwater: The example of Sarigkiol Basin, Northern Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazakis, N; Kantiranis, N; Kalaitzidou, K; Kaprara, E; Mitrakas, M; Frei, R; Vargemezis, G; Tsourlos, P; Zouboulis, A; Filippidis, A

2017-09-01

Hexavalent chromium constitutes a serious deterioration factor for the groundwater quality of several regions around the world. High concentrations of this contaminant have been also reported in the groundwater of the Sarigkiol hydrological basin (near Kozani city, NW Greece). Specific interest was paid to this particular study area due to the co-existence here of two important factors both expected to contribute to Cr(VI) presence and groundwater pollution; namely the area's exposed ophiolitic rocks and its substantial fly ash deposits originating from the local lignite burning power plant. Accordingly, detailed geochemical, mineralogical, hydro-chemical, geophysical and hydrogeological studies were performed on the rocks, soils, sediments and water resources of this basin. Cr(VI) concentrations varied in the different aquifers, with the highest concentration (up to 120μgL -1 ) recorded in the groundwater of the unconfined porous aquifer situated near the temporary fly ash disposal site. Recharge of the porous aquifer is related mainly to precipitation infiltration and occasional surface run-off. Nevertheless, a hydraulic connection between the porous and neighboring karst aquifers could not be delineated. Therefore, the presence of Cr(VI) in the groundwater of this area is thought to originate from both the ophiolitic rock weathering products in the soils, and the local leaching of Cr(VI) from the diffused fly ash located in the area surrounding the lignite power plant. This conclusion was corroborated by factor analysis, and the strongly positively fractionated Cr isotopes (δ 53 Cr up to 0.83‰) recorded in groundwater, an ash leachate, and the bulk fly ash. An anthropogenic source of Cr(VI) that possibly influences groundwater quality is especially apparent in the eastern part of the Sarigkiol basin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nuclear Fusion Blast and Electrode Lifetimes in a PJMIF Reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Thio, Y. C. Francis; Witherspoon, F. D.; Case, A.; Brockington, S.; Cruz, E.; Luna, M.; Hsu, S. C.

2017-10-01

We present an analysis and numerical simulation of the nuclear blast from the micro-explosion following the completion of the fusion burn for a baseline design of a PJMIF fusion reactor with a fusion gain of 20. The stagnation pressure from the blast against the chamber wall defines the engineering requirement for the structural design of the first wall and the plasma guns. We also present an analysis of the lifetimes of the electrodes of the plasma guns which are exposed to (1) the high current, and (2) the neutron produced by the fusion reactions. We anticipate that the gun electrodes are made of tungsten alloys as plasma facing components reinforced structurally by appropriate steel alloys. Making reasonable assumptions about the electrode erosion rate (100 ng/C transfer), the electrode lifetime limited by the erosion rate is estimated to be between 19 and 24 million pulses before replacement. Based on known neutron radiation effects on structural materials such as steel alloys and plasma facing component materials such as tungsten alloys, the plasma guns are expected to survive some 22 million shots. At 1 Hz, this equal to about 6 months of continuous operation before they need to be replaced. Work supported by Strong Atomics, LLC.

CONSTRAINING THE LIFETIME AND OPENING ANGLE OF QUASARS USING FLUORESCENT Ly α EMISSION: THE CASE OF Q0420–388

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borisova, Elena; Lilly, Simon J.; Cantalupo, Sebastiano; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Rakic, Olivera; Worseck, Gabor

2016-01-01

A toy model is developed to understand how the spatial distribution of fluorescent emitters in the vicinity of bright quasars could be affected by the geometry of the quasar bi-conical radiation field and by its lifetime. The model is then applied to the distribution of high-equivalent-width Ly α emitters (with rest-frame equivalent widths above 100 Å, threshold used in, e.g., Trainor and Steidel) identified in a deep narrow-band 36 × 36 arcmin 2 image centered on the luminous quasar Q0420–388. These emitters are found near the edge of the field and show some evidence of an azimuthal asymmetry on the sky of the type expected if the quasar is radiating in a bipolar cone. If these sources are being fluorescently illuminated by the quasar, the two most distant objects require a lifetime of at least 15 Myr for an opening angle of 60° or more, increasing to more than 40 Myr if the opening angle is reduced to a minimum of 30°. However, some other expected signatures of boosted fluorescence are not seen at the current survey limits, e.g., a fall off in Ly α brightness, or equivalent width, with distance. Furthermore, to have most of the Ly α emission of the two distant sources to be fluorescently boosted would require the quasar to have been significantly brighter in the past. This suggests that these particular sources may not be fluorescent, invalidating the above lifetime constraints. This would cast doubt on the use of this relatively low equivalent width threshold and thus also on the lifetime analysis in Trainor and Steidel.

CONSTRAINING THE LIFETIME AND OPENING ANGLE OF QUASARS USING FLUORESCENT Ly α EMISSION: THE CASE OF Q0420–388

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borisova, Elena; Lilly, Simon J.; Cantalupo, Sebastiano [Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Zurich, CH-8093 (Switzerland); Prochaska, J. Xavier [UCO/Lick Observatory, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Rakic, Olivera; Worseck, Gabor, E-mail: borisova@phys.ethz.ch [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, D-69117 (Germany)

2016-10-20

A toy model is developed to understand how the spatial distribution of fluorescent emitters in the vicinity of bright quasars could be affected by the geometry of the quasar bi-conical radiation field and by its lifetime. The model is then applied to the distribution of high-equivalent-width Ly α emitters (with rest-frame equivalent widths above 100 Å, threshold used in, e.g., Trainor and Steidel) identified in a deep narrow-band 36 × 36 arcmin{sup 2} image centered on the luminous quasar Q0420–388. These emitters are found near the edge of the field and show some evidence of an azimuthal asymmetry on the sky of the type expected if the quasar is radiating in a bipolar cone. If these sources are being fluorescently illuminated by the quasar, the two most distant objects require a lifetime of at least 15 Myr for an opening angle of 60° or more, increasing to more than 40 Myr if the opening angle is reduced to a minimum of 30°. However, some other expected signatures of boosted fluorescence are not seen at the current survey limits, e.g., a fall off in Ly α brightness, or equivalent width, with distance. Furthermore, to have most of the Ly α emission of the two distant sources to be fluorescently boosted would require the quasar to have been significantly brighter in the past. This suggests that these particular sources may not be fluorescent, invalidating the above lifetime constraints. This would cast doubt on the use of this relatively low equivalent width threshold and thus also on the lifetime analysis in Trainor and Steidel.

Natural and laboratory TT-OSL dose response curves: Testing the lifetime of the TT-OSL signal in nature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapot, M.S.; Roberts, H.M.; Duller, G.A.T.; Lai, Z.P.

2016-01-01

This study compares natural and laboratory generated thermally transferred optically stimulated luminescence (TT-OSL) dose response curves (DRCs) for fine-grain quartz extracts from the Luochuan loess section in central China. Both DRCs saturate at high doses relative to the quartz OSL signal; the natural TT-OSL DRC saturates at about 2200 Gy and laboratory DRCs saturate at about 2700 Gy. However, the natural and laboratory TT-OSL DRCs deviate from one another at circa 150 Gy resulting in TT-OSL equivalent dose underestimation relative to palaeodoses expected from dose rates and independent age control. The lifetime of the TT-OSL signal at 10 °C, calculated from values of trap parameters E and s, is compared against the value for lifetime of the TT-OSL signal in nature at average burial temperature as determined from the age underestimation caused by deviation of the natural and laboratory generated DRCs. These two independent assessments of TT-OSL signal lifetime at Luochuan give similar values, suggesting that laboratory measurements of thermal stability reflect natural burial lifetimes and can potentially be used to correct TT-OSL ages for the difference between natural and laboratory dose response curves. - Highlights: • Natural and laboratory TT-OSL DRCs deviate at ∼150 Gy but saturate at higher doses. • TT-OSL signal lifetime at 10 °C calculated from measured E and s values is ∼180 ka. • TT-OSL signal lifetime at Luochuan estimated from the DRCs' deviation is ∼175 ka. • Natural and laboratory TT-OSL DRC deviation may be caused by low thermal stability. • Laboratory measurements of signal lifetime may be able to correct old TT-OSL ages.

Simulation of groundwater flow and interaction of groundwater and surface water on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Wisconsin

Science.gov (United States)

Juckem, Paul F.; Fienen, Michael N.; Hunt, Randall J.

2014-01-01

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Indian Health Service are interested in improving the understanding of groundwater flow and groundwater/surface-water interaction on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation (Reservation) in southwest Vilas County and southeast Iron County, Wisconsin, with particular interest in an understanding of the potential for contamination of groundwater supply wells and the fate of wastewater that is infiltrated from treatment lagoons on the Reservation. This report describes the construction, calibration, and application of a regional groundwater flow model used to simulate the shallow groundwater flow system of the Reservation and water-quality results for groundwater and surface-water samples collected near a system of waste-water-treatment lagoons. Groundwater flows through a permeable glacial aquifer that ranges in thickness from 60 to more than 200 feet (ft). Seepage and drainage lakes are common in the area and influence groundwater flow patterns on the Reservation. A two-dimensional, steady-state analytic element groundwater flow model was constructed using the program GFLOW. The model was calibrated by matching target water levels and stream base flows through the use of the parameter-estimation program, PEST. Simulated results illustrate that groundwater flow within most of the Reservation is toward the Bear River and the chain of lakes that feed the Bear River. Results of analyses of groundwater and surface-water samples collected downgradient from the wastewater infiltration lagoons show elevated levels of ammonia and dissolved phosphorus. In addition, wastewater indicator chemicals detected in three downgradient wells and a small downgradient stream indicate that infiltrated wastewater is moving southwest of the lagoons toward Moss Lake. Potential effects of extended wet and dry periods (within historical ranges) were evaluated by adjusting precipitation and groundwater recharge in the model and comparing the

Impact of Calcium and Magnesium in Groundwater and Drinking Water on the Health of Inhabitants of the Slovak Republic

Science.gov (United States)

Rapant, Stanislav; Cvečková, Veronika; Fajčíková, Katarína; Sedláková, Darina; Stehlíková, Beáta

2017-01-01

This work aims to evaluate the impact of the chemical composition of groundwater/drinking water on the health of inhabitants of the Slovak Republic. Primary data consists of 20,339 chemical analyses of groundwater (34 chemical elements and compounds) and data on the health of the Slovak population expressed in the form of health indicators (HI). Fourteen HIs were evaluated including life expectancy, potential years of lost life, relative/standardized mortality for cardiovascular and oncological diseases, and diseases of the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. The chemical and health data were expressed as the mean values for each of the 2883 Slovak municipalities. Artificial neural network (ANN) was the method used for environmental and health data analysis. The most significant relationship between HI and chemical composition of groundwater was documented as Ca + Mg (mmol·L−1), Ca and Mg. The following limit values were set for these most significant groundwater chemical parameters: Ca + Mg 2.9–6.1 mmol·L−1, Ca 78–155 mg·L−1 and Mg 28–54 mg·L−1. At these concentration ranges, the health of the Slovak population is the most favorable and the life expectancy is the highest. These limit values are about twice as high in comparison to the current Slovak valid guideline values for drinking water. PMID:28282877

Impact of Calcium and Magnesium in Groundwater and Drinking Water on the Health of Inhabitants of the Slovak Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapant, Stanislav; Cvečková, Veronika; Fajčíková, Katarína; Sedláková, Darina; Stehlíková, Beáta

2017-03-08

This work aims to evaluate the impact of the chemical composition of groundwater/drinking water on the health of inhabitants of the Slovak Republic. Primary data consists of 20,339 chemical analyses of groundwater (34 chemical elements and compounds) and data on the health of the Slovak population expressed in the form of health indicators (HI). Fourteen HIs were evaluated including life expectancy, potential years of lost life, relative/standardized mortality for cardiovascular and oncological diseases, and diseases of the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. The chemical and health data were expressed as the mean values for each of the 2883 Slovak municipalities. Artificial neural network (ANN) was the method used for environmental and health data analysis. The most significant relationship between HI and chemical composition of groundwater was documented as Ca + Mg (mmol·L -1 ), Ca and Mg. The following limit values were set for these most significant groundwater chemical parameters: Ca + Mg 2.9-6.1 mmol·L -1 , Ca 78-155 mg·L -1 and Mg 28-54 mg·L -1 . At these concentration ranges, the health of the Slovak population is the most favorable and the life expectancy is the highest. These limit values are about twice as high in comparison to the current Slovak valid guideline values for drinking water.

Revised conceptualization of the North China Basin groundwater flow system: Groundwater age, heat and flow simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Guoliang; Han, Dongmei; Currell, Matthew J.; Zheng, Chunmiao

2016-09-01

Groundwater flow in deep sedimentary basins results from complex evolution processes on geological timescales. Groundwater flow systems conceptualized according to topography and/or groundwater table configuration generally assume a near-equilibrium state with the modern landscape. However, the time to reach such a steady state, and more generally the timescales of groundwater flow system evolution are key considerations for large sedimentary basins. This is true in the North China Basin (NCB), which has been studied for many years due to its importance as a groundwater supply. Despite many years of study, there remain contradictions between the generally accepted conceptual model of regional flow, and environmental tracer data. We seek to reconcile these contractions by conducting simulations of groundwater flow, age and heat transport in a three dimensional model, using an alternative conceptual model, based on geological, thermal, isotope and historical data. We infer flow patterns under modern hydraulic conditions using this new model and present the theoretical maximum groundwater ages under such a flow regime. The model results show that in contrast to previously accepted conceptualizations, most groundwater is discharged in the vicinity of the break-in-slope of topography at the boundary between the piedmont and central plain. Groundwater discharge to the ocean is in contrast small, and in general there are low rates of active flow in the eastern parts of the basin below the central and coastal plain. This conceptualization is more compatible with geochemical and geothermal data than the previous model. Simulated maximum groundwater ages of ∼1 Myrs below the central and coastal plain indicate that residual groundwater may be retained in the deep parts of the basin since being recharged during the last glacial period or earlier. The groundwater flow system has therefore probably not reached a new equilibrium state with modern-day hydraulic conditions. The

Trust regions in Kriging-based optimization with expected improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Regis, Rommel G.

2016-06-01

The Kriging-based Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) method works well on many expensive black-box optimization problems. However, it does not seem to perform well on problems with steep and narrow global minimum basins and on high-dimensional problems. This article develops a new Kriging-based optimization method called TRIKE (Trust Region Implementation in Kriging-based optimization with Expected improvement) that implements a trust-region-like approach where each iterate is obtained by maximizing an Expected Improvement (EI) function within some trust region. This trust region is adjusted depending on the ratio of the actual improvement to the EI. This article also develops the Kriging-based CYCLONE (CYClic Local search in OptimizatioN using Expected improvement) method that uses a cyclic pattern to determine the search regions where the EI is maximized. TRIKE and CYCLONE are compared with EGO on 28 test problems with up to 32 dimensions and on a 36-dimensional groundwater bioremediation application in appendices supplied as an online supplement available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0305215X.2015.1082350. The results show that both algorithms yield substantial improvements over EGO and they are competitive with a radial basis function method.

Improving, characterizing and predicting the lifetime of organic photovoltaics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gevorgyan, Suren A.; Heckler, Ilona Maria; Bundgaard, Eva

2017-01-01

This review summarizes the recent progress in the stability and lifetime of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). In particular, recently proposed solutions to failure mechanisms in different layers of the device stack are discussed comprising both structural and chemical modifications. Upscaling...... characterization reported recently. Lifetime testing and determination is another challenge in the field of organic solar cells and the final sections of this review discuss the testing protocols as well as the generic marker for device lifetime and the methodology for comparing all the lifetime landmarks in one...... common diagram. These tools were used to determine the baselines for OPV lifetime tested under different ageing conditions. Finally, the current status of lifetime for organic solar cells is presented and predictions are made for progress in the near future....

Hanford Sitewide Groundwater Remediation Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knepp, A.J.; Isaacs, J.D.

1997-09-01

This document fulfills the requirements of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, Milestone M-13-81, to develop a concise statement of strategy that describe show the Hanford Site groundwater remediation will be accomplished. The strategy addresses objectives and goals, prioritization of activities, and technical approaches for groundwater cleanup. The strategy establishes that the overall goal of groundwater remediation on the Hanford Site is to restore groundwater to its beneficial uses in terms of protecting human health and the environment, and its use as a natural resource. The Hanford Future Site Uses Working Group established two categories for groundwater commensurate with various proposed landuses: (1) restricted use or access to groundwater in the Central Plateau and in a buffer zone surrounding it and (2) unrestricted use or access to groundwater for all other areas. In recognition of the Hanford Future Site Uses Working Group and public values, the strategy establishes that the sitewide approach to groundwater cleanup is to remediate the major plumes found in the reactor areas that enter the Columbia River and to contain the spread and reduce the mass of the major plumes found in the Central Plateau

Technical approach to groundwater restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The Technical Approach to Groundwater Restoration (TAGR) provides general technical guidance to implement the groundwater restoration phase of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. The TAGR includes a brief overview of the surface remediation and groundwater restoration phases of the UMTRA Project and describes the regulatory requirements, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, and regulatory compliance. A section on program strategy discusses program optimization, the role of risk assessment, the observational approach, strategies for meeting groundwater cleanup standards, and remedial action decision-making. A section on data requirements for groundwater restoration evaluates the data quality objectives (DQO) and minimum data required to implement the options and comply with the standards. A section on sits implementation explores the development of a conceptual site model, approaches to site characterization, development of remedial action alternatives, selection of the groundwater restoration method, and remedial design and implementation in the context of site-specific documentation in the site observational work plan (SOWP) and the remedial action plan (RAP). Finally, the TAGR elaborates on groundwater monitoring necessary to evaluate compliance with the groundwater cleanup standards and protection of human health and the environment, and outlines licensing procedures

Extending the lifetime of wireless sensor network with partial SDN deployment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Tomovic

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Energy efficiency is one of the key requirements in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs. In order to optimize energy usage at sensor nodes, this paper proposes a new network architecture that relies on concepts of Software Defined Networking (SDN. Since SDN is a relatively new technology, originally envisioned for wired networks, it cannot be expected to get immediately and completely adopted in WSN domain, regardless of potential benefits. For this reason, we consider incremental SDN deployment where SDN nodes coexist with traditional sensor nodes, and propose a new routing algorithm for SDN controller that prolongs the WSN lifetime even when a small percentage of SDN nodes is deployed.

Couplings between hierarchical conformational dynamics from multi-time correlation functions and two-dimensional lifetime spectra: Application to adenylate kinase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ono, Junichi [Department of Theoretical and Computational Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki 444-8585 (Japan); Takada, Shoji [Department of Theoretical and Computational Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki 444-8585 (Japan); Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Saito, Shinji, E-mail: shinji@ims.ac.jp [Department of Theoretical and Computational Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki 444-8585 (Japan); The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki 444-8585 (Japan)

2015-06-07

An analytical method based on a three-time correlation function and the corresponding two-dimensional (2D) lifetime spectrum is developed to elucidate the time-dependent couplings between the multi-timescale (i.e., hierarchical) conformational dynamics in heterogeneous systems such as proteins. In analogy with 2D NMR, IR, electronic, and fluorescence spectroscopies, the waiting-time dependence of the off-diagonal peaks in the 2D lifetime spectra can provide a quantitative description of the dynamical correlations between the conformational motions with different lifetimes. The present method is applied to intrinsic conformational changes of substrate-free adenylate kinase (AKE) using long-time coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the hierarchical conformational dynamics arise from the intra-domain structural transitions among conformational substates of AKE by analyzing the one-time correlation functions and one-dimensional lifetime spectra for the donor-acceptor distances corresponding to single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer experiments with the use of the principal component analysis. In addition, the complicated waiting-time dependence of the off-diagonal peaks in the 2D lifetime spectra for the donor-acceptor distances is attributed to the fact that the time evolution of the couplings between the conformational dynamics depends upon both the spatial and temporal characters of the system. The present method is expected to shed light on the biological relationship among the structure, dynamics, and function.

Simulating Lake-Groundwater Interactions During Decadal Climate Cycles: Accounting For Variable Lake Area In The Watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Virdi, M. L.; Lee, T. M.

2009-12-01

The volume and extent of a lake within the topo-bathymetry of a watershed can change substantially during wetter and drier climate cycles, altering the interaction of the lake with the groundwater flow system. Lake Starr and other seepage lakes in the permeable sandhills of central Florida are vulnerable to climate changes as they rely exclusively on rainfall and groundwater for inflows in a setting where annual rainfall and recharge vary widely. The groundwater inflow typically arrives from a small catchment area bordering the lake. The sinkhole origin of these lakes combined with groundwater pumping from underlying aquifers further complicate groundwater interactions. Understanding the lake-groundwater interactions and their effects on lake stage over multi-decadal climate cycles is needed to manage groundwater pumping and public expectation about future lake levels. The interdependence between climate, recharge, changing lake area and the groundwater catchment pose unique challenges to simulating lake-groundwater interactions. During the 10-year study period, Lake Starr stage fluctuated more than 13 feet and the lake surface area receded and expanded from 96 acres to 148 acres over drier and wetter years that included hurricanes, two El Nino events and a La Nina event. The recently developed Unsaturated Zone Flow (UZF1) and Lake (LAK7) packages for MODFLOW-2005 were used to simulate the changing lake sizes and the extent of the groundwater catchment contributing flow to the lake. The lake area was discretized to occupy the largest surface area at the highest observed stage and then allowed to change size. Lake cells convert to land cells and receive infiltration as receding lake area exposes the underlying unsaturated zone to rainfall and recharge. The unique model conceptualization also made it possible to capture the dynamic size of the groundwater catchment contributing to lake inflows, as the surface area and volume of the lake changed during the study

Refractive index sensing using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Carolyn; Suhling, Klaus

2006-01-01

The fluorescence lifetime is a function of the refractive index of the fluorophore's environment, for example in the case of the biologically important green fluorescent protein (GFP). In order to address the question whether this effect can be exploited to image the local environment of specific proteins in cell biology, we need to determine the distance over which the fluorophore's lifetime is sensitive to the refractive index. To this end, we employ Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) of fluorescein in NaOH buffer at an interface. This approach allows us to map the fluorescence lifetime as a function of distance from a buffer/air and buffer/oil interface. Preliminary data show that the fluorescence lifetime of fluorescein increases near a buffer/air interface and decreases near a buffer/oil interface. The range over which this fluorescence lifetime change occurs is found to be of the order several μm which is consistent with a theoretical model based on the full width at half maximum of the emission spectrum proposed by Toptygin

Exits in order: How crowding affects particle lifetimes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penington, Catherine J.; Simpson, Matthew J. [School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane (Australia); Baker, Ruth E. [Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford (United Kingdom)

2016-06-28

Diffusive processes are often represented using stochastic random walk frameworks. The amount of time taken for an individual in a random walk to intersect with an absorbing boundary is a fundamental property that is often referred to as the particle lifetime, or the first passage time. The mean lifetime of particles in a random walk model of diffusion is related to the amount of time required for the diffusive process to reach a steady state. Mathematical analysis describing the mean lifetime of particles in a standard model of diffusion without crowding is well known. However, the lifetime of agents in a random walk with crowding has received much less attention. Since many applications of diffusion in biology and biophysics include crowding effects, here we study a discrete model of diffusion that incorporates crowding. Using simulations, we show that crowding has a dramatic effect on agent lifetimes, and we derive an approximate expression for the mean agent lifetime that includes crowding effects. Our expression matches simulation results very well, and highlights the importance of crowding effects that are sometimes overlooked.

Evaluation of the Impact of Groundwater Pumping on Freshwater-Saltwater Interface Fluctuations in a Coastal Aquifer of South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, H.; Kim, Y.; Lee, S. H.; Ha, K.

2017-12-01

It is necessary to monitor the variation of freshwater-saltwater interface for the sustainable use of groundwater resources in coastal areas. In the present study, we developed a device to measure the location of the freshwater-saltwater interface based on the concept of the neutral buoyancy and installed it in a coastal aquifer of the western sea, South Korea. To evaluate the impact of pumping on the groundwater and saltwater-freshwater interface level, we designed nine different pumping scenarios and monitored the groundwater and saltwater-freshwater interface levels of pumping well and two observation wells. The result of monitoring groundwater level shows that the response of observation wells to the pumping is relatively fast and high, however, the response of freshwater-saltwater interface occurred when the pumping rate and duration are over 25m3/day and 48hours, respectively. For the prediction and simulation of the groundwater level fluctuation under groundwater pumping events, we designed a artificial neural network based time series model considering rainfall, tide, and pumping rate as input components. The result of the prediction shows that the correlation coefficient between observed and estimated groundwater levels is as high as 0.7. It is expected that the result of this research can provide useful information for the effective management of groundwater resources in the study area.

The impact of parental investment on lifetime reproductive success in Iceland.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Robert F; Lynch, Emily C

2017-01-01

Demonstrating the impact that parents have on the fitness of their children is a crucial step towards understanding how parental investment has affected human evolution. Parents not only transfer genes to their children, they also influence their environments. By analyzing reproductive patterns within and between different categories of close relatives, this study provides insight into the genetic and environmental effects that parents have on the fitness of their offspring. We use data spanning over two centuries from an exceptionally accurate Icelandic genealogy, Íslendingabók, to analyze the relationship between the fertility rates of close relatives. Also, using genetic data, we determine narrow sense heritability estimates ( h 2 ) to further explore the genetic impact on lifetime reproductive success. Finally, we construct four simulations to model the expected contribution of genes and resources on reproductive success. The relationship between the reproduction of all full sibling pairs was significant and positive across all birth decades ( r  = 0.19) while the reproductive relationship between parents and offspring was often negative across many decades and undetectable overall ( r  = 0.00) (Fig. 1 and Table 1). Meanwhile, genetic data among 8,456 pairs of full siblings revealed a narrow sense heritability estimate ( h 2 ) of 0.00 for lifetime reproductive success. A resources model (following the rule that resources are transmitted from parents to children, distributed equally among siblings, and are the only factor affecting reproductive success) revealed a similar trend: a negative relationship between parent and offspring reproduction ( r  =  - 0.35) but a positive relationship among full siblings ( r  = 0.28). The relationship between parent and offspring lifetime reproductive success (LRS) and full sibling LRS was strongly and positively correlated across time ( r  = 0.799, p  investment has had an important impact on fitness. Overall

Stability and lifetime testing of photomultiplier detectors for the Earth observing system SOLSTICE program

Science.gov (United States)

Hadler, Joshua A.; van de Kop, Toni; Drake, Virginia A.; McClintock, William E.; Murphy, John; Rodgers, Paul

1998-10-01

The primary objective of the Earth Observing System (EOS) Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) is to accurately measure the absolute value of the solar UV irradiance at the top of the earth's atmosphere for a minimum mission lifetime of 5 years. To meet this objective, SOLSTICE employs a unique design to determine changes in instrument performance by routinely observing a series of early-type stars and comparing the irradiances directly with the solar value. Although the comparison techniques allows us to track instrument performance, the success of the SOLSTICE experiment depends upon photomultiplier detectors which have graceful degradation properties. Therefore, we have established a laboratory program to evaluate the characteristics of photomultiplier tubes which are exposed to long term fluxes similar to those we expected to encounter in flight. Three types of Hamamatsu photomultiplier tubes were tested as candidates for use in the EOS-SOLSTICE project. The results of these studies: pulse height distribution; quantum efficiency; surface maps,; and lifetime analysis are presented in this paper.

Approaches to groundwater travel time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, P.; Klavetter, E.; Peters, R.

1989-01-01

One of the objectives of performance assessment for the Yucca Mountain Project is to estimate the groundwater travel time at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to determine whether the site complies with the criteria specified in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10 CFR 60.113 (a). The numerical standard for performance in these criteria is based on the groundwater travel time along the fastest path of likely radionuclide transport from the disturbed zone to the accessible environment. The concept of groundwater travel time as proposed in the regulations, does not have a unique mathematical statement. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ambiguities associated with the regulatory specification of groundwater travel time, two different interpretations of groundwater travel time, and the effect of the two interpretations on estimates of the groundwater travel time

Residual lifetime and 10 year absolute risks of osteoporotic fractures in Chinese men and women.

Science.gov (United States)

Si, Lei; Winzenberg, Tania M; Chen, Mingsheng; Jiang, Qicheng; Palmer, Andrew J

2015-06-01

To determine the residual lifetime and 10 year absolute risks of osteoporotic fractures in Chinese men and women. A validated state-transition microsimulation model was used. Microsimulation and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to address the uncertainties in the model. All parameters including fracture incidence rates and mortality rates were retrieved from published literature. Simulated subjects were run through the model until they died to estimate the residual lifetime fracture risks. A 10 year time horizon was used to determine the 10 year fracture risks. We estimated the risk of only the first osteoporotic fracture during the simulation time horizon. The residual lifetime and 10 year risks of having the first osteoporotic (hip, clinical vertebral or wrist) fracture for Chinese women aged 50 years were 40.9% (95% CI: 38.3-44.0%) and 8.2% (95% CI: 6.8-9.3%) respectively. For men, the residual lifetime and 10 year fracture risks were 8.7% (95% CI: 7.5-9.8%) and 1.2% (95% CI: 0.8-1.7%) respectively. The residual lifetime fracture risks declined with age, whilst the 10 year fracture risks increased with age until the short-term mortality risks outstripped the fracture risks. Residual lifetime and 10 year clinical vertebral fracture risks were higher than those of hip and wrist fractures in both sexes. More than one third of the Chinese women and approximately one tenth of the Chinese men aged 50 years are expected to sustain a major osteoporotic fracture in their remaining lifetimes. Due to increased fracture risks and a rapidly ageing population, osteoporosis will present a great challenge to the Chinese healthcare system. While national data was used wherever possible, regional Chinese hip and clinical vertebral fracture incidence rates were used, wrist fracture rates were taken from a Norwegian study and calibrated to the Chinese population. Other fracture sites like tibia, humerus, ribs and pelvis were not included in the analysis, thus these

The thermal impact of subsurface building structures on urban groundwater resources - A paradigmatic example.

Science.gov (United States)

Epting, Jannis; Scheidler, Stefan; Affolter, Annette; Borer, Paul; Mueller, Matthias H; Egli, Lukas; García-Gil, Alejandro; Huggenberger, Peter

2017-10-15

Shallow subsurface thermal regimes in urban areas are increasingly impacted by anthropogenic activities, which include infrastructure development like underground traffic lines as well as industrial and residential subsurface buildings. In combination with the progressive use of shallow geothermal energy systems, this results in the so-called subsurface urban heat island effect. This article emphasizes the importance of considering the thermal impact of subsurface structures, which commonly is underestimated due to missing information and of reliable subsurface temperature data. Based on synthetic heat-transport models different settings of the urban environment were investigated, including: (1) hydraulic gradients and conductivities, which result in different groundwater flow velocities; (2) aquifer properties like groundwater thickness to aquitard and depth to water table; and (3) constructional features, such as building depths and thermal properties of building structures. Our results demonstrate that with rising groundwater flow velocities, the heat-load from building structures increase, whereas down-gradient groundwater temperatures decrease. Thermal impacts on subsurface resources therefore have to be related to the permeability of aquifers and hydraulic boundary conditions. In regard to the urban settings of Basel, Switzerland, flow velocities of around 1 md -1 delineate a marker where either down-gradient temperature deviations or heat-loads into the subsurface are more relevant. Furthermore, no direct thermal influence on groundwater resources should be expected for aquifers with groundwater thicknesses larger 10m and when the distance of the building structure to the groundwater table is higher than around 10m. We demonstrate that measuring temperature changes down-gradient of subsurface structures is insufficient overall to assess thermal impacts, particularly in urban areas. Moreover, in areas which are densely urbanized, and where groundwater flow

Organic scintillators with long luminescent lifetimes for radiotherapy dosimetry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beierholm, Anders Ravnsborg; Lindvold, Lars René; Andersen, Claus Erik

2011-01-01

of experiments performed using two organic scintillators, one commercially available and one custom made. The luminescent lifetimes of the scintillators have been measured using i) optical excitation by pulsed UV light, and ii) irradiative excitation using high-energy X-rays from a linac. A luminescent lifetime...... component on the order of 20 μs was estimated for the custom-made organic scintillator, while the commercial scintillator exhibited a fast component of approximately 5 ns lifetime (7 ns as stated by the manufacturer) and an approximate 10 μs lifetime slow component. Although these lifetimes are not long...

Measurement of the $\\tau$ lepton lifetime

CERN Document Server

Buskulic, Damir; De Bonis, I; Décamp, D; Ghez, P; Goy, C; Lees, J P; Lucotte, A; Minard, M N; Odier, P; Pietrzyk, B; Ariztizabal, F; Chmeissani, M; Crespo, J M; Efthymiopoulos, I; Fernández, E; Fernández-Bosman, M; Gaitan, V; Garrido, L; Martínez, M; Orteu, S; Pacheco, A; Padilla, C; Palla, Fabrizio; Pascual, A; Perlas, J A; Sánchez, F; Teubert, F; Colaleo, A; Creanza, D; De Palma, M; Farilla, A; Gelao, G; Girone, M; Iaselli, Giuseppe; Maggi, G; Maggi, M; Marinelli, N; Natali, S; Nuzzo, S; Ranieri, A; Raso, G; Romano, F; Ruggieri, F; Selvaggi, G; Silvestris, L; Tempesta, P; Zito, G; Huang, X; Lin, J; Ouyang, Q; Wang, T; Xie, Y; Xu, R; Xue, S; Zhang, J; Zhang, L; Zhao, W; Bonvicini, G; Cattaneo, M; Comas, P; Coyle, P; Drevermann, H; Engelhardt, A; Forty, Roger W; Frank, M; Hagelberg, R; Harvey, J; Jacobsen, R; Janot, P; Jost, B; Kneringer, E; Knobloch, J; Lehraus, Ivan; Markou, C; Martin, E B; Mato, P; Minten, Adolf G; Miquel, R; Oest, T; Palazzi, P; Pater, J R; Pusztaszeri, J F; Ranjard, F; Rensing, P E; Rolandi, Luigi; Schlatter, W D; Schmelling, M; Schneider, O; Tejessy, W; Tomalin, I R; Venturi, A; Wachsmuth, H W; Wiedenmann, W; Wildish, T; Witzeling, W; Wotschack, J; Ajaltouni, Ziad J; Bardadin-Otwinowska, Maria; Barrès, A; Boyer, C; Falvard, A; Gay, P; Guicheney, C; Henrard, P; Jousset, J; Michel, B; Monteil, S; Pallin, D; Perret, P; Podlyski, F; Proriol, J; Rossignol, J M; Saadi, F; Fearnley, Tom; Hansen, J B; Hansen, J D; Hansen, J R; Hansen, P H; Nilsson, B S; Kyriakis, A; Simopoulou, Errietta; Siotis, I; Vayaki, Anna; Zachariadou, K; Blondel, A; Bonneaud, G R; Brient, J C; Bourdon, P; Passalacqua, L; Rougé, A; Rumpf, M; Tanaka, R; Valassi, Andrea; Verderi, M; Videau, H L; Candlin, D J; Parsons, M I; Focardi, E; Parrini, G; Corden, M; Delfino, M C; Georgiopoulos, C H; Jaffe, D E; Antonelli, A; Bencivenni, G; Bologna, G; Bossi, F; Campana, P; Capon, G; Chiarella, V; Felici, G; Laurelli, P; Mannocchi, G; Murtas, F; Murtas, G P; Pepé-Altarelli, M; Dorris, S J; Halley, A W; ten Have, I; Knowles, I G; Lynch, J G; Morton, W T; O'Shea, V; Raine, C; Reeves, P; Scarr, J M; Smith, K; Smith, M G; Thompson, A S; Thomson, F; Thorn, S; Turnbull, R M; Becker, U; Braun, O; Geweniger, C; Graefe, G; Hanke, P; Hepp, V; Kluge, E E; Putzer, A; Rensch, B; Schmidt, M; Sommer, J; Stenzel, H; Tittel, K; Werner, S; Wunsch, M; Beuselinck, R; Binnie, David M; Cameron, W; Colling, D J; Dornan, Peter J; Konstantinidis, N P; Moneta, L; Moutoussi, A; Nash, J; San Martin, G; Sedgbeer, J K; Stacey, A M; Dissertori, G; Girtler, P; Kuhn, D; Rudolph, G; Bowdery, C K; Brodbeck, T J; Colrain, P; Crawford, G; Finch, A J; Foster, F; Hughes, G; Sloan, Terence; Whelan, E P; Williams, M I; Galla, A; Greene, A M; Kleinknecht, K; Quast, G; Raab, J; Renk, B; Sander, H G; Wanke, R; Van Gemmeren, P; Zeitnitz, C; Aubert, Jean-Jacques; Bencheikh, A M; Benchouk, C; Bonissent, A; Bujosa, G; Calvet, D; Carr, J; Diaconu, C A; Etienne, F; Thulasidas, M; Nicod, D; Payre, P; Rousseau, D; Talby, M; Abt, I; Assmann, R W; Bauer, C; Blum, Walter; Brown, D; Dietl, H; Dydak, Friedrich; Ganis, G; Gotzhein, C; Jakobs, K; Kroha, H; Lütjens, G; Lutz, Gerhard; Männer, W; Moser, H G; Richter, R H; Rosado-Schlosser, A; Schael, S; Settles, Ronald; Seywerd, H C J; Saint-Denis, R; Wolf, G; Alemany, R; Boucrot, J; Callot, O; Cordier, A; Courault, F; Davier, M; Duflot, L; Grivaz, J F; Heusse, P; Jacquet, M; Kim, D W; Le Diberder, F R; Lefrançois, J; Lutz, A M; Musolino, G; Nikolic, I A; Park, H J; Park, I C; Schune, M H; Simion, S; Veillet, J J; Videau, I; Abbaneo, D; Azzurri, P; Bagliesi, G; Batignani, G; Bettarini, S; Bozzi, C; Calderini, G; Carpinelli, M; Ciocci, M A; Ciulli, V; Dell'Orso, R; Fantechi, R; Ferrante, I; Fidecaro, F; Foà, L; Forti, F; Giassi, A; Giorgi, M A; Gregorio, A; Ligabue, F; Lusiani, A; Marrocchesi, P S; Messineo, A; Rizzo, G; Sanguinetti, G; Sciabà, A; Spagnolo, P; Steinberger, Jack; Tenchini, Roberto; Tonelli, G; Triggiani, G; Vannini, C; Verdini, P G; Walsh, J; Betteridge, A P; Blair, G A; Bryant, L M; Cerutti, F; Gao, Y; Green, M G; Johnson, D L; Medcalf, T; Mir, L M; Perrodo, P; Strong, J A; Bertin, V; Botterill, David R; Clifft, R W; Edgecock, T R; Haywood, S; Edwards, M; Maley, P; Norton, P R; Thompson, J C; Bloch-Devaux, B; Colas, P; Emery, S; Kozanecki, Witold; Lançon, E; Lemaire, M C; Locci, E; Marx, B; Pérez, P; Rander, J; Renardy, J F; Roussarie, A; Schuller, J P; Schwindling, J; Trabelsi, A; Vallage, B; Johnson, R P; Kim, H Y; Litke, A M; McNeil, M A; Taylor, G; Beddall, A; Booth, C N; Boswell, R; Cartwright, S L; Combley, F; Dawson, I; Köksal, A; Letho, M; Newton, W M; Rankin, C; Thompson, L F; Böhrer, A; Brandt, S; Cowan, G D; Feigl, E; Grupen, Claus; Lutters, G; Minguet-Rodríguez, J A; Rivera, F; Saraiva, P; Smolik, L; Stephan, F; Apollonio, M; Bosisio, L; Della Marina, R; Giannini, G; Gobbo, B; Ragusa, F; Rothberg, J E; Wasserbaech, S R; Armstrong, S R; Bellantoni, L; Elmer, P; Feng, Z; Ferguson, D P S; Gao, Y S; González, S; Grahl, J; Harton, J L; Hayes, O J; Hu, H; McNamara, P A; Nachtman, J M; Orejudos, W; Pan, Y B; Saadi, Y; Schmitt, M; Scott, I J; Sharma, V; Turk, J; Walsh, A M; Wu Sau Lan; Wu, X; Yamartino, J M; Zheng, M; Zobernig, G

1996-01-01

The mean lifetime of the \\tau lepton is measured in a sample of 25700 \\tau pairs collected in 1992 with the ALEPH detector at LEP. A new analysis of the 1-1 topology events is introduced. In this analysis, the dependence of the impact parameter sum distribution on the daughter track momenta is taken into account, yielding improved precision compared to other impact parameter sum methods. Three other analyses of the one- and three-prong \\tau decays are updated with increased statistics. The measured lifetime is 293.5 \\pm 3.1 \\pm 1.7 \\fs. Including previous (1989--1991) ALEPH measurements, the combined \\tau lifetime is 293.7 \\pm 2.7 \\pm 1.6 \\fs.

Groundwater Discharge of Legacy Nitrogen to River Networks: Linking Regional Groundwater Models to Streambed Groundwater-Surface Water Exchange and Nitrogen Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, J. R.; Helton, A. M.; Briggs, M. A.; Starn, J. J.; Hunt, A.

2017-12-01

Despite years of management, excess nitrogen (N) is a pervasive problem in many aquatic ecosystems. More than half of surface water in the United States is derived from groundwater, and widespread N contamination in aquifers from decades of watershed N inputs suggest legacy N discharging from groundwater may contribute to contemporary N pollution problems in surface waters. Legacy N loads to streams and rivers are controlled by both regional scale flow paths and fine-scale processes that drive N transformations, such as groundwater-surface water exchange across steep redox gradients that occur at stream bed interfaces. Adequately incorporating these disparate scales is a challenge, but it is essential to understanding legacy N transport and making informed management decisions. We developed a regional groundwater flow model for the Farmington River, a HUC-8 basin that drains to the Long Island Sound, a coastal estuary that suffers from elevated N loads despite decades of management, to understand broad patterns of regional transport. To evaluate and refine the regional model, we used thermal infrared imagery paired with vertical temperature profiling to estimate groundwater discharge at the streambed interface. We also analyzed discharging groundwater for multiple N species to quantify fine scale patterns of N loading and transformation via denitrification at the streambed interface. Integrating regional and local estimates of groundwater discharge of legacy N to river networks should improve our ability to predict spatiotemporal patterns of legacy N loading to and transformation within surface waters.

Technical framework for groundwater restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

This document provides the technical framework for groundwater restoration under Phase II of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. A preliminary management plan for Phase II has been set forth in a companion document titled ''Preplanning Guidance Document for Groundwater Restoration''. General principles of site characterization for groundwater restoration, restoration methods, and treatment are discussed in this document to provide an overview of standard technical approaches to groundwater restoration

Groundwater dynamics in mountain peatlands with contrasting climate, vegetation, and hydrogeological setting

Science.gov (United States)

Millar, David J.; Cooper, David J.; Ronayne, Michael J.

2018-06-01

Hydrological dynamics act as a primary control on ecosystem function in mountain peatlands, serving as an important regulator of carbon fluxes. In western North America, mountain peatlands exist in different hydrogeological settings, across a range climatic conditions, and vary in floristic composition. The sustainability of these ecosystems, particularly those at the low end of their known elevation range, is susceptible to a changing climate via changes in the water cycle. We conducted a hydrological investigation of two mountain peatlands, with differing vegetation, hydrogeological setting (sloping vs basin), and climate (strong vs weak monsoon influence). Growing season saturated zone water budgets were modeled on a daily basis, and subsurface flow characterizations were performed during multiple field campaigns at each site. The sloping peatland expectedly showed a strong lateral groundwater potential gradient throughout the growing season. Alternatively, the basin peatland had low lateral gradients but more pronounced vertical gradients. A zero-flux plane was apparent at a depth of approximately 50 cm below the peat surface at the basin peatland; shallow groundwater above this depth moved upward towards the surface via evapotranspiration. The differences in groundwater flow dynamics between the two sites also influenced water budgets. Higher groundwater inflow at the sloping peatland offset higher rates of evapotranspiration losses from the saturated zone, which were apparently driven by differences in vegetative cover. This research revealed that although sloping peatlands cover relatively small portions of mountain watersheds, they provide unique settings where vegetation directly utilizes groundwater for transpiration, which were several-fold higher than typically reported for surrounding uplands.

Groundwater Management at Varamin Plain: The Consideration of Stochastic and Environmental Effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Najafi Alamdarlo, H.; Ahmadian, M.; Khalilian, S.

2016-01-01

Groundwater is one of the common resources in Varamin Plain, but due to over extraction it has been exposed to ruin. This phenomenon will lead to economic and environmental problems. On the other hand, the world is expected to face with more stochastic events of water supply. Furthermore, incorporating stochastic consideration of water supply becomes more acute in designing water facilities. Therefore, the strategies should be applied to improve managing resources and increase the efficiency of irrigation system. Hence, in this study the effect of efficiency improvement of irrigation system on the exploitation of groundwater and cropping pattern is examined in deterministic and stochastic condition using Nash bargaining theory. The results showed that farmers in B scenario are more willing to cooperate and as a result of their cooperation, they lose only 3 percentages of their present value of the objective function. Therefore, the efficiency improvement of irrigation system can result in improving the cooperation between farmers and increasing the amount of reserves.Groundwater is one of the common resources in Varamin Plain, but due to over extraction it has been exposed to ruin. This phenomenon will lead to economic and environmental problems. On the other hand, the world is expected to face with more stochastic events of water supply. Furthermore, incorporating stochastic consideration of water supply becomes more acute in designing water facilities. Therefore, the strategies should be applied to improve managing resources and increase the efficiency of irrigation system. Hence, in this study the effect of efficiency improvement of irrigation system on the exploitation of groundwater and cropping pattern is examined in deterministic and stochastic condition using Nash bargaining theory. The results showed that farmers in B scenario are more willing to cooperate and as a result of their cooperation, they lose only 3 percentages of their present value of the

A Satellite Mortality Study to Support Space Systems Lifetime Prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, George; Salazar, Ronald; Habib-Agahi, Hamid; Dubos, Gregory

2013-01-01

Estimating the operational lifetime of satellites and spacecraft is a complex process. Operational lifetime can differ from mission design lifetime for a variety of reasons. Unexpected mortality can occur due to human errors in design and fabrication, to human errors in launch and operations, to random anomalies of hardware and software or even satellite function degradation or technology change, leading to unrealized economic or mission return. This study focuses on data collection of public information using, for the first time, a large, publically available dataset, and preliminary analysis of satellite lifetimes, both operational lifetime and design lifetime. The objective of this study is the illustration of the relationship of design life to actual lifetime for some representative classes of satellites and spacecraft. First, a Weibull and Exponential lifetime analysis comparison is performed on the ratio of mission operating lifetime to design life, accounting for terminated and ongoing missions. Next a Kaplan-Meier survivor function, standard practice for clinical trials analysis, is estimated from operating lifetime. Bootstrap resampling is used to provide uncertainty estimates of selected survival probabilities. This study highlights the need for more detailed databases and engineering reliability models of satellite lifetime that include satellite systems and subsystems, operations procedures and environmental characteristics to support the design of complex, multi-generation, long-lived space systems in Earth orbit.

Characterization of groundwater quality using water evaluation indices, multivariate statistics and geostatistics in central Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Bodrud-Doza

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the groundwater quality in the Faridpur district of central Bangladesh based on preselected 60 sample points. Water evaluation indices and a number of statistical approaches such as multivariate statistics and geostatistics are applied to characterize water quality, which is a major factor for controlling the groundwater quality in term of drinking purposes. The study reveal that EC, TDS, Ca2+, total As and Fe values of groundwater samples exceeded Bangladesh and international standards. Ground water quality index (GWQI exhibited that about 47% of the samples were belonging to good quality water for drinking purposes. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI, degree of contamination (Cd, heavy metal evaluation index (HEI reveal that most of the samples belong to low level of pollution. However, Cd provide better alternative than other indices. Principle component analysis (PCA suggests that groundwater quality is mainly related to geogenic (rock–water interaction and anthropogenic source (agrogenic and domestic sewage in the study area. Subsequently, the findings of cluster analysis (CA and correlation matrix (CM are also consistent with the PCA results. The spatial distributions of groundwater quality parameters are determined by geostatistical modeling. The exponential semivariagram model is validated as the best fitted models for most of the indices values. It is expected that outcomes of the study will provide insights for decision makers taking proper measures for groundwater quality management in central Bangladesh.

Integrated groundwater data management

Science.gov (United States)

Fitch, Peter; Brodaric, Boyan; Stenson, Matt; Booth, Nathaniel; Jakeman, Anthony J.; Barreteau, Olivier; Hunt, Randall J.; Rinaudo, Jean-Daniel; Ross, Andrew

2016-01-01

The goal of a data manager is to ensure that data is safely stored, adequately described, discoverable and easily accessible. However, to keep pace with the evolution of groundwater studies in the last decade, the associated data and data management requirements have changed significantly. In particular, there is a growing recognition that management questions cannot be adequately answered by single discipline studies. This has led a push towards the paradigm of integrated modeling, where diverse parts of the hydrological cycle and its human connections are included. This chapter describes groundwater data management practices, and reviews the current state of the art with enterprise groundwater database management systems. It also includes discussion on commonly used data management models, detailing typical data management lifecycles. We discuss the growing use of web services and open standards such as GWML and WaterML2.0 to exchange groundwater information and knowledge, and the need for national data networks. We also discuss cross-jurisdictional interoperability issues, based on our experience sharing groundwater data across the US/Canadian border. Lastly, we present some future trends relating to groundwater data management.

Positron lifetime study of neutron-irradiated molybdenum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinode, Kenji; Tanigawa, Shoichiro; Kumakura, Hiroaki; Doyama, Masao; Shiraishi, Kensuke.

1978-01-01

Annealing behavior of fast-neutron-irradiated molybdenum was studied by means of positron lifetime technique. It was found that Stage III annealing can be mainly identified as the vacancy migration process from the detailed analyses of data. The void growth after successive high temperature annealings was clearly detected through the changes of positron lifetime parameters. An attempt to analyse the size distribution of voids from positron lifetime spectra was presented, and discussions on the evaluation of void concentration from positron data are also given. (author)

Statistical Models and Methods for Lifetime Data

CERN Document Server

Lawless, Jerald F

2011-01-01

Praise for the First Edition"An indispensable addition to any serious collection on lifetime data analysis and . . . a valuable contribution to the statistical literature. Highly recommended . . ."-Choice"This is an important book, which will appeal to statisticians working on survival analysis problems."-Biometrics"A thorough, unified treatment of statistical models and methods used in the analysis of lifetime data . . . this is a highly competent and agreeable statistical textbook."-Statistics in MedicineThe statistical analysis of lifetime or response time data is a key tool in engineering,

Process-based modelling to evaluate simulated groundwater levels and frequencies in a Chalk catchment in south-western England

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Simon; Coxon, Gemma; Howden, Nicholas J. K.; Freer, Jim; Hartmann, Andreas

2018-02-01

according to expected future climate changes, we create simple climate scenarios and we show that the projected climate changes may lead to generally lower groundwater levels and a reduction of exceedances of high groundwater level percentiles.

Correlation of BTEX levels and toxicity of condensate contaminated groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Headley, J.; Goudey, S.; Birkholz, D.; Hardisty, P.

1995-01-01

The concentration of BTEX was determined for 60 groundwater samples collected from 6 gas plants in Western Canada, using conventional purge-and-trap GC/MS procedures. The gas plants were selected to cover different types of operations with different amine process chemicals employed for the sweetening of the raw sour-gas condensates. Aliquots of the ground water samples were subjected to toxicity screening tests, specifically, (a) bacterial luminescence (microtox); (b) daphnia mortality and (c) fathead minnow mortality. For the toxicity tests, sample handling procedures were developed to minimize the loss of volatile organics during the experiments. To account for possible losses, the levels of BTEX were monitored at the start and upon completion of these tests. The results indicated that the toxicity of the groundwater was in general, well correlated to the concentration of BTEX (primarily xylene). Approximately 5% of the samples, however, were observed to be toxic although the concentration of BTEX were below the method detection limit (1 microg/1). Thiophenic volatile organics were implicated for the latter. Based on the laboratory results, the remediation of BTEX is expected to correlate with the removal of the toxicity of the groundwater. These findings are of direct relevance to present technologies employed for remediation of ground water at the Sourgas plants

Groundwater: from mystery to management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narasimhan, T N

2009-01-01

Groundwater has been used for domestic and irrigation needs from time immemorial. Yet its nature and occurrence have always possessed a certain mystery because water below the land surface is invisible and relatively inaccessible. The influence of this mystery lingers in some tenets that govern groundwater law. With the birth of modern geology during the late nineteenth century, groundwater science became recognized in its own right. Over the past two centuries, groundwater has lost its shroud of mystery, and its scientific understanding has gradually grown hand-in-hand with its development for human use. Groundwater is a component of the hydrological cycle, vital for human sustenance. Its annual renewability from precipitation is limited, and its chemical quality is vulnerable to degradation by human action. In many parts of the world, groundwater extraction is known to greatly exceed its renewability. Consequently, its rational management to benefit present and future generations is a matter of deep concern for many nations. Groundwater management is a challenging venture, requiring an integration of scientific knowledge with communal will to adapt to constraints of a finite common resource. As scientists and policy makers grapple with the tasks of groundwater management, it is instructive to reflect on the evolution of groundwater knowledge from its initial phase of demystification at the beginning of the nineteenth century, through successive phases of technological conquest, scientific integration, discovery of unintended consequences and the present recognition of an imperative for judicious management. The following retrospective provides a broad context for unifying the technical contributions that make up this focus issue on groundwater resources, climate and vulnerability.

Dynamics of Agricultural Groundwater Extraction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hellegers, P.J.G.J.; Zilberman, D.; Ierland, van E.C.

2001-01-01

Agricultural shallow groundwater extraction can result in desiccation of neighbouring nature reserves and degradation of groundwater quality in the Netherlands, whereas both externalities are often not considered when agricultural groundwater extraction patterns are being determined. A model is

Groundwater protection management program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-06-01

US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 requires the establishment of a groundwater protection management program to ensure compliance with DOE requirements and applicable Federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project Office has prepared a ''Groundwater Protection Management Program Plan'' (groundwater protection plan) of sufficient scope and detail to reflect the program's significance and address the seven activities required in DOE Order 5400.1, Chapter 3, for special program planning. The groundwater protection plan highlights the methods designed to preserve, protect, and monitor groundwater resources at UMTRA Project processing and disposal sites. The plan includes an overview of the remedial action status at the 24 designated processing sites and identifies project technical guidance documents and site-specific documents for the UMTRA groundwater protection management program. In addition, the groundwater protection plan addresses the general information required to develop a water resources protection strategy at the permanent disposal sites. Finally, the plan describes ongoing activities that are in various stages of development at UMTRA sites (long-term care at disposal sites and groundwater restoration at processing sites). This plan will be reviewed annually and updated every 3 years in accordance with DOE Order 5400.1

Groundwater monitoring of an open-pit limestone quarry: groundwater characteristics, evolution and their connections to rock slopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Eang, Khy Eam; Igarashi, Toshifumi; Fujinaga, Ryota; Kondo, Megumi; Tabelin, Carlito Baltazar

2018-03-06

Groundwater flow and its geochemical evolution in mines are important not only in the study of contaminant migration but also in the effective planning of excavation. The effects of groundwater on the stability of rock slopes and other mine constructions especially in limestone quarries are crucial because calcite, the major mineral component of limestone, is moderately soluble in water. In this study, evolution of groundwater in a limestone quarry located in Chichibu city was monitored to understand the geochemical processes occurring within the rock strata of the quarry and changes in the chemistry of groundwater, which suggests zones of deformations that may affect the stability of rock slopes. There are three distinct geological formations in the quarry: limestone layer, interbedded layer of limestone and slaty greenstone, and slaty greenstone layer as basement rock. Although the hydrochemical facies of all groundwater samples were Ca-HCO 3 type water, changes in the geochemical properties of groundwater from the three geological formations were observed. In particular, significant changes in the chemical properties of several groundwater samples along the interbedded layer were observed, which could be attributed to the mixing of groundwater from the limestone and slaty greenstone layers. On the rainy day, the concentrations of Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - in the groundwater fluctuated notably, and the groundwater flowing along the interbedded layer was dominated by groundwater from the limestone layer. These suggest that groundwater along the interbedded layer may affect the stability of rock slopes.

Lifetime assessment and lifetime management for key components of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dou Yikang; Sun Hanhong; Qu Jiadi

2000-01-01

On the bases of investigation on recent development of plant lifetime management in the world, the author gives some points of view on how to establish plant lifetime assessment (PLA) and management (PLM) systems for Chinese nuclear power plants. The main points lie in: 1) safety regulatory organizations, utilities and R and D institutes work cooperatively for PLA and PLM; 2) PLA and PLM make a interdependent cycle, which means that a good PLM system ensures authentic input for PLA, while veritable PLA provides valuable feedback for PLM improvement; 3) PLA and PLM should be initiated for some key components. The author also analyzes some important problems to be tackled in PLA and PLM from the view angle of a R and D institute

Approaches to groundwater travel time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, P.; Klavetter, E.; Peters, R.

1989-01-01

One of the objectives of performance assessment for the Yucca Mountain Project is to estimate the groundwater travel time at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to determine whether the site complies with the criteria specified in the Code of Federal Regulations. The numerical standard for performance in these criteria is based on the groundwater travel time along the fastest path of likely radionuclide transport from the disturbed zone to the accessible environment. The concept of groundwater travel time, as proposed in the regulations, does not have a unique mathematical statement. The purpose of this paper is to discuss (1) the ambiguities associated with the regulatory specification of groundwater travel time, (2) two different interpretations of groundwater travel time, and (3) the effect of the two interpretations on estimates of the groundwater travel time. 3 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

Why is the Groundwater Level Rising? A Case Study Using HARTT to Simulate Groundwater Level Dynamic.

Science.gov (United States)

Yihdego, Yohannes; Danis, Cara; Paffard, Andrew

2017-12-01

  Groundwater from a shallow unconfined aquifer at a site in coastal New South Wales has been causing recent water logging issues. A trend of rising groundwater level has been anecdotally observed over the last 10 years. It was not clear whether the changes in groundwater levels were solely natural variations within the groundwater system or whether human interference was driving the level up. Time series topographic images revealed significant surrounding land use changes and human modification to the environment of the groundwater catchment. A statistical model utilising HARTT (multiple linear regression hydrograph analysis method) simulated the groundwater level dynamics at five key monitoring locations and successfully showed a trend of rising groundwater level. Utilising hydrogeological input from field investigations, the model successfully simulated the rise in the water table over time to the present day levels, whilst taking into consideration rainfall and land changes. The underlying geological/land conditions were found to be just as significant as the impact of climate variation. The correlation coefficient for the monitoring bores (MB), excluding MB4, show that the groundwater level fluctuation can be explained by the climate variable (rainfall) with the lag time between the atypical rainfall and groundwater level ranging from 4 to 7 months. The low R2 value for MB4 indicates that there are factors missing in the model which are primarily related to human interference. The elevated groundwater levels in the affected area are the result of long term cumulative land use changes, instigated by humans, which have directly resulted in detrimental changes to the groundwater aquifer properties.

LHCb: Measurement of $b$-hadron lifetimes at LHCb

CERN Multimedia

Amhis, Y

2014-01-01

Lifetimes are among the most fundamental properties of elementary particles. Precision Measurements of $b$-hadron lifetimes are an important tool to test theoretical models such as HQET. These models allow to predict various observables related to B-mixing. Using data collected during Run 1 at the LHC, LHCb measured the lifetime of B-decays including a $J/\\psi$ in the final state.

The impact of abandoned coal gasification plants on groundwater and remediation strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werner, P.; Stieber, M.

1997-01-01

Areas of abandoned coal gasification-, cokeovenplants and town gasworks normally contain hazardous contaminants as there are among others PAHs, cyanides, mono aromatic compounds and phenols. Therefore a strong impact on the groundwater can be expected. In the thousands of sites existing in Germany a complete remediation is almost impossible. Combustion is the only safe way to eliminate the contaminants by mineralization; but is to expensive and not applicable for the large amount of soil to be treated. Soil washing and bio-remediation is limited by the composition of the contaminants on the one side and by the soil structure on the other. Therefore the success of the mentioned remediation techniques is normally weak and only in some selected cases efficient enough. A combination of different methods according the site characteristics might help to increase the efficiency. On the other hand it it obvious, that there are natural barriers integrated between the contaminants and the groundwater as there are e.g solubility adsorbability and biodegradability of the hazardous compounds and the distance to the groundwater. Recently developed methods for downstream groundwater remediation are presented and discussed for the application in gas work contaminations. Those so called 'passive systems' are said to be very economic and might help to prevent further distribution of the contaminants into the environment. (au)

Region-scale groundwater flow modelling of generic high level waste disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalfe, D.

1996-02-01

Regional-scale groundwater flow modelling analyses are performed on generic high level waste (HLW) disposal sites to assess the extent to which a large crystalline rock mass such as a pluton or batholith can be expected to contain and isolate HLW in terms of hydraulic considerations, for a variety of geologic and hydrogeologic conditions. The two-dimensional cross-sectional conceptual models of generic HLW disposal sites are evaluated using SWIFT III, which is a finite-difference flow and transport code. All steps leading to the final results and conclusions are incorporated in this report. The available data and information on geological and hydrogeologic conditions in plutons and batholiths are summarized. The generic conceptual models developed from this information are defined in terms of the finite difference grid, the geologic and hydrogeologic properties and the hydrologic boundary conditions used. The modelled results are described with contour maps showing the modelled head fields, groundwater flow paths and travel times and groundwater flux rates within the modelled systems. The results of the modelling analyses are used to develop general conclusions on the scales and patterns of groundwater flow in granitic plutons and batholiths. The conclusions focus on geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics that can result in favourable conditions, in terms of hydraulic considerations, for a HLW repository. (author) 43 refs., 9 tabs., 40 figs

Persistent social inequality in life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy: Outlook for a differential pension age in Denmark?

Science.gov (United States)

Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Eriksen, Mette Lindholm; Andersen-Ranberg, Karen; Jeune, Bernard

2017-06-01

The state old-age pension in Denmark increases to keep pace with the projected increase in average life expectancy (LE) without any regard to the social gap in LE and expected lifetime in good health. The purpose of this study was to compare changes in LE and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) between groups of Danes with high, medium and low levels of education. Nationwide register data on education and mortality were combined with data from the Surveys of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) surveys in 2006-2007, 2010-2011 and 2013-2014 and the DFLE by educational level was estimated by Sullivan's method for each of these three time points. Between 2006-2007 and 2013-2014, LE among 65-year-old men and women with a low educational level increased by 1.3 and 1.0 years, respectively, and by 1.4 and 1.3 years for highly educated men and women. The gap in LE between people with high and low levels of education remained more than 2 years. In 2006-2007, 65-year-old men with a high level of education could expect 3.2 more years without disability than men of the same age with a low level of education. In 2013-2014, the difference was 2.9 years. For women, the results were 3.7 and 3.4 years, respectively. With the persistent social inequality in LE of more than 2 years and the continuous gap between high and low educational groups in DFLE of about 3 years, a differential pension age is recommended.

Lifetime measurements of excited Co I levels

CERN Document Server

Klotz, W D; Gobel, L H

1977-01-01

In the region of 3500 AA the lifetimes of eight excited Cobalt I levels have been measured by means of the zero field level crossing method. The measured lifetimes belong to the odd configurations 3d/sup 7/4s4p and 3d/sup 8/4p and are of the accuracy of about 5%. The hyperfine structure of levels with I not=J has to be taken into account in evaluating lifetimes from level crossing data, because the nuclear spin of the natural isotope /sup 59/Co is I=7/2. Therefore the influence of the line profile of the exciting resonance lines on the lifetimes has been investigated. The results are compared with those of other authors. Furthermore absolute oscillator strengths were calculated with known branching ratios and a new absolute scale has been established. (23 refs).

Arsenic in groundwater of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), India: Critical review and modes of mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborti, Dipankar; Das, Bhaskar; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Nayak, Bishwajit; Pal, Arup; Sengupta, Mrinal K; Ahamed, Sad; Hossain, Md Amir; Chowdhury, Uttam K; Biswas, Bhajan Kumar; Saha, Khitish Chandra; Dutta, R N

2017-08-01

This study represents the first comprehensive report of groundwater arsenic contamination status in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). During the past 23 years, 4210 groundwater samples were analysed from all 141 wards in the KMC: 14.2% and 5.2% samples had arsenic >10 μg/l and >50 μg/l, respectively, representing 77 and 37 wards. The study shows that the number of arsenic contaminated samples (and wards) in the southern part of the KMC exceeds that of other parts of the city. The daily intake of arsenic from drinking water was estimated as 0.95 μg per kg bw and the cancer risk was estimated as 1425/10 6 . Analyses of biological samples (hair, nail and urine) showed elevated concentrations of arsenic indicating the presence of subclinical arsenic poisoning, predicting an enhanced lifetime cancer risk for the population in southern part of the KMC. In the KMC, groundwater is not a sustainable source of freshwater due to arsenic, high iron, hardness and total dissolved solids. Its continued use is impelled by the lack of an adequate infrastructure to treat and supply surface water and in some wards the unaccounted for water (UFW) is even >45% incurred during distribution. The rare imposition of a water tax makes the water supply systems unsustainable and fosters indifference to water conservation. To mitigate the arsenic problem, continuous groundwater monitoring for pollutants, a treated surface water supply with strict policy implications, rainwater harvesting in the urban areas and introduction of water taxes seem to be long-term visible solutions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and optimization of membrane lifetime in dead-end ultra filtration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zondervan, E.; Roffel, B.

2008-01-01

In this paper, a membrane lifetime model is developed and experimentally validated. The lifetime model is based on the Weibull probability density function. The lifetime model can be used to determine an unambiguous characteristic membrane lifetime. Experimental results showed that membrane lifetime

Lifetime physical activity and female stress urinary incontinence.

Science.gov (United States)

Nygaard, Ingrid E; Shaw, Janet M; Bardsley, Tyler; Egger, Marlene J

2015-07-01

We sought to estimate whether moderate/severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in middle-aged women is associated with overall lifetime physical activity (including leisure, household, outdoor, and occupational), as well as lifetime leisure (recreational), lifetime strenuous, and strenuous activity during the teen years. Recruitment for this case-control study was conducted in primary-care-level family medicine and gynecology clinics. A total of 1538 enrolled women ages 39-65 years underwent a Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification examination to assess vaginal support. Based on Incontinence Severity Index scores, cases had moderate/severe and controls had no/mild SUI. We excluded 349 with vaginal descent at/below the hymen (pelvic organ prolapse), 194 who did not return questionnaires, and 110 with insufficient activity data for analysis. In all, 213 cases were frequency matched 1:1 by age group to controls. Physical activity was measured using the Lifetime Physical Activity Questionnaire, in which women recall activity from menarche to present. We created separate multivariable logistic regression models for activity measures. SUI odds increased slightly with overall lifetime activity (odds ratio [OR], 1.20 per 70 additional metabolic equivalent of task-h/wk; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.41), and were not associated with lifetime strenuous activity (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.99-1.25). In quintile analysis of lifetime leisure activity, which demonstrated a nonlinear pattern, all quintiles incurred about half the odds of SUI compared to reference (second quintile; P = .009). Greater strenuous activity in teen years modestly increased SUI odds (OR, 1.37 per 7 additional h/wk; 95% CI, 1.09-1.71); OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.15-2.66 in sensitivity analysis adjusting for measurement error. The predicted probability of SUI rose linearly in women exceeding 7.5 hours of strenuous activity/wk during teen years. Teen strenuous activity had a similar effect on SUI odds when

Effects of intensive urbanization on the intrusion of shallow groundwater into deep groundwater: Examples from Bangkok and Jakarta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onodera, Shin-ichi; Saito, Mitsuyo; Sawano, Misa; Hosono, Takahiro; Taniguchi, Makoto; Shimada, Jun; Umezawa, Yu; Lubis, Rachmat Fajar; Buapeng, Somkid; Delinom, Robert

2008-01-01

Asian megacities have severe pollution problems in both coastal and urban areas. In addition, the groundwater potential has decreased and land subsidence has occurred because of intensive groundwater pumping in urban areas. To prevent the adverse effects of urbanization on groundwater quality, it is necessary to confirm the changes in groundwater flow and contaminant transport caused by urbanization. We examined the effects of urbanization on contaminant transport in groundwater. The research areas were located around Bangkok, Thailand, and akarta, Indonesia, cities with populations of approximately 8 and 12 million, respectively. Each metropolitan city is located on a river delta and is adjacent to a bay. We measured the water level and collected water samples at boreholes at multiple depths (100 to 200 m) in 2004 and 2006 in Bangkok and Jakarta, respectively. The current hydraulic potential is below sea level in both cities because of prior excess abstraction of groundwater. As a result, the direction of groundwater flow is now downward in the coastal area. The Cl - concentration and δ 18 O distributions in groundwater suggest that the decline in hydraulic potential has caused the intrusion of seawater and shallow groundwater into deep groundwater. Concentrations of Mn and NO3 - -N in groundwater suggest the intrusion of these contaminants from shallow to deep aquifers with downward groundwater flow and implies an accumulation of contaminants in deep aquifers. Therefore, it is important to recognize the possibility of future contaminant transport with the discharge of deep groundwater into the sea after the recovery of groundwater potential in the coastal areas

Hanford groundwater scenario studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, R.C.; Gephart, R.E.; Deju, R.A.; Cole, C.R.; Ahlstrom, S.W.

1977-05-01

This report documents the results of two Hanford groundwater scenario studies. The first study examines the hydrologic impact of increased groundwater recharge resulting from agricultural development in the Cold Creek Valley located west of the Hanford Reservation. The second study involves recovering liquid radioactive waste which has leaked into the groundwater flow system from a hypothetical buried tank containing high-level radioactive waste. The predictive and control capacity of the onsite Hanford modeling technology is used to evaluate both scenarios. The results of the first study indicate that Cold Creek Valley irrigationis unlikely to cause significant changes in the water table underlying the high-level waste areas or in the movement of radionuclides already in the groundwater. The hypothetical tank leak study showed that an active response (in this case waste recovery) can be modeled and is a possible alternative to passive monitoring of radionuclide movement in the unlikely event that high-level waste is introduced into the groundwater

Lifetime for the Ti X spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Jagjit; Jha, A K S; Mohan, M

2010-01-01

We present configuration interaction calculations for the lifetime of 294 fine-structure levels of the Ti X spectrum in the LSJ coupling scheme. The calculations include all the major correlation effects. The relativistic effects are included by adding the mass correction term, Darwin term and spin-orbit interaction term to the non-relativistic Hamiltonian in the Breit-Pauli approximation. The calculated lifetime values are in very close agreement with other available experimental and theoretical results. We have predicted new lifetime results for levels belonging to 3p 2 3d, 3s 2 4p, 3s3p4s, 3s3p4p and various other configurations of Ti X, where no other theoretical and experimental results are available.

The neutron lifetime experiment PENeLOPE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schreyer, Wolfgang [Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Collaboration: PENeLOPE-Collaboration

2015-07-01

The neutron lifetime τ{sub n}=880.3±1.1 s is an important parameter in the Standard Model of particle physics and in Big Bang cosmology. Several systematic corrections of previously published results reduced the PDG world average by several σ in the last years and call for a new experiment with complementary systematics. The experiment PENeLOPE, currently under construction at the Physik-Department of Technische Universitaet Muenchen, aims to determine the neutron lifetime with a precision of 0.1 s. It will trap ultra-cold neutrons in a magneto-gravitational trap using a large superconducting magnet and will measure their lifetime by both neutron counting and online proton detection. This presentation gives an overview over the latest developments of the experiment.

NPP Krsko Lifetime Extension - Business Impact for Hrvatska Elektroprivreda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrankic, K.; Krejci, M.; Lebegner, J.

2006-01-01

This paper deals with the analysis of possible business impacts for HEP in the case of NPP Krsko life extension. Due to numerous reasons nuclear power plant life extension of ten to twenty years is a common procedure abroad. Having this practise in mind as well as other circumstances in Croatian and Slovenian electric power system, the extension of NPP Krsko lifetime is considered to be a possible scenario. Foreseeable impacts of this decision are evaluated primarily with consideration of its effect on HEPs projected cash flows, though other aspects will be addressed as well. Preserving a well maintained production facility with an extraordinary operational record and stable, or possibly falling overall production costs seems as a very rational choice. This is particularly true having in mind expected rise of electricity demand and energy prices in the region. Having NPP Krsko in operation beyond 2023 implies that no replacement source for NPP Krsko capacity needs to be built. This means avoiding all costs connected with the construction and operation of the replacement plant, assuming it will be fossil fuelled. Due to the high uncertainty of the future fossil fuel prices, the avoidance of replacement plant operational cost is likely to prove as highly rewarding. It should be kept in mind that avoided costs also include the replacement plant greenhouse gases emission costs, thus further enlarging the list of value adding impacts. The latter is valid anticipating the ratification of the Kyoto protocol and joining the European emission trading scheme. In addition to that, the extension of NPP Krsko lifetime would mean that the majority of costs connected with the decommissioning and final waste disposal can be postponed further down the time line. This will have very positive financial and possibly technological impact. Other value creating effects for HEP that are foreseeable as a consequence of the plant lifetime extension include: maintaining the knowledge of

Acid groundwater in an anoxic aquifer: Reactive transport modelling of buffering processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franken, Gudrun; Postma, Dieke; Duijnisveld, Wilhelmus H.M.; Boettcher, Juergen; Molson, John

2009-01-01

The acidification of groundwater, due to acid rain, was investigated in a Quaternary sandy aquifer in the Fuhrberger Feld, near Hannover, Germany. The groundwater, recharged through an area covered by a coniferous forest, had a pH in the range 4-5 down to a depth of 5 m. The evolution in groundwater chemistry along the flow path was investigated in a transect of multisamplers. A 2D groundwater flow model was established delineating the groundwater flow field and a groundwater flow velocity of around 80 m/a along the flow path was derived. Speciation calculations showed the groundwater to be close to equilibrium with the mineral jurbanite (AlOHSO 4 ) over the pH range 4.0-6.5. This suggests an accumulation of acid rain derived SO 4 2- in the aquifer sediment during the decades with high atmospheric S deposition. The groundwater has a pH of around 4.5 in the upstream part of the flow path increasing to near 6 further downstream. 1D reactive transport modelling, using PHREEQC, was used to analyze different combinations of buffering processes. The first model contains ion exchange in combination with jurbanite dissolution. At the ion exchange front Al 3+ is adsorbed leading to the dissolution of jurbanite and an increase in pH. Comparison with field data showed that the simulated increases in pH and alkalinity are much lower than observed in the field. The second model includes organic matter degradation. In addition to ion exchange and jurbanite dissolution, the model included the reduction of SO 4 2- and Fe-oxides as well as the precipitation of Fe sulfide. This model matches the field data well and illustrates the importance of redox processes for pH buffering in the Fuhrberg aquifer. The current progress of the acidification front is about 4 m/a. This corresponds to an average value of 150 a of acid input, which covers large historical variations. Remediation is expected to take the same time span because it requires desorption and neutralization of adsorbed Al 3

Ground-water travel time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bentley, H.; Grisak, G.

1985-01-01

The Containment and Isolation Working Group considered issues related to the postclosure behavior of repositories in crystalline rock. This working group was further divided into subgroups to consider the progress since the 1978 GAIN Symposium and identify research needs in the individual areas of regional ground-water flow, ground-water travel time, fractional release, and cumulative release. The analysis and findings of the Ground-Water Travel Time Subgroup are presented

Regional ground-water system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, J.

1985-01-01

The Containment and Isolation Working Group considered issues related to the postclosure behavior of repositories in crystalline rock. This working group was further divided into subgroups to consider the progress since the 1978 GAIN Symposium and identify research needs in the individual areas of regional ground-water flow, ground-water travel time, fractional release, and cumulative release. The analysis and findings of the Ground-Water Regime Subgroup are presented

Lifetime risk of renal replacement therapy in Europe: a population-based study using data from the ERA-EDTA Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Brand, Jan A J G; Pippias, Maria; Stel, Vianda S; Caskey, Fergus J; Collart, Frederic; Finne, Partik; Heaf, James; Jais, Jean-Philippe; Kramar, Reinhard; Massy, Ziad A; De Meester, Johan; Traynor, Jamie P; Reisæter, Anna Varberg; Wetzels, Jack F M; Jager, Kitty J

2017-02-01

Upcoming KDIGO guidelines for the evaluation of living kidney donors are expected to move towards a personal risk-based evaluation of potential donors. We present the age and sex-specific lifetime risk of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease in 10 European countries. We defined lifetime risk of RRT as the cumulative incidence of RRT up to age 90 years. We obtained RRT incidence rates per million population by 5-year age groups and sex using data from the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Registry, and used these to estimate the cumulative incidence of RRT, adjusting for competing mortality risk. Lifetime risk of RRT varied from 0.44% to 2.05% at age 20 years and from 0.17% to 1.59% at age 70 years across countries, and was twice as high in men as in women. Lifetime RRT risk decreased with age, ranging from an average of 0.77% to 0.44% in 20- to- 70-year-old women, and from 1.45% to 0.96% in 20- to- 70-year-old men. The lifetime risk of RRT increased slightly over the past decade, more so in men than in women. However, it appears to have stabilized or even decreased slightly in more recent years. The lifetime risk of RRT decreased with age, was lower in women as compared with men of equal age and varied considerably throughout Europe. Given the substantial differences in lifetime risk of RRT between the USA and Europe, country-specific estimates should be used in the evaluation and communication of the risk of RRT for potential living kidney donors. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Geostatistical analysis of groundwater chemistry in Japan. Evaluation of the base case groundwater data set

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salter, P.F.; Apted, M.J. [Monitor Scientific LLC, Denver, CO (United States); Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Yui, Mikazu

1999-05-01

The groundwater chemistry is one of important geological environment for performance assessment of high level radioactive disposal system. This report describes the results of geostatistical analysis of groundwater chemistry in Japan. Over 15,000 separate groundwater analyses have been collected of deep Japanese groundwaters for the purpose of evaluating the range of geochemical conditions for geological radioactive waste repositories in Japan. The significance to issues such as radioelement solubility limits, sorption, corrosion of overpack, behavior of compacted clay buffers, and many other factors involved in safety assessment. It is important therefore, that a small, but representative set of groundwater types be identified so that defensible models and data for generic repository performance assessment can be established. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to categorize representative deep groundwater types from this extensive data set. PCA is a multi-variate statistical analysis technique, similar to factor analysis or eigenvector analysis, designed to provide the best possible resolution of the variability within multi-variate data sets. PCA allows the graphical inspection of the most important similarities (clustering) and differences among samples, based on simultaneous consideration of all variables in the dataset, in a low dimensionality plot. It also allows the analyst to determine the reasons behind any pattern that is observed. In this study, PCA has been aided by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), in which statistical indices of similarity among multiple samples are used to distinguish distinct clusters of samples. HCA allows the natural, a priori, grouping of data into clusters showing similar attributes and is graphically represented in a dendrogram Pirouette is the multivariate statistical software package used to conduct the PCA and HCA for the Japanese groundwater dataset. An audit of the initial 15,000 sample dataset on the basis of

Groundwater Assessment Platform

OpenAIRE

Podgorski, Joel; Berg, Michael

2018-01-01

The Groundwater Assessment Platform is a free, interactive online GIS platform for the mapping, sharing and statistical modeling of groundwater quality data. The modeling allows users to take advantage of publicly available global datasets of various environmental parameters to produce prediction maps of their contaminant of interest.

Global scale groundwater flow model

Science.gov (United States)

Sutanudjaja, Edwin; de Graaf, Inge; van Beek, Ludovicus; Bierkens, Marc

2013-04-01

As the world's largest accessible source of freshwater, groundwater plays vital role in satisfying the basic needs of human society. It serves as a primary source of drinking water and supplies water for agricultural and industrial activities. During times of drought, groundwater sustains water flows in streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands, and thus supports ecosystem habitat and biodiversity, while its large natural storage provides a buffer against water shortages. Yet, the current generation of global scale hydrological models does not include a groundwater flow component that is a crucial part of the hydrological cycle and allows the simulation of groundwater head dynamics. In this study we present a steady-state MODFLOW (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1988) groundwater model on the global scale at 5 arc-minutes resolution. Aquifer schematization and properties of this groundwater model were developed from available global lithological model (e.g. Dürr et al., 2005; Gleeson et al., 2010; Hartmann and Moorsdorff, in press). We force the groundwtaer model with the output from the large-scale hydrological model PCR-GLOBWB (van Beek et al., 2011), specifically the long term net groundwater recharge and average surface water levels derived from routed channel discharge. We validated calculated groundwater heads and depths with available head observations, from different regions, including the North and South America and Western Europe. Our results show that it is feasible to build a relatively simple global scale groundwater model using existing information, and estimate water table depths within acceptable accuracy in many parts of the world.

Automated Groundwater Screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Glenn A.; Collard, Leonard B.

2005-01-01

The Automated Intruder Analysis has been extended to include an Automated Ground Water Screening option. This option screens 825 radionuclides while rigorously applying the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) methodology. An extension to that methodology is presented to give a more realistic screening factor for those radionuclides which have significant daughters. The extension has the promise of reducing the number of radionuclides which must be tracked by the customer. By combining the Automated Intruder Analysis with the Automated Groundwater Screening a consistent set of assumptions and databases is used. A method is proposed to eliminate trigger values by performing rigorous calculation of the screening factor thereby reducing the number of radionuclides sent to further analysis. Using the same problem definitions as in previous groundwater screenings, the automated groundwater screening found one additional nuclide, Ge-68, which failed the screening. It also found that 18 of the 57 radionuclides contained in NCRP Table 3.1 failed the screening. This report describes the automated groundwater screening computer application

Distribution transformer lifetime analysis in the presence of demand response and rooftop PV integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behi Behnaz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Many distribution transformers have already exceeded half of their expected service life of 35 years in the infrastructure of Western Power, the electric distribution company supplying southwest of Western Australia, Australia. Therefore, it is anticipated that a high investment on transformer replacement happens in the near future. However, high renewable integration and demand response (DR are promising resources to defer the investment on infrastructure upgrade and extend the lifetime of transformers. This paper investigates the impact of rooftop photovoltaic (PV integration and customer engagement through DR on the lifetime of transformers in electric distribution networks. To this aim, first, a time series modelling of load, DR and PV is utilised for each year over a planning period. This load model is applied to a typical distribution transformer for which the hot-spot temperature rise is modelled based on the relevant standard. Using this calculation platform, the loss of life and the actual age of distribution transformer are obtained. Then, various scenarios including different levels of PV penetration and DR contribution are examined, and their impacts on the age of transformer are reported. Finally, the equivalent loss of net present value of distribution transformer is formulated and discussed. This formulation gives major benefits to the distribution network planners for analysing the contribution of PV and DR on lifetime extension of the distribution transformer. In addition, the provided model can be utilised in optimal investment analysis to find the best time for the transformer replacement and the associated cost considering PV penetration and DR. The simulation results show that integration of PV and DR within a feeder can significantly extend the lifetime of transformers.

Isotope hydrology: Investigating groundwater contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubinchuk, V.; Froehlich, K.; Gonfiantini, R.

1989-01-01

Groundwater quality has worsened in many regions, with sometimes serious consequences. Decontaminating groundwater is an extremely slow process, and sometimes impossible, because of the generally long residence time of the water in most geological formations. Major causes of contamination are poor groundwater management (often dictated by immediate social needs) and the lack of regulations and control over the use and disposal of contaminants. These types of problems have prompted an increasing demand for investigations directed at gaining insight into the behaviour of contaminants in the hydrological cycle. Major objectives are to prevent pollution and degradation of groundwater resources, or, if contamination already has occurred, to identify its origin so that remedies can be proposed. Environmental isotopes have proved to be a powerful tool for groundwater pollution studies. The IAEA has had a co-ordinated research programme since 1987 on the application of nuclear techniques to determine the transport of contaminants in groundwater. An isotope hydrology project is being launched within the framework of the IAEA's regional co-operative programme in Latin America (known as ARCAL). Main objectives are the application of environmental isotopes to problems of groundwater assessment and contamination in Latin America. In 1989, another co-ordinated research programme is planned under which isotopic and other tracers will be used for the validation of mathematical models in groundwater transport studies

Lifetime sedentary living accelerates some aspects of secondary aging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Booth, Frank W; Laye, Matthew J; Roberts, Michael D

2011-01-01

accelerates secondary aging (e.g., speeding the reduction in bone mineral density, maximal oxygen consumption, and skeletal muscle strength and power), but does not alter the primary aging of these systems. Third, a lifetime of physical activity to the age of ∼60-70 yr old totally prevents decrements in some...... role in the secondary aging of many essential physiological functions, and this aging can be prevented through a lifetime of physical activity.......Lifetime physical inactivity interacts with secondary aging (i.e., aging caused by diseases and environmental factors) in three patterns of response. First, lifetime physical inactivity confers no apparent effects on a given set of physiological functions. Second, lifetime physical inactivity...

Calculation of groundwater travel time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, R.C.; Sagar, B.; Baca, R.G.

1984-12-01

Pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time is one indicator of the isolation capability of the geologic system surrounding a repository. Two distinct modeling approaches exist for prediction of groundwater flow paths and travel times from the repository location to the designated accessible environment boundary. These two approaches are: (1) the deterministic approach which calculates a single value prediction of groundwater travel time based on average values for input parameters and (2) the stochastic approach which yields a distribution of possible groundwater travel times as a function of the nature and magnitude of uncertainties in the model inputs. The purposes of this report are to (1) document the theoretical (i.e., mathematical) basis used to calculate groundwater pathlines and travel times in a basalt system, (2) outline limitations and ranges of applicability of the deterministic modeling approach, and (3) explain the motivation for the use of the stochastic modeling approach currently being used to predict groundwater pathlines and travel times for the Hanford Site. Example calculations of groundwater travel times are presented to highlight and compare the differences between the deterministic and stochastic modeling approaches. 28 refs

Moisture dependence of positron lifetime in Kevlar-49

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Jag J.; Holt, William H.; Mock, Willis, Jr.

1984-01-01

Because of filamentary character of Kevlar-49 aramid fibers, there is some concern about the moisture uptake and its effect on plastic composites reinforced with Kevlar-49 fibers. As part of continuing studies of positron lifetime in polymers, we have measured positron lifetime spectra in Kevlar-49 fibers as a function of their moisture content. The long lifetime component intensities are rather low, being only of the order of 2-3 percent. The measured values of long component lifetimes at various moisture levels in the specimens are as follows: 2072 +/- 173 ps (dry); 2013 +/- 193 ps (20.7 percent saturation); 1665 +/- 85 ps (25.7 percent saturation); 1745 +/- 257 ps (32.1 percent saturation); and 1772 +/- 217 ps (100 percent saturation). It is apparent that the long component lifetime at first decreases and then increases as the specimen moisture content increases. These results have been compared with those inferred from Epon-815 and Epon-815/K-49 composite data.

Understanding large scale groundwater flow to aid in repository siting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davison, C.C.; Brown, A.; Gascoyne, M.; Stevenson, D.R.; Ophori, D.U.

1996-01-01

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) with support from Ontario Hydro has developed a concept for the safe disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste in a deep (500 to 1000 m) mined repository in plutonic rocks of the Canadian Shield. The disposal concept involves the use of multiple engineered and natural barriers to ensure long-term safety. The geosphere, comprised of the enclosing rock mass and the groundwater which occurs in cracks and pores in the rock, is expected to serve as an important natural barrier to the release and migration of wastes from the engineered repository. Although knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of the groundwater in the rock at potential repository sites is needed to help design the engineered barriers of the repository it can also be used to aid in repository siting, to take greater advantage of natural conditions in the geosphere to enhance its role as a barrier in the overall disposal system

Nanoparticle discrimination based on wavelength and lifetime-multiplexed cathodoluminescence microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Garming, Mathijs W H; Weppelman, I Gerward C; de Boer, Pascal; Martínez, Felipe Perona; Schirhagl, Romana; Hoogenboom, Jacob P; Moerland, Robert J

2017-08-31

Nanomaterials can be identified in high-resolution electron microscopy images using spectrally-selective cathodoluminescence. Capabilities for multiplex detection can however be limited, e.g., due to spectral overlap or availability of filters. Also, the available photon flux may be limited due to degradation under electron irradiation. Here, we demonstrate single-pass cathodoluminescence-lifetime based discrimination of different nanoparticles, using a pulsed electron beam. We also show that cathodoluminescence lifetime is a robust parameter even when the nanoparticle cathodoluminescence intensity decays over an order of magnitude. We create lifetime maps, where the lifetime of the cathodoluminescence emission is correlated with the emission intensity and secondary-electron images. The consistency of lifetime-based discrimination is verified by also correlating the emission wavelength and the lifetime of nanoparticles. Our results show how cathodoluminescence lifetime provides an additional channel of information in electron microscopy.

Lifetime income inequality with taxation and public benefits

OpenAIRE

Kemptner, Daniel; Haan, Peter; Prowse, Victoria

2016-01-01

In this paper, we show how taxation, unemployment insurance, welfare, disability benefits and public pensions affect the inequality of lifetime income. Using results from a dynamic life-cycle model estimated using German panel data, we show that taxation and public benefits combined reduce the inequality of lifetime income, measured by the Gini coefficient, by 22\\%. Pensions only slightly reduce inequality in lifetime income. Welfare benefits, meanwhile, make persistent transfers to individua...

Possible evidence for the quantization of particle lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehrlich, R.

1976-01-01

An analysis of widths of resonant states supports the hypothesis that particle lifetimes are quantized in units of 1/2 or possibly 1/4 the lifetime of the rho meson: (4.40 +- 0.06) x 10 -24 seconds. The probability that the observed regularity in resonance widths (lifetimes) is simply due to chance is estimated to be less than 2 x 10 -4 . Possible ramifications of this result are considered

Hydrodynamic analysis of the interaction of two operating groundwater sources, case study: Groundwater supply of Bečej

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Polomčić Dušan M.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The existing groundwater source 'Vodokanal' for the public water supply of Bečej city in Serbia tapping groundwater from three water-bearing horizons over 15 wells with summary capacity of 100 l/s. Near the public water source of Bečej exists groundwater source 'Soja Protein' for industry with current capacity of 12 l/s which tapped same horizons. In the coming period is planned to increase summary capacity of this groundwater source up to 57 l/s. Also, the increase of summary city's source capacity is planned for 50 l/s in the next few years. That is means an increase of groundwater abstraction for an additional 84 % from the same water-bearing horizons. Application of hydrodynamic modeling, based on numerical method of finite difference will show the impact of increasing the total capacity of the source 'Soja Protein' on the groundwater level in groundwater source 'Vodokanal' and effects of additional decrease in groundwater levels, in all three water-bearing horizons, on the wells of the 'Vodokanala' groundwater source due to operation of industrial source. It was done 7 variant solutions of the extensions of groundwater sources and are their effects for a period of 10 years with the aim of the sustainable management of groundwater.

Λc photoproduction and lifetime measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amendolia, S.R.; Bagliesi, G.; Batignani, G.; Bertolucci, E.; Bettoni, D.; Bizetti, A.; Bosisio, L.; Bottigli, U.; Bradaschia, C.; Dell'Orso, M.; Fidecaro, F.; Foa, L.; Focardi, E.; Giannetti, P.; Giorgi, M.A.; Marrocchesi, P.S.; Menzione, A.; Raso, G.; Ristori, L.; Scribano, A.; Stefanini, A.; Tenchini, R.; Tonelli, G.; Triggiani, G.; Beck, G.A.; Bologna, G.; D'Ettorre Piazzoli, B.; Picchi, P.; Budinich, M.; Liello, F.; Milotti, E.; Rolandi, L.; Carter, J.; Green, M.G.; Landon, M.P.J.; March, P.V.; Sacks, L.; Sanjari, A.H.; Strong, J.A.; Ciocci, M.A.; Enorini, M.; Fabbri, F.L.; Laurelli, P.; Mannocchi, G.; Simonelli, L.; Spillantini, P.; Zallo, A.

1987-01-01

A measurement of the lifetime of the Λ c baryon photoproduced coherently of a germanium-silicon target is presented. A signal of Λ c → ΔΚ * → pKππ 0 has been observed and the two different decay diagrams for this process are compared. A sample of 9 Λ c decays give a lifetime of 1.1(+0.8-0.4)10 13 s. (orig.)

Baselines for Lifetime of Organic Solar Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gevorgyan, Suren; Espinosa Martinez, Nieves; Ciammaruchi, Laura

2016-01-01

The process of accurately gauging lifetime improvements in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) or other similar emerging technologies, such as perovskites solar cells is still a major challenge. The presented work is part of a larger effort of developing a worldwide database of lifetimes that can help...

Digital positron lifetime spectroscopy: present status and outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becvar, F.

2007-01-01

This contribution summarizes achievements in instrumentation for positron lifetime measurements with emphasis on digital spectrometric systems. A significant part of the data presented are based on a long-term exploitation of a conventional positron lifetime spectrometer developed at Charles University in early 90s, on bench-mark testing measurements with this spectrometer working temporarily in conjunction with a pair of 8-bit, 4 GS/s digitizers and on analogous measurements with a recently assembled digital positron lifetime spectrometer. In addition, results from testing experiments with microchannel plate photomultipliers are briefly reported. Further development of positron lifetime technique is discussed. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Study on lifetime of C stripping foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hongbin; Lu Ziwei; Zhao Yongtao; Li Zhankui; Xu Hushan; Xiao Guoqing; Wang Yuyu; Zhang Ling; Li Longcai; Fang Yan

2007-01-01

The carbon stripping foils can be prepared with the AC and DC arc discharge methods, or even sandwiched with AC-DC alternative layers. The lifetime of the carbon stripping foils of 19 μg/cm 2 prepared with different methods and/or structures was measured. The factors affecting the bombarding lifetime of the carbon stripping foils, especially the method of the foil preparation and the structure of the carbon stripping foils, were discussed. It is observed that the foils prepared with the DC arc discharge method have a longer bombarding lifetime than those prepared with the AC arc discharge method. (authors)

Brackish groundwater in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Jennifer S.; Anning, David W.; Brown, Craig J.; Moore, Richard B.; McGuire, Virginia L.; Qi, Sharon L.; Harris, Alta C.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; McMahon, Peter B.; Degnan, James R.; Böhlke, John Karl

2017-04-05

For some parts of the Nation, large-scale development of groundwater has caused decreases in the amount of groundwater that is present in aquifer storage and that discharges to surface-water bodies. Water supply in some areas, particularly in arid and semiarid regions, is not adequate to meet demand, and severe drought is affecting large parts of the United States. Future water demand is projected to heighten the current stress on groundwater resources. This combination of factors has led to concerns about the availability of freshwater to meet domestic, agricultural, industrial, mining, and environmental needs. To ensure the water security of the Nation, currently [2016] untapped water sources may need to be developed.Brackish groundwater is an unconventional water source that may offer a partial solution to current and future water demands. In support of the national census of water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey completed the national brackish groundwater assessment to better understand the occurrence and characteristics of brackish groundwater in the United States as a potential water resource. Analyses completed as part of this assessment relied on previously collected data from multiple sources; no new data were collected. Compiled data included readily available information about groundwater chemistry, horizontal and vertical extents and hydrogeologic characteristics of principal aquifers (regionally extensive aquifers or aquifer systems that have the potential to be used as a source of potable water), and groundwater use. Although these data were obtained from a wide variety of sources, the compiled data are biased toward shallow and fresh groundwater resources; data representing groundwater that is at great depths and is saline were not as readily available.One of the most important contributions of this assessment is the creation of a database containing chemical characteristics and aquifer information for the known areas with brackish groundwater

Expected Transmission Energy Route Metric for Wireless Mesh Senor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YanLiang Jin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Mesh is a network topology that achieves high throughput and stable intercommunication. With great potential, it is expected to be the key architecture of future networks. Wireless sensor networks are an active research area with numerous workshops and conferences arranged each year. The overall performance of a WSN highly depends on the energy consumption of the network. This paper designs a new routing metric for wireless mesh sensor networks. Results from simulation experiments reveal that the new metric algorithm improves the energy balance of the whole network and extends the lifetime of wireless mesh sensor networks (WMSNs.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of oxygen in dental biofilm

Science.gov (United States)

Gerritsen, Hans C.; de Grauw, Cees J.

2000-12-01

Dental biofilm consists of micro-colonies of bacteria embedded in a matrix of polysaccharides and salivary proteins. pH and oxygen concentration are of great importance in dental biofilm. Both can be measured using fluorescence techniques. The imaging of dental biofilm is complicated by the thickness of the biofilms that can be up to several hundred micrometers thick. Here, we employed a combination of two-photon excitation microscopy with fluorescence lifetime imaging to quantify the oxygen concentration in dental biofilm. Collisional quenching of fluorescent probes by molecular oxygen leads to a reduction of the fluorescence lifetime of the probe. We employed this mechanism to measure the oxygen concentration distribution in dental biofilm by means of fluorescence lifetime imaging. Here, TRIS Ruthenium chloride hydrate was used as an oxygen probe. A calibration procedure on buffers was use to measure the lifetime response of this Ruthenium probe. The results are in agreement with the Stern-Volmer equation. A linear relation was found between the ratio of the unquenched and the quenched lifetime and the oxygen concentration. The biofilm fluorescence lifetime imaging results show a strong oxygen gradient at the buffer - biofilm interface and the average oxygen concentration in the biofilm amounted to 50 μM.

Improved lifetime of microchannel-plate PMTs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehmann, A., E-mail: lehmann@physik.uni-erlangen.de [Physikalisches Institut IV, Friedrich Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); Britting, A.; Eyrich, W.; Uhlig, F. [Physikalisches Institut IV, Friedrich Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (Germany); Dzhygadlo, R.; Gerhardt, A.; Götzen, K.; Höhler, R.; Kalicy, G.; Kumawat, H.; Lehmann, D.; Lewandowski, B.; Patsyuk, M.; Peters, K.; Schepers, G.; Schmitt, L.; Schwarz, C.; Schwiening, J.; Traxler, M.; Zühlsdorf, M. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt (Germany); and others

2014-12-01

The charged particle identification at the PANDA experiment will be mainly performed with DIRC detectors. Because of their advantageous properties the preferred photon sensors are MCP-PMTs. However, until recently these devices showed serious aging problems which resulted in a diminishing quantum efficiency (QE) of the photo cathode. By applying innovative countermeasures against the aging causes, the manufacturers recently succeeded in drastically improving the lifetime of MCP-PMTs. Especially the application of an ALD coating technique to seal the material of the micro-channels proves very powerful and results in a lifetime of ≈6C/cm{sup 2} integrated anode charge without a substantial QE degradation for the latest PHOTONIS XP85112. This paper will present a comparative measurement of the lifetime of several older and recent MCP-PMTs demonstrating this progress.

Natural radionuclides in groundwaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laul, J.C.

1990-01-01

The U-234 and Th-230 radionuclides are highly retarded by factors of 10 4 to 10 5 in basalt groundwater (Hanford) and briny groundwaters from Texas and geothermal brine from the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF). In basalt groundwaters (low ionic strength), Ra is highly sorbed, while in brines (high ionic strength), Ra is soluble. This is probably because the sorption sites are saturated with Na + and Cl - ions and RaCl 2 is soluble in brines. Pb-210 is soluble in SSGF brine, probably as a chloride complex. The U-234/Th-230 ratios in basalt groundwaters and brines from Texas and SSGF are nearly unity, indicating that U is in the +4 state, suggesting a reducing environment for these aquifers. 19 refs., 3 figs

Groundwater monitoring systems and groundwater quality in the administrative district of Detmold (North Rhine-Westphalia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grabau, J.

1994-01-01

Two groundwater monitoring systems for areas of different dimensions in the administrative district of Detmold are introduced. Firstly, the monitoring of groundwater and untreated water by the Water Conservation and Waste Disposal Authority (Amt fuer Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft) in Minden and secondly, the monitoring of groundwater and drinking water by the Water Resources Board (Wasserschutzamt) in Bielefeld. Different approaches and methods are required for the description of groundwater quality on a regional and a local basis, respectively, i.e. for the monitoring of a whole region and the monitoring of parts of such a region. The properties of groundwater in areas of different dimensions are analysed and described by means of an extensive database and with the help of (geo)statistical methods of analysis. Existing hydrochemical data have only limited value as evidence of groundwater properties in the dimensional units ''region'' and ''small investigation area''. They often do not meet the requirements of correct mathematical statistical methods. (orig.)

Filter replacement lifetime prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Hamann, Hendrik F.; Klein, Levente I.; Manzer, Dennis G.; Marianno, Fernando J.

2017-10-25

Methods and systems for predicting a filter lifetime include building a filter effectiveness history based on contaminant sensor information associated with a filter; determining a rate of filter consumption with a processor based on the filter effectiveness history; and determining a remaining filter lifetime based on the determined rate of filter consumption. Methods and systems for increasing filter economy include measuring contaminants in an internal and an external environment; determining a cost of a corrosion rate increase if unfiltered external air intake is increased for cooling; determining a cost of increased air pressure to filter external air; and if the cost of filtering external air exceeds the cost of the corrosion rate increase, increasing an intake of unfiltered external air.

Current Status of Groundwater Monitoring Networks in Korea

OpenAIRE

Jin-Yong Lee; Kideok D. Kwon

2016-01-01

Korea has been operating groundwater monitoring systems since 1996 as the Groundwater Act enacted in 1994 enforces nationwide monitoring. Currently, there are six main groundwater monitoring networks operated by different government ministries with different purposes: National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGMN), Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (GQMN), Seawater Intrusion Monitoring Network (SIMN), Rural Groundwater Monitoring Network (RGMN), Subsidiary Groundwater Monitoring Network ...

Evaluation of Groundwater Impacts to Support the National Environmental Policy Act Environmental Assessment for the INL Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Annette Schafer; Arthur S. Rood; A. Jeffrey Sondrup

2011-12-01

The groundwater impacts have been analyzed for the proposed RH-LLW disposal facility. A four-step analysis approach was documented and applied. This assessment compared the predicted groundwater ingestion dose to the more restrictive of either the 25 mrem/yr all pathway dose performance objective, or the maximum contaminant limit performance objective. The results of this analysis indicate that the groundwater impacts for either proposed facility location are expected to be less than the performance objectives. The analysis was prepared to support the NEPA-EA for the top two ranking of the proposed RH-LLW sites. As such, site-specific conditions were incorporated for each set of results generated. These site-specific conditions were included to account for the transport of radionuclides through the vadose zone and through the aquifer at each site. Site-specific parameters included the thickness of vadose zone sediments and basalts, moisture characteristics of the sediments, and aquifer velocity. Sorption parameters (Kd) were assumed to be very conservative values used in Track II analysis of CERCLA sites at INL. Infiltration was also conservatively assumed to represent higher rates corresponding to disturbed soil conditions. The results of this analysis indicate that the groundwater impacts for either proposed facility location are expected to be less than the performance objectives.

Evaluation of Groundwater Impacts to Support the National Environmental Policy Act Environmental Assessment for the INL Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Annette Schafer; Arthur S. Rood; A. Jeffrey Sondrup

2011-08-01

The groundwater impacts have been analyzed for the proposed RH-LLW disposal facility. A four-step analysis approach was documented and applied. This assessment compared the predicted groundwater ingestion dose to the more restrictive of either the 25 mrem/yr all pathway dose performance objective, or the maximum contaminant limit performance objective. The results of this analysis indicate that the groundwater impacts for either proposed facility location are expected to be less than the performance objectives. The analysis was prepared to support the NEPA-EA for the top two ranking of the proposed RH-LLW sites. As such, site-specific conditions were incorporated for each set of results generated. These site-specific conditions were included to account for the transport of radionuclides through the vadose zone and through the aquifer at each site. Site-specific parameters included the thickness of vadose zone sediments and basalts, moisture characteristics of the sediments, and aquifer velocity. Sorption parameters (Kd) were assumed to be very conservative values used in Track II analysis of CERCLA sites at INL. Infiltration was also conservatively assumed to represent higher rates corresponding to disturbed soil conditions. The results of this analysis indicate that the groundwater impacts for either proposed facility location are expected to be less than the performance objectives.

SIRTF thermal design modifications to increase lifetime

Science.gov (United States)

Petrick, S. W.

1993-01-01

An effort was made to increase the predicted lifetime of the SIRTF dewar by lowering the exterior shell temperature, increasing the radiated energy from the vapor cooled shields and reconfiguring the vapor cooled shields. The lifetime increases can be used to increase the scientific return from the mission and as a trade-off against mass and cost. This paper describes the configurations studied, the steady state thermal model used, the analytical methods and the results of the analysis. Much of the heat input to the outside dewar shell is radiative heat transfer from the solar panel. To lower the shell temperature, radiative cooled shields were placed between the solar panel and the dewar shell and between the bus and the dewar shell. Analysis showed that placing a radiator on the outer vapor cooled shield had a significant effect on lifetime. Lengthening the distance between the outer shell and the point where the vapor cooled shields are attached to the support straps also improved lifetime.

Groundwater use in Pakistan: opportunities and limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhutta, M.N.

2005-01-01

Groundwater potential in the Indus Basin is mainly due to recharge from irrigation system, rivers and rainfall. Its quality and quantity varies spatially and temporally. However, the potential is linked with the surface water supplies. Irrigated agriculture is the major user of groundwater. Annual recharge to groundwater in the basin is estimated as 68 MAF. But 50 percent of the area has marginal to hazardous groundwater quality. Existing annual groundwater pumpage is estimated as 45 MAF (55 BCM). More than 13 MAF mainly of groundwater is lost as non-beneficial ET losses. Groundwater contributes 35 percent of total agricultural water requirements in the country. Annual cropping intensities have increased from 70% to 150% due to groundwater use. Increase in crop yield due to groundwater use has been observed 150-200. percent. Total investment on private tube wells has been made more than Rs.25.0 billion. In the areas where farmers are depending more on groundwater. mining of groundwater has been observed. Population pressure, inadequate supply of canal water and development of cheap local tub well technology have encouraged farmers to invest in the groundwater development. Deterioration of groundwater has also been observed due to excessive exploitation. The available information about the private tube wells is insufficient for different areas. Although during the past decade the growth of tube wells was tremendous but was not reflected accordingly in the statistics. Monitoring of groundwater quality is not done systematically and adequately. It is very difficult to manage a resource for which adequate information is not available. The present scenario of groundwater use is not sustainable and therefore certain measures are needed to be taken. It is recommended to. have a systematic monitoring of groundwater. For the sustainable use of groundwater, it is recommended to manage the demand of water i.e. grow more crops with less water. To achieve high productivity of

On Developments in the Mean Joint Lifetimes of Three- and Four-Generation Families in Western and Eastern Germany – A model Calculation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelyn Grünheid

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This article tackles the question of how, on the one hand, the high life expectancy and, on the other, the increasing age of mothers at childbirth will impact the joint lifetime of three and four generations and will develop in future. To this end, indicators are derived from the official data on mortality and fertility for the mean joint lifetimes of three- and four-generation families. Because of the complicated data available, the investigation will be restricted to the female succession of generations, and here to an observation of the first-born child in each case. The indicators act as model calculations, which is why they serve above all to indicate (future developments in mean joint lifetimes. The indicators are calculated for the average jointly-spent lifetime of three-generation families for the period from 1990 to 2060, and of four-generation families for the period from 2010 to 2060. The result of the calculations for Western Germany show an increase in the jointly-spent lifetime of three generations of up to roughly 35 years in 2000, after which that the figure falls continually to a value of roughly 30 years. A similarly developing trend emerges for four generations, but this is delayed by roughly 30 years towards the future, and reaches the highest value around 2030 to 2040, at roughly seven to ten years. For Eastern Germany, with its even younger age of women at childbirth in both the past and in the present, the maximum jointly-spent life years of three generations at the beginning of the observation period (roughly around 1990 is almost 40 years, after which this indicator falls continuously. The indicator of the average jointly-spent years of four-generation families, by contrast, probably reaches a maximum around 2020, with a value of 12 to 14 years. Also after this, one may anticipate a reduction in the joint lifetimes of four-generation families in Eastern Germany. All in all, the trends of the indicators denote that one

Extending the Lifetime of Sensor Networks through Adaptive Reclustering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluigi Ferrari

2007-06-01

Full Text Available We analyze the lifetime of clustered sensor networks with decentralized binary detection under a physical layer quality-of-service (QoS constraint, given by the maximum tolerable probability of decision error at the access point (AP. In order to properly model the network behavior, we consider four different distributions (exponential, uniform, Rayleigh, and lognormal for the lifetime of a single sensor. We show the benefits, in terms of longer network lifetime, of adaptive reclustering. We also derive an analytical framework for the computation of the network lifetime and the penalty, in terms of time delay and energy consumption, brought by adaptive reclustering. On the other hand, absence of reclustering leads to a shorter network lifetime, and we show the impact of various clustering configurations under different QoS conditions. Our results show that the organization of sensors in a few big clusters is the winning strategy to maximize the network lifetime. Moreover, the observation of the phenomenon should be frequent in order to limit the penalties associated with the reclustering procedure. We also apply the developed framework to analyze the energy consumption associated with the proposed reclustering protocol, obtaining results in good agreement with the performance of realistic wireless sensor networks. Finally, we present simulation results on the lifetime of IEEE 802.15.4 wireless sensor networks, which enrich the proposed analytical framework and show that typical networking performance metrics (such as throughput and delay are influenced by the sensor network lifetime.

Extending the Lifetime of Sensor Networks through Adaptive Reclustering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferrari Gianluigi

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We analyze the lifetime of clustered sensor networks with decentralized binary detection under a physical layer quality-of-service (QoS constraint, given by the maximum tolerable probability of decision error at the access point (AP. In order to properly model the network behavior, we consider four different distributions (exponential, uniform, Rayleigh, and lognormal for the lifetime of a single sensor. We show the benefits, in terms of longer network lifetime, of adaptive reclustering. We also derive an analytical framework for the computation of the network lifetime and the penalty, in terms of time delay and energy consumption, brought by adaptive reclustering. On the other hand, absence of reclustering leads to a shorter network lifetime, and we show the impact of various clustering configurations under different QoS conditions. Our results show that the organization of sensors in a few big clusters is the winning strategy to maximize the network lifetime. Moreover, the observation of the phenomenon should be frequent in order to limit the penalties associated with the reclustering procedure. We also apply the developed framework to analyze the energy consumption associated with the proposed reclustering protocol, obtaining results in good agreement with the performance of realistic wireless sensor networks. Finally, we present simulation results on the lifetime of IEEE 802.15.4 wireless sensor networks, which enrich the proposed analytical framework and show that typical networking performance metrics (such as throughput and delay are influenced by the sensor network lifetime.

Lifetime measurement in {sup 195}Po

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grahn, T.; Page, R.D. [University of Liverpool, Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Liverpool (United Kingdom); Dewald, A.; Jolie, J.; Melon, B.; Pissulla, T. [Universitaet zu Koeln, Institut fuer Kernphysik, Koeln (Germany); Greenlees, P.T.; Jakobsson, U.; Jones, P.; Julin, R.; Juutinen, S.; Ketelhut, S.; Leino, M.; Nyman, M.; Peura, P.; Rahkila, P.; Saren, J.; Scholey, C.; Sorri, J.; Uusitalo, J. [University of Jyvaeskylae, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35, Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Kroell, T.; Kruecken, R.; Maierbeck, P. [TU Muenchen, Physik-Department E12, Garching (Germany)

2009-03-15

The lifetime of the 17/2{sup +} yrast state in {sup 195}Po has been measured using the recoil distance Doppler-shift technique to be {tau}=43(11) ps. The lifetime was extracted from the singles {gamma}-ray spectra obtained by using the recoil-decay tagging method. The present work provides more information of the coupling schemes, shapes and configuration mixing in neutron-deficient odd-mass Po nuclei. (orig.)

Application of multivariate statistical technique for hydrogeochemical assessment of groundwater within the Lower Pra Basin, Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Tay, C. K.; Hayford, E. K.; Hodgson, I. O. A.

2017-06-01

Multivariate statistical technique and hydrogeochemical approach were employed for groundwater assessment within the Lower Pra Basin. The main objective was to delineate the main processes that are responsible for the water chemistry and pollution of groundwater within the basin. Fifty-four (54) (No) boreholes were sampled in January 2012 for quality assessment. PCA using Varimax with Kaiser Normalization method of extraction for both rotated space and component matrix have been applied to the data. Results show that Spearman's correlation matrix of major ions revealed expected process-based relationships derived mainly from the geochemical processes, such as ion-exchange and silicate/aluminosilicate weathering within the aquifer. Three main principal components influence the water chemistry and pollution of groundwater within the basin. The three principal components have accounted for approximately 79% of the total variance in the hydrochemical data. Component 1 delineates the main natural processes (water-soil-rock interactions) through which groundwater within the basin acquires its chemical characteristics, Component 2 delineates the incongruent dissolution of silicate/aluminosilicates, while Component 3 delineates the prevalence of pollution principally from agricultural input as well as trace metal mobilization in groundwater within the basin. The loadings and score plots of the first two PCs show grouping pattern which indicates the strength of the mutual relation among the hydrochemical variables. In terms of proper management and development of groundwater within the basin, communities, where intense agriculture is taking place, should be monitored and protected from agricultural activities. especially where inorganic fertilizers are used by creating buffer zones. Monitoring of the water quality especially the water pH is recommended to ensure the acid neutralizing potential of groundwater within the basin thereby, curtailing further trace metal

Exergy costs analysis of groundwater use and water transfers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrasquer, Beatriz; Uche, Javier; Martínez-Gracia, Amaya

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A methodology to estimate the unit exergy cost of water supply alternatives is provided. • Two alternatives (water transfers and groundwaters) are defined. • The unit exergy costs are given as a function of design and operating parameters. • Unit exergy cost of groundwaters go from 1.01 to 2.67 and from 1 to 4.06 in water transfers. • Unit exergy costs are calculated and contrasted for the medium course of the Ebro. - Abstract: In the search for new alternatives to meet the water demands, it is interesting to analyze the cost of using alternatives different from those such as desalination and pumping. The exergy cost analysis can be a useful tool to estimate costs of those alternatives as a function of its energy efficiency and its relative abundance with respect to existing resources in their surroundings. This study proposes a methodology for assessing the costs of groundwaters and water transfers from surplus basins within the exergy perspective. An equation to assess the exergy costs of these alternatives is proposed. System boundaries are first identified to the assessment of input and output currents to the system in exergy values for the design and certain operating conditions. Next, an equation to assess water supply costs depending on design and operational parameters is proposed, from the analysis of different examples. Pumping efficiency, altitude gap and flow among other features are introduced in the calculations as those characteristics parameters. In the developed examples, unit exergy costs of groundwaters go from 1.01 to 2.67, and from 1 to 4.06 in case of water transfers. Maximum values, as expected within this perspective, are found at high pumped/transferred flows and high pumping levels and/or low pumping efficiency if pumping is required.

Response of groundwater level and surface-water/groundwater interaction to climate variability: Clarence-Moreton Basin, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Tao; Raiber, Matthias; Pagendam, Dan; Gilfedder, Mat; Rassam, David

2018-03-01

Understanding the response of groundwater levels in alluvial and sedimentary basin aquifers to climatic variability and human water-resource developments is a key step in many hydrogeological investigations. This study presents an analysis of groundwater response to climate variability from 2000 to 2012 in the Queensland part of the sedimentary Clarence-Moreton Basin, Australia. It contributes to the baseline hydrogeological understanding by identifying the primary groundwater flow pattern, water-level response to climate extremes, and the resulting dynamics of surface-water/groundwater interaction. Groundwater-level measurements from thousands of bores over several decades were analysed using Kriging and nonparametric trend analysis, together with a newly developed three-dimensional geological model. Groundwater-level contours suggest that groundwater flow in the shallow aquifers shows local variations in the close vicinity of streams, notwithstanding general conformance with topographic relief. The trend analysis reveals that climate variability can be quickly reflected in the shallow aquifers of the Clarence-Moreton Basin although the alluvial aquifers have a quicker rainfall response than the sedimentary bedrock formations. The Lockyer Valley alluvium represents the most sensitively responding alluvium in the area, with the highest declining (-0.7 m/year) and ascending (2.1 m/year) Sen's slope rates during and after the drought period, respectively. Different surface-water/groundwater interaction characteristics were observed in different catchments by studying groundwater-level fluctuations along hydrogeologic cross-sections. The findings of this study lay a foundation for future water-resource management in the study area.

Modeling groundwater age using tritium and groundwater mineralization processes - Morondava sedimentary basin, Southwestern Madagascar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

RAMAROSON, V.

2007-01-01

The tritium method in the lumped parameter approach was used for groundwater dating in the Morondava sedimentary basin, Southwestern Madagascar. Tritium data were interpreted by the dispersion model. The modeling results, with P D values between 0.05 and 0.7, show that shallow groundwater age is ranging from 17 to 56 years. Different types of chemical composition were determined for these shallow ground waters, among others, Ca-HCO 3 , Ca-Na-HCO 3 , Ca-Na-Mg-HCO 3 , Ca-K-HCO 3 -NO 3 -SO 4 , Na-Cl, or Ca-Na-Mg-Cl. Likewise, deeper ground waters show various chemical type such as Ca-Na-HCO 3 , Ca-Mg-Na H CO 3 , Ca-Na-Mg-HCO 3 , Ca-Na-Mg-HCO 3 -Cl-SO 4 , Ca-Mg-HCO 3 , Na-Ca-Mg-HCO 3 -SO 4 -Cl, Na-Cl-HCO 3 or Na-HCO 3 -Cl. To evaluate the geochemical processes, the NETPATH inverse geochemical modeling type was implemented. The modeling results show that silicate minerals dissolution , including olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxene is more important than calcite or dolomite dissolution, for both shallow and deeper groundwater . In the Southern part of the study area, while halite dissolution is likely to be the source of shallow groundwater chloride concentration rise, the mineral precipitation seems to be responsible for less chloride content in deeper groundwater. Besides, ion exchange contributes to the variations of major cations concentrations in groundwater. The major difference between shallow and deep groundwater mineralization process lies in the leaching of marine aerosols deposits by local precipitation, rapidly infiltrated through the sandy formation and giving marine chemical signature to shallow groundwater [fr

Reliability-based assessment of polyethylene pipe creep lifetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khelif, Rabia; Chateauneuf, Alaa; Chaoui, Kamel

2007-01-01

Lifetime management of underground pipelines is mandatory for safe hydrocarbon transmission and distribution systems. The use of high-density polyethylene tubes subjected to internal pressure, external loading and environmental variations requires a reliability study in order to define the service limits and the optimal operating conditions. In service, the time-dependent phenomena, especially creep, take place during the pipe lifetime, leading to significant strength reduction. In this work, the reliability-based assessment of pipe lifetime models is carried out, in order to propose a probabilistic methodology for lifetime model selection and to determine the pipe safety levels as well as the most important parameters for pipeline reliability. This study is enhanced by parametric analysis on pipe configuration, gas pressure and operating temperature

Reliability-based assessment of polyethylene pipe creep lifetime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khelif, Rabia [LaMI-UBP and IFMA, Campus de Clermont-Fd, Les Cezeaux, BP 265, 63175 Aubiere Cedex (France); LR3MI, Departement de Genie Mecanique, Universite Badji Mokhtar, BP 12, Annaba 23000 (Algeria)], E-mail: rabia.khelif@ifma.fr; Chateauneuf, Alaa [LGC-University Blaise Pascal, Campus des Cezeaux, BP 206, 63174 Aubiere Cedex (France)], E-mail: alaa.chateauneuf@polytech.univ-bpclermont.fr; Chaoui, Kamel [LR3MI, Departement de Genie Mecanique, Universite Badji Mokhtar, BP 12, Annaba 23000 (Algeria)], E-mail: chaoui@univ-annaba.org

2007-12-15

Lifetime management of underground pipelines is mandatory for safe hydrocarbon transmission and distribution systems. The use of high-density polyethylene tubes subjected to internal pressure, external loading and environmental variations requires a reliability study in order to define the service limits and the optimal operating conditions. In service, the time-dependent phenomena, especially creep, take place during the pipe lifetime, leading to significant strength reduction. In this work, the reliability-based assessment of pipe lifetime models is carried out, in order to propose a probabilistic methodology for lifetime model selection and to determine the pipe safety levels as well as the most important parameters for pipeline reliability. This study is enhanced by parametric analysis on pipe configuration, gas pressure and operating temperature.

Groundwater Level Monitoring using Levelogger and the Importance of Long-Term Groundwater Level Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazran Harun; Ahmad Hasnulhadi Che Kamaruddin

2016-01-01

This review paper is focused on groundwater level monitoring using levelogger and the importance of long-term groundwater level data. The levelogger provides an inexpensive and convenient method to measure level, temperature and conductivity all in one probe. It can provide real time view as data is being recorded by the connected data logger. Water-level measurements from observation wells are the principal source of information about the hydrologic stresses acting on aquifers and how these stresses affect ground-water recharge, storage, and discharge. Long-term and systematic measurements of water levels provide essential data needed to evaluate changes in the resource over time to develop ground-water models, forecast trends and monitor the effectiveness of groundwater management. A significant advantage of this method of data collection and reporting are the groundwater level data can be updated real time. The accessibility of water level data is greatly enhanced by the Geographic Information System (GIS) to visually illustrate the locations of observation wells relative to relevant topographic, geologic, or hydrologic features. GIS and internet greatly enhance the capability for retrieval and transmittal of water-level data to potential users. (author)

Origin and distribution of saline groundwaters in the upper Miocene aquifer system, coastal Rhodope area, northeastern Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Petalas, C. P.; Diamantis, I. B.

1999-06-01

This paper describes the origins and distribution of saline groundwaters in the coastal area of Rhodope, Greece. The aquifer system includes two aquifers within coarse-grained alluvial sediments in the coastal part of the study area. Two major water-quality groups occur in the study area, namely Ca2+-rich saline groundwater and Ca2+-poor, almost fresh groundwater. The main process controlling the groundwater chemistry is the exchange of calcium and sodium between the aquifer matrix and intruding seawater. The natural salt water in the study area is probably residual water that infiltrated the aquifer system during repeated marine transgressions in late Pleistocene time. Seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifer system occurs as a result of overpumping in two seawater wedges separated vertically by a low-permeability layer. The rate of intrusion averages 0.8 m/d and is less than expected due to a decline of the aquifer's permeability at the interface with the seawater. The application of several hydrochemical techniques (Piper and Durov diagrams; Na+/Cl-, Ca2+/Cl-, Mg2+/Cl-, and Br-/Cl- molar ratios; Ca2+/Mg2+ weight ratio; and chloride concentrations), combined with field observations, may lead to a better explanation of the origin of the saline groundwater.

Groundwater environmental capacity and its evaluation index.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Li Ting; Wu, Qiang; Ye, Chun He; Ye, Nan

2010-10-01

To date, no unified and acknowledged definition or well-developed evaluation index system of groundwater environment capacity can be found in the academia at home or abroad. The article explores the meaning of water environment capacity, and analyzes the environmental effects caused by the exploitation of groundwater resources. This research defines groundwater environmental capacity as a critical value in terms of time and space, according to which the groundwater system responds to the external influences within certain goal constraint. On the basis of observing the principles of being scientific, dominant, measurable, and applicable, six level 1 evaluation indexes and 11 constraint factors are established. Taking Jinan spring region for a case study, this research will adopt groundwater level and spring flow as constraint factors, and the allowable groundwater yield as the critical value of groundwater environmental capacity, prove the dynamic changeability and its indicating function of groundwater environmental capacity through calculation, and finally point out the development trends of researches on groundwater environmental capacity.

Probabilistic analysis of divertor plate lifetime in tokamak reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golinescu, R.P.; Kazimi, M.S.

1994-01-01

Defining a methodology for a reliability estimate of the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER) divertor is the objective of the study summarized in this paper. If ITER could be designed such that no transients of any type occurred, the divertor reliability would be controlled by erosion of material during normal operation. The occurrence of several transient events results in important contribution to the expected divertor failure rate. Some transients cause the temperature in the divertor plate (DP) to rise; if these temperatures get too high, the structural elements in the DP will weaken and subsequently suffer structural failure and possibly reach the melting temperature. Using the limited data available leads to the result that there is a high probability that the DP will reliably withstand a peak heat flux of 11 MW/m 2 . However, transient events will lead to a much shorter lifetime than desirable for DP's, mainly due to the expected severe effects of plasma disruptions. If transients occurred, but the shutdown mechanism succeeded to perform without inducing a disruption, divertor reliability could be significantly improved. Improved characterization of the disruption conditions, and enlarged scope of failure modes should be pursued to gain confidence in the present conclusions

Natural radionuclides in groundwaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laul, J.C.

1992-01-01

The 234 U and 230 Th radionuclides are highly retarded by factors of 10 4 to 10 5 in basalt groundwater (Hanford) and briny groundwaters from Texas, and geothermal brine form the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF). In basalt groundwaters (low ionic strength), Ra is highly sorbed, while in brines (high ionic strength), Ra is soluble. This is probably because the sorption sites are saturated with Na + and Cl - ions, and RaCl 2 is soluble in brines. 210 Pb is soluble in SSGF brine, probably as a chloride complex. The 234 U/ 230 Th ratios in basalt groundwaters and brines from Texas and SSGF are nearly unity, indicating that U is in the +4 state, suggesting a reducing environment for these aquifers. (author) 19 refs.; 3 figs

Modulated electron-multiplied fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope: all-solid-state camera for fluorescence lifetime imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qiaole; Schelen, Ben; Schouten, Raymond; van den Oever, Rein; Leenen, René; van Kuijk, Harry; Peters, Inge; Polderdijk, Frank; Bosiers, Jan; Raspe, Marcel; Jalink, Kees; Geert Sander de Jong, Jan; van Geest, Bert; Stoop, Karel; Young, Ian Ted

2012-12-01

We have built an all-solid-state camera that is directly modulated at the pixel level for frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) measurements. This novel camera eliminates the need for an image intensifier through the use of an application-specific charge coupled device design in a frequency-domain FLIM system. The first stage of evaluation for the camera has been carried out. Camera characteristics such as noise distribution, dark current influence, camera gain, sampling density, sensitivity, linearity of photometric response, and optical transfer function have been studied through experiments. We are able to do lifetime measurement using our modulated, electron-multiplied fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope (MEM-FLIM) camera for various objects, e.g., fluorescein solution, fixed green fluorescent protein (GFP) cells, and GFP-actin stained live cells. A detailed comparison of a conventional microchannel plate (MCP)-based FLIM system and the MEM-FLIM system is presented. The MEM-FLIM camera shows higher resolution and a better image quality. The MEM-FLIM camera provides a new opportunity for performing frequency-domain FLIM.

Compendium of ordinances for groundwater protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-08-01

Groundwater is an extremely important resource in the Tennessee Valley. Nearly two-thirds of the Tennessee Valley's residents rely, at least in part, on groundwater supplies for drinking water. In rural areas, approximately ninety-five percent of residents rely on groundwater for domestic supplies. Population growth and economic development increase the volume and kinds of wastes requiring disposal which can lead to groundwater contamination. In addition to disposal which can lead to groundwater contamination. In addition to disposal problems associated with increases in conventional wastewater and solid waste, technological advancements in recent decades have resulted in new chemicals and increased usage in agriculture, industry, and the home. Unfortunately, there has not been comparable progress in identifying the potential long-term effects of these chemicals, in managing them to prevent contamination of groundwater, or in developing treatment technologies for removing them from water once contamination has occurred. The challenge facing residence of the Tennessee Valley is to manage growth and economic and technological development in ways that will avoid polluting the groundwater resource. Once groundwater has been contaminated, cleanup is almost always very costly and is sometimes impractical or technically infeasible. Therefore, prevention of contamination -- not remedial treatment--is the key to continued availability of usable groundwater. This document discusses regulations to aid in this prevention.

Genotypic-specific variance in Caenorhabditis elegans lifetime fecundity.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, S Anaid; Viney, Mark

2014-06-01

Organisms live in heterogeneous environments, so strategies that maximze fitness in such environments will evolve. Variation in traits is important because it is the raw material on which natural selection acts during evolution. Phenotypic variation is usually thought to be due to genetic variation and/or environmentally induced effects. Therefore, genetically identical individuals in a constant environment should have invariant traits. Clearly, genetically identical individuals do differ phenotypically, usually thought to be due to stochastic processes. It is now becoming clear, especially from studies of unicellular species, that phenotypic variance among genetically identical individuals in a constant environment can be genetically controlled and that therefore, in principle, this can be subject to selection. However, there has been little investigation of these phenomena in multicellular species. Here, we have studied the mean lifetime fecundity (thus a trait likely to be relevant to reproductive success), and variance in lifetime fecundity, in recently-wild isolates of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that these genotypes differed in their variance in lifetime fecundity: some had high variance in fecundity, others very low variance. We find that this variance in lifetime fecundity was negatively related to the mean lifetime fecundity of the lines, and that the variance of the lines was positively correlated between environments. We suggest that the variance in lifetime fecundity may be a bet-hedging strategy used by this species.

Lifetime extension: what challenges for industrialists?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cudelou, C.

2014-01-01

Lifetime extension upgrading imposes to compel with ASN (Nuclear Safety Authority) requirements such as: -) to assess the conformity of the installation in a very broad sense by looking for and processing any discrepancy, -) to demonstrate that the facility can face an accident, -) to justify an efficient monitoring of the components that can not be replaced (reactor vessel, containment building), -) to anticipate the replacement of important components like steam generators, -) to study measures for diminishing the thermal and chemical stresses of components, and -) to maintain knowledge and technical competencies. All these requirements are a big challenge for the nuclear industry that will face in the few years to come important tasks. Between 2015 and 2020, it is expected that fifteen 900 MW units and twenty 1300 MW units will have their third decennial outage program. During this period there will also be the second decennial outage program for some 1450 MW units and the first fourth decennial outage program for a 900 MW unit. To succeed in all these challenges, nuclear industry will have to focus on innovation and on a better work organisation. (A.C.)

Positron lifetime studies of electron irradiated copper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadnagy, T.D.

1976-01-01

Single-crystal copper was irradiated with 4.5-MeV electrons producing simple Frenkel defects as well as a significant concentration of divacancies. Mean positron lifetime characteristics, which are sensitive to the presence of vacancies and multivacancies in copper, was monitored after isochronal anneals between 80 and 800 0 K to determine the relative change of characteristic mean lifetimes and their associated intensities. Also a study of the dependence of the mean positron lifetime on the total electron fluence was made and compared with existing theories relating these lifetimes to vacancy or multivacancy concentrations. Numerical data from curve fitting procedures using a conventional trapping model for defect-induced changes in positron lifetimes indicate that upon irradiation with 4.5-MeV electrons at 80 0 K, about 8 percent of the defects produced are divacancy units. Divacancy units appear to be several times more effective in trapping positrons than are monovacancies. Further, the experimental data suggest that the stage III annealing processes in electron-irradiated copper most probably involve the motion and removal of both monovacancies and divacancies. A conglomerate (multivacancy) unit appears to exist as a stable entity even after annealing procedures are carried out at temperatures slightly above the stage III region. Such a stable unit could serve as a nucleation center for the appearance of voids

Modeling Effects of Groundwater Basin Closure, and Reversal of Closure, on Groundwater Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Pauloo, R.; Guo, Z.; Fogg, G. E.

2017-12-01

Population growth, the expansion of agriculture, and climate uncertainties have accelerated groundwater pumping and overdraft in aquifers worldwide. In many agricultural basins, a water budget may be stable or not in overdraft, yet disconnected ground and surface water bodies can contribute to the formation of a "closed" basin, where water principally exits the basin as evapotranspiration. Although decreasing water quality associated with increases in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) have been documented in aquifers across the United States in the past half century, connections between water quality declines and significant changes in hydrologic budgets leading to closed basin formation remain poorly understood. Preliminary results from an analysis with a regional-scale mixing model of the Tulare Lake Basin in California indicate that groundwater salinization resulting from open to closed basin conversion can operate on a decades-to-century long time scale. The only way to reverse groundwater salinization caused by basin closure is to refill the basin and change the hydrologic budget sufficiently for natural groundwater discharge to resume. 3D flow and transport modeling, including the effects of heterogeneity based on a hydrostratigraphic facies model, is used to explore rates and time scales of groundwater salinization and its reversal under different water and land management scenarios. The modeling is also used to ascertain the extent to which local and regional heterogeneity need to be included in order to appropriately upscale the advection-dispersion equation in a basin scale groundwater quality management model. Results imply that persistent managed aquifer recharge may slow groundwater salinization, and complete reversal may be possible at sufficiently high water tables.

Occurrence of 95 pharmaceuticals and transformation products in urban groundwaters underlying the metropolis of Barcelona, Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Serna, Rebeca; Jurado, Anna; Vázquez-Suñé, Enric; Carrera, Jesus; Petrović, Mira; Barceló, Damià

2013-01-01

The present paper presents the occurrence of 72 pharmaceuticals and 23 transformation products (TPs) in groundwaters (GWs) underlying the city of Barcelona, Spain. Thirty-one samples were collected under different districts, and at different depths. Aquifers with different geologic features and source of recharge were included, i.e., natural bank filtration, infiltration from wastewater and water supply pipes, rainfall recharge, etc. Antibiotics were the most frequently found compounds detected at levels reaching 1000 ng L −1 . Natural bank filtration from the river that receives large amounts of effluents from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs), turned out being the most influencing source of contamination, thus GW showed high range of compounds and concentrations as high as or even higher than in the river itself. In general, TPs were found at lower concentrations than the corresponding parent compounds, with some exceptions, such as 4OH propranolol and enalaprilat. -- Highlights: ► Comprehensive study of 95 pharmaceuticals in Barcelona's groundwater. ► Concentration levels found were higher than expected for groundwater. ► Transformation products significantly contributed to the overall levels. -- Ninety-five pharmaceuticals and transformation products are monitored in the groundwater from Barcelona metropolitan area

Spectroscopy and lifetime of bottom and charm hadrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

F. Ukegawa

2000-01-01

There are several motivations for studying masses and lifetimes of the hadrons containing a heavy quark, either the bottom or the charm quark. First, the mass and the lifetime are fundamental properties of an elementary particle. Second, the spectroscopy of hadrons gives insights into the QCD potential between quarks. In particular, a symmetry exists for heavy hadrons when the heavy quark mass is taken to be infinite, providing a powerful tool to predict and understand properties of those heavy hadrons. Third, studies of the lifetimes of heavy hadrons probe their decay mechanisms. A measurement of the lifetime, or the total decay width, is necessary when the authors extract magnitudes of elements of the Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. Again, in the limit of an infinite heavy quark mass things become simple and decay of a heavy hadron should be the decay of the heavy quark Q. This leads to a prediction that all hadrons containing the heavy quark Q should have the same lifetime, that of the quark Q. This is far from reality in the case of charm hadrons, where the D + meson lifetime is about 2.5 times longer than the D 0 meson lifetime. Perhaps the charm quark is not heavy enough. The simple quark decay picture should be a better approximation for the bottom hadrons because of the larger b quark mass. On the experimental side, the measurements and knowledge of the heavy hadrons (in particular bottom hadrons) have significantly improved over the last decade, thanks to high statistics data accumulated by various experiments. The authors shall review recent developments in these studies in the remainder of this manuscript

Utilizing potential field data to support delineation of groundwater aquifers in the southern Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elawadi, Eslam; Mogren, Saad; Ibrahim, Elkhedr; Batayneh, Awni; Al-Bassam, Abdulaziz

2012-01-01

In this paper potential field data are interpreted to map the undulation of the basement surface, which represents the bottom of the water bearing zones, and to delineate the tectonic framework that controls the groundwater flow and accumulation in the southern Red Sea coastal area of Saudi Arabia. The interpretation reveals that the dominant structural trend is a NW (Red Sea) trend that resulted in a series of faulted tilted blocks. These tilted blocks are dissected by another cross-cut NE trend which shapes and forms a series of fault-bounded small basins. These basins and the bounded structural trends control and shape the flow direction of the groundwater in the study area, i.e. they act as groundwater conduits. Furthermore, the present results indicate that volcanic intrusions are present as subsurface flows, which hinder the groundwater exploration and drilling activities in most of the area; in some localities these volcanic flows crop out at the surface and cover the groundwater bearing formations. Furthermore, the gravity and magnetic data interpretation indicates the possible existence of a large structural basin occupying the southeastern side of the study area. This basin is bounded with NW and NE trending faults and is expected to be a good host for groundwater aquifers; thus it is a promising site for hydrogeological investigation. (paper)

Comparison of groundwater residence time using isotope techniques and numerical groundwater flow model in Gneissic Terrain, Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, D.S.; Kim, C.S.; Koh, Y.K.; Kim, K.S.; Song, M.Y.

1997-01-01

The prediction of groundwater flow affecting the migration of radionuclides is an important component of the performance assessment of radioactive waste disposal. Groundwater flow in fractured rock mass is controlled by fracture networks, transmissivity and hydraulic gradient. Furthermore the scale-dependent and anisotropic properties of hydraulic parameters are resulted mainly from irregular patterns of fracture system, which are very complex to evaluate properly with the current techniques available. For the purpose of characterizing a groundwater flow in fractured rock mass, the discrete fracture network (DFN) concept is available on the basis of assumptions of groundwater flowing only along fractures and flowpaths in rock mass formed by interconnected fractures. To increase the reliability of assessment in groundwater flow phenomena, numerical groundwater flow model and isotopic techniques were applied. Fracture mapping, borehole acoustic scanning were performed to identify conductive fractures in gneissic terrane. Tracer techniques, using deuterium, oxygen-18 and tritium were applied to evaluate the recharge area and groundwater residence time

Isotope characteristics of groundwater in Beishan area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Yonghai; Liu Shufen; Lu Chuanhe

2004-01-01

Using the isotope techniques, the authors studied the origin, evolution and circulation of the groundwater in the potential site of China's high-level waste repository. The results indicate that both deep groundwater and shallow groundwater are mainly recharged by modern and local precipitation, and the deep groundwater in the site area is of meteoric origin. The shallow groundwater is mainly recharged by modern and local precipitation, and the deep groundwater originates from regional precipitation at higher elevation, or might be derived from the precipitation during the geological period of lower temperature. It is also known from the study that the deep underground is a system of very low-permeability where the groundwater flow rates are very low. (author)

42 CFR 409.65 - Lifetime reserve days.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... HOSPITAL INSURANCE BENEFITS Scope of Hospital Insurance Benefits § 409.65 Lifetime reserve days. (a... private insurance coverage that begins after the first 90 inpatient days in a benefit period, or if the... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Lifetime reserve days. 409.65 Section 409.65 Public...

The Lifetime of a beautiful and charming meson: B_c lifetime measured using the D0 detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Welty-Rieger, Leah Christine [Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States)

2008-09-01

Using approximately 1.3 fb^-1 of data collected by the D0 detector between 2002 and 2006, the lifetime of the B_c^± meson is studied in the B_c^± → J/Ψμ^± + X final state. Using an unbinned likelihood simultaneous fit to J/Ψ + μ invariant mass and lifetime distributions, a signal of 810 ± 80(stat.) candidates is estimated and a lifetime measurement made of: τ(B_c^±) = 0.448_-0.036^+0.038(stat) ± 0.032(sys) ps.

Micellar effects on positronium lifetime in aqueous SDS solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vass, Sz.; Kajcsos, Zs.; Molnar, B.; Stergiopoulos, Ch.

1981-09-01

Positron lifetime measurements have been performed in aqueous SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate) solutions. The lifetime distributions measured by fast-slow coincidence technique have been found to be influenced by surfactant concentration, which varied in the range of 1.25x10 -3 - 3.2x10 -1 mol/dm 3 (i.e. 2.27x10 -5 - 5.82x10 -3 mole fractions). The lifetime of the long living component connected to positronium formation and decay increases with increasing surfactant concentration. Lifetime data suggest that a direct positronium-micelle electron-exchange reaction leading to pick-off annihilation is contraindicated. (author)

Clinical results of fluorescence lifetime imaging in ophthalmology

Science.gov (United States)

Schweitzer, D.; Quick, S.; Klemm, M.; Hammer, M.; Jentsch, S.; Dawczynski, J.; Becker, W.

2009-07-01

A laser scanner ophthalmoscope was developed for in vivo fluorescence lifetime measurements at the human retina. Measurements were performed in 30 degree fundus images. The fundus was excited by pulses of 75 ps (FWHM). The dynamic fluorescence was detected in two spectral channels K1(490-560nm), K2(560-700 nm) by time-correlated single photon counting. The decay of fluorescence was three-exponentially. Local and global alterations in lifetimes were found between healthy subjects and patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and vessel occlusion. The lifetimes T1, T2, and T3 in both channels are changed to longer values in AMD and diabetic retinopathy in comparison with healthy subjects. The lifetime T2 in K1 is most sensitive to metabolic alterations in branch arterial vessel occlusion.